> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getdeckle.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deckle vs Gotenberg

> Compare Deckle's managed API against self-hosted Gotenberg

# Deckle vs Gotenberg

Gotenberg is an open-source, self-hosted document conversion API using Docker. Deckle is a managed API that eliminates the need to run and scale your own infrastructure.

## Feature Comparison

| Feature | Deckle | Gotenberg |
| - | - | - |
| **Hosting** | Managed (cloud) | Self-hosted (Docker) |
| **Setup** | 5 minutes (API key) | 30-60 min (Docker + config) |
| **Rendering engine** | Chromium | Chromium + LibreOffice |
| **Office docs → PDF** | Not supported | Yes (via LibreOffice) |
| **HTML-to-PDF** | Yes | Yes |
| **React-to-PDF** | Yes | No |
| **Template engine** | Yes (visual editor) | No |
| **SDKs** | TS, Python, Go, Ruby | Go client only |
| **Batch generation** | Built-in async queue | Manual orchestration |
| **Scaling** | Auto-scaled | Manual Docker scaling |
| **Custom fonts** | Upload via API | Mount in Docker volume |
| **QR/Barcodes** | Built-in | Not included |
| **Cost** | Free tier, from \$29/mo | Free (+ server costs) |
| **Uptime SLA** | 99.9% | You manage uptime |

## Setup Comparison

### Gotenberg

```yaml theme={null}
# docker-compose.yml
version: "3"
services:
  gotenberg:
    image: gotenberg/gotenberg:8
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - CHROMIUM_DISABLE_ROUTES=false
```

```bash theme={null}
docker compose up -d
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html \
  -F 'files=@index.html' \
  -o output.pdf
```

### Deckle

```typescript theme={null}
import { Deckle } from '@getdeckle/sdk';
const df = new Deckle('dk_live_...');

const pdf = await df.generate({
  html: '<h1>Hello World</h1>',
  options: { format: 'A4' },
});
```

## When to Choose Gotenberg

* You need Office document conversion (DOCX, XLSX → PDF)
* You have strict data residency requirements
* You want a free, self-hosted solution and can manage Docker infrastructure
* You're already running Kubernetes and can auto-scale Docker containers

## When to Choose Deckle

* You don't want to manage Docker infrastructure
* You need templates, React support, or batch generation
* You want SDKs for multiple languages
* You need a reliable SLA without managing uptime yourself


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.