VectSharp vs IronPDF: Technical Comparison Guide

VectSharp Limitations

VectSharp's specialized focus introduces constraints for general document generation:

• No HTML Support: Cannot convert HTML or CSS to PDF—requires manual vector drawing for all content
• No CSS Styling: All styling must be implemented programmatically
• No JavaScript Execution: Cannot render dynamic web content
• No Automatic Text Layout: No text wrapping, pagination, or flow layout—developers must manage everything manually
• Manual Page Management: Each page must be explicitly created and managed

VectSharp Coordinate-Based Approach

VectSharp requires developers to create Document and Page objects, then draw every element using Graphics methods with explicit coordinates:

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using VectSharp.SVG;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // VectSharp doesn't directly support HTML to PDF
        // It requires manual creation of graphics objects
        Document doc = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(595, 842); // A4 size
        Graphics graphics = page.Graphics;

        graphics.FillText(100, 100, "Hello from VectSharp", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));

        doc.Pages.Add(page);
        doc.SaveAsPDF("output.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using VectSharp.SVG;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // VectSharp doesn't directly support HTML to PDF
        // It requires manual creation of graphics objects
        Document doc = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(595, 842); // A4 size
        Graphics graphics = page.Graphics;

        graphics.FillText(100, 100, "Hello from VectSharp", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));

        doc.Pages.Add(page);
        doc.SaveAsPDF("output.pdf");
    }
}

This approach requires understanding coordinate systems, point measurements, and explicit positioning for every text element, shape, and graphic.

IronPDF HTML-Based Approach

IronPDF uses familiar HTML and CSS, allowing developers to create documents using web technologies they already know:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF</h1><p>This is HTML content.</p>");
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello from IronPDF</h1><p>This is HTML content.</p>");
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

The ChromePdfRenderer class handles all layout, positioning, and pagination automatically. For comprehensive HTML conversion guidance, see the HTML to PDF tutorial.

VectSharp Shape Drawing

VectSharp provides low-level graphics primitives for drawing shapes using explicit coordinates and GraphicsPath objects:

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document doc = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics graphics = page.Graphics;

        // Draw rectangle
        graphics.FillRectangle(50, 50, 200, 100, Colour.FromRgb(0, 0, 255));

        // Draw circle
        GraphicsPath circle = new GraphicsPath();
        circle.Arc(400, 100, 50, 0, 2 * Math.PI);
        graphics.FillPath(circle, Colour.FromRgb(255, 0, 0));

        // Add text
        graphics.FillText(50, 200, "VectSharp Graphics", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 20));

        doc.Pages.Add(page);
        doc.SaveAsPDF("shapes.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document doc = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics graphics = page.Graphics;

        // Draw rectangle
        graphics.FillRectangle(50, 50, 200, 100, Colour.FromRgb(0, 0, 255));

        // Draw circle
        GraphicsPath circle = new GraphicsPath();
        circle.Arc(400, 100, 50, 0, 2 * Math.PI);
        graphics.FillPath(circle, Colour.FromRgb(255, 0, 0));

        // Add text
        graphics.FillText(50, 200, "VectSharp Graphics", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 20));

        doc.Pages.Add(page);
        doc.SaveAsPDF("shapes.pdf");
    }
}

This code demonstrates VectSharp's strength in precise vector graphics—each element is positioned using exact pixel coordinates, colors are created programmatically, and shapes like circles require constructing GraphicsPath objects with arc definitions.

IronPDF HTML/CSS Shapes

IronPDF achieves similar visual results using standard HTML and CSS:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string html = @"
            <div style='width: 200px; height: 100px; background-color: blue; margin: 50px;'></div>
            <div style='width: 100px; height: 100px; background-color: red; 
                        border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 350px; margin-top: -50px;'></div>
            <h2 style='margin-left: 50px;'>IronPDF Graphics</h2>
        ";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("shapes.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string html = @"
            <div style='width: 200px; height: 100px; background-color: blue; margin: 50px;'></div>
            <div style='width: 100px; height: 100px; background-color: red; 
                        border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 350px; margin-top: -50px;'></div>
            <h2 style='margin-left: 50px;'>IronPDF Graphics</h2>
        ";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("shapes.pdf");
    }
}

CSS properties like border-radius: 50% create circles, while standard HTML/CSS positioning handles layout. For complex vector graphics, IronPDF supports inline SVG elements directly in HTML.

VectSharp Manual Page Management

VectSharp requires explicit creation and management of each page:

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document doc = new Document();

        // Page 1
        Page page1 = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics g1 = page1.Graphics;
        g1.FillText(50, 50, "Page 1", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));
        g1.FillText(50, 100, "First page content", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 14));
        doc.Pages.Add(page1);

        // Page 2
        Page page2 = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics g2 = page2.Graphics;
        g2.FillText(50, 50, "Page 2", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));
        g2.FillText(50, 100, "Second page content", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 14));
        doc.Pages.Add(page2);

        doc.SaveAsPDF("multipage.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package VectSharp.PDF
using VectSharp;
using VectSharp.PDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document doc = new Document();

        // Page 1
        Page page1 = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics g1 = page1.Graphics;
        g1.FillText(50, 50, "Page 1", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));
        g1.FillText(50, 100, "First page content", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 14));
        doc.Pages.Add(page1);

        // Page 2
        Page page2 = new Page(595, 842);
        Graphics g2 = page2.Graphics;
        g2.FillText(50, 50, "Page 2", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 24));
        g2.FillText(50, 100, "Second page content", 
            new Font(FontFamily.ResolveFontFamily(FontFamily.StandardFontFamilies.Helvetica), 14));
        doc.Pages.Add(page2);

        doc.SaveAsPDF("multipage.pdf");
    }
}

Each page requires its own Page object, Graphics context, and separate FillText calls for every text element. The code verbosity increases linearly with page count and content complexity.

IronPDF Automatic Pagination

IronPDF handles pagination automatically using CSS page-break rules:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string html = @"
            <h1>Page 1</h1>
            <p>First page content</p>
            <div style='page-break-after: always;'></div>
            <h1>Page 2</h1>
            <p>Second page content</p>
        ";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("multipage.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        string html = @"
            <h1>Page 1</h1>
            <p>First page content</p>
            <div style='page-break-after: always;'></div>
            <h1>Page 2</h1>
            <p>Second page content</p>
        ";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("multipage.pdf");
    }
}

The CSS page-break-after: always directive instructs the Chromium renderer to create a new page. IronPDF also supports automatic page breaks when content exceeds page boundaries—a capability VectSharp lacks entirely.

Document Generation Requirements

VectSharp excels at scientific visualization but becomes impractical for general document creation. Teams building invoicing systems, report generators, or content management platforms find that manually positioning every text element and shape creates maintenance burdens that HTML-based approaches avoid entirely.

HTML Content Integration

Applications that need to convert existing HTML templates, email content, or web pages to PDF cannot use VectSharp. The library has no HTML parsing or rendering capabilities, making it unsuitable for workflows where content originates as HTML.

Development Velocity

The coordinate-based API in VectSharp requires significantly more code than equivalent IronPDF implementations. A simple document that takes 5 lines of HTML might require 50+ lines of VectSharp drawing code, each specifying exact coordinates, colors, and fonts.

Modern Web Technology Support

VectSharp cannot render CSS3 layouts (Flexbox, Grid), execute JavaScript, or support modern web fonts. Teams working with contemporary web designs find that recreating these layouts through manual drawing is impractical.

PDF Feature Requirements

VectSharp focuses solely on PDF creation through vector graphics. Teams requiring PDF manipulation (merge, split), digital signatures, password protection, or automatic headers/footers must add additional libraries or consider alternatives like IronPDF that provide these capabilities natively.

Scientific Visualization Precision

For applications generating scientific figures, technical diagrams, or mathematical plots, VectSharp's coordinate-based approach provides pixel-perfect control that HTML/CSS positioning cannot always match.

Open Source Licensing

Released under LGPL, VectSharp allows integration without commercial licensing costs—an important consideration for open source projects or organizations with strict licensing policies.

Lightweight Dependency

VectSharp has minimal dependencies compared to IronPDF's Chromium-based rendering engine, potentially making it more suitable for resource-constrained deployment environments.