Generating PDFs in Symfony: wkhtmltopdf vs. DOMPDF — Which is Right for You?

Let’s face it: generating PDFs in web applications is one of those tasks that sounds simple but can quickly turn into a headache. You’ve got to deal with formatting, styling, and making sure everything looks just right — an invoice, a report, or a fancy certificate. And if you’re working with Symfony, you’ve got options. Two of the most popular tools for generating PDFs are wkhtmltopdf and DOMPDF. But which one should you use? And how do they stack up against each other? After reading this article you will have a a clear understanding of both tools to make the right choice.

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Understanding the two solutions

Why Use wkhtmltopdf with Twig Templates?

First, let’s talk about wkhtmltopdf. This tool is a command-line utility that converts HTML to PDF using the WebKit rendering engine — the same engine that powers browsers like Safari. When you pair it with Twig templates, Symfony’s templating engine, you get a powerful combination for generating beautifully formatted PDFs.

Key features

• ✅HTML to PDF in a Snap — wkhtmltopdf takes your standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and…