PDFRelay

COMPARISON · PDFRELAY VS PDFSHIFT · 2026-07-13

PDFShift alternative: PDFRelay vs PDFShift (2026)

PDFRelay is a PDFShift alternative with flat per-document pricing instead of a credit system: one document is always one count, regardless of file size, and identical re-renders are served from cache for free. PDFShift is a mature, well-documented service — but its credit model (large documents consume multiple credits) and ~5 MB caps on lower tiers make costs harder to predict.

Both services solve the same problem: turning HTML or a URL into a PDF over a simple REST API, so you never run headless Chrome yourself. The differences are in how usage is metered and what happens when your documents get heavy.

PDFShift meters in credits — a conversion up to ~5 MB costs one credit, and heavier documents cost more. PDFRelay counts documents: an invoice is one document whether it's 40 KB or 4 MB, and a cached repeat costs nothing.

SPEC 01

Feature by feature

FeaturePDFRelayPDFShift
MeteringFlat per documentCredits (size-based multipliers)
File-size capNo per-file cap (2 MB request body, raise on request)~5 MB per credit on lower tiers
Cached repeatsFree, never countedCounted per conversion
Rendering engineChromium (pixel-parity with Chrome)Chromium-based
HTML + URL modesYes (SSRF-guarded)Yes
Free tier150 docs/mo, no card50 credits/mo
Quota transparencyX-Pdfrelay-Quota-* headers on every responseDashboard
SPEC 02

Pricing

TierPDFRelayPDFShift
FreeFree — 150 docs/mo, no card50 credits/mo
Entry$12/mo — 1,500 docs$9/mo (Startup)
Mid$29/mo — 5,000 docs$24/mo — 2,500 credits (Boost)
Upper$79/mo — 20,000 docs$39/mo (Growth)
SPEC 03

Where PDFShift shines — and where it hurts

STRENGTHS · PDFSHIFT

  • Mature service with years of production use and good documentation
  • Raw HTML and URL conversion modes with many rendering options
  • Established brand with a large developer base

TRADE-OFFS · PDFSHIFT

  • Credit metering makes costs unpredictable for heavy documents
  • ~5 MB per-credit cap on lower tiers — big invoices can cost multiple credits
  • Cached or repeated conversions still consume credits
SPEC 04

Frequently asked

Is PDFRelay cheaper than PDFShift?

For predictable workloads, usually yes: PDFRelay counts documents, not megabytes. At $12/month you get 1,500 documents of any size within the request cap, and identical re-renders are free from cache. PDFShift's $9 Startup tier can be cheaper for very light usage of small files, but heavy documents consume multiple credits.

Does PDFRelay render the same HTML/CSS as PDFShift?

Both render with Chromium, so output is comparable: full CSS Grid, flexbox, and web fonts. PDFRelay guarantees pixel-parity with what Chrome prints, and the free playground lets you verify your exact markup before signing up.

How hard is it to migrate from PDFShift to PDFRelay?

Both are a single JSON POST with an HTML or URL field and an options object. Typical migrations change the endpoint URL, the auth header, and a handful of option names — usually under an hour of work.

TRY IT · FREE · NO SIGNUP

See your own markup rendered

Paste your template into the free playground and render a proof in seconds — the exact engine the API uses.

Open the playground Read the docs

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