pdfmill vs PDFMonkey
Looking for a PDFMonkey alternative for generating PDFs in n8n? Both turn HTML and workflow data into PDFs over an API without hosting Chrome, and both have an n8n node and a hard cap at the limit. PDFMonkey is the more established tool — a verified n8n node, image output, and stored documents. pdfmill is a leaner, flat-priced generator with a more generous free tier that never stores your documents.
We build pdfmill, so treat this as our honest case — not a neutral review. pdfmill is newly launched. Every PDFMonkey fact below is linked to its public source and dated (checked August 5, 2026); pricing changes, so verify anything load-bearing on PDFMonkey's own site, and tell us if something here is out of date.
| pdfmill | PDFMonkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Flat monthly plan (USD); one document = one count, unlimited templates. | Metered documents/month across five EUR tiers; optional pay-as-you-go on the top two plans (€0.005–0.006/doc)[pdfmonkey.io/pricing · August 5, 2026]. |
| Entry price | $9/mo for 500 docs; $19/mo for 2,000. | Starter €5/mo for 300 docs; Pro €15/mo for 3,000; Pro+ €60 (5,000); Premium €300 (60,000)[pdfmonkey.io/pricing · August 5, 2026]. |
| Free tier | Permanent Free: 75 documents/month, no feature carve-outs. | Free: 20 documents/month, 1-day retention, and no external images/fonts/CSS/JS on the free plan[pdfmonkey.io/pricing · August 5, 2026]. |
| At the limit | Hard cap: a clear 402 upgrade prompt, never a silent overage. | Also a hard cap — the API returns a “quota exceeded” error at 100% (optional PAYG on Pro+/Premium)[pdfmonkey.io/pricing · August 5, 2026]. |
| n8n node | Dedicated community node (install once); template + raw-HTML operations. | A verified node built + maintained by PDFMonkey — Generate/Get Document, with optional auto-polling[n8n.io/integrations · August 5, 2026]. |
| Output & storage | Binary-return only — PDF or PNG back; we never store your documents. | Stores generated docs (1–7 days, or unlimited on top tiers) with share links; also makes PNG/JPEG images[docs.pdfmonkey.io/integrations · August 5, 2026]. |
Where pdfmill fits better
- A more generous free tier. 75 documents/month with no feature carve-outs, versus PDFMonkey’s 20/month that excludes external images, fonts, and CSS[pdfmonkey.io/pricing · August 5, 2026].
- Nothing stored. pdfmill returns the file and keeps nothing — no document retention windows to track, no purge dates, no hosted copy of your invoices sitting on a server.
- Flat, simple plans. One document = one count, unlimited templates, priced in USD — no per-tier feature gates to decode.
Where PDFMonkey fits better
Being fair: PDFMonkey is a mature, honest tool that does real things pdfmill doesn’t. Its n8n node is verified by n8n and maintained by the PDFMonkey team[n8n.io/integrations · August 5, 2026], where pdfmill’s community node is still in review. It generates images (PNG/JPEG), not just single PDFs, and stores documents with share links if you want hosted URLs[docs.pdfmonkey.io/integrations · August 5, 2026]. If you need image output, hosted document links, or the very cheapest entry price, PDFMonkey is the broader tool.
Sources
- https://www.pdfmonkey.io/pricing — accessed August 5, 2026Free €0 (20 docs/mo, 1-day retention, no external assets); Starter €5 (300), Pro €15 (3,000), Pro+ €60 (5,000), Premium €300 (60,000); ~10% off annual; hard cap “quota exceeded” at 100%; optional PAYG €0.005–0.006/doc on Pro+/Premium.
- https://n8n.io/integrations/pdfmonkey/ — accessed August 5, 2026PDFMonkey n8n node is built/maintained by PDFMonkey and verified by n8n.
- https://docs.pdfmonkey.io/integrations/n8n/generate-document-operation — accessed August 5, 2026PDFMonkey n8n docs: Generate/Get Document operations, auto-polling; stored documents; PNG/JPEG image output.
See for yourself
Render your first PDF from an n8n workflow in about five minutes — the Free plan is 75 documents a month, no card required.