Iteration Layer vs Unstructured
Unstructured is a data pipeline platform for RAG ingestion — great at ETL, but a different tool than a document-to-markdown API.
No credit card required — start with free trial credits
Why developers switch from Unstructured
Unstructured is built for ETL pipelines and RAG ingestion — not a simple document-to-markdown API.
Single API call, not a pipeline
Unstructured requires configuring sources, destinations, workflows, and connectors to process documents. We return clean markdown from a single POST request — no pipeline setup, no infrastructure.
Image description field
When you convert an image file, we return both the OCR-extracted markdown and a natural language description of what the image shows. Unstructured returns chunked elements without semantic image understanding.
EU hosting with GDPR compliance
Unstructured is US-based with no EU-only hosting option. We process all documents on EU servers with zero data retention and a Data Processing Agreement available for every customer.
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 | Unstructured |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown output |
Clean markdown
Returns well-structured markdown with preserved headings, tables, and lists from any document |
Element-based
Returns structured JSON elements that can be reassembled into markdown — designed for chunking, not direct markdown output |
| Image description |
Yes
Returns a natural language description of image content alongside OCR markdown for image files |
No
Text extraction only — no semantic description of visual image content |
| API simplicity |
Single endpoint
One POST request with a file returns markdown — no configuration, workflows, or connectors needed |
Pipeline setup
Requires configuring sources, destinations, and workflows before processing documents |
| RAG chunking |
Plain markdown
Returns clean markdown — chunk it yourself or pass it directly to your pipeline |
Built-in
Multiple chunking strategies optimized for vector database ingestion with configurable chunk sizes |
| Source/destination connectors |
API only
Standalone REST API — bring your own storage and pipeline |
30+ connectors
Direct integrations with S3, Google Drive, SharePoint, Pinecone, Weaviate, and more |
| Table preservation |
Markdown tables
Tables are extracted and rendered as clean markdown table syntax |
Element-based
Tables extracted as structured elements with HTML table support for complex layouts |
| Supported input formats |
PDF, images, Office
Process PDFs, images, and common Office formats in a single API endpoint |
64+ formats
Supports 64+ file types including email, code files, and specialized formats |
| MCP server |
Yes
MCP server available for integration with AI agents and assistants |
Yes
MCP server available for workflow and partition operations |
| EU hosting |
EU only
All processing happens exclusively on EU-hosted servers |
US-based
Processing infrastructure is US-based with no EU-only hosting option |
| Pricing model |
Per page
Simple, predictable per-page pricing with credit-based plans |
Per page
Free tier with 15,000 pages, then $0.03 per page pay-as-you-go |
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no deployment or infrastructure to manage |
None
Fully managed cloud platform with optional dedicated instances |
| GDPR / Data privacy |
Zero retention
No files or results stored beyond temporary 90-day logs |
SOC 2 / HIPAA
SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA certified, GDPR support available — but US-based processing |
Pricing
Start with free trial credits. No credit card required.
Developer
For individuals & small projects
-
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)
-
All APIs included
-
Free trial credits per API
-
Email support
-
Project-based budget caps
-
Optional auto top-up
Startup
Save 40%For growing teams
-
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
-
Project-based budget caps
-
Optional auto top-up
Business
Save 47%For high-volume workloads
-
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
-
Project-based budget caps
-
Optional auto top-up
Still evaluating?
See how we compare — and where the competition still wins. Choosing the right tool shouldn't require a week of research.
AWS Textract
Textract returns raw strings and bounding boxes — not a markdown document ready to read or embed.
Azure Document Intelligence
Azure outputs model-specific field values, not clean markdown — and requires model selection or training first.
Google Document AI
Document AI requires a GCP project, processor selection, and S3-equivalent storage before you get any text out.
LlamaParse
LlamaParse is US-based and per-page — and doesn't describe image content.
Mistral OCR
Mistral has best-in-class OCR and returns markdown, but doesn't describe image content and processes files from US servers.
Nanonets
Nanonets requires training a model before extraction — and outputs structured fields, not clean markdown.
Reducto
Reducto outputs markdown from US servers and charges per page — without an image description field.
Start building in minutes
Free trial credits included. No credit card required.