PDF.js: Exploring Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

By Garry Klooesterman | 2024 Nov 21

4 min

Introduction

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Are you wondering what PDF.js is all about? Or maybe you’re already using it but it’s not quite meeting your needs. Let’s take a closer look at PDF.js and some alternatives, such as Apryse PDF SDK and Apryse WebViewer.

PDF.js

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PDF.js, or PDFjs, is an open-source JavaScript library that can be embedded in your application to view PDFs. Originally, it was designed as a simple JavaScript PDF viewer, but it has been updated to include some popular features, such as form filling and digital signature display.

Key features and benefits

As an open-source JavaScript library, PDF.js has its benefits, including:

It’s free.
It’s easy to implement a simple PDF viewer.
Basic UI elements can be customized through CSS and HTML.

Challenges and limitations

PDF.js may be a suitable option for your project for basic PDF viewing, but it does come with its own challenges and limitations. For example:

Users may experience rendering, performance, and reliability issues, especially with large or graphics-heavy documents.
PDF.js lacks the robust functionality of commercial alternatives, like Apryse PDF SDK and Apryse WebViewer.
Additional functionality beyond viewing PDFs, form filling, and digital signature display requires using third-party components or in-house development.
Support may be unreliable as open-source software typically relies on user forums.

Alternatives

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PDF.js, as does any open-source software, has its place in today’s world of technology as a cost-effective solution given the right scenario. On the other hand, commercial options can offer more robust features to cover almost any scenario. Even though this comes at a price, it may not be as costly as you think when you consider the challenges and limitations of PDF.js.

Now we’ll look at two alternatives by Apryse, each suited for different audiences.

Apryse PDF SDK

Apryse PDF SDK is a versatile, cross-platform SDK designed to handle all your PDF tasks without relying on third-party apps. The same functionality can be handled client-side or server-side.

Key features and benefits

View, create, search, annotate, and edit PDFs directly in an application without relying on third-party apps.
Create and edit forms with popular features, such as digital signatures.
Easily fill in or extract form data.
Add a digital certificate to increase document security.
Sign documents electronically with drawn, typed, or uploaded signatures.
Collaborate effectively across teams, departments, and locations.
Compare two files for differences in elements, such as images, paths, and text.
Redact sensitive or confidential information permanently.
Extract specific elements, such as text, images, and more.

Apryse WebViewer

WebViewer is a JavaScript Document SDK compatible with all frameworks and browsers and is fully featured right out of the box as a single, customizable component.

Key features and benefits

View, create, search, annotate, and edit PDFs directly within a browser.
Easily create and edit forms.
Fill existing forms with data from any source.
Collaborate with people from different teams, departments, and locations in real-time.
Identify differences between two files, such as images, paths, and text.
Remove confidential information by redacting elements, such as text, images, or even entire pages.
Create custom signing workflows with signature creation, collection, validation, and more.
Click or drag-and-drop thumbnails to add, merge, remove, or rearrange pages.

Apryse PDF SDK and Apryse WebViewer

As we’ve seen, these products have similar benefits and features, and both have robust capabilities that extend past simple PDF viewing, form filling, and digital signature display. Choosing the right one depends on the needs of your project. For example, Apryse PDF SDK allows you to add PDF capabilities to applications for multiple platforms, such as web, mobile, server, or desktop, while Apryse WebViewer allows you to easily add them to web applications.

Conclusion

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We’ve just looked at 3 options for handling PDFs. While PDF.js has its advantages, the challenges and limitations make it a less-than-optimal solution for managing PDFs past simple viewing, form filling, and digital signature display.

Having also looked at two commercial options from Apryse, we can see how the benefits and features of using Apryse PDF SDK or Apryse WebViewer far outweigh the cost factor.

Ultimately, it comes down to choosing the one that best fits your needs, skillset, and budget.