jsPDF vs react-pdf
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.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library that creates PDF files in the browser or in Node.js.
Open source · MIT
A React renderer that creates PDF files in the browser or on a server.
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 react-pdf if you need…
- React developers who need to generate PDF reports or invoices
- Teams that want PDF layouts written as reusable components
- Node.js projects that save generated PDFs to disk
- Browser apps that preview a PDF before download
Side-by-side
| jsPDF | react-pdf | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 31.3k | 16.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 6 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.
react-pdf
react-pdf (published as @react-pdf/renderer) lets developers describe a document with React components such as Document, Page, View and Text, then produces a PDF from it. It works in the browser, where a PDFViewer component can display the result, and in Node.js, where render can save the PDF to a file. It is useful when you want PDFs generated from the same component model as the rest of a React app.
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
react-pdf
- React developers who need to generate PDF reports or invoices
- Teams that want PDF layouts written as reusable components
- Node.js projects that save generated PDFs to disk
- Browser apps that preview a PDF before download
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
react-pdf
- Uses React components and StyleSheet, so familiar patterns carry over
- Supports both browser and Node.js rendering as described in the README
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 16.8k stars)
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
react-pdf
- People who only need to display an existing PDF, since the README points to a different project (wojtekmaj/react-pdf) for that
- Non-developers looking for a no-code PDF editor
- Projects not using React, since the library is a React renderer
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
react-pdf
- The README is short and does not document every feature, so check the homepage for details
- The README's Node example uses an older ReactDOM.render API, so verify current usage against the docs
- Layout is driven by styles in the README example (flexbox-style), which may take time to learn for print layouts
Getting started
jsPDF
Install from npm
npm install jspdf --saveOr install with yarn
yarn add jspdfFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between jsPDF and react-pdf?
jsPDF: A JavaScript library that creates PDF files in the browser or in Node.js. react-pdf: A React renderer that creates PDF files in the browser or on a server. jsPDF suits web developers who need to let users download a generated pdf from a page, while react-pdf suits react developers who need to generate pdf reports or invoices.
Are jsPDF and react-pdf free?
jsPDF: Free and open source. react-pdf: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, jsPDF or react-pdf?
jsPDF is easier to get started with (rated beginner); react-pdf is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is jsPDF or react-pdf more popular?
jsPDF has more GitHub stars (31.3k) than react-pdf (16.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to jsPDF and react-pdf?
Other options people compare them with include PDFKit, react-three-fiber, Ink, react-pdf, PixiJS.
Keep comparing
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.