Carbone

Overview

Carbone turns JSON data and reusable templates into generated documents, with API access and cloud or self-hosted deployment options. It suits developers and organizations automating document-heavy workflows; its data-size counting and separately invoiced overages deserve close attention before choosing a plan.

Templates span office and web-oriented formats, and the conversion API handles more than 100 formats. That combination makes Carbone a stronger fit for document pipelines than for teams primarily seeking a ready-made proposal or e-signature workspace.

Key features

Template-driven generation and conversion

Carbone merges JSON into templates to generate files such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX. Template formats include DOCX, ODT, ODS, XLSX, XML, Markdown and HTML; listed input formats also include PDF, PPTX, ODP, CSV, TXT, SVG, ODG and IDML. Bulk generation, bulk PDF generation, data merging, API access and fillable form creation broaden its use in automated workflows.

The conversion API supports more than 100 formats and works with LibreOffice, OnlyOffice and Chromium. This is useful when a workflow must handle varied document inputs as well as produce outputs, although the breadth of formats may matter less to teams with a narrow, fixed document pipeline.

AI connections and integrations

An MCP server and open-source Carbone Skill connect AI assistants with template generation. The integration directory includes ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Airtable, Bubble, Glide, Make, n8n, Zapier, Odoo and Salesforce. This gives teams several routes to connect document generation to existing tools, without changing the core requirement to supply JSON and templates.

Deployment, privacy and security

Cloud, On-Premise, Private Cloud and AWS deployment options let teams choose between hosted service and infrastructure they control. Carbone says Cloud retains templates for reuse but does not store or log submitted JSON or generated documents beyond what is needed to render and deliver them. For on-premise deployments, it says it has no access to customers’ templates, data or generated documents.

Carbone says its cloud infrastructure is hosted in France by OVHcloud and that it conducts annual security audits. It is working toward SOC 2 compliance, expected before the end of 2026. Teams that require completed SOC 2 compliance should factor that status into their evaluation.

Pricing

Carbone offers free, usage-based, subscription and enterprise-license options. The key billing detail is that a generated document is counted for each 1 MB of injected JSON and images; documents above a plan allowance are invoiced separately. For image-heavy or large-data workloads, the effective document count may therefore exceed the number of files produced.

• Cloud Free: free. The free plan’s document allowance and included templates are shown in the comparison table; the plan is best treated as an entry point rather than an assumed fit for sustained volume.
• On-Premise Free: free, billed 0 per year, for the self-hosted Community Edition. This offers a no-cost way to use a self-hosted edition, but is distinct from the paid enterprise licenses.
• Amazon Web Services: usage-based monthly pricing, with the first 100 documents at 0.15 USD each, 101–1000 at 0.08 USD each, 1001–10000 at 0.03 USD each, and over 10001 at 0.008 USD each. This tiered model suits variable usage, but costs rise with volume and should be estimated against Carbone’s document-counting rule.
• Cloud Essential: $29 a month, or 26 per month billed annually. It includes chat support from 9 AM to 6 PM UTC+2, with asynchronous email responses outside those hours. Documents are counted per 1 MB of injected data, and overages are invoiced separately, so the allowance and expected data size matter.
• Cloud Essential Plus: $95 a month, or 85 per month billed annually. It is listed in the plan comparison table; consider it when assessing the higher cloud tier against your expected allowance and needs.
• Cloud Advanced: $159 a month, or 149 per month billed annually. It uses the same per-1-MB document counting and separate overage invoicing, and includes 10 hours per year of expert support. That support can help teams needing more than standard chat and email assistance, but it does not remove the need to manage quota.
• Cloud Advanced Plus: $295 a month, or 265 per month billed annually. It is listed in the plan comparison table.
• Cloud Advanced Ultra: $595 a month, or 529 per month billed annually. It is listed in the plan comparison table.
• On-Premise Fit: $1,500 a year for an enterprise license, with documents counted per 1 MB of injected data. This is for organizations seeking an enterprise on-premise deployment while retaining usage-based document counting.
• On-Premise Unlimited: $2,940 a year, starting from 2940 per year, for an enterprise lifetime license with unlimited documents shown in the comparison table. It may suit high-volume workloads that favor a fixed document allowance, though the stated price begins at that level.

A free trial is available, and self-hosted On-Premise use includes a free 30-day trial.

Platforms

Carbone supports API, Linux, macOS, Windows, web and self-hosted use. This range accommodates teams integrating an API into software as well as those deploying on their own infrastructure.

Who it's for

Carbone is aimed at teams that need to generate or convert documents from structured data, especially where bulk processing, multiple template formats or deployment control matter. Its customer sectors include finance, healthcare, insurance, legal, public sector, retail, energy, software and telecom. The company began in 2013 under Ideolys and became the independent CarboneIO SAS in May 2021; it is based in Bellevigny, France.

It is less compelling for buyers who want a document workspace centered on authoring, signing or quoting rather than an API-driven generation pipeline. Cloud buyers should also be comfortable forecasting data-size-based counts and possible overage charges.

Pros and cons

• Pros: JSON-to-template generation, bulk output and fillable forms cover several stages of automated document production.
• Pros: More than 100 conversion formats and multiple template types can accommodate varied document workflows.
• Pros: Cloud, AWS and self-hosted choices give teams flexibility over deployment; Carbone also describes distinct data-handling practices for cloud and on-premise use.
• Cons: Counting one document per 1 MB of injected JSON and images makes actual file volume an incomplete guide to quota use.
• Cons: Extra documents are invoiced separately on relevant cloud plans, creating a need to monitor usage and budget for overages.
• Cons: SOC 2 compliance is still in progress, which may rule it out for buyers requiring completed certification.

Alternatives

For a document-generation workflow, compare Document Generation Software; for a mail-merge-centered shortlist, see Mail Merge Software. Teams focused on reusable template administration can also review Document Template Management Software, while PDF-focused buyers can browse PDF Creation Software.

• PandaDoc is another freemium option with a free plan, free trial and Android, API, iOS and web platforms. Its free plan describes a 60-document yearly allowance and two recipients per document; choose it when those stated limits and its platform mix fit better than Carbone’s data-to-template workflow.
• CraftMyPDF offers a free plan with 50 PDFs or images per month, three templates and REST API, Zapier, Make.com and Bubble.io connections. Consider it when that monthly allowance and named integrations are a closer match; unlike Carbone, it has no free trial.
• Documentero has a free tier with 50 documents once, three templates, unlimited pages and fields, shareable forms and emails, and a cloud API service. It is worth comparing for a small one-time document need or shareable-form workflow.
• PDF4me Merge & Split has a free API tier with limited calls and a one-time 25.00 USD Pack 500 for 500 API calls. It is the more targeted option to assess when PDF merging and splitting through an API is the priority.
• Adobe PDF Services API offers a free tier with 500 Document Transactions per month and paid plans at custom pricing. It is an alternative to evaluate when that transaction allowance or a quoted paid plan suits the workload.
• APITemplate.io has a free plan with 50 PDFs or images per month and three templates. Consider it when that stated monthly cap and template count are the relevant comparison points.
• PDFMonkey has a free plan capped at 20 documents per month, with one-day retention and a 30-second generation limit; it excludes external images, fonts, CSS and JS. Those constraints make it a clear option to compare for modest workloads that can work within them.
• QuoteCloud offers a free plan for five quotes per month and one user. It is a more focused alternative to consider for limited quote production.

Verdict

Carbone is a strong fit for developers and organizations that need API-driven document generation, broad format conversion and a choice of cloud or self-hosted deployment. Its breadth and deployment flexibility are the main reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if your priority is a signing or quoting workspace, or if per-1-MB counting, separately invoiced overages or a still-in-progress SOC 2 effort do not fit your requirements.