pdflayer

What pdflayer is

pdflayer is a cloud REST API that converts HTML or HTTP URLs into PDF documents. It is aimed at developers and businesses automating document creation, including invoices. The API accepts standard URLs or raw HTML, with raw HTML conversion available through HTTP POST; requests can use GET or POST, although some features are POST-only. Its rendering engine handles HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, and SVG. Options include dimensions, margins, page numbers, custom CSS, encryption, viewport settings, delay, headers, footers, and watermarks. The maker says the API works with any programming language, naming PHP, Python, Ruby, jQuery.ajax, and Java as examples. Generated PDFs are stored on a CDN and, according to the maker, can be retrieved within milliseconds. Users can track daily or monthly usage and receive notices when usage is running low. The Free Plan costs nothing, with 100 monthly API requests for non-commercial use and no listed encryption feature. Paid plans start at $9.99 a month; paid plans list 256-bit HTTPS encryption and paid subscriptions include unlimited, prioritized technical support.

Who it suits

pdflayer may suit developers or businesses that want to automate HTML-to-PDF conversion through an API. The Free Plan is restricted to non-commercial use and 100 requests per month; paid plans allow commercial use.

Limits

The free plan allows 100 API requests per month and is limited to non-commercial use. It lists no encryption feature; paid plans list 256-bit HTTPS encryption.

Getting started

1. Open the pdflayer website.
2. Choose the free plan or a paid plan.
3. Submit a URL or raw HTML to the API.
4. Use GET or POST, with POST for raw HTML and features that require it.
5. Track request usage daily or monthly.

Verdict

pdflayer offers URL and HTML conversion with a range of rendering and page customization options. The Free Plan is limited to non-commercial use and 100 monthly requests, while paid plans start at $9.99 a month and allow commercial use.