> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getdeckle.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deckle vs DocRaptor

> Compare Deckle and DocRaptor for PDF generation

# Deckle vs DocRaptor

DocRaptor is one of the longest-running PDF generation APIs, powered by the PrinceXML engine. Deckle uses headless Chromium for rendering, giving you full CSS3 support with a modern developer experience.

## Feature Comparison

| Feature                    | Deckle                               | DocRaptor                         |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| **Rendering engine**       | Chromium (Playwright)                | PrinceXML                         |
| **CSS support**            | Full CSS3 (Grid, Flexbox, variables) | CSS3 (some limitations with Grid) |
| **Free tier**              | 1,000 PDFs/month                     | 5 test PDFs/month (watermarked)   |
| **Pricing**                | From \$29/mo (10K PDFs)              | From \$15/mo (125 PDFs)           |
| **Price per PDF**          | \$0.003-0.005 overage                | \$0.03-0.12 per doc               |
| **SDKs**                   | TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby         | Ruby, Python, Node, PHP, Java     |
| **React-to-PDF**           | Native                               | Not supported                     |
| **Template engine**        | Visual editor + Handlebars           | Not included                      |
| **Batch generation**       | Built-in API endpoint                | Manual iteration                  |
| **Visual template editor** | Yes                                  | No                                |
| **MCP server (AI agents)** | Yes                                  | No                                |
| **QR codes / Barcodes**    | Built-in                             | Requires external generation      |
| **Self-hosted option**     | Docker image available               | No                                |

## Pricing Comparison

| Volume          | Deckle      | DocRaptor |
| --------------- | ----------- | --------- |
| 1,000 PDFs/mo   | **Free**    | \$15/mo   |
| 5,000 PDFs/mo   | **\$29/mo** | \$59/mo   |
| 25,000 PDFs/mo  | **\$99/mo** | \$149/mo+ |
| 100,000 PDFs/mo | **\$99/mo** | Custom    |

## Code Comparison

### DocRaptor

```javascript theme={null}
const DocRaptor = require('docraptor');
const client = new DocRaptor.DocApi();
client.apiClient.authentications.basicAuth.username = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

const response = await client.createDoc({
  name: 'invoice.pdf',
  document_type: 'pdf',
  document_content: htmlContent,
  test: false,
});
```

### Deckle

```typescript theme={null}
import { Deckle } from '@getdeckle/sdk';
const df = new Deckle('dk_live_...');

const pdf = await df.generate({
  html: htmlContent,
  options: { format: 'A4' },
});

console.log(pdf.url); // CDN-hosted PDF URL
```

## When to Choose DocRaptor

* You need PrinceXML-specific CSS features (`@prince-*` rules)
* You're already using DocRaptor and migration cost is high
* You need PDF/A compliance (DocRaptor has mature support)

## When to Choose Deckle

* You want modern CSS3 support (Grid, Flexbox, CSS variables)
* You need React-to-PDF or template engine support
* You want a generous free tier and transparent per-PDF pricing
* You need AI agent integration (MCP server)