Do I design templates in a web editor to use pdfrender?

No. Your template stays in your repository as HTML. Your own code fills it, and pdfrender turns the finished HTML into a PDF.

Can non-developers change the layout?

Not without a code change in pdfrender's model. CraftMyPDF has a drag-and-drop editor in the browser for that (https://craftmypdf.com/, as of Sep 2026).

Can I send JSON instead of HTML?

No. Render your data into HTML first, for example with Jinja2, ERB or Handlebars, then POST the result to /v1/render.

pdfrender vs CraftMyPDF

CraftMyPDF fills templates you design in its web editor with JSON data. pdfrender renders the finished HTML your own code produces.

Last updated Sep 24, 2026

CraftMyPDF model	Templates designed in a drag-and-drop web editor, filled with JSON data over a REST API; Zapier, Make, Bubble and Coda integrations (as of Sep 2026)
CraftMyPDF pricing	Free plan with 50 PDFs a month; $29 a month for 1,200; $99 a month for 12,000; 1 credit per PDF (as of Sep 2026)
pdfrender	You send finished HTML and get the PDF; templates stay in your code; 1 credit per render; €20 a month for 10,000 credits

Both produce PDFs over an API, but the template lives in different places. CraftMyPDF hosts it: you design it in a web editor, then send JSON data to its API (as of Sep 2026). pdfrender hosts nothing. Your template stays in your repository, your code fills it, and you POST the finished HTML (invoice guide).

What each one costs

CraftMyPDF has a free plan with 50 PDFs a month. Paid plans start at $29 for 1,200 PDFs, and $99 buys 12,000 (CraftMyPDF pricing, as of Sep 2026).

pdfrender charges 1 credit per render with an API key, whatever the page count. €20 a month buys 10,000 credits (pricing).

When CraftMyPDF fits

People who do not write code own the layout. They edit templates in the editor without a deploy.
You work in a no-code tool such as Zapier or Make, which CraftMyPDF connects to (CraftMyPDF, as of Sep 2026).
You prefer to send JSON data rather than build HTML on your server.

pdfrender has no template editor and accepts only HTML.

When pdfrender fits

Templates belong in version control, reviewed and deployed like the rest of your code.
Your code already produces HTML, and you need print CSS for page size and margins or headers and footers.
Agents render PDFs through the MCP server.

Paste up to 100 KB of HTML without an account: render it in the free tool.

FAQ

Do I design templates in a web editor to use pdfrender?: No. Your template stays in your repository as HTML. Your own code fills it, and pdfrender turns the finished HTML into a PDF.
Can non-developers change the layout?: Not without a code change in pdfrender's model. CraftMyPDF has a drag-and-drop editor in the browser for that (https://craftmypdf.com/, as of Sep 2026).
Can I send JSON instead of HTML?: No. Render your data into HTML first, for example with Jinja2, ERB or Handlebars, then POST the result to /v1/render.