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How to Convert HTML to PDF Using Python 4 Best Libraries in 2025

Marcelo | Founder of pdforge

Jul 21, 2025

This article will guide you through the best libraries in 2025 for converting HTML to PDF using Python, specifically exploring libraries tailored for HTML-to-PDF tasks. We’ll focus exclusively on tools that convert HTML, omitting other PDF libraries like PyPDF2 or Reportlab (for a comprehensive guide covering all Python PDF libraries, click here).

Overview of top HTML to PDF Conversion Libraries for Python

HTML-to-PDF conversion libraries utilize browser engines to transform HTML documents into professional PDFs. These tools efficiently handle dynamic content and modern layouts but can be resource-intensive compared to basic PDF generation libraries.

Here, we’ll examine the 4 best python PDF libraries in 2025:

Playwright
Pyppeteer
python-pdfkit
WeasyPrint

Playwright

Playwright utilizes Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit for precise PDF rendering. It excels in handling complex layouts with robust CSS and JavaScript support, ideal for advanced scenarios.

Install with pip:

HTML to PDF example:

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

html_content = """
<html>
<head><style>h1 {color: blue;}</style></head>
<body>
<h1>My PDF Report</h1>
<p>This is generated using Playwright.</p>
</body>
</html>

URL to PDF example:

If you're choosing to go with Playwright, you can check out our in-depth guide here.

Pyppeteer

Pyppeteer is a Python port of Puppeteer and uses Chromium for rendering. It’s suitable for moderate to complex layouts but has slower updates compared to alternatives.

Install with pip:

HTML to PDF example:

import asyncio
from pyppeteer import launch

html_content = """
<html>
<head><style>h1 {color: green;}</style></head>
<body>
<h1>Pyppeteer PDF Report</h1>
<p>Generated via Chromium.</p>
</body>
</html>

URL to PDF example:

If you're choosing to go with Pypeteer, you can check out our in-depth guide here. But know that the library unmaintained and has been outside of minor changes for a long time, so we wouldn't recommend it.

python-pdfkit

python-pdfkit wraps wkhtmltopdf for straightforward conversions. It handles simple HTML content well but lacks extensive CSS and JavaScript capabilities.

Install with pip:

HTML to PDF example:

import pdfkit

html_content = """
<html>
<head><style>h1 {color: red;}</style></head>
<body>
<h1>Simple Report</h1>
<p>Generated using python-pdfkit.</p>
</body>
</html>

URL to PDF example:

If you're choosing to go with python-pdfkit, you can check out our in-depth guide here.

WeasyPrint

WeasyPrint generates PDFs without external browser engines, offering solid CSS support and good performance for simpler use-cases.

Install with pip:

HTML to PDF example:

from weasyprint import HTML

html_content = """
<html>
<head><style>h1 {color: purple;}</style></head>
<body>
<h1>WeasyPrint Report</h1>
<p>Efficient and effective PDF generation.</p>
</body>
</html>

Comparison between HTML to PDF libraries in Python

Feature	Playwright	Pyppeteer	python-pdfkit	WeasyPrint
Rendering Engine	Chromium, Firefox, WebKit	Chromium	wkhtmltopdf	Custom
Output Quality	Excellent	Excellent	Moderate	Good
Ease of Use	Moderate	Moderate	Easy	Easy
CSS Support	Excellent	Excellent	Poor	Good
Community Support	Excellent	Poor	Moderate	Good
Recommended Use	Complex Layouts	Moderate Layouts	Simple Reports	Simpler Reports

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:

import requests

url = 'https://api.pdforge.com/v1/html-to-pdf/sync'
headers = {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
}
payload = {
    'html': '<h1>Invoice</h1><p>Customer details here</p>'
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)

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 complex layouts, Playwright is highly recommended due to its extensive documentation, community support, and rendering capabilities. For simpler tasks, WeasyPrint offers efficiency and ease.

Choose third-party pdf generation APIs, like pdforge, if you don't want to waste time maintaining pdfs layouts and their infrastructure or if you want to leverage an AI-first platform that designs the PDF templates for you so you don't have to keep track of best practices to generate PDFs at scale.