HTML2PDF review
A self-hosted PHP library for turning prepared, valid HTML into PDFs.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
HTML2PDF is an open-source PHP library for developers who need to generate PDF documents from valid HTML within their own web applications. Its documented examples include invoices and delivery notes, with particular attention to documents built using nested tables. It is aimed at teams that can prepare HTML for conversion; it is not positioned as a way to turn an existing web page or arbitrary WYSIWYG output into a PDF. Deployment is self-hosted, so the conversion runs as part of an application rather than through a hosted service.
The library's output options make it adaptable to different application flows: it can display a PDF inline in a browser, force a download, save a file on the server, or return PDF content as a string. It uses TCPDF for PDF generation, and its documentation covers extensions including barcodes, bookmarks, fonts, SVG, and electronic signatures. That gives developers options for document features, while the central input requirement remains valid HTML 4.01. Teams whose source content is not prepared to that specification should expect to adapt their output rather than treat HTML2PDF as a general-purpose page capture tool.
HTML2PDF is presented as a free, open-source library distributed under the OSL license, rather than a hosted product with subscription tiers. Its installation-as-a-library model and community support are a fit for teams that can handle integration and maintenance in-house. Developers building structured documents and wanting control over where PDFs are delivered may find its scope appropriate. Teams seeking a hosted workflow, broad source-format conversion, or direct vendor support should consider alternatives with those capabilities instead.
HTML2PDF pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Creates PDFs from valid HTML, including documents with nested tables
- Can display, download, save, or return generated PDF content
- Documentation covers barcodes, bookmarks, fonts, SVG, and signatures
- Where it doesn't
- Requires specially prepared valid HTML rather than arbitrary web pages
- Focused on PDF generation from HTML, not broader PDF workflows
- Community support may not suit teams seeking direct vendor support
HTML2PDF fact sheet, pricing and score →
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