Compare the Top PDF SDK as of April 2026

What is PDF SDK?

PDF SDKs (Software Development Kits) provide developers with the tools and libraries needed to integrate PDF functionality into their applications or websites. These SDKs offer features like viewing, editing, creating, converting, and annotating PDFs, allowing developers to build custom PDF solutions tailored to their needs. PDF SDKs often include APIs for manipulating text, images, and form data, as well as for handling document security, such as encryption and password protection. By using PDF SDKs, developers can add robust PDF capabilities to their software without having to build these features from scratch, saving time and resources. Compare and read user reviews of the best PDF SDK currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.

  • 1
    Nutrient SDK
    Nutrient is the comprehensive solution for all your PDF needs, offering tools that effortlessly integrate and operate PDF functionality across any platform. 1. SDK PRODUCTS Integrate robust PDF functionality into iOS, Android, Windows, web (JavaScript), or any cross-platform technology, providing capabilities such as PDF viewing, markup, collaboration, and more. 2. LIBRARIES Utilize our potent .NET and Java libraries to boost your backend applications with batch processing of redactions and PDF forms, OCR’d scanned text, and editing of PDF documents, directly from your application server. 3. PROCESSOR Our dynamic PDF microservice, Processor, enables swift generation of PDFs from HTML, including HTML forms, along with Office-to-PDF conversions, OCR, redaction, and XFDF merging and exporting. 4. PDF API Use hosted PDF API to generate, convert, and modify PDF documents in your workflows. We manage the development and server administration, letting you focus on what you do best.
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  • 2
    PrizmDoc

    PrizmDoc

    Accusoft

    Through a collection of UI components and content manipulation APIs, PrizmDoc provides customizable document processing to help developers deliver in-browser document creation, editing, and collaboration functionality, to enhance their software applications. Our functionality integrates on the client and server side smoothly, creating a seamless experience for both you and your users. Render and display dozens of file types, from Adobe PDFs and Microsoft Office files to CAD and DICOM formats, in a browser without the need to download or open native applications. Designed for seamless integration with your application, our zero footprint HTML5 viewer is fully customizable, from quick integrations with minimal configuration to complete programmatic control using our extensive JavaScript API.
  • 3
    CAD6engine

    CAD6engine

    Malz++Kassner GmbH

    Use CAD6engine as your programming library (SDK) to output technical and financial data, raster images, process and text information, SVG graphics, or the content of DWG and DXF files to high-quality PDF files (of course without using the limited Windows printer interface or GDI). Create high-resolution PDFs with Unicode texts, layers, transparencies, and support for various colors models (RGB/HSB, CMYK, gray, CIELab). Convert SVG to DXF/DWG files and vice versa. Combine various graphical files into one document, add objects and text, and print it. With full control over all parameters. Integrated into your program, running completely in the background, or optionally presenting a full-fledged graphical user interface. CAD6engine is addressed to C++ developers with basic knowledge of C++ and Win32/x64 topics. CAD6engine may also be used with other compilers that support the supplied C++ compatible dynamic link library MKCAD6engine.dll and the corresponding MKCAD6engine.lib.
    Starting Price: 195 EUR per 10 users
  • 4
    pdfRest

    pdfRest

    Datalogics Inc.

    pdfRest API Toolkit was made by developers, for developers. Rapidly integrate PDF workflows with any business application, simply and seamlessly. pdfRest API Toolkit includes all of the PDF processing tools you'll need, to make your job easy. PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Image, Add to PDF, Query PDF, Extract Text, Convert to PDF, Convert to PDF/A, PDF/X, Compress PDF, Linearize PDF, Flatten Forms, Transparencies, Annotations, Layers, Merge /Split PDF, Encrypt/Decrypt PDF, Restrict PDF, Watermark PDF, Sign PDF, Redact PDF, Import/Export Form Data, Rasterize PDF, PDF to Markdown, XFA to Acroforms, Set Page Box, Create Blank PDF, Delete PDF, Convert PDF Colors, OCR PDF, API Polling, Upload Files, Zip Files. Get up and running fast with the pdfRest Postman Collection or start from functional sample code in NodeJS, .NET, JavaScript, Python, PHP, and cURL from the pdfRest GitHub repository. Gold-standard processing powered by Adobe® PDF Library™ ensures the highest quality results.
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    Starting Price: $0 per month
  • 5
    Pdftools

    Pdftools

    PDF Tools

    Whether you have thousands of documents or millions, Pdftools has the products and services to help make processing a breeze. Designed for document-heavy industries, Pdftools’ suite of SDKs and APIs are here to make your document workflows easier, faster, and stress-free. Built on SDKs and APIs, the Pdftools products integrate seamlessly into your existing (or new) systems and applications. Process thousands of documents every minute. Our tools are precision-engineered to be efficient and run at blazing speeds. We’re engineers at heart, so we’re only satisfied with the most reliable, orderly, and usable, and well-documented platforms. Shrink file sizes down, but keep the quality and interactivity. Your documents will always be compliant for long-term archiving. We’ve obsessed over every detail in our products, and documented everything so it’s easy to get started.
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    Starting Price: $0/month/user
  • 6
    ComPDF

    ComPDF

    PDF Technologies, Inc.

    ComPDF, powered by KDAN (TPEx: 7737), is built on the vision of “Leading the Intelligent PDF Era with Continuous Innovation”. ComPDF offers following products: - ComPDF SDK is highly compatible with web, server, desktop, and mobile platforms, seamlessly integrating with various development frameworks. It provides features lincluding generation, viewing, editing, conversion, signing, etc. - ComPDF Cloud delivers a secure, stable, and efficient service environment, simplifying enterprise document processing and business integration workflows. With the flexibility to use either Open API calls or private deployment, enterprises can generate, edit, convert, OCR recognize, and extract data. - ComPDF AI provides intelligent document processing capabilities, enabling automated data extraction, parsing, and knowledge management. Together, these components streamline workflows, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate enterprise digital transformation.
  • 7
    Adobe PDF Library SDK

    Adobe PDF Library SDK

    Datalogics Inc.

    Developers rely on Datalogics to provide the most comprehensive PDF SDKs in the industry. We are SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Global OEMs, SaaS and enterprise end-users rely on Adobe PDF Library to automate the creation, editing and management of PDFs. An Adobe partner, our SDK uses the same source code as Acrobat for stability, reliability and quality results. Flexible programming language and platform options include .NET, .NET Framework, Java and C/C++ on Windows, Linux, MacOS; NuGet & Maven; pdfRest API Toolkit Container option. Our extensive documentation includes getting started guides, API references, and hundreds of sample code examples on GitHub to help developers precisely create and define PDF workflow solutions. Free trial with proof of concept support, join us on Discord or use our AI assistant for help, or set up a time to talk to one of our engineers about your project. Our expertise and support is the reason we have a 91% customer retention rate.
    Starting Price: $5,999
  • 8
    PDF Conversion SDK

    PDF Conversion SDK

    Visual Integrity Technologies

    Add PDF Features with 2 API Calls Open, Edit, and View PDF. All that's needed is two API calls and a configuration file. Within a day, you can add, open, import, edit and view PDF features in your app. When formats don't match one-to-one, the SDK neutralizes the differences. This includes adding cropping, fills, color management and fonts. The PDF Conversion SDK processes all PDF versions including ISO Standard PDF 2.0. Any PDF from file or print-ready memory is valid input. Conversions flow straight through without intermediate steps or compromised quality. No printer driver. The PDF Conversion SDK runs on Windows, MacOS and Linux. It supports .NET. Example code included. Removes redundant information & compresses data. This ensures great performance for fast web and application viewing. Search for objects and text strings. Convert PDF to your native file format. Change the contents of a PDF page. Extract images from PDF. Retrieve metadata from PDF (layers, geospecification, etc).
    Starting Price: $199 per year
  • 9
    PDF Xpansion SDK

    PDF Xpansion SDK

    soft Xpansion GmbH & Co. KG

    The PDF Xpansion SDK 17 provides features, methods and functionality that let software developers create PDF and PDF/A enabled applications and software solutions. It offers a wide range of options for creating and editing PDF, PDF/A and XPS documents, for displaying and printing them on paper, for conversions between these formats, exporting and/or importing from/to other file formats. Moreover, PDF Xpansion SDK 17 comes with eInvoicing functionality for the formats ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and XRechnung. It enables software developers to integrate EU-compliant electronic invoicing functionality (creation, display and reading of electronic invoices) according to EU standard 16931 in applications. The SDK is made to integrate those functions into both Windows desktop applications for the PC and for Windows Apps. The pricing model is very flexible, since it allows a modularized purchase of separate functionality, so that only those features have to be paid for that are really needed.
    Starting Price: €500 (one-time & royalty free)
  • 10
    Anvil

    Anvil

    Anvil

    Anvil provides companies who require a high volume of PDFs to be filled, generated, maintained, and/or signed a customizable, embedded, logic-based workflow platform.
    Starting Price: $0 per month
  • 11
    GDPicture Document Processing SDKs
    The only Document Processing SDKs with 3000+ features. GdPicture is altogether a PDF, OCR, barcode, document imaging, and formats SDK with more than 3,000 functionalities, for any software development. Five-in-One Toolkit! Unlike most SDK companies that sell separate toolkits, GdPicture delivers an all-in-one SDK without extra costs or complex licensing. Offers advanced set of APIs with leading-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, fuzzy logic algorithms, etc. for any of your development projects. With ~15 years of continuous research and a focus on innovation, our SDKs have become the most comprehensive solution in the market.
  • 12
    ByteScout PDF Viewer SDK
    PDF Viewer SDK is a visual control to create your own PDF reader in .NET desktop apps. Controls for viewing PDF files in your .NET desktop app, works offline with no Internet connection required, helper function zoom in and zoom out, change page, copy text to the clipboard, search text, night mode for PDF reading (sets the background to black, inverts text). You will find a mixture of very sophisticated technologies in all our tools. It helps them to achieve better performance. We prepared lots of source code samples and documentation helping to quickly start working with our products. You will find a mixture of very sophisticated technologies in all our tools. It helps them to achieve better performance. We keep updating our SDKs, API, and free apps all the time. Also, our team is ready to fix bugs and issues if you find any. We prepared lots of source code samples and documentation helping to quickly start working with our products.
    Starting Price: $881.99 one-time payment
  • 13
    FormVu

    FormVu

    IDR Solutions

    FormVu is an SDK designed to convert PDF Form files into standalone HTML with interactive form components. Here are some of its key features: -Interactive Conversion: Converts PDF forms into HTML while retaining their appearance and functionality. -Data Security: Runs on your own servers, ensuring customer data remains secure and private. -Versatile Integration: Supports both AcroForms and XFA Forms and can be integrated into web applications. -Flexible Output: Allows saving filled forms back as PDFs or posting data as HTML form data or JSON. -Users can continue to use Forms in a web browser. Converted PDF forms retain their appearance and interaction. Data can be saved to the original file. -PDF forms can be easily and securely integrated into a Web application workflow while retaining all their interaction and functionality. -Forms are converted and hosted on your Computers. FormVu is not a cloud service and makes no calls outside. So customer data is always
    Starting Price: $1,800 per month
  • 14
    JPedal

    JPedal

    IDR Solutions

    JPedal is a versatile Java PDF Library for displaying, converting, printing, and parsing PDFs in Java applications. With over 20 years of development, it supports a wide range of PDF files. Key features include: -PDF to Image Conversion: Converts PDFs to images in various formats. -Java Swing PDF Viewer: Offers multi-page display, search, printing, and annotation editing. -Text and Image Extraction: High-quality extraction of text and images from PDFs. -PDF Search: Supports searching with wildcards and regular expressions. -Form & Annotation Handling: Supports XFA and AcroForms, enabling form data access and annotation editing. -Document Manipulation: Allows deleting, merging, splitting, and optimizing PDFs. -Security & Performance: Runs locally without third-party dependencies, processing PDFs up to 3x faster than alternatives.
    Starting Price: $950 one time fee
  • 15
    PDFKit.NET 5.0

    PDFKit.NET 5.0

    TallComponents

    Create and manipulate PDF documents. Split, append, stamp, encrypt, extract, fill, and more. PDFKit.NET is a 100% managed (verifiable) .NET class library for creating and manipulating PDF documents. It consists of just a single assembly that can be xcopy-deployed. It has no dependencies other than the .NET framework. Central to PDFKit.NET is a consistent and highly intuitive object model consisting of classes like document, page collection, page, canvas, shape, bookmark, annotation, field, etc. The focus of the development team is always to ease the task of integrating our class library into a larger application. Fill text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc., and save the form either editable or flattened with the PDFKit.NET 5.0. With PDFKit.NET 5.0 you can populate and consume dynamic XFA documents with the new XFA processor API. Extract all graphics on a page as a collection of shapes with PDFKit 5.0. Shapes can be text, images, and curves.
    Starting Price: $990 per year
  • 16
    Foxit Document Workflow APIs
    Foxit APIs are a suite of scalable, cloud-based developer tools designed to integrate high-performance PDF processing, document generation, and eSignature capabilities directly into applications and workflows. Built with an API-first approach, they provide modular endpoints that allow developers to generate, edit, display, convert, and manage documents programmatically, enabling full control over document lifecycles from creation to signature and archival. It supports automation at scale by allowing users to generate PDFs and DOCX files from structured data, eliminating manual document creation and ensuring consistent formatting across workflows. It also enables advanced document analysis by extracting content and metadata for compliance, indexing, and business intelligence use cases. Through REST APIs, developers can convert files between formats, merge, split, and manipulate documents, as well as embed PDF viewers directly into web applications with customizable controls.
    Starting Price: $112.39 per year
  • 17
    iText

    iText

    Apryse

    Now part of the Apryse family, iText is one of the best-documented and most versatile PDF SDKs in the world. The open-source iText Core library features a powerful layout engine and intuitive high-level APIs for document creation and manipulation, digital signing and validation, and much more. It has built-in support for PDF 2.0, all variants of PDF/A and PDF/UA, FIPS-140-2 and the very latest ISO standards for digital signatures and encryption. You can extend iText's capabilities even further, with add-ons for comprehensive HTML/XML and CSS templating, global language and writing systems, secure document redaction, OCR, document optimization, and working with dynamic XFA. iText Core is free to use under the AGPLv3 license, while a commercial license releases you from the AGPL terms and gives you professional support and maintenance. Visit the iText website to try the entire iText Suite free for 30 days, while keeping your IP safe under iText's commercial license terms.
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    Foxit PDF SDK

    Foxit PDF SDK

    Foxit Software

    Our high-performance libraries add robust PDF functionality to enterprise, mobile, and cloud applications across all platforms: Web, Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, UWP and Linux, using the most popular developer languages and environments. Build on a modern tech stack that integrates tightly with the platform you’re working on. We continuously improve our products and they gain new features every month. We grow with you as your requirements change and your project evolves. Our core API is designed from the ground up to deliver a seamless development experience across all platforms, without requiring deep PDF knowledge. Foxit is known for our management of edge cases, and for working with 100% of PDF files across all standards. With only one SDK to work with, you dramatically reduce your exposure to third parties. We provide sample, projects, demos, API docs and more for every single feature in the PDF SDK to get you up to speed quickly. You will receive support by real developers.
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    TechPDFKit

    TechPDFKit

    PDF Technologies

    Seamlessly enable high-performance PDF viewing, annotating, editing, signing, and more in your apps or any mobile, desktop or server framework. Build on a modern tech stack that integrates tightly with the platform you're working on. We grow with you as your requirements change and your project evolves. Maintain a smooth viewing experience in even the most complex PDF documents with a fast and battle-tested rendering engine. Lightning-fast search delivers near-instant results to your users. Markup PDFs with highlights, stamps, and comments, draw and add notes to PDFs, or create custom annotations. Make use of many more annotation types, each with its own style controls. Apply electronic and digital signatures in PDFs to speed up paperless workflow and secure document signing. Certify, and validate certificate-based documents you receive. Automatically detect font and size of the original text content. Easily update PDF documents by changing text and images.
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    Aquaforest SDK

    Aquaforest SDK

    Aquaforest

    Aquaforest SDK is a powerful toolset for processing PDFs including PDF content extraction, searchable PDF creation, OCR with standard (Aquaforest) engine, OCR with extended (Canon IRIS) engine, and handwriting OCR options via Google and Microsoft APIs. Advanced PDF and barcode toolkit, high performance with support for up to 64 cores. The SDK is able to analyze PDF documents and automatically extract name/value pairs. The SDK has a wide variety of PDF manipulation capabilities including PDF merging, PDF attachment processing, PDF content extraction, XMP metadata processing, PDF/A validation, and more. The standard OCR engine supports 23 languages and is included in every edition of the SDK. This provides an interface to Google and Microsoft’s cloud OCR services which can be especially useful for special cases such as handwriting recognition. The SDK is able to read and recognize most standard barcode types.
  • 21
    PDFBox

    PDFBox

    Apache Software Foundation

    The Apache PDFBox® library is an open-source Java tool for working with PDF documents. This project allows the creation of new PDF documents, manipulation of existing documents and the ability to extract content from documents. Apache PDFBox also includes several command-line utilities. Apache PDFBox is published under the Apache License v2.0. Extract Unicode text from PDF files. Split a single PDF into many files or merge multiple PDF files. Extract data from PDF forms or fill a PDF form. Validate PDF files against the PDF/A-1b standard. Print a PDF file using the standard Java printing API. Create a PDF from scratch, with embedded fonts and images. Save PDFs as image files, such as PNG or JPEG and digitally sign PDF files. See also the export control information related to the encryption features included in Apache PDFBox.
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    PDFKit

    PDFKit

    PDFKit

    PDFKit is a PDF document generation library for Node and the browser that makes creating complex, multi-page, printable documents easy. The API embraces chainability, and includes both low-level functions as well as abstractions for higher-level functionality. The PDFKit API is designed to be simple, so generating complex documents is often as simple as a few function calls. Access privileges (printing, copying, modifying, annotating, form filling, content accessibility, document assembly). Accessibility support (marked content, logical structure, Tagged PDF, PDF/UA). Supports JPEG and PNG files (including indexed PNGs, and PNGs with transparency). In addition to PDFKit, you'll need somewhere to stream the output to. Note that in order to Browserify a project using PDFKit, you need to install the brfs module with npm, which is used to load built-in font data into the package.
  • 23
    Investintech PDF Library SDK

    Investintech PDF Library SDK

    Investintech PDF Solutions

    Seamlessly integrate robust PDF editing, parsing and rendering functionalities into your projects with PDF library SDK. Multi-platform shared library (dll, so and dylib) with C-compatible interface. C#.Net, Python, Java 8, C++ 11, libraries/modules. APIs for Linux, Windows, and Mac. Numerous interface functions for transforming and creating new content for PDF files, providing a huge variety of options and broad flexibility for implementation tailored to the specific needs of your project. Efficient utilization of multi-core CPUs for stream decoding and content rendering purposes achieved by closely following portable document format specification guidelines. Apply electronic signatures (with or without cryptographic security layer). PDF encryption & decryption (a password-based encryption handler). Document structure manipulation (create, delete, move, insert, extract, resize, and rotate pages).
  • 24
    ByteScout PDF Extractor SDK
    PDF Extractor’s high-performance engine works flawlessly under pressure, making it an ideal solution for processing large quantities of PDF reports, indexing large PDF libraries, and more. No matter how complex your PDF document’s structure is, you’ll find that PDF Extractor is easy to use and integrate into your existing systems seamlessly. PDF Extractor can process damaged files that have a complex structure, can repair malformed text that otherwise would need to be processed manually. Full set of advanced tools: turn scans into searchable PDF, split and merge PDF, remove text, analyze, find, detect and remove sensitive data and personally identifiable information (PII) from PDF and scanned documents. Extracts tables and text objects from PDF to Excel with .XLS and .XLSX as output.
  • 25
    LEADTOOLS PDF SDK
    With just a few lines of code, LEADTOOLS libraries empower developers with a comprehensive PDF API to implement reliable and multi-threaded PDF functionality, without the need for third-party dependencies like Acrobat. Robust PDF controls to read, write, convert, and view PDF files can be combined with state-of-the-art OCR, ICR, OMR, forms recognition, virtual printing, and scanning APIs within LEADTOOLS to create complete solutions that utilize the PDF format. Load and view any PDF file using the document viewer API framework. Tested against thousands of PDF documents, LEADTOOLS PDF SDK libraries provide impeccable viewing accuracy and speed that tops many market-leading PDF reading applications. LEADTOOLS accounts for common errors and differences between PDF file versions to give programmers peace of mind, minimize their testing phase, and create the best PDF applications faster.
  • 26
    ImageGear

    ImageGear

    Accusoft

    This document and image clean up and processing toolkit allows developers to quickly integrate document handling functions like image conversion, creation, editing, manipulation, compression, and image enhancement to their applications. ImageGear gives your application the ability to clean up files including deskew, line and speckle removal, and more. In addition, ImageGear’s color processing tools allow you to enhance image quality resulting in a reduction in compressed file sizes. This document and image processing SDK includes a variety of APIs that enable image clean up and processing. Add functionality to your applications, learn how you can meet all your document lifecycle needs with ImageGear. This PDF SDK allows .NET developers to add robust PDF functionality to an application. Users can view, convert, annotate, compress, redact, insert, remove, or reorder pages. Learn about all of the PDF manipulation capabilities and discover how ImageGear PDF can enhance your application.
  • 27
    Vanilla.PDF

    Vanilla.PDF

    Vanilla.PDF Labs

    Vanilla.PDF is a powerful, modern, and open-source PDF processing toolkit designed to provide maximum flexibility while remaining easy to use. Whether you are building a small script or an enterprise-level application, Vanilla.PDF offers all the tools you need to create, modify, sign, and analyze PDF files with precision and efficiency. Our framework supports the entire range of PDF standards, including PDF 2.0 and archival formats such as PDF/A, as well as advanced PAdES electronic signatures with full PKCS#11 hardware token and smart card integration. This ensures compliance with the highest industry and legal standards for document authenticity and integrity. Vanilla.PDF is built with developers in mind — it offers a clean, well-documented API, accompanied by fully-featured examples that showcase practical real-world usage. This means you can integrate it into your projects quickly and reliably, with confidence that the results will meet the market’s highest expectations.
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