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jsPDF vs PDFKit

Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.

jsPDF

Open source · MIT

A JavaScript library that creates PDF files in the browser or in Node.js.

Full review Website
PDFKit

Open source · MIT

JavaScript library for generating PDF documents in Node and the browser.

Full review Website

The short answer

Choose jsPDF if you need…

  • Web developers who need to let users download a generated PDF from a page
  • Node.js developers who want to write PDF files from a script
  • Teams building invoices, reports, or certificates from data in their app
  • Developers who want to avoid a server-side PDF service

Choose PDFKit if you need…

  • Node.js developers who need to generate PDFs such as invoices or reports from application data
  • Developers building PDF output that must run in a browser without a server round trip
  • Projects that need embedded fonts, JPEG/PNG images, links, or form fields in generated PDFs
  • Teams that want a code-driven alternative to editing PDF templates by hand

Side-by-side

jsPDFPDFKit
TypeLibraryLibrary
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars31.3k10.7k
Setup difficultyBeginnerBeginner
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageJavaScriptJavaScript
Last code update4 days ago4 days ago

What each one is

jsPDF

jsPDF is a JavaScript library for generating PDF documents from code. You create a document object, add text and other content, then save or download the file. It runs client-side in browsers and can also run in Node.js, where it saves files to disk.

PDFKit

PDFKit is a JavaScript library that creates PDF files from code, working in both Node.js and web browsers. You build a document by calling chainable functions to add text, images, vector shapes, tables, links and pages, then write the result to a file or HTTP response. It is aimed at generating multi-page, printable documents programmatically.

Best for

jsPDF

  • Web developers who need to let users download a generated PDF from a page
  • Node.js developers who want to write PDF files from a script
  • Teams building invoices, reports, or certificates from data in their app
  • Developers who want to avoid a server-side PDF service

PDFKit

  • Node.js developers who need to generate PDFs such as invoices or reports from application data
  • Developers building PDF output that must run in a browser without a server round trip
  • Projects that need embedded fonts, JPEG/PNG images, links, or form fields in generated PDFs
  • Teams that want a code-driven alternative to editing PDF templates by hand

Strengths

jsPDF

  • Installs from npm and works with common build tools and module formats (ES, UMD, Node)
  • Has a live demo and documentation site linked from the README
  • Widely used, with 31,317 stars and an MIT license

PDFKit

  • Simple chainable API that the README says makes complex documents a few function calls
  • Works in both Node and the browser, with a prebuilt standalone file and bundler guidance
  • Broad feature set listed in the README, including encryption, outlines, AcroForms and accessibility support

Not ideal for

jsPDF

  • People who need to edit or fill existing PDF files, since the README only describes generating new documents
  • Non-developers looking for a ready-made PDF tool, because it is a code library with no interface
  • Projects needing non-Latin text without extra work, since the README says standard PDF fonts are limited to ASCII and custom .ttf fonts must be added for UTF-8

PDFKit

  • People who only need to edit or fill existing PDFs, since the README describes creating documents rather than modifying them
  • Users who want a no-code tool; the README shows only code examples
  • Projects that need layout features the README lists as still coming, such as higher-level content layout APIs and pattern fills

Trade-offs

jsPDF

  • The README warns that user input should be sanitized before being passed to jsPDF
  • Advanced features depend on choosing the right API mode, and some plugins only work in compat mode
  • Optional features such as the html method need extra dependencies like html2canvas

PDFKit

  • Bundling for Node needs extra steps for standard fonts and PDF/A output, according to the README
  • Browser helpers toBlob and toBytes are described as experimental and may change
  • Layout is largely manual; the README says higher-level layout APIs are not yet available

Getting started

jsPDF

Install from npm

npm install jspdf --save

Or install with yarn

yarn add jspdf
Step-by-step guide: how to use jsPDF

PDFKit

Install with npm

npm install pdfkit

Install with yarn

yarn add pdfkit
Step-by-step guide: how to use PDFKit

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between jsPDF and PDFKit?

jsPDF: A JavaScript library that creates PDF files in the browser or in Node.js. PDFKit: JavaScript library for generating PDF documents in Node and the browser. jsPDF suits web developers who need to let users download a generated pdf from a page, while PDFKit suits node.js developers who need to generate pdfs such as invoices or reports from application data.

Are jsPDF and PDFKit free?

jsPDF: Free and open source. PDFKit: Free and open source.

Is jsPDF or PDFKit more popular?

jsPDF has more GitHub stars (31.3k) than PDFKit (10.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

Keep comparing

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Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.