Rivoli PDF / QuestPDF alternative
The QuestPDF alternative with no native binaries
QuestPDF's fluent API is lovely, but it rides on SkiaSharp's native libraries and an annual license once you pass $1M revenue. Rivoli PDF gives you the same declarative feel, fully managed, with a perpetual $299 seat and PDF/A output QuestPDF doesn't offer.
Install and generate
No system libraries, no headless browser, no per-platform setup. Rivoli.Pdf 0.1.0 targets .NET 8 and .NET 10.
using Rivoli.Pdf;
using Rivoli.Pdf.Builders;
var doc = Document.Create("Quarterly Report", "Acme Corp");
doc.AddSection()
.H1("Quarterly Report")
.AddParagraph("Revenue grew 18% over the prior quarter.")
.AddTable(t => t
.Header("Quarter", "Revenue")
.Row("Q1", "$1.2M")
.Row("Q2", "$1.5M"));
doc.SavePdf("report.pdf");Fluent helpers compose top-down like QuestPDF's container lambdas. Reusable components map to plain methods that return blocks, and the whole tree serializes to JSON.
The output
Real output from the runnable samples in the Rivoli PDF repository.
How we compare
Both are free for small companies. The gaps are native dependencies, compliance output, and what happens when you cross the revenue line.
| Capability | Rivoli PDF | QuestPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Free for small companies | ||
| Entry price (per developer) | $299 | ~$999/yr |
| Royalty-free redistribution included | ||
| Fully managed (no native deps) | ||
| Deterministic output | ||
| PDF/A-first | ||
| JSON document model + change tracking | ||
| Round-trip fidelity harness | ||
| Cross-language roadmap | 5 planned |
Competitor prices are researched approximations (June 2026); several vendors are now quote-gated, so some figures are historical or third-party. Rivoli PDF is pre-1.0: document creation is feature-complete, while full parsing of arbitrary PDFs and rasterized rendering are partial and on the near-term roadmap.
Pricing
Free for individuals and for organisations under US$1M in annual gross revenue. One perpetual per-developer license for everyone else.
Full library, no watermark, no page limits. For individuals and organisations under US$1M in annual gross revenue.
Buy once, use forever. Royalty-free redistribution included, and the early-access rate locks in for life.
QuestPDF Professional is roughly $999 per year, every year. Rivoli PDF is $299 once, with an optional renewal only if you want updates after year one.
Full details on the product page and in the license terms.
Migrating from QuestPDF
QuestPDF's fluent composition translates almost mechanically: you build sections and chain content instead of nesting container lambdas.
- 01 Replace page/column composition with doc.AddSection() and chained fluent helpers: H1, AddParagraph, AddTable.
- 02 Map .Text(...).FontSize(20).Bold() styling to Style objects or the heading helpers; styles cascade down the tree.
- 03 Port IComponent implementations to plain methods returning blocks, or to ContainerBlock.
- 04 Drop the SkiaSharp native assets from your publish output and Docker images; Rivoli PDF is pure IL.
- 05 Swap the annual license check for a perpetual seat: buy once, keep shipping.
- 06 Before migrating reading-heavy workflows (filling existing forms, rendering pages to images), check current support in the docs gallery: Rivoli PDF is pre-1.0 and strongest at authoring.
The full migration guide, with concept mappings and before/after code, lives in the documentation.
Start free. Pay only when you're big.
Install the package today. When your company crosses the US$1M line, the Founder rate locks in for life.