Overview

The core workflow is to create a template, map JSON, CSV, or connected workflow data into it, then generate PDFs or images. The browser-based editor handles text, images, QR codes, barcodes, shapes, tables, charts, and other elements. Built-in expressions and custom JavaScript functions add formatting and calculations, giving teams more control than a fixed mail-merge layout.

Generation is also available through a REST API and integrations including Zapier, Make.com, HubSpot, Bubble.io, FlutterFlow, n8n, Coda.io, Backendless, and Python. Bulk generation supports batches from datasets. Each PDF uses one credit regardless of page count, but unused monthly credits expire rather than carrying forward, so quotas need to match regular demand.

Key features

Templates can be reused and managed across recurring document jobs, including invoices, reports, certificates, quotes, contracts, tickets, passes, labels, and delivery documents. For documents that need a recipient's input, the editor supports fillable text fields, dropdowns, option lists, checkboxes, radio buttons, and signatures. AI and computer vision can detect fields in an uploaded PDF, identify expected data types, and prepare it for data mapping—useful when starting from an existing form rather than recreating it from scratch.

Regional API endpoints in the US, Europe, Singapore, and Australia let customers choose a rendering region. CraftMyPDF says it has completed a SOC 2 Type II audit. Templates are stored in AWS RDS, generated PDFs and uploaded files in AWS S3, and expired PDFs are periodically purged. API logs are retained for up to 14 days, with an option to turn logging off in API Integration settings. These controls will matter to teams handling sensitive documents, though they still need to assess whether the service's storage and retention approach fits their requirements.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and allows 50 PDFs or images per month across three templates, with REST API, Zapier, Make.com, and Bubble.io access. It is a useful way to try a limited workflow, but the small quota and template allowance constrain ongoing production. There is no free trial; the free plan is the entry point.

Lite costs 29.00 USD per month, billed at $29 monthly or $290 annually. It raises the allowance to 1,200 PDFs or images per month and six templates, and adds email support. Plus costs 49.00 USD per month, billed at $49 monthly or $490 annually, for 3,000 documents, 15 templates, and email and live chat support. Plus is the more practical step up for teams whose monthly volume or template count outgrows Lite.

Professional costs 99.00 USD per month, billed at $99 monthly or $990 annually. Its 12,000-document quota and 50 templates are accompanied by teams, bring-your-own storage, PDF password protection, and email and live chat support. Premium costs 299.00 USD per month, billed at $299 monthly or $2,990 annually, and expands capacity to 40,000 documents and 1,000 templates, with priority email, live chat, and Zoom support. Business costs 499.00 USD per month, billed at $499 monthly or $4,990 annually, for 150,000 documents and 10,000 templates with the same priority support channels. These upper tiers make sense when volume, template scale, or Professional's specific controls justify the jump; smaller operations should avoid paying for capacity they will not use. Across paid plans, monthly credits do not roll over, so an annual billing choice does not change the need to plan usage month by month.

Platforms

CraftMyPDF runs in the cloud and is available through a web interface and API. It is not open source. Documentation support is part of the service; plan-specific email, live chat, and priority support vary by tier.

Who it's for

Choose CraftMyPDF if you generate recurring, data-driven documents and want both a visual template editor and routes to automation or direct API integration. It is particularly well suited to teams producing batches, maintaining many reusable templates, or collecting information through fillable PDFs. It is a weaker fit for occasional, low-volume work if three templates and 50 monthly documents are not enough but paid quotas would be underused, or if a workflow requires monthly credits to carry forward.

Pros and cons

Pros: A broad visual editor, expressions, and JavaScript cover more than basic field substitution, while bulk generation and API access support automated production.
Pros: Fillable fields and detection of fields in existing PDFs support both new forms and form digitization.
Pros: Regional rendering endpoints, configurable API logging, and stated storage and purge practices give teams concrete controls to evaluate.
Cons: The Free plan's 50 monthly outputs and three templates are limited for production use.
Cons: Unused monthly credits expire, which can waste quota when document demand varies.
Cons: The plan jumps are substantial as quotas rise; businesses should size the tier against actual monthly demand and template needs.

Alternatives

For a different document-generation workflow, compare Carbone; it offers a free plan and supports web, desktop, Linux, and self-hosted platforms. For an API centered on merging and splitting PDFs, PDF4me Merge & Split has a limited free API tier and a one-time 500-call pack for 25.00 USD. APITemplate.io is another freemium web option with a free allowance of 50 PDFs or images monthly and three templates.

If the job is primarily email mail merge rather than generating PDFs, BetterMerge, G Merge Plus, and Mailmeteor are alternatives to consider. For another PDF-generation service, compare PDFMonkey; its free tier allows 20 documents per month with one-day retention and a 30-second generation limit. Text Control ReportingCloud is a paid alternative with a 39.00 USD per month Basic plan covering 10 templates and 300 documents per month in Adobe PDF and MS Word formats.

Browse more options in Mail Merge Software, Document Generation Software, PDF API Software, and PDF Creation Software.

Verdict

CraftMyPDF is a strong choice for teams that need reusable, data-driven PDFs with both no-code editing and API or workflow automation, especially when fillable forms or batch generation are part of the job. Its main trade-offs are quotas that expire monthly and paid tiers that require careful sizing; choose another tool if your document workload is sporadic or your needs are primarily email merge or basic PDF manipulation.

	CraftMyPDF	LlamaParse
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$29/mo	$50/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	api, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	29 /mo	50 /mo
OCR	—	Yes
Data extraction	—	Yes
Deployment model	—	hybrid
SDK languages	—	Python, TypeScript, Go, Java

CraftMyPDF vs LlamaParse

CraftMyPDF

LlamaParse