sphinx-simplepdf
An easy to use PDF Builder for Sphinx with a modern PDF-Theme.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries a permissive MIT license, and solves a common need for Sphinx users. No known vulnerabilities and stable production status make it a straightforward choice if you need PDF output from Sphinx documentation.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
- The package is actively maintained with a recent release (255 days ago) and an active repository, making it a stable choice for Sphinx-based projects.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive and imposes minimal restrictions; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects with only attribution required.
last release 2025-12-02 (255 days) · last repo commit 2026-04-28 · 54 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 90,361 downloads/mo, #13,592 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install sphinx-simplepdf
Then in your Sphinx documentation directory:
make simplepdf
The generated PDF will be in _build/simplepdf/- Whether weasyprint and libsass system dependencies require additional setup beyond pip installation on your platform
- Specific Python version compatibility (requires_python is unspecified in the fact sheet)
What it is and what it does
Sphinx-SimplePDF is a Sphinx extension that generates PDF output from Sphinx documentation projects. It integrates directly into the Sphinx build system and provides a modern PDF theme, allowing you to produce publication-ready PDFs alongside your standard HTML documentation.
The package depends on weasyprint for PDF rendering, libsass for stylesheet processing, and beautifulsoup4 for HTML manipulation. It runs as a Sphinx builder, meaning you invoke it through the standard `make simplepdf` command after installation, with output placed in your build directory. The extension has been in production use since 2022 and maintains active development.
Use it for
- Generate downloadable PDF versions of API documentation or user guides from Sphinx source
- Create print-ready documentation with consistent styling across your entire Sphinx project
- Automate PDF builds in CI/CD pipelines alongside HTML documentation generation
- Produce offline-readable documentation for distribution to users without web access
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries a permissive MIT license, and solves a common need for Sphinx users. No known vulnerabilities and stable production status make it a straightforward choice if you need PDF output from Sphinx documentation.
Install
sphinx-simplepdf on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. The package is actively maintained with a recent release (255 days ago) and an active repository, making it a stable choice for Sphinx-based projects.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive and imposes minimal restrictions; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects with only attribution required.
Quickstart
pip install sphinx-simplepdf
Then in your Sphinx documentation directory:
make simplepdf
The generated PDF will be in _build/simplepdf/Verify before relying
- Whether weasyprint and libsass system dependencies require additional setup beyond pip installation on your platform
- Specific Python version compatibility (requires_python is unspecified in the fact sheet)
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagessphinxweasyprintlibsassbeautifulsoup4 |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 255 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 90,361 / month, #13,592 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableFramework :: SphinxFramework :: Sphinx :: ExtensionIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: DocumentationTopic :: Software Development :: Documentation |
Evidence: sphinx_simplepdf-1.7.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter · rst2pdf · sphinx-jupyterbook-latex · sphinxcontrib-qthelp · sphinx-press-theme · sphinx-basic-ng · python-docs-theme · sphinxcontrib-confluencebuilder · rendercv