I Did Not Want to Pay $180,000/year
For a PDF SDK.
So I Built My Own.
When I needed a PDF SDK for my project, what I discovered about the industry shocked me:
These weren't just expensive licenses. They were "black boxes" — closed source code you can't inspect, modify, or truly own. Your entire product depends on software you can't see, from vendors who can change pricing at any time.
So I started building an open-source alternative. No vendor lock-in. No black boxes. Just great PDF technology that developers can trust.
What We Built in 7 Months (With Zero Funding)
Our Vision: A Complete Multi-Platform PDF SDK
Universal platform support, enterprise-grade performance, sponsor-driven development, and 100% open source forever — building the PDF SDK developers deserve.
Real Conversations from This Week
"We're using Nutrient and I'm terrified they might double the price. We couldn't afford it and our whole business depends on their software."
"They told us $25,000/year is their minimum. That's our entire tools budget for the year."
"We need multi-platform support and would much rather invest in open-source than pay Apryse or Nutrient tens of thousands for a black box."
Every story is the same: trapped by expensive, closed-source vendors.
It's time for an open-source alternative that companies can actually own.
Let's Build the Alternative Together
Instead of paying $50K-$700K/year to vendors, invest a fraction of that to build an open-source SDK you'll own forever.
Our Funding Goal: $30,000/month
This Enables:
- Me working full-time as lead developer
- Hiring a senior mobile SDK developer
- Accelerated development timeline
- Professional project sustainability
You Get:
- Multi-platform SDKs in 12 months
- Direct influence on the roadmap
- No vendor lock-in ever again
- 80-95% cost savings forever
Become a Founding Sponsor
The first 10 sponsors that commit for 1 year will be permanently recognized as founding sponsors who made this project possible.
Bronze
- Logo on website & README
- Monthly roadmap input calls
- Private Discord sponsor channel
- Priority GitHub issue response
- Sponsor updates
Silver
- Everything in Bronze
- Prominent logo placement
- Bi-weekly 1:1 founder calls
- Feature request priority
- Technical support & integration help
Gold
- Everything in Silver
- Weekly direct founder access
- Custom feature development priority
- Full migration assistance & consulting
- Co-marketing & case study opportunities
🔓 Own Your Code Forever
Stop paying endless licensing fees for software black boxes.
Sponsor open-source development once, own the technology forever.
No vendor lock-in. No surprise price hikes. No limitations.
Can't commit to a big sponsorship?
Every contribution helps! Support with any amount starting from $5/month.
Support on GitHub SponsorsQuestions I'm Hearing
Why should I trust this will succeed?
Fair question. Look at our track record: 1,800+ GitHub stars and a working Web SDK in just 7 months with zero funding. I've been building PDF technology for years and understand the ecosystem deeply. The project has real momentum, active community engagement, and proven development velocity.
What happens to my sponsorship if you get acquired?
The code is MIT licensed forever. The community owns the code. That's the beauty of open source—no single entity can take it away.
Why $30,000/month?
Transparency: This covers my salary as lead developer ($15-18K/month) and hiring a senior mobile developer ($12-15K/month). Two experienced developers working full-time can deliver what normally takes a team of 5-10 at a big company. We're lean, focused, and motivated.
What if we need features you haven't built yet?
That's the beauty of open source with active development. Gold sponsors get custom feature development. Silver sponsors influence the roadmap. And since it's MIT licensed, you can always hire your own developers to add features. Try doing that with Apryse's closed source code.
How do I justify this to my CFO?
Simple ROI: If you're paying $150K+/year for a PDF SDK, sponsoring at $30K/year saves you $120K annually. Plus you eliminate vendor risk, gain code ownership, and can customize anything. It's a no-brainer financially. I'm happy to jump on a call with your finance team to walk through the numbers.
Can we try it first?
Absolutely! Try it right now:  Live demo → or  browse the code → Use it, test it, deploy it in production if you want. See for yourself how it performs before making any sponsorship decisions.
Ready to Own Your PDF Technology?
Let's have a real conversation about breaking free from vendor lock-in. I personally respond to every message.
Direct Line to the Founder
Or find me on LinkedIn, Twitter (@bobsingor), or wherever you prefer. Let's discuss how to save your company hundreds of thousands per year.
Join the open-source PDF revolution.
Let's build technology that nobody can take away.