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For a self-hosted HTTP service that turns live, JavaScript-heavy web pages into PDFs, start with Gotenberg. Choose Playwright when PDF generation belongs inside browser-automation code, WeasyPrint for an HTML/CSS-oriented workflow that can fetch public URLs, and wkhtmltopdf when a simple headless CLI suits the page you need to convert. They use different rendering approaches, so none is a universal substitute for the others.
The right choice depends on whether the page needs JavaScript, login state, remote assets, or print-specific styles—and on whether you want an HTTP service, a browser API, or a command-line program. Test representative pages before committing to a tool.
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Choose by integration and page behavior
| Tool | Best starting point | Documented capabilities | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gotenberg | A self-hosted HTTP service for URL-to-PDF conversion | Docker-based API; Chromium-backed URL conversion; JavaScript and dynamic-content support; waits for a JavaScript expression or DOM selector. | Dynamic content may not be ready when conversion begins. Configure a suitable wait and verify the page’s assets and session requirements. |
| Playwright | PDF output integrated into browser automation and application code | page.pdf() creates a PDF with print CSS media by default; supports PDF sizing and screen-media emulation. |
This is a browser automation API, not the documented drop-in Docker HTTP service offered by Gotenberg. Confirm whether print or screen styling is wanted. |
| WeasyPrint | HTML/CSS rendering when fetching a public URL is useful | Can read HTTP URLs and follow redirects; SVG images can remain vector in PDF output. | Cookies and authentication are not supported by default. A custom URL fetcher may help for some workflows. |
| wkhtmltopdf | A headless command-line conversion workflow | Open-source LGPLv3 CLI using the Qt WebKit rendering engine to render HTML into PDF. | The project page does not establish compatibility with modern dynamic sites. Validate the exact pages you need. |
This is a fit comparison, not a speed ranking: there are no comparable benchmark results here. For Gotenberg details, see its URL conversion documentation and wait-for-expression guidance. Playwright documents PDF generation; WeasyPrint documents its API and URL fetching.
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Convert a URL with Gotenberg
For a self-hosted endpoint backed by headless Chromium, Gotenberg is the most direct starting point in this comparison. Its URL route is POST /forms/chromium/convert/url. In a typical Docker setup, start the service using the current instructions in the installation guide, then send the URL as multipart form data:
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curl --request POST
--url http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/url
--form 'url=https://example.com'
--output page.pdfReplace https://example.com with the page to capture and adjust the host or port if your deployment differs. A successful request writes the returned PDF to page.pdf. The URL route does not accept file:// addresses; for local HTML, use Gotenberg’s HTML or Markdown conversion route instead. Consult its current endpoint documentation for available form fields and deployment-specific details.
Wait for dynamic content
A browser can load the initial document before scripts finish filling in charts, listings, or other content. Gotenberg warns that this can produce blank or incomplete dynamic sections. When possible, wait for a known JavaScript expression or DOM selector that indicates the content is ready. Its documentation describes expression- and selector-based waits and recommends explicit waits over a blind fixed delay. A delay is a fallback when the page offers no reliable readiness signal, not a guarantee that every asset has finished loading.
Use Playwright when PDF generation belongs in your code
Playwright is a good fit when your application already controls a browser session—for example, when it must navigate, authenticate, or interact with a page before saving a PDF. The following Node.js example uses Playwright’s Chromium browser API; install Playwright and its browser binaries according to the official setup guide.
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(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'page.pdf', format: 'A4' });
await browser.close();
})();page.pdf() uses print CSS media by default. If the target should look like its on-screen version instead, emulate screen media before generating the PDF:
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await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'page.pdf', format: 'A4' });Use the API’s page-size, margin, and related PDF options to fit the document you need. If you use a fixed navigation or readiness condition, make it specific to the page: a generic network-idle wait is not proof that every application has finished its own asynchronous work. See the Playwright PDF API reference for options and behavior.
Use WeasyPrint for URL-based HTML and CSS rendering
WeasyPrint can load an HTTP URL, follow redirects, and render HTML and CSS into PDF. Its Python API can be used directly:
from weasyprint import HTML
HTML(url='https://example.com').write_pdf('page.pdf')Install WeasyPrint using the platform-specific instructions in its installation guide. The result depends on the source page’s HTML, CSS, fonts, and assets; check whether its rendering model matches the page you are converting. The documentation notes that SVG images can remain vector in PDF output.
WeasyPrint’s default URL fetching does not support cookies or authentication. If a page requires a logged-in session, its documentation points to a custom URL fetcher as a possible route; verify that this can safely and correctly provide the required resources before relying on it. See the API reference for URL fetching behavior.
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Use wkhtmltopdf for a headless CLI workflow
wkhtmltopdf is an open-source, LGPLv3 command-line tool that renders HTML to PDF using Qt WebKit without a display. After installing it for your platform, a basic conversion is:
wkhtmltopdf https://example.com page.pdfThat simple interface can suit straightforward conversions, but the project page alone does not establish how well it handles modern JavaScript or CSS on a particular site. Try a representative page—including its fonts, images, and dynamic sections—before using it for a production workflow. Project information and installation details are on the official site.
Test the page, not just the converter
Before settling on a tool, run the same representative pages through your intended workflow and inspect the resulting PDFs. Include the features that tend to change the result:
- JavaScript-rendered content: Check that charts, menus, or data loaded after the initial document appear. For Gotenberg, configure an explicit readiness wait where possible.
- Authentication and cookies: Confirm the converter receives the same session or credentials the page requires. WeasyPrint’s defaults do not support cookies or authentication.
- Remote resources: Inspect images, web fonts, and stylesheets; a page may look incomplete if these are unavailable when rendering occurs.
- Print styling and page layout: Decide whether the PDF should use print CSS or screen styling. Playwright defaults to print media; it can emulate screen media before PDF generation.
- Output suitability: Check page breaks, paper size, margins, and whether vector assets such as SVGs render as needed.
Troubleshoot common failures
The PDF is blank or missing page sections
Likely cause: Conversion started before the page’s scripts finished producing content, or required resources did not load. Try: wait for a page-specific selector or expression with Gotenberg; in Playwright, use an appropriate navigation and readiness condition. Then check remote fonts, images, and stylesheets in the output.
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A local file URL is rejected by Gotenberg
Cause: Its URL conversion route rejects file://. Fix: use the HTML or Markdown route for local content, or make the intended page available through an HTTP URL accessible to the service.
A protected page redirects or renders as logged out
Likely cause: the converter does not have the browser’s login state or required credentials. Try: choose an integration that can provide the session the page needs, and validate access without exposing credentials. Do not assume WeasyPrint’s default URL fetcher will send cookies or authenticate.
The PDF looks different from the browser window
Likely cause: print styles are active, or the page’s print CSS changes layout. Playwright’s PDF generation uses print media by default. Fix: if screen styling is the goal, call page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' }) before page.pdf(); otherwise inspect and adjust the page’s print styles.
Images or fonts are missing
Likely cause: a remote resource was inaccessible, still loading, or dependent on a session. Try: verify the resource URL and access requirements, then repeat the conversion with an appropriate readiness condition. Check the generated PDF rather than assuming the HTML response alone confirms every asset rendered.
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Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
The available project documentation does not provide a directly comparable speed test, so choose on integration and output requirements rather than an assumed performance ranking. A browser-backed workflow has to load the target page and its dependencies; if it starts before asynchronous content is ready, the result can be incomplete. Explicit readiness conditions help make that timing deliberate, but should match the site’s own behavior.
Operationally, a Docker-based HTTP service such as Gotenberg gives an application a conversion endpoint to call; Playwright places browser control in application code; WeasyPrint and wkhtmltopdf offer rendering libraries or a CLI-oriented workflow. Plan for the target page’s access requirements and validate the resulting PDF as part of your own process. The sources cited here do not establish comparative hosting costs, throughput, or service-level reliability.
Or skip the browser setup
If you want a one-call screenshot or PDF endpoint instead of maintaining a browser conversion workflow, ScreenshotNeo accepts a URL and returns an image or PDF. Its API supports PDF options such as paper size, margins, landscape, and page ranges. The request below follows the documented cURL format; replace the example target URL with yours. See the API documentation for parameters.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, with the page verdict and billing status reported in response headers. Its MCP server provides screenshot and PDF tools for AI agents, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Gotenberg convert a local file with its URL endpoint?
No. The URL route rejects file://; use its HTML or Markdown conversion route for local content.
Does Playwright make PDFs with screen styles by default?
No. page.pdf() uses print CSS media by default; emulate screen media before generating the PDF if that is the intended appearance.
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Can WeasyPrint fetch a page that requires login?
Not with its default cookie and authentication behavior. A custom URL fetcher may help, but the session handling must be configured and validated.
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