Expert PDF vs IronPDF: Technical Comparison Guide

HTML to PDF Conversion

Converting HTML content to PDF demonstrates the fundamental API differences.

Expert PDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Convert HTML string to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromHtmlString("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p>");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Convert HTML string to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromHtmlString("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p>");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully!");
    }
}

IronPDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF from HTML string
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p>");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF from HTML string
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a PDF document.</p>");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully!");
    }
}

Expert PDF returns byte[] directly from GetPdfBytesFromHtmlString(), requiring manual file writing with File.WriteAllBytes(). IronPDF returns a PdfDocument object with a SaveAs() method, providing a cleaner save operation and enabling additional manipulation before saving.

For advanced HTML rendering options, explore the HTML to PDF conversion guide.

URL to PDF Conversion

Capturing web pages as PDF documents shows configuration pattern differences.

Expert PDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Set page size and orientation
        pdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4;
        pdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait;

        // Convert URL to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromUrl("https://www.example.com");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Set page size and orientation
        pdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageSize = PdfPageSize.A4;
        pdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageOrientation = PdfPageOrientation.Portrait;

        // Convert URL to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromUrl("https://www.example.com");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully!");
    }
}

IronPDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Set page size and orientation
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;

        // Convert URL to PDF
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Set page size and orientation
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;

        // Convert URL to PDF
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF from URL created successfully!");
    }
}

Both libraries provide page size and orientation configuration. Expert PDF uses PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageSize and PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageOrientation, while IronPDF uses RenderingOptions.PaperSize and RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation. The naming follows similar patterns but with IronPDF using "Paper" prefix for consistency with print terminology.

Learn more about URL rendering in the URL to PDF documentation.

Headers and Footers with Page Numbers

Adding headers and footers demonstrates significant API design differences, particularly in page numbering syntax.

Expert PDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Enable header
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.ShowHeader = true;
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.HeaderText = "Document Header";
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.HeaderTextAlignment = HorizontalTextAlign.Center;

        // Enable footer with page numbers
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.ShowFooter = true;
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.FooterText = "Page &p; of &P;";
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.FooterTextAlignment = HorizontalTextAlign.Right;

        // Convert HTML file to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromHtmlFile("input.html");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("output-with-header-footer.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with headers and footers created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf
using ExpertPdf.HtmlToPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create the PDF converter
        PdfConverter pdfConverter = new PdfConverter();

        // Enable header
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.ShowHeader = true;
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.HeaderText = "Document Header";
        pdfConverter.PdfHeaderOptions.HeaderTextAlignment = HorizontalTextAlign.Center;

        // Enable footer with page numbers
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.ShowFooter = true;
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.FooterText = "Page &p; of &P;";
        pdfConverter.PdfFooterOptions.FooterTextAlignment = HorizontalTextAlign.Right;

        // Convert HTML file to PDF
        byte[] pdfBytes = pdfConverter.GetPdfBytesFromHtmlFile("input.html");

        // Save to file
        System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("output-with-header-footer.pdf", pdfBytes);

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with headers and footers created successfully!");
    }
}

IronPDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Configure header
        renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
        {
            CenterText = "Document Header",
            DrawDividerLine = true
        };

        // Configure footer with page numbers
        renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter()
        {
            RightText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
            DrawDividerLine = true
        };

        // Convert HTML file to PDF
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("input.html");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("output-with-header-footer.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with headers and footers created successfully!");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Configure header
        renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter()
        {
            CenterText = "Document Header",
            DrawDividerLine = true
        };

        // Configure footer with page numbers
        renderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter()
        {
            RightText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
            DrawDividerLine = true
        };

        // Convert HTML file to PDF
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("input.html");

        // Save to file
        pdf.SaveAs("output-with-header-footer.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF with headers and footers created successfully!");
    }
}

Expert PDF requires enabling headers/footers with boolean flags (ShowHeader = true) and uses text-based configuration with &p; and &P; tokens for current page and total pages respectively. IronPDF uses TextHeaderFooter objects with position-specific properties (CenterText, RightText) and {page} / {total-pages} placeholders. IronPDF also provides DrawDividerLine for visual separation.

For full HTML control, IronPDF also supports HtmlHeaderFooter allowing complete HTML/CSS styling in headers and footers.

Core Class Mapping

Method Mapping

Configuration Mapping

Page Numbering Tokens

Expert PDF Strengths

• HTML5 Support: Basic HTML5 rendering capability
• Established Library: Proven in production environments
• Familiar API: Straightforward PdfConverter pattern

Expert PDF Considerations

• Documentation Frozen: No updates since 2018
• Legacy Rendering: Older Chrome version limits CSS3 support
• Fragmented Products: Separate packages and licenses required
• Premium Pricing: $550-$1,200 for legacy technology
• Limited Modern .NET: Lags behind current .NET versions
• Infrequent Updates: Security and feature updates are sparse

IronPDF Strengths

• Modern Rendering: Latest Chromium engine for pixel-perfect output
• All-in-One Package: PDF generation, merging, security, extraction in one NuGet
• Active Development: Monthly updates with new features and security patches
• Better Documentation: Comprehensive tutorials and examples
• True Cross-Platform: Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker support
• Modern .NET: Native support for .NET 6/7/8/9+
• Full Async Support: Modern async/await patterns throughout

IronPDF Considerations

• Two-Step Save: Render returns PdfDocument, then call SaveAs() (provides flexibility)
• Different Placeholders: Uses {page} syntax instead of &p;