Iteration Layer vs Gotenberg
Gotenberg runs Chromium and LibreOffice in Docker — you get a conversion service, not a generation API.
No credit card required — start with free trial credits
Why developers switch from Gotenberg
Gotenberg needs a 1GB+ Docker image running Chromium and LibreOffice on your infrastructure.
No container to run or scale
Gotenberg's Docker image is over 1 GB — it bundles a full Chromium and LibreOffice installation. Each instance runs two heavy processes at idle. We are a managed API: send a request, get a document back, no infrastructure to manage.
Generate from data, not convert from HTML
Gotenberg converts files to PDF — it doesn't generate documents from data. You still need to produce the HTML or DOCX before handing it to Gotenberg. Our JSON content model builds the document directly from your data in one step.
Four output formats, not just PDF
Gotenberg converts to PDF. We render PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from the same JSON content definition. One content model, four formats, zero additional infrastructure.
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 | Gotenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Output formats |
4 formats
PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from the same JSON content definition |
PDF
Converts various input formats to PDF via Chromium and LibreOffice |
| Template model |
JSON blocks
Content defined as JSON block arrays — versionable and diffable |
HTML or Office files
Converts existing HTML or Office files to PDF — you still need to produce the source document first |
| Custom fonts |
Yes
Upload and use custom fonts in any document |
Limited
Custom fonts require building a new Docker image with the fonts pre-installed |
| Memory at idle |
Serverless
No idle resource consumption — processing happens per request on managed infrastructure |
500 MB+
Each running instance consumes 500 MB+ of memory at idle with Chromium and LibreOffice loaded |
| Open source |
Proprietary
Closed-source managed SaaS platform |
MIT license
Free and open source under the MIT license |
| Office-to-PDF conversion |
JSON only
Generates documents from JSON content model only, does not convert existing files |
Built-in
Converts existing DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files to PDF via LibreOffice |
| Composability |
Standalone
Standalone document generation API |
Composable
Useful as a conversion layer in combination with other document generation tools |
| 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
HTTP API accessible from any programming language |
| Pricing model |
Per document
Pay-per-use pricing based on the number of documents generated |
Free
Open source and free to use — costs are limited to running the Docker container |
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no containers, binaries, or infrastructure to manage |
Docker container
Requires running a 1 GB+ Docker image bundling Chromium and LibreOffice |
| 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
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Email support
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Budget caps per key
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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)
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All APIs included
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Free trial credits per API
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Priority support
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Budget caps per key
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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)
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All APIs included
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Free trial credits per API
-
Priority support
-
Budget caps per key
-
Optional auto top-up
Start building in minutes
Free trial credits included. No credit card required.