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Tayyab Ali
Tayyab Ali

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3 Python PDF Libraries (Updated List For Developer)

In the vast world of Python libraries, there are some dedicated solely to working with Portable Document Format (PDF) files. These Python PDF libraries simplify the process of creating, modifying, and extracting text from PDF documents. This article presents three of the best Python PDF libraries that will take your Python PDF processing to the next level: IronPDF, PyPDF4, and PyMuPDF.

IronPDF - A Powerful PDF Processing Library

IronPDF is a powerful and versatile Python library designed for creating, editing, and extracting content from PDF documents. It empowers developers to seamlessly integrate PDF functionalities into their Python projects, whether it's generating reports from HTML, filling out interactive forms, or securing sensitive documents. As of early 2025 (latest noted version 2025.4.1.4), IronPDF is actively maintained and has ongoing support and feature enhancements.

A key advantage of IronPDF is its broad cross-platform compatibility, supporting Python 3.7+ across Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Azure, and AWS environments. It's important to note that IronPDF for Python relies on the .NET 6.0 runtime; users on Linux and macOS may need to ensure this is installed on their systems.

Installation

Getting started with IronPDF is straightforward using pip:

pip install IronPdf

Key Features & Capabilities

IronPDF boasts a comprehensive suite of features that caters to a wide array of PDF-related tasks:

  • Advanced PDF Generation:
    • HTML to PDF: Accurately convert HTML files to PDF, complex HTML strings (with CSS, JavaScript, and images), and live URLs into high-quality PDF documents. IronPDF is known for its pixel-perfect rendering.
    • Image to PDF: Convert various image formats into PDF documents.
  • Comprehensive PDF Editing & Manipulation:
    • Page Operations: Easily merge multiple PDF documents or split a single PDF into several files.
    • Content Modification: Add new content from HTML, insert text, apply watermarks, add annotations (like text highlights or comments), and create or edit bookmarks for easier navigation.
    • Headers and Footers: Programmatically add consistent headers and footers across your PDF pages.
    • Form Handling: Create new interactive PDF forms or programmatically fill existing ones. This includes accessing form fields by name and setting their values.
    • Document Settings: Manage document metadata (author, title, keywords), enforce security with password protection, set user permissions (e.g., restrict printing or editing), and apply digital signatures for document authenticity.
  • Flexible Formatting Options:
    • Full HTML Asset Support: Utilize existing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and font resources directly in your PDF generation process.
    • Customizable Views: Control rendering aspects like responsive layouts and default zoom levels.
    • Templates: Apply reusable templates for headers, footers, and page numbering.
    • Page Customization: Define paper size (e.g., A4, Letter), orientation (portrait, landscape), margins, and color settings.
  • Performance and Scalability:
    • IronPDF is designed for efficiency, offering full multithreading and asynchronous (Async) support to handle demanding PDF processing tasks and enhance application performance.

Code Examples

1. Convert a URL to PDF:

This example demonstrates how to render a live webpage as a PDF and save it.

from ironpdf import *

# Optional: Set your license key if you have one
# License.LicenseKey = "YOUR_LICENSE_KEY"

# Optional: Enable debugging and set logging options if needed
# Logger.EnableDebugging = True
# Logger.LogFilePath = "IronPdf.log"
# Logger.LoggingMode = Logger.LoggingModes.All

# Instantiate Renderer
renderer = ChromePdfRenderer()

# Create a PDF from a URL
pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://ironpdf.com/python/")

# Save the PDF
pdf.SaveAs("IronPDF_Python_Page.pdf")

print("PDF created successfully from URL.")
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In the above code, we first import the IronPDF library. Then we add the license key and set up the logger for debugging, optionally. We instantiate the ChromePdfRenderer, and then render a PDF from a URL. Finally, the output file is saved as 'IronPDF_Python_Page.pdf'.

Here is the output file generated by IronPDF:

Image description

2. Filling an Existing PDF Form:

This snippet shows how to load a PDF containing an interactive form, fill a specific field, and save the changes.

from ironpdf import *

# Load an existing PDF document with a form
try:
    pdf_document = PdfDocument.FromFile("original_form.pdf")

    # Access a specific form field by its name
    # You might need to know the field names in your PDF form
    field_name_to_fill = "customer_name" # Example field name
    form_field = pdf_document.Form.GetField(field_name_to_fill)

    if form_field is not None:
        # Set the value of the form field
        form_field.Value = "John Doe"
        print(f"Field '{field_name_to_fill}' populated.")
    else:
        print(f"Field '{field_name_to_fill}' not found in the PDF.")

    # Save the modified PDF
    pdf_document.SaveAs("filled_form.pdf")
    print("Filled form saved as filled_form.pdf")

except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred: {e}")
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Pricing & Licensing

IronPDF operates on a commercial license-based model, offering various tiers to suit different project scopes and developer needs, with prices starting from $749 (as per earlier information, verify current pricing on their official website). A free trial is available, allowing developers to evaluate its full capabilities before committing to a purchase.

Why Choose IronPDF?

IronPDF stands out for several reasons, making it a compelling choice for Python developers:

  • Accuracy and Quality: Its exceptional HTML-to-PDF rendering engine ensures that your PDFs look professional and exactly as intended.

  • Comprehensive Feature Set: From generation to intricate editing, form handling, and security, IronPDF covers a vast range of PDF functionalities.

  • Ease of Use: Despite its power, IronPDF provides a user-friendly API that simplifies complex PDF operations.

  • Cross-Platform Flexibility: Develop on your preferred OS and deploy across various environments without compatibility concerns.

  • Developer Support: IronPDF typically offers comprehensive documentation and technical support 24/7

  • Performance: Built for efficiency with multithreading and async support, it can handle demanding PDF tasks effectively.

For developers seeking a robust, feature-rich, and well-supported Python library for all things PDF, IronPDF presents a strong and reliable solution.

PyPDF4 - A Pure Python PDF Library for Manipulating PDFs

PyPDF4 is a popular Python library that allows you to manipulate PDF files. It offers features like splitting PDFs, merging multiple pages, rotating PDF pages, and even handling password-protected files. This pure Python PDF library lets you write PDF files, extract document information, and much more.

Code Example

You can install PyPDF4 using the pip command:
pip install pypdf4

The following code demonstrates how to retrieve text from a single page of a PDF document using PyPDF4.

from PyPDF4 import PdfFileReader
pdf = PdfFileReader("example.pdf")
first_page = pdf.getPage(0)
print(first_page.extract_text())
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In the example code, we first import the PdfFileReader class from the PyPDF4 library. Next, we open a PDF file and retrieve the text from the first page of the document using the getPage function.

Pricing

PyPDF4 is a free and open-source Python library.

PyMuPDF - A Versatile Python PDF Library for Advanced Tasks

PyMuPDF is a really handy tool while working with PDFs in Python. It lets you do a bunch of cool things with PDFs like pulling out text, images, and background info (that's the 'metadata'). You can also use it to crop your PDFs or turn pages around. But the big standout is that PyMuPDF can handle messy data - the kind that doesn't fit into neat columns and rows - which is great if you're working on understanding or analyzing text.

Code Example

You can install the PyMuPDF library using the pip command:
pip install pymupdf
Here's an example demonstrating how to extract all text from a PDF file and save it as a .txt file using PyMuPDF:

import sys, pathlib, fitz

# Get document filename
fname = sys.argv[1]  

# Open the document
with fitz.open(fname) as doc: 
    # Extract all text
    text = chr(12).join([page.get_text() for page in doc])

# Write the extracted text to a binary file (to support non-ASCII characters)
pathlib.Path(fname + ".txt").write_bytes(text.encode())
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In the above code, we open the PDF document using the filename passed as a command-line argument (sys.argv[1]). Then, we extract all the text from each page of the document and join them using form feed character (chr(12)). Finally, we write the text to a .txt file. The encoding to bytes is necessary to support non-ASCII characters.

Pricing

PyMuPDF is a free and open-source Python library.

Conclusion

In conclusion, handling PDF files can be a crucial task. From creating and editing PDFs to extracting text and data, Python libraries dedicated to PDF processing have become essential tools.

IronPDF, a highly efficient library, shines through with its robust functionality. From creating PDFs and converting HTML to PDF, to embedding custom data and smoothly converting webpages into PDFs, IronPDF packs a punch. Standalone by nature, IronPDF works independently, negating the need for additional dependencies or language packs. It also offers free trial which is a big plus.

PyPDF4, a purely Python library, allows for manipulation of PDFs in various ways, from splitting and merging multiple pages, to rotating pages and handling password-protected files. PyMuPDF, the third contender, doesn't just extract text and images, but also metadata from PDFs.

While PyPDF4 and PyMuPDF are robust libraries in their own right, IronPDF stands out as a slightly superior choice for a few reasons. Its unique ability to seamlessly add custom data and efficiently convert webpages into PDFs is a game-changer. Furthermore, IronPDF's ability to work as a stand-alone solution without the need for additional dependencies, makes it an incredibly convenient option for developers. Its license-based pricing model also provides flexibility for different project scopes.

So, if you're looking for a Python PDF library, IronPDF, PyPDF4, and PyMuPDF each bring something valuable to the table. IronPDF, however, has a slight edge with its unique features and independent nature. But best choice really depends on the task at hand.

Top comments (1)

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joe_brown_87ff97fa0a322ff profile image
Joe Brown •

The example given for PyPDF4 fails:
AttributeError: 'PageObject' object has no attribute 'extract_text'
The file is a perfectly readable PDF document.
The code:
testPDFFile = "/home/pi/Documents/ALESIS_IMULTIMIX8USB_ENG.pdf"

from PyPDF4 import PdfFileReader
pdf = PdfFileReader(testPDFFile)
first_page = pdf.getPage(23)
print(first_page.extract_text())