iText 5
iText 5/iTextSharp has been superseded by iText Core version 9, also known as iText 9. If you haven’t made the switch to iText 9 yet, or if you would like to learn more about stand-alone products that use iText 5 as their main engine, please continue reading.
iText 5 is EOL and only receives security related updates
iText 5 is EOL and as of version 5.5.13 has transitioned to maintenance mode, meaning it only receives security related releases and fixes to allow users who have developed their solutions using iText 5 to safely continue using it. No new features will be added.
For new implementations we strongly recommend iText 9, which is available under the same dual licensing (AGPL and commercial) conditions as iText 5 and offers numerous improvements and benefits.
Why use iText 5 Core?
Please note that we recommend customers use iText version 9 for new projects, and to consider moving existing projects from iText 5 to benefit from the many improvements in the latest releases.
Dynamically generated or manipulated PDF documents
Generate documents and reports based on data from an XML file or a database, fill out interactive forms and service dynamically generated or manipulated PDF documents to a web browser.
Manipulate existing, splitting and merging PDF files
Create maps and books, exploit numerous interactive features, add bookmarks, page numbers, watermarks and more to existing PDF files and spilt or merge pages.
Meeting standards
- PDF/A
- PDF/UA
- ZUGFeRD
- PDF 2.0 (not all functionalities)
Core Capabilities of iText 5 Core
Launched in December 2009 to supersede iText 2, it is a PDF tool that represented a giant leap in programmable PDF technology and fueled the growth of iText Software as a company.
Advantages of the iText 5 Core library
This versatile library with comprehensive support for PDF functionality. High-level APIs allow for convenient document creation and manipulation. The low-level APIs make flexible and PDF development possible.
Other applications
iText 5 also forms the core of XML Worker, which lets you convert XML to PDF, as well as iText RUPS, a tool that lets you visualize your PDF documents' syntax and content streams.
Limited support and bug fixes
iText 5 has been EOL. This means that bug fixes and support still exist, but new development is happening on the next generation: iText 9.
Better version available: iText 9
Please note that we recommend customers use the iText version 9 for new projects. If you have an existing iText 5 project, you should consider moving from iText 5 to iText 9 to benefit from the many improvements in the latest releases.
Discover iText 5
Our software toolkit offers you one of the best-documented and most versatile PDF engines in the world (written in Java and .NET), which allows you to not only integrate PDF functionalities into your workflow, but also in your applications, processes or products. With the release of the iText 7 Suite, you can even optimize invoicing, ensuring long-term archiving and take care of compliance issues through its PDF SDK.
