Carbone

Overview

Carbone is an API-led document-generation service for teams that need to turn structured data into finished files at scale. It suits software teams with existing templates and data workflows; its mix of conversion tools and deployment choices is a strength, but usage-based document counting makes plan economics worth checking carefully.

It merges JSON into templates to produce formats such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX and PPTX. Cloud, self-hosted and other deployment options make it relevant to both teams integrating a service and organizations that need tighter control over where it runs.

Carbone was created in 2013 under Ideolys and became independent as CarboneIO SAS in May 2021. The company is based in Bellevigny, France, and says its customers span sectors including finance, healthcare, insurance, legal, public administration, retail, energy, software and telecom.

It belongs in the conversation around Document Generation Software, Mail Merge Software, Document Template Management Software and PDF Creation Software.

Key features

Templates, generation and conversion

The core workflow combines JSON data with reusable templates, which is a practical fit for applications that need to create consistent documents from records rather than hand-edit files. Templates can use DOCX, ODT, ODS, XLSX, XML, Markdown and HTML. The conversion API handles more than 100 formats and supports LibreOffice, OnlyOffice and Chromium. Bulk generation, bulk PDF generation, data merging and fillable form creation extend the service beyond a single-file template renderer.

Carbone names PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, ODS, ODP, HTML, Markdown, CSV, TXT, XML, SVG, ODG and IDML among input sources. That range will appeal to teams working across office and web document types; organizations with a narrower PDF-only need may not benefit from the breadth.

AI connections and integrations

An MCP server and open-source Carbone Skill connect AI assistants to template generation. The integration directory includes ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Airtable, Bubble, Glide, Make, n8n, Zapier, Odoo and Salesforce, among others. These connections make it easier to consider Carbone in an existing automation stack, though they do not change the underlying need to design templates and provide structured data.

Deployment, data handling and security

Deployment choices include Cloud, On-Premise, Private Cloud and AWS. Carbone says Cloud retains templates for reuse but does not store or log submitted JSON or generated documents beyond what rendering and delivery require. For On-Premise deployments, it says it has no access to customer templates, data or generated documents. Its cloud infrastructure is hosted in France by OVHcloud, and the company conducts annual security audits. It is working toward SOC 2 compliance, expected before the end of 2026.

Pricing

Carbone has free cloud and self-hosted entry points, several paid cloud tiers, enterprise licenses and usage-based AWS pricing. The important cost wrinkle is that a generated document is counted for each 1 MB of injected JSON and images, with documents beyond the plan allowance invoiced separately. That makes payload size and volume central to budgeting, not just the monthly headline price.

• Cloud Free: 0.00 USD per free. A useful way to start without a subscription, but its document allowance and included templates are bounded by the comparison-table limits.
• On-Premise Free: 0.00 USD per free, billed 0 per year, as a self-hosted Community Edition. It gives technical teams a no-cost route to self-hosting, rather than the commercial enterprise license.
• Amazon Web Services: usage-based, billed monthly: $0.15 for the first 100 documents, $0.08 for documents 101–1000, $0.03 for 1001–10000, and $0.008 for over 10001. This can suit variable workloads, but costs rise with volume.
• Cloud Essential: 29.00 USD per month, or 26 per month billed annually. Best suited to a team moving beyond the free allowance; documents are counted per 1 MB of injected data and overages are invoiced separately.
• Cloud Essential Plus: 95.00 USD per month, or 85 per month billed annually. A higher cloud tier for teams whose needs outgrow Essential.
• Cloud Advanced: 159.00 USD per month, or 149 per month billed annually. It retains the 1 MB document-counting and separate overage rules, while adding 10 hours of expert support per year.
• Cloud Advanced Plus: 295.00 USD per month, or 265 per month billed annually.
• Cloud Advanced Ultra: 595.00 USD per month, or 529 per month billed annually.
• On-Premise Fit: 1500.00 USD per year for an enterprise license, with documents counted per 1 MB of injected data.
• On-Premise Unlimited: starts at 2940.00 USD per year for an enterprise lifetime license, with unlimited documents shown in the comparison table.

The Essential plan includes chat support from 9 AM to 6 PM UTC+2, with asynchronous email replies outside those hours. Self-hosted On-Premise use includes a free 30-day trial. The free options are sensible for evaluation or community use; organizations with predictable production demand should compare allowances and overages against the annual and unlimited self-hosted choices.

Platforms

Carbone runs across API, Linux, macOS, Windows, web and self-hosted environments. That combination supports application integration and deployment flexibility, rather than locking teams into a browser-only workflow.

Who it's for

Carbone is strongest for developers and operations teams automating repeatable document production from structured data, especially when they need multiple output formats, bulk generation or control over hosting. The template and integration breadth also suits organizations embedding document creation into business workflows. It is less compelling for an individual who only needs occasional PDF conversion, or for a team unwilling to monitor document allowances and payload-driven usage.

Pros and cons

• Pro: JSON-to-template generation across office, web and structured formats supports a broad range of document workflows.
• Pro: Conversion across more than 100 formats and bulk generation cover more than basic mail merge.
• Pro: Cloud, private, AWS and self-hosted deployment give organizations meaningful hosting choices, with distinct data-handling assurances for Cloud and On-Premise.
• Con: A document is counted per 1 MB of injected JSON and images, and overages are billed separately, so payload-heavy use can be harder to budget from the base price.
• Con: The more complete commercial cloud tiers cost substantially more than the free entry points, while self-hosting requires taking on deployment responsibility.
• Con: SOC 2 compliance is still in progress, which may matter to buyers that require completed certification now.

Alternatives

For teams whose main requirement is a PDF-generation library, ReportLab offers an open-source core PDF generation library that is free for commercial use; it is a more focused option than Carbone's template and conversion platform.

PDF24 Compare PDF is a free, no-registration, no-time-limit choice for users who need PDF comparison rather than automated data-driven document generation.

PDF4me Merge & Split is worth considering when the job is specifically PDF merging or splitting through an API; its free tier has limited calls, with a one-time 25.00 USD Pack 500 for 500 API calls.

PDFMonkey is another freemium API-and-web option for template-based document generation, with a free plan capped at 20 documents per month, one-day retention and a 30-second generation limit.

Docmosis is a paid alternative for teams wanting API or self-hosted document generation; its Cloud Professional plan is 49.00 USD per month and includes 4,000+ pages monthly, one user and one environment.

Anvil PDF Generation API may fit a small team focused on PDF filling and generation: its free plan starts with two users and UI-only access, with API key access requiring a card or upgrade.

CraftMyPDF is a narrower freemium alternative for modest PDF and image volumes, with 50 per month and three templates on its free plan, plus REST API and automation integrations.

DocRaptor is a freemium API-and-web alternative for teams with a small document requirement; its free plan allows five documents per month.

Verdict

Choose Carbone if your product or business process needs repeatable, data-driven document generation across formats and you value the choice between cloud and self-hosted deployment. Its broad template and conversion capabilities are the reason to pick it; payload-based counting and separately invoiced overages are the reason to model expected usage before committing. For occasional PDF tasks or a narrowly defined conversion job, a more focused alternative is likely the cleaner fit.