DocSpring vs DocRaptor

Print layouts with Prince

DocRaptor renders HTML with Prince, a specialist print engine. That makes it a serious option for publications with footnotes, running content, or demanding pagination. DocSpring generates HTML PDFs with a Chromium-based renderer and also fills existing PDF forms.

If your source is an official PDF that must keep its layout, DocSpring lets you map fields onto that file. If your source is HTML, test the actual layout in both engines. Browser-compatible CSS and Prince-specific print rules are not interchangeable.

Feature comparison

Follow the feature links for details in DocSpring's documentation. Sources for each DocRaptor cell are listed at the end of the page.

Scroll the table sideways to see both products.

"Not published" means the vendor's public materials do not say either way, usually because it is handled on request. A dedicated integration is different from connecting an API through a generic HTTP action. Plan requirements and product boundaries are noted in the cells.

Test a multi-page invoice, not just a screenshot

Start with an invoice that grows from two rows to several pages. Keep the data, fonts, and page dimensions the same in both versions so differences in pagination are easy to spot.

A Liquid invoice in DocSpring

Create an HTML template with this content and a schema containing customer_name and the items array. The request below supplies two items; use a longer array to exercise pagination.

<h1>Invoice for {{ customer_name | escape }}</h1>
<table>
  <tr><th>Description</th><th>Amount (USD)</th></tr>
  {% for item in items %}
    <tr>
      <td>{{ item.description | escape }}</td>
      <td>{{ item.amount | currency }}</td>
    </tr>
  {% endfor %}
</table>

curl --fail-with-body \
  "https://sync.api.docspring.com/api/v1/templates/${DOCSPRING_TEMPLATE_ID}/submissions" \
  --user "${DOCSPRING_TEST_TOKEN_ID}:${DOCSPRING_TEST_TOKEN_SECRET}" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "test": true,
    "data": {
      "customer_name": "Mira Patel",
      "items": [
        { "description": "Annual inspection", "amount": 120 },
        { "description": "Replacement filter", "amount": 35 }
      ]
    }
  }'

Set the environment variables to your template ID and test API credentials. Accounts in our EU region send requests to sync.api-eu.docspring.com instead. The response includes a download URL for a watermarked PDF. See the request and response guide.

If you rely on Prince-specific footnotes, page selectors, or other print rules, test those first. Recreating the invoice successfully does not prove a complex publication will render identically.

Cheap per document, with nothing else included

A 40-page report and a one-page invoice each count as one document. For 2,000 reports a month, DocRaptor's $75 plan plus overage comes to about $120. DocSpring's Professional plan is $99 for 1,000 PDFs, then 10c per PDF, so the same volume costs more. DocSpring's plan includes stored templates, form filling, forms, signing, and EU hosting that DocRaptor does not offer at all. Test the largest report against both renderers before deciding.

Moving HTML generation from DocRaptor to DocSpring

Keep the original HTML, CSS, fonts, and representative outputs. Move the dynamic parts of your application template into Liquid if you want DocSpring to store the template. Keep calculations in your application when that makes them easier to test.

Replace Prince-specific settings with supported CSS or DocSpring template settings. Pay particular attention to footnotes, page numbering, table breaks, margins, and font metrics. Some layouts need redesigning rather than a mechanical conversion.

Change response handling from raw PDF bytes to submission JSON and a download URL. For background jobs, map your existing status handling to DocSpring submissions and webhooks. Test rendering failures as well as completed documents.

Discuss your documents with us.

Questions about DocRaptor alternatives

Will the same HTML produce the same PDF?

Not necessarily. Prince and Chromium handle some print CSS differently, and font measurements can change line and page breaks. Compare representative output before migrating, especially if your document uses Prince-specific features.

Can DocRaptor fill an existing government form?

No. Its API renders a new document from HTML. DocSpring keeps the original PDF as the background and places data into mapped fields, which avoids rebuilding the form in HTML.

Does DocRaptor offer EU hosting?

No. DocRaptor is hosted in the AWS US-East region. DocSpring offers a choice of US or EU region.