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| Feature | barryvdh/laravel-dompdf | laraveldaily/laravel-invoices |
|---|---|---|
| Type | PDF Generator (low-level) | Invoice Generator (high-level) |
| Output | Any custom PDF | Pre-designed invoice |
| Customization | Full HTML/CSS control | Limited to invoice layout |
| Ideal for | Reports, receipts, trial summaries, etc. | Standard invoices with items and totals |
| Depends on | DomPDF | DomPDF (uses barryvdh internally) |
🧱 1. Installation
A. barryvdh/laravel-dompdf
composer require barryvdh/laravel-dompdf
Optionally publish config:
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Barryvdh\DomPDF\ServiceProvider"
B. laraveldaily/laravel-invoices
composer require laraveldaily/laravel-invoices
🧑💻 2. Basic Usage
A. barryvdh/laravel-dompdf (Custom PDF)
Create a blade view: resources/views/pdf/invoice.blade.php
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body { font-family: sans-serif; }
h1 { color: #007bff; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Invoice #{{ $invoiceNumber }}</h1>
<p>Trial Ends At: {{ $trialEndsAt }}</p>
<p>Total: ${{ $amount }}</p>
</body>
</html>
In Controller:
use Barryvdh\DomPDF\Facade\Pdf;
public function generateInvoice()
{
$pdf = Pdf::loadView('pdf.invoice', [
'invoiceNumber' => 'INV-1001',
'trialEndsAt' => now()->addDays(7)->format('Y-m-d'),
'amount' => 99.99
]);
return $pdf->download('invoice.pdf');
}
✅ Best for: Custom invoices, receipts, reports, trial details.
B. laraveldaily/laravel-invoices (Pre-built Invoice)
In Controller:
use LaravelDaily\Invoices\Invoice;
use LaravelDaily\Invoices\Classes\Party;
use LaravelDaily\Invoices\Classes\InvoiceItem;
public function downloadInvoice()
{
$customer = new Party([
'name' => 'John Doe',
'custom_fields' => [
'Trial Ends At' => now()->addDays(7)->format('Y-m-d'),
],
]);
$items = [
(new InvoiceItem())->title('Pro Subscription')->pricePerUnit(99.99),
];
$invoice = Invoice::make('Subscription Invoice')
->buyer($customer)
->date(now())
->currencySymbol('$')
->addItems($items);
return $invoice->download();
}
📝 Adds:
- PDF layout
- Custom fields
- Auto totals
🚫 Not ideal for:
- Full custom design
- Multi-page layouts
- Trial logic (limited to a field)
🆚 3. Feature Comparison
| Feature | dompdf (barryvdh) | laravel-invoices |
|---|---|---|
| Trial info display | ✅ Full control | ⚠️ Only as a custom field |
| Fully custom layout | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Invoice items/totals | 🔧 Manual | ✅ Built-in |
| Multi-language | ✅ With effort | ❌ Limited |
| PDF headers/footers | ✅ With blade | ⚠️ Limited/none |
| Recurring billing logic | ❌ Manual | ❌ Manual |
| Integration with subscription system | ✅ Full control | ❌ Only visual invoice |
| Best for | Complex PDFs, custom content | Simple invoices, quick setup |
💡 When to Use Which?
| You Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Trial periods, custom content | barryvdh/laravel-dompdf |
| Simple invoices fast | laraveldaily/laravel-invoices |
| Want full design freedom | dompdf |
| Want easy item-based invoice | laravel-invoices |
| Need dynamic PDF generation for reports, users, plans | dompdf |
✅ Conclusion
- Use
laravel-invoicesif your need is simple invoice PDFs for users. - Use
barryvdh/laravel-dompdfif you want custom trial info, advanced layout, or full PDF control.
