IronSoftware

Posted on Feb 13

Does QuestPDF Support HTML? (Honest Review)

#dotnet #csharp

Developers searching for QuestPDF HTML support discover a confusing landscape. The core QuestPDF library does not support HTML rendering, but several third-party packages like QuestPDF.HTML, HTMLToQPDF, and QuestPDF.Markdown have emerged to fill this gap. This article examines these third-party options, their limitations, and compares them with purpose-built HTML-to-PDF libraries.

The Core Problem: QuestPDF Does Not Support HTML

QuestPDF's official library does not include HTML parsing. The core library:

Does not parse HTML markup
Does not interpret CSS stylesheets
Does not execute JavaScript
Uses a completely different approach to document creation (fluent C# API)

When developers search for "QuestPDF HTML support," they encounter this reality along with a growing ecosystem of third-party packages attempting to add HTML capabilities.

Third-Party HTML Extensions for QuestPDF

Several developers have created packages to bridge the gap between QuestPDF and HTML content. The most notable options are examined below.

QuestPDF.HTML Package

NuGet Package: QuestPDF.HTML (ranks #3 in SERP for "questpdf html support")
Author: Third-party developer
Latest Version: 1.4.5

This package attempts to render HTML content within QuestPDF documents by translating HTML elements to QuestPDF fluent API calls.

How it works:

using QuestPDF.Fluent;
using QuestPDF.Helpers;
using QuestPDF.HTML;

Document.Create(container =>
{
    container.Page(page =>
    {
        page.Content().Column(column =>
        {
            // Render HTML using the extension
            column.Item().Html("<h1>Hello World</h1><p>This is a paragraph.</p>");
        });
    });
}).GeneratePdf("output.pdf");

Supported HTML elements (as of latest version):

Basic text elements: h1-h6, p, span, div
Lists: ul, ol, li
Tables: table, tr, td, th
Basic formatting: strong, em, u
Links: a (rendered as text only)

Unsupported features:

CSS stylesheets (inline styles only, limited properties)
Flexbox and Grid layouts
JavaScript
Images from URLs
Web fonts
Media queries
Complex selectors

Reported issues:

Crashes on certain HTML structures
Version compatibility problems with QuestPDF updates
Limited CSS support causes styling differences from browser rendering
No support for responsive design

HTMLToQPDF Extension

GitHub Repository: github.com/Relorer/HTMLToQPDF
Stars: ~200
Last Update: Check repository for current status

This extension takes a different approach, attempting to parse HTML and map it to QuestPDF's layout system.

Usage example:

using HTMLToQPDF;

var htmlContent = "<div><h1>Report Title</h1><p>Content here</p></div>";

Document.Create(container =>
{
    container.Page(page =>
    {
        page.Content().Html(htmlContent);
    });
}).GeneratePdf("output.pdf");

Known limitations from the repository issues:

Crashes on <li> and <ul> elements in certain configurations
Limited image support
CSS properties largely ignored
Performance issues with large HTML documents
Must match specific QuestPDF versions

QuestPDF.Markdown Extension

NuGet Package: QuestPDF.Markdown
Approach: Markdown rendering instead of HTML

This package takes an alternative approach: instead of trying to parse HTML, it renders Markdown content.

using QuestPDF.Markdown;

Document.Create(container =>
{
    container.Page(page =>
    {
        page.Content().Markdown("# Heading\n\nParagraph with **bold** and *italic* text.");
    });
}).GeneratePdf("output.pdf");

Limitations:

Markdown is not HTML (cannot use existing HTML templates)
CSS styling not applicable
Limited formatting options compared to HTML/CSS
Explicitly states it is "not a HTML-to-PDF conversion library"

Comparison: Third-Party Extensions vs Purpose-Built Libraries

The following comparison shows the capability differences between QuestPDF's third-party HTML extensions and libraries built specifically for HTML-to-PDF conversion.

Feature	QuestPDF.HTML	HTMLToQPDF	IronPDF
Basic HTML tags	Partial	Partial	Full
CSS inline styles	Limited	Limited	Full
CSS stylesheets	No	No	Yes
CSS Flexbox	No	No	Yes
CSS Grid	No	No	Yes
JavaScript execution	No	No	Yes
Images from URLs	Limited	Limited	Yes
Web fonts	No	No	Yes
URL to PDF	No	No	Yes
Responsive design	No	No	Yes
Active maintenance	Varies	Community	Commercial
Production support	None	None	Included

Why Third-Party HTML Extensions Are Limited

The fundamental limitation of QuestPDF HTML extensions is architectural. QuestPDF's fluent API and SkiaSharp rendering engine were not designed for HTML/CSS layout algorithms.

Layout Model Differences

QuestPDF's layout model:

Fixed container-based layouts
Explicit sizing and positioning
No CSS box model
No cascading styles

HTML/CSS layout model:

Document flow and positioning contexts
CSS box model with margin collapse
Inheritance and cascade
Multiple layout algorithms (block, inline, flex, grid)

Translating between these models results in approximations, not accurate rendering.

What Gets Lost

When a third-party extension processes HTML for QuestPDF:

Specificity rules: CSS cascade and specificity are ignored or simplified
Box model: Margin collapse, padding interactions are approximated
Flow control: Float, position, and flex behaviors are not replicated
Font rendering: Web fonts and advanced typography are not supported
Interactivity: Hover states, links, and JavaScript are stripped

When Third-Party Extensions Might Work

Despite their limitations, QuestPDF HTML extensions may be acceptable for:

Simple HTML fragments without complex styling
Projects already using QuestPDF where limited HTML support is needed
Markdown-like content in existing QuestPDF documents
Internal tools where visual fidelity is not critical

When Third-Party Extensions Are Insufficient

Use a purpose-built HTML-to-PDF library when:

CSS styling must be preserved accurately
Existing HTML templates need conversion
Web page capture is required
JavaScript-generated content needs rendering
Visual fidelity to browser rendering matters
Production reliability is essential

A Different Approach: IronPDF for HTML Conversion

If you need HTML-to-PDF conversion with accurate rendering, IronPDF is designed specifically for this use case. It uses an embedded Chromium rendering engine rather than attempting to translate HTML to a different layout system.

How IronPDF Differs Architecturally

Where QuestPDF and its extensions attempt to translate HTML to a different layout model, IronPDF renders HTML the same way a browser does:

Actual browser engine: Uses Chromium, the same engine as Google Chrome
Full CSS support: Stylesheets, Flexbox, Grid, animations, media queries
JavaScript execution: Dynamic content, frameworks, SPAs
Same output as browser: What you see in Chrome is what you get in the PDF

Code Example: HTML String to PDF

using IronPdf;

public class HtmlPdfConverter
{
    public byte[] ConvertHtmlToPdf(string htmlContent)
    {
        // IronPDF takes HTML as input - no translation needed
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Configure rendering to match your needs
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;

        using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Code Example: URL to PDF

using IronPdf;

public class WebPageCapture
{
    public byte[] CapturePage(string url)
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Enable JavaScript for dynamic content
        renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = true;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.WaitFor.RenderDelay(1000); // Wait for JS to execute

        // Convert live web page directly
        using var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Code Example: Converting Existing Email Templates

using IronPdf;

public class EmailToPdf
{
    public byte[] ConvertEmailTemplate(string emailHtml)
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Email templates with inline styles work directly
        // No need to restructure the HTML
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 20;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 20;

        using var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(emailHtml);
        return pdf.BinaryData;
    }
}

Side-by-Side Comparison: Same HTML, Different Results

Consider this HTML snippet:

<div style="display: flex; gap: 20px;">
  <div style="flex: 1; background: #e3f2fd; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px;">
    <h2 style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #1565c0;">Card One</h2>
    <p>This content uses Flexbox layout.</p>
  </div>
  <div style="flex: 1; background: #f3e5f5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px;">
    <h2 style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; color: #7b1fa2;">Card Two</h2>
    <p>Styling preserved accurately.</p>
  </div>
</div>

With QuestPDF.HTML extension: Flexbox is not supported. The cards would stack vertically or render incorrectly. Border-radius may not be applied. Colors may vary.

With IronPDF: Renders identically to Chrome. Flexbox layout works, cards appear side-by-side, all CSS properties applied correctly.

Feature Comparison Summary

Feature	QuestPDF.HTML	HTMLToQPDF	IronPDF
Basic HTML tags	Partial	Partial	Full
CSS inline styles	Limited	Limited	Full
CSS stylesheets	No	No	Yes
CSS Flexbox	No	No	Yes
CSS Grid	No	No	Yes
JavaScript execution	No	No	Yes
Images from URLs	Limited	Limited	Yes
Web fonts	No	No	Yes
URL to PDF	No	No	Yes
Responsive design	No	No	Yes
SVG rendering	Limited	Limited	Yes
Active maintenance	Varies	Community	Commercial
Production support	None	None	Included

API Reference

For complete HTML conversion documentation:

Migration Considerations

If You Started with QuestPDF Extensions

If you have been using QuestPDF.HTML or HTMLToQPDF and are hitting their limitations:

Keep your HTML templates: IronPDF uses them directly with no changes
Remove the translation layer: No need for QuestPDF's fluent API wrapper
Simpler code: HTML string goes in, PDF comes out

Licensing

QuestPDF core: Community license for small companies, commercial for others
QuestPDF.HTML extension: Typically MIT or similar (check the specific package)
IronPDF: Commercial license with perpetual option
IronPDF Licensing

What You Gain with IronPDF

Full HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript support
Accurate browser-equivalent rendering
URL and web page capture
Commercial support and SLA options
Cross-platform deployment (Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker, Azure, AWS)

When to Keep Using QuestPDF (Without HTML Extensions)

Documents built entirely through code
No existing HTML templates to convert
Preference for fluent C# API
Performance-critical high-volume scenarios where HTML rendering is not needed

Conclusion

QuestPDF does not natively support HTML-to-PDF conversion. Third-party extensions like QuestPDF.HTML and HTMLToQPDF provide limited HTML support but cannot match browser-based rendering accuracy. For projects requiring accurate HTML conversion with full CSS support, JavaScript execution, and visual fidelity, purpose-built HTML-to-PDF libraries using browser engines provide the necessary capabilities.

Written by Jacob Mellor, CTO at Iron Software, with 25+ years of commercial software experience.

References

QuestPDF GitHub Issue #134{:rel="nofollow"} - Original HTML support request
QuestPDF.HTML NuGet Package{:rel="nofollow"} - Third-party HTML extension
HTMLToQPDF GitHub Repository{:rel="nofollow"} - Alternative HTML extension
QuestPDF.Markdown NuGet Package{:rel="nofollow"} - Markdown extension for QuestPDF

For comprehensive IronPDF documentation including tutorials, API reference, and code examples, visit ironpdf.com.

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