Deckle vs jsPDF

jsPDF is a client-side JavaScript library that generates PDFs in the browser. Deckle is a server-side API that renders PDFs using headless Chromium for pixel-perfect output.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Deckle	jsPDF
Runs on	Server (API)	Client (browser)
HTML/CSS support	Full CSS3	Very limited (html2canvas)
Flexbox / Grid	Full support	Not supported
Custom fonts	Upload via API	Manual embedding (complex)
Output quality	Pixel-perfect (Chromium)	Approximate (canvas-based)
File size	0KB client bundle	~300KB+ (with plugins)
Tables	Full HTML tables	Manual coordinate positioning
Images	URL or base64	Base64 only
Multi-page	Automatic page breaks	Manual page management
React support	Native	Not supported
Templates	Visual editor + API	Not supported
Batch generation	Yes (server-side)	Not practical
Cost	Free tier, from $29/mo	Free (MIT license)

Key Differences

jsPDF generates PDFs entirely in the browser by drawing to a canvas. This means:

No CSS layout engine — you position elements by x/y coordinates
Limited text wrapping and table support
html2canvas plugin is needed for HTML, but output is approximate
Large documents can freeze the browser

Deckle renders PDFs server-side using Chromium, giving you:

Full CSS3 support (the same rendering as Chrome)
Automatic page breaks, headers, footers
Zero client-side bundle size impact

Code Comparison

jsPDF

import jsPDF from 'jspdf';

const doc = new jsPDF();

// Manual positioning — no CSS support
doc.setFontSize(22);
doc.text('Invoice #1234', 20, 30);
doc.setFontSize(12);
doc.text('Amount: $500.00', 20, 45);
doc.text('Date: March 1, 2026', 20, 55);

// Tables require a plugin
doc.autoTable({
  head: [['Item', 'Qty', 'Price']],
  body: [
    ['Consulting', '10', '$1,500'],
    ['Development', '20', '$4,000'],
  ],
  startY: 70,
});

doc.save('invoice.pdf');

Deckle

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

const pdf = await df.generate({
  html: `
    <h1>Invoice #1234</h1>
    <p>Amount: $500.00</p>
    <p>Date: March 1, 2026</p>
    <table>
      <tr><th>Item</th><th>Qty</th><th>Price</th></tr>
      <tr><td>Consulting</td><td>10</td><td>$1,500</td></tr>
      <tr><td>Development</td><td>20</td><td>$4,000</td></tr>
    </table>
  `,
  options: { format: 'A4' },
});

When to Choose jsPDF

You need client-side PDF generation (offline, no API calls)
You’re generating simple documents with manual layouts
You can’t send data to a third-party server

When to Choose Deckle

You need pixel-perfect PDFs with proper CSS layout
You’re building production invoices, reports, or certificates
You want to keep your client bundle small (zero KB)
You need batch generation or template support

Getting Started

Comparisons

Deckle vs jsPDF

Deckle vs jsPDF

Feature Comparison

Key Differences

Code Comparison

jsPDF

Deckle

When to Choose jsPDF

When to Choose Deckle

​Deckle vs jsPDF

​Feature Comparison

​Key Differences

​Code Comparison

​jsPDF

​Deckle

​When to Choose jsPDF

​When to Choose Deckle

Deckle vs jsPDF

Feature Comparison

Key Differences

Code Comparison

jsPDF

Deckle

When to Choose jsPDF

When to Choose Deckle