Top JavaScript PDF generator libraries for 2025

Hulya Masharipov

Updated: June 24, 2025

Generating PDFs in JavaScript can be challenging without the right tools. This post will explore the top JavaScript PDF generator libraries for 2025, 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 2025, including:

Nutrient Web SDK
PDFKit
jsPDF
PDF-lib
pdfmake
Puppeteer

It provides practical examples for PDF generation and manipulation in Node.js and browser environments, helping you choose the best option for your project.

Before jumping into the individual tools, it’s important to first understand what JavaScript PDF generator libraries actually are.

JavaScript PDF generator libraries are toolkits that abstract away the complexity of the PDF file format and let you programmatically create, modify, and export PDF documents using familiar JavaScript code either in the browser or on the server (Node.js). Rather than dealing with low-level byte streams, you get a high-level API to add text, images, shapes, tables, and custom fonts; control layout, styling, and pagination; merge or split existing files; and stream or prompt downloads directly 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 manipulating PDFs in the browser. It provides high-fidelity rendering, plus advanced editing, 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 for download.
      const blob = new Blob([buffer], { type: "application/pdf" });
      const supportsDownload =
        HTMLAnchorElement.prototype.hasOwnProperty("download");

      if (navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob) {
        // IE fallback.
        navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob(blob, "download.pdf");
      } else if (!supportsDownload) {
        // Safari fallback.
        const reader = new FileReader();
        reader.onloadend = () => downloadPdf(reader.result);
        reader.readAsDataURL(blob);
      } else {
        // Modern browsers.
        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);
}

When the user clicks the Download PDF button, the script calls the viewer’s exportPDF() method to capture the current document (including any annotations or form data) as raw bytes, wraps those bytes in a browser-friendly Blob, and then uses feature detection to handle different download scenarios — falling back to Internet Explorer’s blob API if needed, converting to a data URL for older Safari versions, or creating an object URL and programmatically clicking a hidden download link in modern browsers — so users see a familiar save‐file prompt and can download the updated PDF.

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:8080 to view the website.

To learn more about Nutrient, check out the following blog posts:

Additional Nutrient PDF generation tools

In addition to the browser-first Nutrient Web SDK, Nutrient offers PDF generation across a variety of 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 tools ensure you can generate and manipulate PDFs wherever your application runs — browser, server, or mobile — using a consistent Nutrient experience.

2. PDFKit: A Node.js JavaScript PDF generator

PDFKit(opens in a new tab) is a popular and robust Node.js JavaScript PDF generator library. It lets you create multipage PDFs from scratch — adding text, images, shapes, and custom fonts. Although it’s 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
```

In your app.js file, add the following code to create a basic PDF document:

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.pdffile!

To learn more about PDFKit, check out the following blog posts:

3. jsPDF: Browser-based JavaScript PDF generator

jspdf logo

jsPDF(opens in a new tab) is a lightweight browser-side JavaScript PDF generator library. It enables on-the-fly PDF creation in the client, generating simple documents from HTML content or programmatic commands. While focused on the browser, it can also run in Node.js with minor tweaks.

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 when you click the Generate PDF button, it’ll create and download a PDF.

To learn more about jsPDF, check out the following blog posts:

4. PDF-lib: JavaScript PDF generator and modifier

PDF-lib(opens in a new tab) is a versatile JavaScript library for creating and manipulating PDF documents in both browser and Node.js environments. It excels at programmatic generation from scratch and editing existing PDFs (filling forms, merging, 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 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, add code to generate and manipulate 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
```

You’ll now have output.pdf in your project directory.

To learn more about PDF-lib, check out the following blog posts:

5. pdfmake: Declarative JavaScript PDF generator

pdfmake logo

pdfmake(opens in a new tab) is a high-level, declarative JavaScript PDF generator library 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.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.

Check out the following blog post to learn more about how to use pdfmake:

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

Puppeteer can be installed via npm. This will also install a compatible version of Chromium that Puppeteer controls:
Terminal window
```
npm install puppeteer
```

Open the generatePDF.js file and add the following code to generate a PDF of a webpage:

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 using Node.js:
```
node generatePDF.js
```
The script will navigate to the specified URL and generate a PDF of the webpage as example.pdf in the project folder.

When to use Puppeteer

Puppeteer is a powerful tool for generating PDFs from dynamic web content, making it ideal for use cases like website snapshots, dynamic page rendering, or automated testing where you need a pixel-perfect PDF representation of a web page.

Comparison table

Library	PDF creation	PDF modification	Client-side	Server-side	Complexity	File size
Nutrient	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Medium	Large
PDFKit	Yes	No	No	Yes	Medium	Medium
jsPDF	Yes	No	Yes	No	Low	Small
PDF-lib	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Medium	Small
pdfmake	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Low	Medium
Puppeteer	Yes	No	No	Yes	Medium	Large

Conclusion

Choosing the best JavaScript PDF generator depends on your environment and needs. 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) shine; and for modifying existing PDFs, PDF-lib(opens in a new tab) is ideal. For headless HTML-to-PDF, Puppeteer(opens in a new tab) works well. And for comprehensive enterprise workflows, Nutrient Web SDK serves as a powerful JavaScript PDF generator and viewer. Evaluate these options to pick the right JavaScript PDF generator library for your project. If you want to learn more about Nutrient, feel free to reach out to our Sales team and try our demo.

FAQ

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

Yes. Nutrient Web SDK lets you convert HTML-rendered content or 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?

Absolutely. Nutrient Web SDK supports form filling in the browser and exporting the filled-in PDF. For server-side, you can 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 PDF-lib PDFKit jsPDF pdfmake Puppeteer Development

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

When to use Puppeteer

Comparison table

Conclusion

FAQ

Explore related topics

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