Iteration Layer vs Regex & Templates
Regex patterns and template matching break on any layout change and have no way to signal uncertainty.
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Why developers switch from Regex & Templates
Regex templates break the moment a document layout changes — even slightly.
Zero maintenance overhead
Every regex pattern is a liability — a different date format, a new line in the address block, a vendor's updated invoice template, and your extraction silently fails. Our schema-based approach adapts to document variation without code changes.
Confidence scores replace silent failures
When a regex misses, you get an empty string or an exception. We return a confidence score of 0 for missing fields, and route low-confidence results to human review rather than letting bad data flow downstream.
Understands scanned documents and images
Regex cannot process scanned PDFs or image-based documents — it only works on selectable text. Our API has built-in OCR and visual understanding, handling scans, photos, and handwritten notes with the same schema.
Feature-by-feature comparison
We went through the docs so you don't have to. Here's how every feature compares — including the ones where we're not the better choice.
| Feature | Iteration Layer | Regex & Templates |
|---|---|---|
| Schema-defined extraction |
Yes
Define extraction schemas with 17 purpose-built typed fields for structured output |
No
Manual regex patterns and template matching without schema support |
| Typed field support |
17 types
Choose from 17 typed schema fields including date, IBAN, currency, address, phone, email, and URL |
Text only
All matches are raw text strings requiring manual type parsing and validation |
| Confidence scores |
Per field
Confidence score between 0 and 1 for every extracted schema field |
None
Missing matches result in empty strings or exceptions with no confidence signal |
| Source citations |
Yes
Verbatim source citation from the document for every extracted field |
No
No source citation linking matched values back to document text |
| Multi-file support |
Up to 20 files
Process up to 20 files in a single API request with merged extraction results |
1 file
Each file must be processed individually |
| Supported input formats |
PDF, images, Office
Process PDFs, images, and common Office formats in a single API endpoint |
Text only
Only works on documents with selectable text — cannot process scans or images |
| Handles layout variation |
Yes
Adapts automatically to document layout variation without code changes |
No
Breaks on any format change such as a new date format or a different address layout |
| Handles scanned documents |
Yes
Built-in OCR and visual understanding for scanned PDFs, photos, and handwritten notes |
No
Only works on documents with selectable text — cannot process scans or images |
| Maintenance |
None
Schema-based extraction adapts to document variation without code changes |
High
Every regex pattern is a maintenance liability that breaks on document layout changes |
| Logic control |
Schema-based
Extraction logic defined through schema fields and types |
Full control
Complete control over matching logic with custom regex patterns and validation rules |
| Static formats |
Flexible
Schema-based approach designed for varying document layouts |
Ideal
Perfect fit for documents with a guaranteed static format that never changes |
| EU hosting |
EU only
All processing happens exclusively on EU-hosted servers |
Your choice
Runs on your infrastructure, so data residency depends on where you deploy |
| Language support |
Any language
REST API callable from any programming language with HTTP support |
Any language
Regex is available in every programming language |
| Pricing model |
Per credit
Pay-per-use pricing based on the number of extraction requests |
Free
Zero cost — runs on your own infrastructure with no per-extraction charges |
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no deployment or infrastructure to manage |
Self-hosted
Runs as part of your application code on your own infrastructure |
| GDPR / Data privacy |
Zero retention
No files or results stored beyond temporary 90-day logs |
Your responsibility
Data privacy depends entirely on your deployment and infrastructure choices |
Pricing
Start with free trial credits. No credit card required.
Developer
For individuals & small projects
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1,000 credits / monthThat's either: 1,000 image transformations 500 document generations 500 image generations 500 sheet generations 200 document extractions (5-page docs) 200 markdown conversions (5-page docs)
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All APIs included
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Free trial credits per API
-
Email support
-
Budget caps per key
-
Optional auto top-up
Startup
Save 40%For growing teams
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5,000 credits / monthThat's either: 5,000 image transformations 2,500 document generations 2,500 image generations 2,500 sheet generations 1,000 document extractions (5-page docs) 1,000 markdown conversions (5-page docs)
-
All APIs included
-
Free trial credits per API
-
Priority support
-
Budget caps per key
-
Optional auto top-up
Business
Save 47%For high-volume workloads
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15,000 credits / monthThat's either: 15,000 image transformations 7,500 document generations 7,500 image generations 7,500 sheet generations 3,000 document extractions (5-page docs) 3,000 markdown conversions (5-page docs)
-
All APIs included
-
Free trial credits per API
-
Priority support
-
Budget caps per key
-
Optional auto top-up
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Free trial credits included. No credit card required.