# DocRaptor alternative: html-pdf.com
DocRaptor alternative with Chromium rendering, per-page pricing and credits that never expire. Compare engines, prices and migration steps.
DocRaptor is a long-running HTML to PDF API built on Prince, a print-focused engine with strong CSS Paged Media support. html-pdf.com renders with headless Chromium, the engine behind Chrome's "Save as PDF", and sells prepaid credits instead of monthly plans.
Both solve the same problem in different ways. Here's an honest comparison, including when DocRaptor is the better pick.
**Quick answer.** Switching usually means renaming `document_content` to `html` and sending a Bearer token:
```bash
curl -X POST https://html-pdf.com/v1/pdf \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $HTML_PDF_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"html": "Invoice #42
"}' \
-o invoice.pdf
```
## DocRaptor vs html-pdf.com at a glance
This table shows the main differences side by side.
| | DocRaptor | html-pdf.com |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering engine | Prince | Headless Chromium (via Gotenberg) |
| Pricing model | Monthly subscription, with overage | One-time credit packs, no subscription |
| Billing unit | Per document | Per PDF page (1 credit = 1 page) |
| Free usage | Free plan with 5 documents per month; unlimited watermarked test documents | 100 credits once your email is confirmed |
| Entry price | $15/month for 125 documents | $10 for 1,000 credits, one time |
| Unused allowance | Monthly plan allowance | Purchased credits never expire |
| CSS Paged Media (footnotes, cross-references, advanced `@page` rules) | Strong, Prince's specialty | Chromium-level support |
| Modern web CSS and JavaScript | JavaScript supported (`javascript: true`) | Same rendering as Chrome: flexbox, grid, web fonts, JavaScript |
| Accessible / tagged PDFs | Yes (tagging for PDF/UA) | Not offered |
| Other outputs | PDF, XLS, XLSX | PDF only |
| Async jobs and hosted documents | Yes | Synchronous; 24-hour download link with `"response": "url"` |
| MCP server for AI agents | Not offered | Remote MCP server at `https://html-pdf.com/mcp`, nothing to install |
*Prices checked October 2026 on [DocRaptor's pricing page](https://docraptor.com/signup): Free $0 (5 documents/month, no overage), Basic $15 (125), Professional $29 (325), Premium $75 (1,250), Max $149 (5,000), Bronze $399 (15,000), Silver $1,000 (40,000), and Enterprise on request. Paid plans allow extra documents at an overage rate.*
## Prince vs Chromium: which engine fits your documents?
The rendering engine is the biggest difference, and it matters more than price.
**Prince (DocRaptor)** was built for print. It handles book-style features that browsers don't do well, such as footnotes, `target-counter()` cross-references ("see page 12"), named page layouts, running headers taken from the content, and tagged, accessible PDFs. If you typeset long reports, manuals or publications, that's real value.
**Chromium (html-pdf.com)** renders exactly what you see in Chrome. If you designed and tested your template in a browser (flexbox, grid, modern CSS, web fonts, JavaScript charts or a Tailwind build), the PDF comes out the same. There's no second engine to debug against.
A quick test is to open your HTML in Chrome and use **Print → Save as PDF**. If that output is what you want, Chromium is a good fit.
## How the prices compare
DocRaptor counts **documents** and html-pdf.com counts **pages**, so the cheaper option depends on your mix.
- **One-page invoices, 1,000 a month**: DocRaptor's Premium plan ($75 for 1,250 documents) covers it. On html-pdf.com, 1,000 pages is 1,000 credits, which is $10 at the smallest pack, or less per page on larger packs.
- **Irregular volume**: credits bought once never expire, so a quiet month doesn't waste a subscription.
- **Long documents**: a 40-page report is 1 DocRaptor document but 40 html-pdf.com credits. If most of your PDFs are long, per-document pricing can come out cheaper.
Our packs are $10 for 1,000 credits, $25 for 3,000, $50 for 7,000, $100 for 15,000 and $250 for 50,000. See [pricing](https://html-pdf.com/pricing).
## When DocRaptor is the better choice
DocRaptor wins in these cases.
- **You rely on Prince features**: footnotes, cross-reference page numbers, complex named pages, or CSS your templates already wrote for Prince.
- **You need accessible PDFs** (tagged for PDF/UA and Section 508).
- **You need Excel output** (XLS or XLSX) from the same API.
- **You need async jobs or long-term hosted documents** at a stable URL.
- **Your documents are long** and per-document billing is cheaper for you.
- **You want a long track record**. DocRaptor has run for over a decade, and html-pdf.com is newer.
## When html-pdf.com is the better choice
html-pdf.com wins in these cases.
- **Your templates are built for the browser** and you want the PDF to match Chrome.
- **Your documents are short** (invoices, receipts, tickets, certificates) and your volume varies.
- **AI agents generate your PDFs**. Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients connect to `https://html-pdf.com/mcp` with a URL and a key. See the [Claude guide](https://html-pdf.com/guides/claude) and [ChatGPT guide](https://html-pdf.com/guides/chatgpt).
- **You want failures to be free**. Failed renders and `max_pages` overruns cost 0 credits.
## Migrating from DocRaptor
This section shows the same request in both APIs and maps each option.
**Before (DocRaptor):**
```bash
curl https://$DOCRAPTOR_KEY@api.docraptor.com/docs \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"type": "pdf", "document_content": "Invoice #42
", "test": true}' \
-o invoice.pdf
```
**After (html-pdf.com):**
```bash
curl -X POST https://html-pdf.com/v1/pdf \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $HTML_PDF_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"html": "Invoice #42
", "format": "A4", "margin": "15mm"}' \
-o invoice.pdf
```
| DocRaptor | html-pdf.com |
|---|---|
| `document_content` | `html` |
| `document_url` | `url` (public pages only) |
| `type: "pdf"` | Always PDF |
| `test: true` | Use your 100 free credits; set `max_pages` to cap cost |
| `javascript: true` | JavaScript always runs; wait with `wait_delay` or `wait_for_expression` |
| `prince_options.media` | `media`: `print` or `screen` |
| `name` | `filename` |
| `@page` size and margins in CSS | Same CSS with `prefer_css_page_size: true`, or `format`/`margin` options |
| `@page` margin-box headers and footers | `header_html` / `footer_html` with `pageNumber` and `totalPages` placeholders |
| Hosted documents | `"response": "url"` (link valid 24 hours) |
Before switching, render a few of your real templates and compare them page by page. Look closely at anything that uses Prince-specific CSS (`prince-` prefixed properties, footnotes, `target-counter`), because those need rewriting for Chromium.
## Try it free
One request creates an account and an API key. Open the link we email you to confirm your address, which adds 100 free credits.
```bash
curl -X POST https://html-pdf.com/v1/signup -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"email": "you@example.com"}'
```
You can also sign in at https://html-pdf.com/login. Comparing others too? See [PDFShift alternative](https://html-pdf.com/pdfshift-alternative) and [wkhtmltopdf alternative](https://html-pdf.com/wkhtmltopdf-alternative).
## FAQ
### Is there a free DocRaptor alternative?
html-pdf.com gives every new account 100 free credits once, with no card required. 1 credit is 1 PDF page, and paid packs start at $10 for 1,000 credits.
### Is html-pdf.com cheaper than DocRaptor?
For short documents it usually is, because you pay per page from $0.01 down to $0.005 and credits never expire. For long documents, DocRaptor's per-document pricing can come out cheaper.
### Will my DocRaptor templates render the same?
Templates built for the browser usually render the same, since html-pdf.com uses Chromium. Prince-specific CSS such as `prince-` properties, footnotes and `target-counter` needs rewriting.
### Does html-pdf.com support page numbers in headers and footers?
Yes. Use `header_html` or `footer_html` with the `pageNumber` and `totalPages` placeholders.
Full reference: [API docs](https://html-pdf.com/docs) · [MCP server](https://html-pdf.com/mcp)