Carbone

Overview

Carbone is a document-generation platform for turning structured JSON data into files through reusable templates. It can generate outputs such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, making it relevant when an application needs to populate documents from data rather than create each file manually. It offers API access, bulk generation, data merging, bulk PDF generation and fillable form creation.

The company began in 2013 under Ideolys and became the independent company CarboneIO SAS in May 2021. It is based in Bellevigny, France, and says its customers span sectors including finance, healthcare, insurance, legal, public services, retail, energy, software and telecommunications.

Carbone sits within Document Generation Software and may also suit teams evaluating Mail Merge Software, Document Template Management Software or PDF Creation Software.

Key features

Template-driven document creation

Carbone merges JSON data into templates to produce documents. Templates can use DOCX, ODT, ODS, XLSX, XML, Markdown and HTML formats. The listed input formats also include PDF, PPTX, ODP, CSV, TXT, SVG, ODG and IDML. This breadth gives teams options to work with office documents, structured text and web-oriented formats.

Bulk generation is available, including bulk PDF generation. Carbone also lists fillable form creation and data merging, so its role can extend beyond producing a single static output from a template.

Conversion, AI and integrations

Its conversion API handles more than 100 formats and supports LibreOffice, OnlyOffice and Chromium. For AI workflows, Carbone offers an MCP server and an open-source Carbone Skill intended to connect AI assistants with template generation.

The integration directory lists services including ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Airtable, Bubble, Glide, Make, n8n, Zapier, Odoo and Salesforce, alongside other integrations. These connections may help teams fit document generation into broader workflows, though the appropriate options depend on the systems they already use.

Hosting and data handling

Deployment choices listed on the pricing page include Cloud, On-Premise, Private Cloud and AWS. Carbone says its Cloud service stores templates for reuse, but does not store or log submitted JSON data or generated documents beyond what is needed to render and deliver them. For on-premise deployments, it says it has no access to customer templates, data or generated documents.

Carbone says its cloud infrastructure is hosted in France by OVHcloud and that it conducts annual security audits. It is working toward SOC 2 compliance, which it expects before the end of 2026; that is a stated target, not a current compliance claim.

Pricing

Carbone uses a freemium model, with free options and paid plans. The Cloud Free plan is 0.00 USD per free, billed 0 per month. The On-Premise Free plan is 0.00 USD per free, billed 0 per year, and is described as a Free Community Edition. Carbone also offers a free 30-day trial for self-hosted On-Premise use.

• Cloud Essential: 29.00 USD per month, or 26 per month billed annually.
• Cloud Essential Plus: 95.00 USD per month, or 85 per month billed annually.
• Cloud Advanced: 159.00 USD per month, or 149 per month billed annually.
• Cloud Advanced Plus: 295.00 USD per month, or 265 per month billed annually.
• Cloud Advanced Ultra: 595.00 USD per month, or 529 per month billed annually.
• On-Premise Fit: 1500.00 USD per year.
• On-Premise Unlimited: 2940.00 USD per year, starting from 2940 per year.

Amazon Web Services is usage-based: 0.15 USD per once, billed by monthly usage. The listed per-document rates are $0.15 for the first 100 documents, $0.08 for documents 101–1000, $0.03 for 1001–10000, and $0.008 for over 10001.

Document allowances require attention when estimating cost. Carbone counts one generated document for each 1 MB of injected JSON and images, and documents beyond a plan allowance are invoiced separately. The On-Premise Fit and Cloud Essential and Advanced plans are specifically described as counting documents this way; the On-Premise Unlimited comparison listing shows unlimited documents. Cloud Advanced includes 10 hours per year of expert support. Essential includes chat support from 9 AM to 6 PM UTC+2, with asynchronous email responses outside those hours.

Platforms

Carbone is listed for API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows. Its hosting options include cloud services and self-managed deployments, including AWS. The listed deployment choices allow organizations to consider where document processing should run, while the exact fit depends on their infrastructure and plan needs.

Who it's for

Carbone is suited to teams that need applications to generate recurring or bulk documents from structured data, especially where templates and file conversion are part of an existing workflow. Its formats, API and integrations may be useful across the varied sectors it identifies as customers, including finance, healthcare, insurance, legal and public services, as well as retail, energy, software and telecom.

Organizations with particular data-control requirements may consider the distinction between Cloud and on-premise handling. Cloud stores templates but, according to Carbone, does not retain submitted JSON or generated documents beyond rendering and delivery; on-premise deployments keep Carbone from accessing those materials. Teams should also weigh document allowances and overage invoicing against expected generation volume.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Supports a wide selection of template and input formats, with conversion across more than 100 formats.
• Offers API access, bulk document generation, bulk PDF generation, data merging and fillable form creation.
• Provides cloud, self-hosted and other deployment choices, with stated differences in data access.
• Lists integrations with AI assistants and workflow and business platforms.

Cons

• Document allowances are tied to injected JSON and image size, and extra documents are invoiced separately.
• Cloud Advanced and higher-priced plans may be more than smaller or occasional document-generation needs require.
• SOC 2 compliance is still in progress, with completion only expected before the end of 2026.

Alternatives

For other document-generation approaches, consider CraftMyPDF, APITemplate.io, Documint or PDFMonkey. Those comparing mail-merge tools can also look at BetterMerge and Mailmeteor. For adjacent PDF and signing workflows, PDF4me Merge & Split and DocuSign eSignature are other options.

Verdict

Carbone is a flexible option for software teams that need templated document generation through an API, broad format support and a choice of hosting arrangements. Its main considerations are the document-counting rules, separate invoicing for usage above plan allowances and the operational distinctions between Cloud and self-hosted use. Teams should match the chosen plan and deployment to their expected volume, format needs and data-handling requirements.