PDFKit is a low-level Node.js library where you position every element programmatically. PixDoc lets you use HTML and CSS — the tools you already know — to design documents, then converts them with a single API call.
| Feature | PixDoc | PDFKit |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | API key, one HTTP call | npm install, write layout code |
| Rendering Engine | Chromium (HTML/CSS input) | Custom PDF writer (imperative API) |
| CSS Support | Full CSS3 — design with HTML/CSS | No CSS — position elements manually |
| Scaling | Auto-scales, managed infrastructure | Runs in your Node.js process |
| Templates | HTML templates with variable substitution | Code-based templates only |
| Screenshots | Built-in endpoint for PNG/JPEG/WebP | PDF only |
| Development Speed | Design in browser, render via API | Trial-and-error coordinate positioning |
| Pricing | Flat $29/mo for 5,000 renders | Free and open source |
See how much simpler it is to generate a PDF with PixDoc.
const PDFDocument = require("pdfkit");
const fs = require("fs");
const doc = new PDFDocument();
doc.pipe(fs.createWriteStream("invoice.pdf"));
doc.fontSize(25).text("Invoice #1042", 50, 50);
doc.fontSize(12);
doc.text("Item", 50, 120);
doc.text("Amount", 400, 120);
doc.moveTo(50, 140).lineTo(550, 140).stroke();
doc.text("Web Development", 50, 160);
doc.text("$5,000.00", 400, 160);
doc.text("Total: $5,000.00", 400, 200);
doc.end();
// Every element positioned with x,y coordinates
// No CSS, no flexbox, no HTML — just drawing commandsconst res = await fetch("https://pixdoc.dev/api/v1/pdf", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
Authorization: "Bearer pd_live_...",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({ html: "<h1>Invoice #1042</h1>" }),
});
const pdf = await res.arrayBuffer();Start generating PDFs, screenshots, and OG images in minutes. No browser management, no infrastructure, no per-document fees.