WeasyPrint vs wkhtmltopdf: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this Markdown document, we will discuss the key differences between WeasyPrint and wkhtmltopdf, which are both tools used for converting HTML/CSS to PDF format.

1. Installation method: WeasyPrint can be installed using Python and has its own library, while wkhtmltopdf requires a separate installation process and is not specifically tied to a programming language.

2. Supported platforms: WeasyPrint is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, ensuring cross-platform functionality, whereas wkhtmltopdf has limited support for Windows and Linux platforms, with limited compatibility on macOS.

3. Styling support: WeasyPrint provides extensive support for CSS level 2.1 and some features from CSS level 3, enabling advanced styling options for PDF generation. On the other hand, wkhtmltopdf has limited CSS support, often requiring workarounds or manual adjustments for complex designs.

4. JavaScript execution: WeasyPrint does not execute JavaScript during the conversion process, which can be a limitation for HTML/CSS files relying on JavaScript functionality. In contrast, wkhtmltopdf supports JavaScript execution, allowing dynamic elements and interactivity in the resulting PDF.

5. Header and footer customization: WeasyPrint offers more flexibility in customizing headers and footers, empowering users to design and control these sections with HTML/CSS. In comparison, wkhtmltopdf has limitations in header and footer customization, making it harder to achieve complex layouts or interactive elements in these areas.

6. Memory usage: WeasyPrint generally consumes less memory during the conversion process, making it more efficient for converting large HTML/CSS files or dealing with limited memory resources. Conversely, wkhtmltopdf can have higher memory usage, which may impact performance when handling complex designs or bulky files.

In summary, WeasyPrint and wkhtmltopdf differ in installation methods, supported platforms, styling support, JavaScript execution, header/footer customization, and memory usage. WeasyPrint provides easier installation, broader platform compatibility, advanced CSS styling, no JavaScript execution, flexible header/footer customization, and lower memory consumption compared to wkhtmltopdf.