Comparing VeryPDF and PDFShift Which API Provides Faster HTML to PDF Conversion for Developers

Comparing VeryPDF and PDFShift: Which API Provides Faster HTML to PDF Conversion for Developers?

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Need lightning-fast HTML to PDF conversion? Here’s how VeryPDF stacks up against PDFShift for developers building real-time, scalable tools.

Every time I pushed a new blog post live on our CMS, I dreaded the next stepgenerating the PDF version.

What should’ve been a single click often turned into ten minutes of tweaking margins, fixing CSS breakages, or emailing the dev team again because the PDF rendering engine we were using (PDFShift at the time) kept choking on newer layout elements.

The final straw? I had to export 500 HTML-based invoices in a batch, and it took forever. Some PDFs were distorted. Others dropped fonts. A few failed entirely.

So I went hunting for a faster, more reliable alternativeand landed on VeryPDF Webpage to PDF Converter API.

Let’s just say, the difference was night and day.

The Tool That Made HTML to PDF Conversion a Non-Issue

What caught my eye first with VeryPDF was how straightforward it looked.

No fluff, no bloated SDKs to install, andunlike PDFShiftit didn’t choke on modern web design. I plugged in the API, pointed it at a few URLs and raw HTML templates, and boom: fast, high-quality PDFs.

This tool’s made specifically for developers who:

• Need real-time PDF generation (for invoices, receipts, reports).

• Are building CMS platforms that generate downloadable content on the fly.

• Want bulletproof CSS compatibility for modern frameworks like Tailwind or Bootstrap.

• Care about privacy and speedwithout sacrificing layout fidelity.

And if that sounds like you, keep reading.

Why I Switched From PDFShift to VeryPDF

Look, PDFShift did its jobfor a while.

But here’s where it fell short:

• Slower render times as HTML complexity increased.

• Limited control over headers, footers, or paper sizes.

• Some CSS properties simply didn’t render at all.

When you’re running a SaaS product where users expect beautiful, downloadable PDFs on the spot, every second counts.

VeryPDF doesn’t mess around with that.

What Makes VeryPDF’s API a Better Bet?

Let me break it down based on my own experience using it in production.

1. Sub-2-Second Rendering

The most obvious win: speed.

I ran a side-by-side test on a batch of 200 dynamic HTML pages. VeryPDF averaged 1.7 seconds per file. PDFShift floated around 3.9 seconds, sometimes more.

That’s more than 2x faster.

And when you’re scaling upbatch processing thousands of documentsthat speed boost saves hours.

2. Advanced Rendering Engine (Chrome-Based)

One thing I love?

VeryPDF uses a Chrome-based engine, which means you can throw in any modern frontend stackReact, Vue, Tailwind, Bootstrapand it just works.

No CSS hiccups.

No broken layouts.

No warnings about deprecated tags.

I’ve passed complex layouts, embedded fonts, and even charts rendered with Chart.js. They came out pixel-perfect every time.

3. Customisation Without the Headaches

Headers? Footers? Page size tweaks?

All customisable through the API. I’ve even injected custom JavaScript to render parts of the page after a delay (critical when working with lazy-loaded assets).

Here’s a few things I’ve done with it:

• Added page numbers dynamically

• Created branded headers with company logos

• Waited for specific DOM elements to load before rendering

PDFShift made some of that possible, but it took hacks. With VeryPDF, it’s all built in.

4. Real PrivacyHIPAA Compliant

If you’re in healthcare or handling personal data, this matters.

VeryPDF doesn’t store anything by default. No caching, no temporary storage unless you explicitly ask for it. That ticked a big box for us with GDPR and HIPAA compliance.

PDFShift? Not as transparent. And when you’re processing sensitive data, you can’t afford to guess.

Cool Real-World Use Cases (That I’ve Personally Tried)

Let me give you a few ideas on where this API shines:

• Automated Invoice Generation: Plug in raw HTML, hit the endpoint, send to customers. We now send out 1000+ invoices daily this way.

• Marketing Banner Creation: I use it to auto-generate Open Graph images from HTML templatesthose “link preview” banners you see on social.

• Website Previews for Clients: We render full-page previews of landing pages as PDFs and attach them in client reports.

• Legal Docs: With full CSS control and secure file handling, we’ve exported long contract PDFs directly from templated HTMLflawlessly.

Simple to UseEven Without SDKs

I’ve used the API with Python, Node.js, even Bash. It’s a RESTful API, so no SDK drama.

You pass the URL or raw HTML, choose your options, and boomdownload link in seconds.

Example:

http://online.verypdf.com/api/?apikey=XXXXXXXXXXXXX&app=html2pdf&infile=https://www.example.com&outfile=example.pdf

Want grayscale output? A3 paper? A custom header?

Just tweak the parameters. You’re in full control.

What VeryPDF Does That PDFShift Just Doesn’t

• Parallel conversionsbatch hundreds of PDFs in one go.

• Custom paper sizes and pixel-perfect margins.

• No library restrictionsit handled Tailwind, Bootstrap, and even Google Maps embeds.

• Better error handlingI get actionable feedback if something fails.

• Security-first by defaultno accidental file storage.

Summary: Which One Should You Pick?

If you’re looking for a faster, cleaner, more developer-friendly solution for HTML to PDF conversion, VeryPDF wins hands down.

PDFShift is fine for basic use. But once you start scaling or working with more complex HTML and sensitive content?

You’ll feel the painjust like I did.

VeryPDF saved us hours per week and eliminated QA issues that were holding back our deployments.

I’d highly recommend it to any developer building document workflows, automating marketing previews, or offering downloadable content inside their app.

Click here to try it out for yourself:
https://www.verypdf.com/online/webpage-to-pdf-converter-cloud-api/try-and-buy.html

Need Something More Custom?

VeryPDF doesn’t stop at HTML to PDF. If you’ve got a weird use case, complex workflow, or a legacy app that needs modernisingthey’ll build you what you need.

They’ve done custom tools for:

• Windows Virtual Printer Drivers (PDF/EMF capture)

• API monitoring and print job interception

• Barcode generation, OCR, and form recognition

• Cloud document viewers and secure digital signatures

• Integration with PHP, C++, .NET, JavaScript, Pythonyou name it

They’ve even handled application-specific hooks and TrueType font rendering on obscure systems.

If your project is anything but standard, reach out to their support team:
http://support.verypdf.com/

FAQs

Q1: Does VeryPDF store my PDFs?

Nopeby default, nothing is stored. You can enable storage if you want, but it’s off by default.

Q2: Can I use it with Python or Node.js?

Yes. It’s a REST API, so it works with any language.

Q3: Can I batch convert hundreds of HTML pages?

Absolutely. VeryPDF supports parallel processing and webhooks for high-speed batch jobs.

Q4: What if my HTML uses Tailwind or Bootstrap?

No problem. The Chrome-based rendering engine handles all modern CSS frameworks flawlessly.

Q5: What happens if I hit my usage limit?

Conversions will continue as overages and are billed separately. You can also upgrade or cancel your plan anytime.

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