Language Guide

C#

How to Convert HTML to PDF Using C# Best Libraries in 2025

Marcelo | Founder of pdforge

Sep 4, 2025

Convert HTML to PDF using C# and .NET is a common requirement for SaaS applications that need invoices, reports, or formal documents. In 2025, developers want stable libraries that integrate seamlessly with .NET 6+ projects and provide reliable rendering.

The objective is to generate production-ready PDFs directly from HTML templates without rebuilding everything with low-level drawing commands. Leveraging the right tools not only accelerates development but also reduces operational overhead.

Overview of top HTML to PDF Conversion Libraries for C#

HTML to PDF conversion libraries in the .NET ecosystem render web-based templates into final PDF documents. Unlike traditional libraries where developers must manually draw text and shapes—such as PdfSharp or MigraDoc—these libraries allow direct usage of HTML and CSS. This reduces complexity while preserving design fidelity.

Nuget Trend on HTML to PDF libraries download on C#

We’ll explore the top options for converting HTML to PDF in C# for 2025:

Playwright
iTextSharp
PuppeteerSharp

Playwright

Playwright for .NET provides a high-level API to automate Chromium, Firefox, or WebKit browsers. Its ability to render complex HTML5 and CSS3 layouts makes it one of the most robust solutions for PDF generation. By leveraging the browser engine directly, Playwright ensures pixel-perfect output that mirrors what end-users see in the browser.

Example:

using Microsoft.Playwright;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    public static async Task Main()
    {
        using var playwright = await Playwright.CreateAsync();
        await using var browser = await playwright.Chromium.LaunchAsync(new BrowserTypeLaunchOptions
        {
            Headless = true
        });

        var context = await browser.NewContextAsync();
        var page = await context.NewPageAsync();

        // Load HTML content
        await page.SetContentAsync("<html><body><h1>Invoice</h1><p>Customer details here</p></body></html>");

        // Generate PDF with options
        await page.PdfAsync(new PagePdfOptions
        {
            Path = "output.pdf",
            Margin = new Margin { Top = "50px", Bottom = "50px", Left = "30px", Right = "30px" },
            DisplayHeaderFooter = true,
            HeaderTemplate = "<div style='font-size:10px; text-align:center;'>Header Example</div>",
            FooterTemplate = "<div style='font-size:10px; text-align:center;'>Page <span class='pageNumber'></span> of <span class='totalPages'></span></div>"

Playwright is ideal for .NET developers who need modern web rendering capabilities.

For a comprehensive tutorial on Playwright with C#, see our full-length implementation guide.

iTextSharp

iTextSharp is the .NET port of iText, historically one of the most mature libraries for PDF generation. Early versions required constructing PDFs programmatically, but with the introduction of iText 7 (and pdfHTML), developers gained the ability to convert HTML into PDFs directly. In .NET projects, iTextSharp brings the same robust feature set, supporting security, digital signatures, and compliance-grade documents.

Example:

using iText.Html2pdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Invoice</h1><p>Customer details here</p></body></html>";
        using (FileStream stream = new FileStream("output.pdf", FileMode.Create))
        {
            ConverterProperties props = new ConverterProperties();
            HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(html, stream, props

iTextSharp with pdfHTML is best suited for enterprise .NET applications requiring fine-grained control and advanced compliance features. You can also integrate custom headers and footers using event handlers, making it highly flexible.

For detailed instructions on mastering iTextSharp in .NET projects, consult our specialized developer guide.

PuppeteerSharp

PuppeteerSharp is a .NET port of Google’s Puppeteer project, designed for headless Chrome automation. It allows developers to render HTML and export to PDF with strong CSS and JavaScript support. PuppeteerSharp integrates neatly with .NET 6 and .NET Core projects, making it a convenient option for developers already familiar with Puppeteer in Node.js.

Example:

using PuppeteerSharp;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    public static async Task Main()
    {
        await new BrowserFetcher().DownloadAsync(BrowserFetcher.DefaultChromiumRevision);
        var browser = await Puppeteer.LaunchAsync(new LaunchOptions { Headless = true });
        var page = await browser.NewPageAsync();

        // Load HTML
        await page.SetContentAsync("<html><body><h1>Invoice</h1><p>Customer details here</p></body></html>");

        // Export PDF
        await page.PdfAsync("output.pdf", new PdfOptions
        {
            MarginOptions = new PuppeteerSharp.Media.MarginOptions { Top = "50px", Bottom = "50px", Left = "30px", Right = "30px" },
            DisplayHeaderFooter = true,
            HeaderTemplate = "<div style='font-size:10px; text-align:center;'>Header Example</div>",
            FooterTemplate = "<div style='font-size:10px; text-align:center;'>Page <span class='pageNumber'></span> of <span class='totalPages'></span></div>"
        });

        await browser.CloseAsync

PuppeteerSharp is highly effective for developers seeking a .NET-native way to replicate Puppeteer’s power. Its flexibility makes it suitable for modern report generation.

For more advanced PuppeteerSharp usage examples in .NET, view our complete walkthrough article.

Comparison between HTML to PDF libraries in C#

Characteristics	Playwright	iTextSharp (iText 7 pdfHTML)	PuppeteerSharp
Rendering Engine	Chromium (Headless)	iText Engine	Chromium (Headless)
Output Quality	Full (Pixel-perfect)	Excellent	Full (Pixel-perfect)
Ease of Use	Easy	Moderate	Easy
CSS Support	Full (CSS3, Flexbox)	Good (Most CSS2, partial CSS3)	Full (CSS3, Flexbox)
Community Support	Excellent	Excellent	Moderate
Recommended Use	Dashboards, dynamic reports	Enterprise documents, compliance	Browser-like rendering for .NET apps

Alternative: Convert HTML to PDF at Scale Using pdforge

Managing HTML to PDF conversion at scale poses challenges, particularly with serverless architectures (see our detailed article) and frequent template updates. pdforge simplifies these challenges by providing a robust PDF Generation API for direct HTML to PDF conversion:

using System;
using System.IO;
using RestSharp;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var client = new RestClient("https://api.pdforge.com/v1/html-to-pdf/sync");
        var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
        request.AddHeader("Authorization", "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY");
        request.AddJsonBody(new { html = "<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Customer details here</p>" });

        var response = client.Execute(request);

        if (response.IsSuccessful)
        {
            File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", response.RawBytes);
            Console.WriteLine("PDF saved as output.pdf");
        }
        else
        {
            Console.Error.WriteLine("Error: " + response.StatusCode);
            Console.Error.WriteLine(response.Content

pdforge also includes a powerful AI Agent that generates PDF templates instantly and a modern no-code editor for quick design fine-tuning. Its intuitive platform allows non-developers to manage templates efficiently. Here's a quick demo on how it works:

You can create your account, experience our no-code builder and create your first layout template without any upfront payment clicking here.

Conclusion

For in-house implementations, Playwright for .NET is the strongest recommendation in 2025. It offers robust rendering, easy API integration, and full browser support for complex HTML. It is especially effective when generating reports or exports that must look identical to browser views. For deployment, see our Playwright on AWS Lambda guide to run at scale with .NET.

For scaling projects, the complexity of managing multiple templates and high-volume PDF generation makes libraries harder to maintain. In this case, pdforge stands out with its API-first and AI-powered approach, removing the burden of maintaining layouts or infrastructure while ensuring a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective solution for SaaS businesses that want to generate PDFs at scale without worrying about best practices or design overhead.