> ## 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 Gotenberg

> Compare Deckle's managed API against self-hosted Gotenberg

# Deckle vs Gotenberg

Gotenberg is an open-source, self-hosted document conversion API using Docker. Deckle is a managed API that eliminates the need to run and scale your own infrastructure.

## Feature Comparison

| Feature               | Deckle                  | Gotenberg                   |
| --------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Hosting**           | Managed (cloud)         | Self-hosted (Docker)        |
| **Setup**             | 5 minutes (API key)     | 30-60 min (Docker + config) |
| **Rendering engine**  | Chromium                | Chromium + LibreOffice      |
| **Office docs → PDF** | Not supported           | Yes (via LibreOffice)       |
| **HTML-to-PDF**       | Yes                     | Yes                         |
| **React-to-PDF**      | Yes                     | No                          |
| **Template engine**   | Yes (visual editor)     | No                          |
| **SDKs**              | TS, Python, Go, Ruby    | Go client only              |
| **Batch generation**  | Built-in async queue    | Manual orchestration        |
| **Scaling**           | Auto-scaled             | Manual Docker scaling       |
| **Custom fonts**      | Upload via API          | Mount in Docker volume      |
| **QR/Barcodes**       | Built-in                | Not included                |
| **Cost**              | Free tier, from \$29/mo | Free (+ server costs)       |
| **Uptime SLA**        | 99.9%                   | You manage uptime           |

## Setup Comparison

### Gotenberg

```yaml theme={null}
# docker-compose.yml
version: "3"
services:
  gotenberg:
    image: gotenberg/gotenberg:8
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - CHROMIUM_DISABLE_ROUTES=false
```

```bash theme={null}
docker compose up -d
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html \
  -F 'files=@index.html' \
  -o output.pdf
```

### Deckle

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

const pdf = await df.generate({
  html: '<h1>Hello World</h1>',
  options: { format: 'A4' },
});
```

## When to Choose Gotenberg

* You need Office document conversion (DOCX, XLSX → PDF)
* You have strict data residency requirements
* You want a free, self-hosted solution and can manage Docker infrastructure
* You're already running Kubernetes and can auto-scale Docker containers

## When to Choose Deckle

* You don't want to manage Docker infrastructure
* You need templates, React support, or batch generation
* You want SDKs for multiple languages
* You need a reliable SLA without managing uptime yourself