Top JavaScript PDF generator libraries for 2026

Hulya Masharipov

Updated: February 25, 2026

Generating PDFs in JavaScript can be challenging without the right tools. This post compares the top JavaScript PDF generator libraries for 2026, covering both client-side and server-side options to help you pick the best tool for your needs.

Summary

This guide compares the top JavaScript PDF generator libraries for 2026, including:

Nutrient Web SDK
PDFKit
jsPDF
PDF-lib
pdfmake
Puppeteer

It includes code examples for each library in Node.js and browser environments.

A JavaScript PDF generator library abstracts the PDF file format so you can create, modify, and export documents programmatically in the browser or in Node.js. Instead of working with raw byte streams, you use a high-level API to add text, images, shapes, and fonts, control layout and pagination, merge or split files, and stream downloads to users.

1. Nutrient Web SDK: Enterprise JavaScript PDF generator and viewer

JavaScript PDF Viewer Nutrient Web SDK Standalone

Nutrient Web SDK is an enterprise-grade JavaScript library for generating, viewing, and editing PDFs in the browser. It provides accurate rendering, annotation, and collaboration features.

PDF generation capabilities

Create from template — Insert text or images and prefill forms using existing PDF or Word templates.
Generate from images — Convert JPG, PNG, or TIFF files into PDF documents.
Thumbnail previews — Render PDF pages as thumbnail images for gallery or navigation UIs.
Saving options — Export your generated PDFs to an ArrayBuffer or browser storage, or upload to a remote server.
Headless operation — Produce PDFs without displaying any UI components — ideal for automated backend workflows.
Extendable — Seamlessly add features like form filling, digital signing, annotation, collaboration, and more.

When to use Nutrient Web SDK as your JavaScript PDF generator

Enterprise applications needing robust PDF generation workflows (invoices, reports, contracts)
Scenarios combining generation with interactive editing, annotation, and real-time collaboration in the browser
Use cases requiring server-side PDF automation integrated with a client-side viewer
Projects that need high security (encryption, access controls) and audit trails during PDF creation
Teams seeking an integrated solution for both generation and rich document interactions

Getting started with Nutrient Web SDK

Install the @nutrient-sdk/viewer package:

npm i @nutrient-sdk/viewer

pnpm add @nutrient-sdk/viewer

yarn add @nutrient-sdk/viewer

To run Nutrient Web SDK in the browser, copy the required library files (artifacts) to your assets folder:

cp -R ./node_modules/@nutrient-sdk/viewer/dist/ ./assets/

Make sure your assets/ folder contains:

nutrient-viewer.js (entry point)
A nutrient-viewer-lib/ directory with the required runtime assets

Integrating into your project

Add the PDF document you want to display (e.g. document.pdf) to the root of your project. You can use our demo document as an example.
Create your HTML file (e.g. index.html) with a viewer container and a download button:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <title>Nutrient PDF Generator Example</title>
    <script src="assets/nutrient-viewer.js"></script>
  </head>
  <body>
    <!-- 1. Download button -->
    <button id="download-btn">Download PDF</button>
    <!-- 2. PDF viewer mount point -->
    <div id="nutrient" style="width:100%; height:80vh;"></div>
    <script src="index.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

In your main JavaScript file (e.g. index.js), load the viewer using the global window.NutrientViewer API:

let instance;

// 1. Load the Nutrient viewer.
window.NutrientViewer.load({
  container: "#nutrient",
  document: "example.pdf", // Path to your PDF document.
})
  .then((inst) => {
    instance = inst;
  })
  .catch((err) => {
    console.error("Viewer load error:", err);
  });

// 2. Hook up the Download button.
document
  .getElementById("download-btn")
  .addEventListener("click", async () => {
    if (!instance) return console.warn("Viewer not ready");

    try {
      // Export the current PDF as a buffer.
      const buffer = await instance.exportPDF();

      // Create a Blob and trigger download.
      const blob = new Blob([buffer], { type: "application/pdf" });
      const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
      downloadPdf(url);
      URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
    } catch (err) {
      console.error("Export/download failed:", err);
    }
  });

// 3. Generic download helper.
function downloadPdf(href) {
  const a = document.createElement("a");
  a.href = href;
  a.download = "download.pdf";
  document.body.appendChild(a);
  a.click();
  document.body.removeChild(a);
}

Clicking Download PDF exports the document — including annotations and form data — as a Blob and triggers a browser download.

Run the project

Use a static file server like serve to launch your site locally:

npx serve .
# or
npm install --global serve && serve .

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 to view the website.

0:00

Related reading:

Additional Nutrient PDF generation tools

Nutrient also provides PDF generation SDKs for other platforms:

Nutrient Node.js SDK — Advanced server-side PDF creation, manipulation, and optimization for Node.js apps.
Nutrient .NET SDK — PDF generation and processing in .NET desktop or server environments.
Nutrient iOS SDK — Native PDF creation and export for iOS apps.
Nutrient Android SDK — HTML- and DOCX-to-PDF generation in Android applications.
Nutrient React Native SDK — Cross-platform mobile PDF generation with React Native.
Nutrient Flutter SDK — PDF creation support for Flutter apps.
Nutrient MAUI SDK — Cross-platform .NET MAUI PDF generation.
Nutrient Document Engine — Server-side HTML-to-PDF conversion and dynamic document assembly.
Nutrient PDF generation API — Tech-agnostic HTTP API for generating PDFs from any backend or workflow.

These SDKs cover browser, server, and mobile environments.

2. PDFKit: A Node.js JavaScript PDF generator

PDFKit(opens in a new tab) is a Node.js library for creating multipage PDFs from scratch — text, images, shapes, and custom fonts. Although primarily server-side, it can run in the browser via Browserify(opens in a new tab).

Key PDF generation features

Create PDFs programmatically in JavaScript (Node.js environment)
Embed images, vector shapes, and custom fonts
Stream output to file, HTTP response, or buffer
(Browser) Use Browserify to bundle PDFKit for client-side generation

When to use PDFKit as your JavaScript PDF generator

Server-side invoice/report generation in Node.js
Complex layout generation where you need full control via code
Streaming PDFs directly to clients (e.g. on-demand PDF downloads)

Getting started with PDFKit

Initialize a new project and create an entry file (e.g. app.js):
Terminal window
```
mkdir my-pdfkit-app
cd my-pdfkit-app
npm init -y
touch app.js
```
Install PDFKit via npm:
Terminal window
```
npm install pdfkit
```

Create a PDF in app.js:

const PDFDocument = require("pdfkit");
const fs = require("fs");

const doc = new PDFDocument();
doc.pipe(fs.createWriteStream("output.pdf"));
doc.text("Hello, PDFKit!");
doc.end();

Run the script using Node.js to generate your PDF:
Terminal window
```
node app.js
```
Check your directory for the output.pdf file.

Related reading:

3. jsPDF: Browser-based JavaScript PDF generator

jspdf logo

jsPDF(opens in a new tab) is a lightweight browser-side JavaScript PDF generator. It creates PDFs in the client from HTML content or JavaScript API calls. It also ships a Node.js build that works without additional setup.

Key PDF generation features

Create PDFs directly in the browser (client-side) without server roundtrips
Add text, images, shapes, and annotations via a simple API
Generate PDFs from HTML content using plugins (e.g. html2canvas integration)
Plugin ecosystem for extended capabilities (tables, auto-pagination, custom fonts)

When to use jsPDF as your JavaScript PDF generator

Client-side form submissions: Generate and download PDFs in the browser immediately
Simple reports or invoices from web forms without hitting the server
Use cases where low bundle size and minimal setup are priorities
Quick prototyping of PDF output in frontend projects

Getting started with jsPDF

Install jsPDF via npm:
Terminal window
```
npm install jspdf
```

Add a basic HTML file to use jsPDF in the browser:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <title>jsPDF Example</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <button id="generate-pdf">Generate PDF</button>

    <script src="node_modules/jspdf/dist/jspdf.umd.min.js"></script>
    <script>
      const { jsPDF } = window.jspdf;

      document
        .getElementById("generate-pdf")
        .addEventListener("click", function () {
          const doc = new jsPDF();
          doc.text("Hello, jsPDF!", 10, 10);
          doc.save("output.pdf");
        });
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

Open the HTML file in a browser and click Generate PDF. It creates and downloads a PDF.

Related reading:

4. PDF-lib: JavaScript PDF generator and modifier

PDF-lib(opens in a new tab) is a JavaScript library for creating and modifying PDFs in both browser and Node.js environments. It handles generation from scratch and editing existing PDFs — filling forms, merging, and adding annotations.

Key PDF generation features

Create new PDFs with pages, text, images, and vector graphics
Embed custom fonts and images
Fill and modify existing PDF forms and structure
Merge or split documents programmatically
Works natively in the browser and Node.js without external dependencies

When to use PDF-lib as your JavaScript PDF generator

Applications needing both generation and modification of PDFs
Filling out or programmatically editing existing PDF templates
Merging multiple PDFs or adding dynamic content to an existing document
Environments where a single library for both client-side and server-side use is ideal

Getting started with PDF-lib

Install the library via npm:
Terminal window
```
npm install pdf-lib
```

In app.js, generate a PDF:

const { PDFDocument, rgb, StandardFonts } = require("pdf-lib");
const fs = require("fs");
async function createPdf() {
  const pdfDoc = await PDFDocument.create();
  const page = pdfDoc.addPage([600, 400]);
  const font = await pdfDoc.embedFont(StandardFonts.HelveticaBold);
  page.drawText("Hello, PDF-lib JavaScript PDF generator!", {
    x: 50,
    y: 350,
    size: 18,
    font,
    color: rgb(0, 0, 0.8),
  });
  const pdfBytes = await pdfDoc.save();
  fs.writeFileSync("output.pdf", pdfBytes);
}
createPdf();

Run your script to generate the PDF:
Terminal window
```
node app.js
```

Related reading:

5. pdfmake: Declarative JavaScript PDF generator

pdfmake logo

pdfmake(opens in a new tab) is a declarative JavaScript PDF generator that works in both the browser and Node.js. You define the document structure via a JSON-like “document definition” object, and pdfmake handles layout, pagination, and styling.

Key PDF generation features

Declarative document definitions (content arrays, styles, tables, lists)
Built-in support for text styling, tables, lists, images, headers/footers
Automatic pagination and page breaks based on content
Embed custom fonts; support for Unicode and RTL languages
Browser and Node.js support with a consistent API

When to use pdfmake as your JavaScript PDF generator

Generating structured reports, invoices, and catalogs where layout is defined declaratively
Projects where automatic pagination and complex layouts (tables, lists) are needed without manual page management
Applications requiring rich text styling, headers/footers, and consistent formatting
Situations where a JSON-based definition simplifies maintenance

Getting started with pdfmake

Install pdfmake via npm:
Terminal window
```
npm install pdfmake
```

Use pdfmake in the browser with the following HTML file:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <title>pdfmake Example</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <button id="generate-pdf">Generate PDF</button>

    <script src="node_modules/pdfmake/build/pdfmake.min.js"></script>
    <script src="node_modules/pdfmake/build/vfs_fonts.js"></script>
    <script>
      document
        .getElementById("generate-pdf")
        .addEventListener("click", function () {
          const docDefinition = { content: "Hello, pdfmake!" };
          pdfMake.createPdf(docDefinition).download("output.pdf");
        });
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

Open this HTML file in your browser, and click the Generate PDF button to generate and download a PDF.

Related reading:

How to convert HTML to PDF with JavaScript

6. Puppeteer: Headless Chrome JavaScript PDF generator

puppeteer logo

Puppeteer(opens in a new tab) is a Node.js library that controls headless Chrome/Chromium, often used to generate PDFs from webpages or dynamic HTML content. It’s ideal when you need pixel-perfect rendering of complex layouts.

Key PDF generation features

Render full webpages or specific DOM elements to PDF via headless browser
Support for CSS, web fonts, and complex layouts (flex, grid)
Control page settings: margins, format, headers/footers, print styles
Automate PDF generation in batch or on demand from dynamic content

When to use Puppeteer as your JavaScript PDF generator

Generating PDFs from complex HTML/CSS where the layout must match browser rendering
Server-side snapshotting of webpages or dynamic reports (dashboards, charts)
Situations requiring accurate print preview rendering (e.g. invoices styled via CSS)
Automated workflows or testing pipelines that output PDFs from live pages

Getting started with Puppeteer

Create a new directory and initialize your Node.js project:

mkdir puppeteer-pdf-app
cd puppeteer-pdf-app
npm init -y
touch generatePDF.js

Install Puppeteer. This also downloads a compatible Chromium binary:
Terminal window
```
npm install puppeteer
```

In generatePDF.js, render a webpage to PDF:

const puppeteer = require("puppeteer");

async function generatePDF() {
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto("https://example.com", {
    waitUntil: "networkidle2",
  });
  await page.pdf({ path: "example.pdf", format: "A4" });

  await browser.close();
}

generatePDF();

Run the script:
Terminal window
```
node generatePDF.js
```
This saves the rendered page as example.pdf.

Comparison table

Library	License	GitHub stars	PDF creation	PDF modification	Client-side	Server-side	Complexity
Nutrient	Commercial	—	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Medium
PDFKit	MIT	10.5k+	Yes	No	Yes*	Yes	Medium
jsPDF	MIT	31k+	Yes	No	Yes	Yes*	Low
PDF-lib	MIT	8.3k+	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Medium
pdfmake	MIT	12.2k+	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Low
Puppeteer	Apache 2.0	93k+	Yes	No	No	Yes	Medium

PDFKit runs in the browser via Browserify or its standalone build. jsPDF ships a Node.js build that works without additional setup.

Common pitfalls with JavaScript PDF generator libraries

Font embedding — Most libraries only bundle a few default fonts. Custom or Unicode fonts need to be explicitly embedded, or text renders as tofu (□□□).
CSS fidelity — Client-side libraries like jsPDF and pdfmake don’t render CSS. Only headless browsers (Puppeteer) produce layout-accurate output from HTML/CSS.
Memory limits in the browser — Generating large PDFs client-side can exhaust browser memory, especially with high-resolution images. Move heavy workloads to the server.
Async page loading — Puppeteer and similar tools need explicit waitUntil strategies. Without them, dynamic content (charts, lazy-loaded images) may be missing from the output.
File size — Embedded images and fonts inflate PDF size quickly. Compress images before embedding and subset fonts to include only the glyphs you use.

Conclusion

For server-side Node.js generation, PDFKit(opens in a new tab) excels. For client-side downloads, jsPDF(opens in a new tab) or pdfmake(opens in a new tab) work well. For modifying existing PDFs, PDF-lib(opens in a new tab) is ideal. For headless HTML-to-PDF conversion, Puppeteer(opens in a new tab) handles complex layouts. For enterprise workflows combining generation, editing, and collaboration, Nutrient Web SDK covers all three. To learn more about Nutrient, contact our Sales team or try our demo.

Related comparisons

FAQ

Can I generate a PDF from images in the browser with Nutrient?

Yes. Nutrient Web SDK lets you convert JPG/PNG/TIFF images directly into PDF documents on the client side, with no server required. You can also capture thumbnails or full-page exports.

How do I automate server‑side PDF generation with Nutrient?

Use the Nutrient Node.js SDK or the PDF generation API to run headless PDF creation workflows. Merge templates, fill forms, insert pages, and apply security settings — all without any UI.

Can I create interactive, fillable forms and then generate a PDF?

Yes. Nutrient Web SDK supports form filling in the browser and exporting the filled-in PDF. For server-side, use templates with predefined form fields and programmatically insert values.

Is it possible to merge multiple documents into one PDF?

Yes. Nutrient provides APIs to assemble documents by merging PDFs, inserting or reordering pages, and then exporting the combined PDF, either in the browser or via server-side SDKs.

What security features are available during PDF generation?

You can apply encryption, set permissions (print, copy, fill), and embed audit‑ready metadata at generation time. Nutrient’s SDKs and API support all major PDF security options.

Explore related topics

JavaScript PDF Generation Tips

1. Nutrient Web SDK: Enterprise JavaScript PDF generator and viewer

PDF generation capabilities

When to use Nutrient Web SDK as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with Nutrient Web SDK

Integrating into your project

Run the project

Additional Nutrient PDF generation tools

2. PDFKit: A Node.js JavaScript PDF generator

Key PDF generation features

When to use PDFKit as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with PDFKit

3. jsPDF: Browser-based JavaScript PDF generator

Key PDF generation features

When to use jsPDF as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with jsPDF

4. PDF-lib: JavaScript PDF generator and modifier

Key PDF generation features

When to use PDF-lib as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with PDF-lib

5. pdfmake: Declarative JavaScript PDF generator

Key PDF generation features

When to use pdfmake as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with pdfmake

6. Puppeteer: Headless Chrome JavaScript PDF generator

Key PDF generation features

When to use Puppeteer as your JavaScript PDF generator

Getting started with Puppeteer

Comparison table

Common pitfalls with JavaScript PDF generator libraries

Conclusion

FAQ

Explore related topics

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