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Kagyz vs PDFShift vs CraftMyPDF — Which PDF API Should You Use?

#webdev #api #saas #pdf

I spent a lot of time evaluating PDF generation APIs before building my own. Here's an honest comparison of three tools — what they're good at, where they fall short, and who each one is for.

The Short Version

Kagyz PDFShift CraftMyPDF
Approach Send JSON, get a PDF Send HTML, get a PDF Design template in editor, fill with JSON
Templates Built-in (no design needed) You build HTML/CSS yourself Drag-and-drop visual editor
Best for Invoices, receipts, quotes, business docs Any HTML-to-PDF conversion Custom-designed documents, reports
Free tier 100 PDFs/month 50 credits/month 50 PDFs/month, 3 templates
Paid from $19/month $9/month $29/month
Arabic/RTL Built-in Not supported Supported
Custom branding Logo + accent color (all plans) N/A (you control the HTML) Full template control
Dashboard Yes (API keys, usage, billing) Yes Yes
Setup time 5 minutes 15-30 minutes 30-60 minutes

Kagyz — JSON In, PDF Out

Website: kagyz.com

Kagyz takes a different approach. Instead of converting HTML to PDF, you send structured JSON and get back a formatted business document. No templates to build, no CSS to debug.

It currently supports five document types: invoices, receipts, quotes/estimates, credit notes, and packing slips. All five share a clean, consistent design.

What I like:

  • Zero setup. Send JSON, get a PDF. No HTML, no CSS, no template design.
  • Arabic/RTL support is built in — add direction: "rtl" to any request and it works. 12+ Arabic currencies supported.
  • Custom branding — upload your logo and pick an accent color. Every document comes out branded.
  • All features available on every plan, including free. You only pay for volume.
  • Dashboard for managing API keys, tracking usage, and handling billing.

What it doesn't do:

  • Only business documents. You can't generate arbitrary PDFs from HTML.
  • Five document types currently — no reports, certificates, or contracts.
  • Template design is fixed. You can add a logo and change the accent color, but you can't rearrange the layout.
  • Newer product with a smaller community.

Best for: Developers who need invoice/receipt/quote PDFs and don't want to deal with HTML templates. Especially strong for Arabic/MENA markets.

Example request:

POST https://api.kagyz.com/v1/invoice
{
  "invoice_number": "INV-001",
  "currency": "USD",
  "branding": { "accent_color": "#22c55e" },
  "from": { "name": "Acme Corp" },
  "to": { "name": "Client Inc." },
  "items": [
    { "description": "Consulting", "quantity": 10, "unit_price": 150 }
  ],
  "tax": { "rate": 8.25 }
}
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That's it. No HTML. No CSS. You get a branded invoice PDF back.

PDFShift — HTML to PDF Conversion

Website: pdfshift.io

PDFShift is the most straightforward HTML-to-PDF converter. Give it a URL or raw HTML, and it returns a PDF. It uses headless Chromium under the hood, so the output matches what you'd see in a browser.

What I like:

  • Dead simple API. One endpoint, one job.
  • Supports modern CSS — flexbox, grid, web fonts, Tailwind, Bootstrap.
  • Parallel conversions for batch processing.
  • Webhook support for async generation.
  • HIPAA compliant — doesn't store documents by default.
  • Good documentation with examples in multiple languages.

What it doesn't do:

  • You have to build and maintain your own HTML templates. That's the whole point — but it's also the main work.
  • No visual template editor. Everything is code.
  • No built-in document types. You're starting from scratch.
  • No Arabic/RTL support out of the box.
  • Pricing is credit-based (1 credit per 5MB of output), which can be unpredictable.

Best for: Teams that already have HTML templates and just need a reliable rendering engine. Great for converting existing web pages to PDF.

CraftMyPDF — Visual Template Editor + API

Website: craftmypdf.com

CraftMyPDF is the most feature-rich option. It offers a drag-and-drop template editor where you design your PDF layout visually, then fill it with data via API or no-code tools like Zapier and Make.

What I like:

  • Visual drag-and-drop editor is genuinely good. Non-developers can design templates.
  • Huge component library: text, images, QR codes, barcodes, charts, tables.
  • Import existing PDFs as templates — overlay dynamic data on top.
  • Fillable PDF forms (text fields, checkboxes, dropdowns).
  • Regional API endpoints (US, EU, Singapore, Australia).
  • Integrations with Zapier, Make, Bubble, Coda.
  • Multi-language support including Arabic.

What it doesn't do:

  • More complex to set up. You need to design a template before making your first API call.
  • Steeper learning curve for the editor.
  • Paid plans start at $29/month — more expensive entry point.
  • Template limit on free tier (3 templates).
  • Overkill if you just need standard invoices and receipts.

Best for: Businesses that need custom-designed documents (reports, certificates, contracts) and want visual control over every pixel. Great for no-code teams using Zapier/Make.

When to Use Which

Choose Kagyz if:

  • You need invoices, receipts, quotes, credit notes, or packing slips
  • You want zero template work — just send JSON
  • You serve Arabic/MENA markets and need RTL support
  • You want all features on every plan (no feature gating)

Choose PDFShift if:

  • You already have HTML templates and need a rendering engine
  • You need to convert existing web pages to PDF
  • You want the simplest possible API (URL in, PDF out)
  • You need HIPAA compliance

Choose CraftMyPDF if:

  • You need full visual control over document design
  • You generate documents beyond invoices (reports, certificates, contracts)
  • Your team includes non-developers who need to edit templates
  • You use no-code tools like Zapier or Make

Pricing Comparison

Plan Kagyz PDFShift CraftMyPDF
Free 100 PDFs/month, all features 50 credits/month 50 PDFs/month, 3 templates
Entry paid $19/month — 2,000 PDFs $9/month — 500 credits $29/month — 1,200 PDFs
Mid $49/month — 10,000 PDFs $24/month — 2,500 credits $59/month — 5,000 PDFs

Note: PDFShift's credit system means 1 credit = 1 PDF up to 5MB. Larger documents cost more credits.

My Take

These tools solve different problems. PDFShift is a rendering engine — bring your own HTML. CraftMyPDF is a design platform — build templates visually. Kagyz is a document API — send data, get a finished document.

If you're a developer building a SaaS and you just need invoice PDFs without the headache, Kagyz is the fastest path. If you need pixel-perfect custom layouts, CraftMyPDF gives you the most control. If you already have HTML and just need it converted, PDFShift is the simplest.

I built Kagyz because I kept setting up Puppeteer for invoice PDFs in every project. Now I don't have to.

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