We're developing a file explorer with a PDF viewer in our MAUI-Blazor application. We need an open-source or free PDF viewer, as we're pre-revenue. Our requirements are:
- Capability for importing and exporting annotations (does not need to be saved in the PDF)
- Controlled via C# (or at least JavaScript)
- Ability to render base64 encoded PDFs
We've considered using PDFjs, but its integration, primarily via an iFrame, is unsuitable. My attempt to build a Web Component using @open-wc and pdfjs-dist (follwing the example of using PDFjs in a canvas) was unsuccessful due to required NodeJS package dependencies (specifically "fs") that would error-out. But I cannot be sure that I did everything correctly.Additionally, this library partially met our needs but suffered from flickering issues on search and is also using an iFrame. In short: A web-component using @open-wc and pdfjs-dist without IFrame would be my personal favorite.Currently we are resigning to the fate of having to use PDFjs within an iFrame.
Options we have ruled out:
- PDFjs Express: Requires payment for annotations.
- PSPDFKIT: No free tier and undisclosed pricing.
- Syncfusion: Paid and not up to our standards.
I'm seeking advice on this matter, as there must be others facing similar constraints in search of a robust PDF viewer.