Pros of PyMuPDF

• Faster performance, especially for large PDF files
• More comprehensive PDF manipulation capabilities (e.g., editing, merging)
• Better support for complex PDF structures and annotations

Cons of PyMuPDF

• Larger library size and more dependencies
• Steeper learning curve due to more extensive API
• Commercial use requires a license

Code Comparison

PyMuPDF:

import fitz
doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
page = doc[0]
text = page.get_text()

pdfminer.six:

from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text
text = extract_text("example.pdf")

PyMuPDF offers more granular control over PDF processing, while pdfminer.six provides a simpler API for basic text extraction. PyMuPDF's approach allows for more advanced operations, but pdfminer.six's simplicity can be advantageous for straightforward tasks.

Both libraries have their strengths, and the choice between them depends on the specific requirements of your project, such as performance needs, desired features, and licensing considerations.

Pros of pypdf

• Simpler API and easier to use for basic PDF operations
• Faster performance for common tasks like reading and writing PDFs
• Better documentation and more active community support

Cons of pypdf

• Less powerful for complex PDF parsing and analysis
• Limited support for extracting text with precise formatting
• Fewer advanced features for handling PDF structure and metadata

Code Comparison

pypdf:

from pypdf import PdfReader

reader = PdfReader("example.pdf")
page = reader.pages[0]
text = page.extract_text()

pdfminer.six:

from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text

text = extract_text("example.pdf")

While both libraries can extract text from PDFs, pypdf offers a more object-oriented approach with separate reader and page objects. pdfminer.six provides a higher-level function for direct text extraction, which can be more convenient for simple use cases but less flexible for complex operations.

Pros of pikepdf

• High-performance PDF manipulation using C++ library QPDF
• Supports creation, editing, and merging of PDF files
• Provides low-level access to PDF structures

Cons of pikepdf

• Steeper learning curve for complex PDF operations
• Limited text extraction capabilities compared to pdfminer.six
• Requires compilation of C++ extensions

Code Comparison

pdfminer.six:

from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text

text = extract_text('document.pdf')
print(text)

pikepdf:

import pikepdf

pdf = pikepdf.Pdf.open('document.pdf')
page = pdf.pages[0]
text = page.extract_text()
print(text)

Summary

pdfminer.six excels in text extraction and analysis, making it ideal for content-focused tasks. pikepdf, built on QPDF, offers robust PDF manipulation capabilities, including creation and editing. While pdfminer.six provides easier text extraction, pikepdf offers more comprehensive PDF handling at the cost of a steeper learning curve. The choice between them depends on whether the primary focus is on text extraction (pdfminer.six) or general PDF manipulation (pikepdf).