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OpenPDF

Free#26 of 31 in PDF SDKs

OpenPDF: A capable free Java PDF library for creation, editing, rendering, and extraction. Ranked #26 of 31 in PDF SDKs by our editors (6.5/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free Java PDF creation and editing.

6.5/10Editor score

Visit OpenPDF

OpenPDF6.5 Visit OpenPDF

At a glance

Editor score
6.5 / 10
Pricing
Free plan
Best for
Free Java PDF creation and editing
Free plan
Yes
Paid from
Free
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Creates, edits, renders, and extracts content from PDF documents
- Generates PDFs from HTML/CSS and supports graphics, images, and tables
- Supports encryption, compression, page layout, Android, and Kotlin
Where it doesn't
- Primarily targets Java/JVM and Android development
- Its feature set is narrower than leading general-purpose PDF SDKs
- Licensing varies between LGPL/MPL and LGPL-only modules

Our verdict on OpenPDF

OpenPDF is an open-source Java library for creating, editing, rendering, encrypting, and reading PDF documents. It is designed for developers working in Java or Kotlin environments, including Android applications. Core capabilities cover new PDF creation, existing-document edits such as adding or removing pages and modifying text, text extraction, multiple fonts and styles, graphics, images, tables, and control over page size, orientation, and layout. Annotation tools are also included in its published category specifications.

Its strongest fit is a development team that wants broad PDF generation and manipulation without a paid plan. The openpdf-html module generates PDFs from HTML/CSS, while openpdf-renderer can render PDF pages as images. The library also supports PDF 2.0 and can read and write Brotli-compressed PDF streams. Android support extends its reach beyond standard JVM applications, while documented native binaries support Brotli-related work on Linux, macOS, and Windows. These features make OpenPDF suitable for document-generation workflows that need formatting, extraction, rendering, or encryption in one Java-oriented library.

The main trade-off is focus. OpenPDF covers substantial PDF fundamentals, but its verified feature set is narrower than leading general-purpose SDKs, so teams needing a wider range of specialized PDF capabilities should compare alternatives. It also has no AI features, and its licensing requires attention because the project uses dual LGPL 2.1 and Mozilla Public License 2.0 licensing, with some modules under LGPL 2.1 only. Choose OpenPDF for free, open-source Java or Kotlin PDF work; look elsewhere when broader SDK coverage or a different development stack is the priority.

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OpenPDF pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on github.com

OpenPDF fact sheet

Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
PDF operations	PDF creation, editing, rendering, HTML-to-PDF generation, text extraction, encryption, and compression
Supported platforms	Java/JVM, Android; Linux, macOS, and Windows native binaries are documented for Brotli support
Language coverage	Java and Kotlin
Deployment model	Not verified
Annotation tools	Yes
Commercial license	Not verified
Deployment	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Support	Docs
Pricing	Free plan
Website	github.com
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Alternatives to OpenPDF

See all OpenPDF alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

OpenPDF is listed in our PDF SDKs directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update