The .NET ecosystem offers a range of options for generating and manipulating PDFs — from veteran libraries like iTextSharp to modern HTML-to-PDF converters and client-side viewers. Some are free with open-source licenses (with strings attached), others are commercial. This series covers the main options with working examples and honest assessments.
iTextSharp 4.1.6.0 Download
Download the last LGPL-licensed release of iTextSharp — free to use and redistribute in commercial .NET applications without AGPL obligations.
iTextSharp PDF DownloadiTextSharp: Getting Started
July 17, 2026
Generating PDFs in ASP.NET Core with iText 7 — NuGet setup, a minimal working example served as a FileResult, and notes on the library's current state.
iTextSharp PDF .NETiTextSharp / iText 7 Licensing
July 22, 2026
What AGPL means in practice for a web app, the difference between iText 7 Community and Professional, and when you need a commercial license.
iTextSharp PDF Licensing .NETHiQPdf Review
July 22, 2026
An HTML-to-PDF converter for .NET — installation, basic usage, rendering fidelity, pricing, and verdict.
HiQPdf PDF .NET ReviewPDF.NET Review
July 22, 2026
Library overview, installation, basic usage, feature set, pricing, and verdict for PDF.NET.
PDF.NET PDF .NET ReviewPDFTron WebViewer Review
July 22, 2026
A client-side JS viewer for PDFs — embedding in an MVC app, annotation support, licensing, and how it compares to server-side generation.
WebViewer PDFTron PDF JavaScript ReviewFree PDF Libraries for .NET: Pros and Cons
July 22, 2026
A comparison of iText 7 Community, PdfPig, QuestPDF, Syncfusion PDF, and SkiaSharp-based approaches — license, method, strengths, and weaknesses.
PDF .NET Open Source