Iteration Layer vs SheetJS
SheetJS is everywhere — browser, Node.js, Deno — but the write-side API fights you at every step.
No credit card required — start with free trial credits
Why developers switch from SheetJS
SheetJS Community Edition has write limitations — and the Pro license gets expensive.
Declarative JSON, not low-level cell manipulation
SheetJS's write API requires building XLSX files from scratch — creating workbook objects, sheet objects, and cell objects manually. Styling requires the Pro edition. Our content model describes the entire sheet declaratively, with styles included.
No library to bundle or host
SheetJS is a library you bundle into your application or run in Node.js. We are a managed API: one HTTP call, no bundling, no version pinning, no binary size impact.
EU hosting with GDPR compliance
SheetJS runs wherever you run it. We process all spreadsheet generation 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 | SheetJS |
|---|---|---|
| Formula support |
Yes
Generate spreadsheets with Excel-compatible formulas |
Limited
Formula support is limited in the free Community Edition — Pro required for full support |
| Multi-sheet support |
Yes
Generate workbooks with multiple named sheets |
Yes
Full multi-sheet workbook support |
| Output formats |
3 formats
XLSX, CSV, and Markdown output |
4+ formats
XLSX, CSV, HTML, and ODS output supported |
| Sheet definition style |
Declarative JSON
Entire spreadsheet described declaratively in a single JSON payload with styling included |
Low-level cells
Low-level cell object manipulation — styling requires the paid Pro edition |
| Free reading |
Generation only
API focused on spreadsheet generation, not reading existing files |
Built-in
Free Community Edition includes full spreadsheet reading and parsing capabilities |
| Browser-native |
Server-side
Server-side API requiring HTTP requests from the client |
Client-side
Runs entirely client-side in the browser without requiring a server |
| Legacy formats |
3 formats
XLSX, CSV, and Markdown — no legacy format support |
4+ formats
Supports legacy formats including XLS, ODS, CSV, and HTML tables |
| 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 |
JavaScript
JavaScript library running in browser, Node.js, and Deno environments |
| Pricing model |
Per sheet
Pay-per-use pricing based on the number of sheet generation requests |
Free or Pro
Community Edition is free — Pro edition with styling and advanced features requires a paid license |
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no bundling, hosting, or version management required |
Self-hosted
Library that must be bundled into your application or run in a Node.js process |
| 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.