puppeteer vs html2canvas vs screenshot-desktop
Web Page Screenshot Tools Comparison
3 Years
puppeteerhtml2canvasscreenshot-desktopSimilar Packages:
What's Web Page Screenshot Tools?

Web Page Screenshot Tools are libraries or tools that allow developers to capture images of web pages or specific elements within them. These tools can be used for various purposes, including creating visual documentation, capturing content for testing, generating thumbnails, or allowing users to take screenshots of their screens. They can operate in different environments, such as the browser, server-side, or desktop applications, and may offer features like capturing full-page screenshots, selecting specific areas, adding annotations, and supporting various image formats.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
puppeteer5,660,768
92,204363 kB2862 days agoApache-2.0
html2canvas4,036,517
31,5023.38 MB1,038-MIT
screenshot-desktop44,502
47742 kB2213 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: puppeteer vs html2canvas vs screenshot-desktop

Capture Method

  • puppeteer:

    puppeteer uses a headless Chrome browser to capture screenshots. It can render pages just like a regular browser, allowing for accurate capture of complex layouts, animations, and dynamic content. Puppeteer provides a programmatic interface to control the browser and take screenshots of any part of the page.

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas captures screenshots by rendering the DOM elements directly in the browser. It creates a canvas element and draws the content of the selected elements onto it, simulating the appearance of the page. This method is client-side and does not require any external services.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop captures screenshots of the user's desktop or specific application windows using native OS APIs. It is a desktop-focused solution that provides quick and simple screen capture functionality, but it does not interact with web pages or DOM elements.

Complexity

  • puppeteer:

    puppeteer has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and headless browser setup. It is more complex to configure, especially for automated tasks, but it offers greater flexibility and control for advanced users and applications.

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas is relatively easy to use and integrate into web applications. It requires minimal setup and can be used with just a few lines of JavaScript code. However, its limitations with complex layouts and cross-origin content may require additional handling.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop is straightforward and simple to use, especially for capturing desktop screens. It requires minimal configuration and is easy to integrate into Node.js applications. However, it is limited to desktop environments and does not provide advanced features.

Cross-Origin Support

  • puppeteer:

    puppeteer handles cross-origin content more effectively since it operates in a headless browser environment. It can render pages as a regular browser would, including cross-origin images and elements. Puppeteer also allows for more control over network requests, making it easier to manage CORS issues if needed.

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas has limitations with cross-origin content due to browser security restrictions. It cannot render images or elements from different domains unless they have the appropriate CORS headers set. This can result in incomplete or distorted screenshots when capturing content from multiple sources.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop does not deal with cross-origin content as it captures the screen directly from the user's desktop. It is not affected by web security policies since it operates outside the browser environment.

Use Case

  • puppeteer:

    Use puppeteer for automated screenshot generation, web scraping, testing, and capturing high-quality images of web pages. It is ideal for server-side applications, automated testing frameworks, and scenarios where you need precise control over the rendering process.

  • html2canvas:

    Use html2canvas for client-side applications where you need to capture screenshots of specific web page elements or entire pages. It is suitable for creating visual content, generating images for social media sharing, or capturing data for reports directly from the browser.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    Use screenshot-desktop for desktop applications or Node.js projects that require quick screen captures. It is useful for creating tools that allow users to capture their screens, generate thumbnails, or integrate screen capture functionality into desktop software.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

  • puppeteer:

    Capture a screenshot of a web page using puppeteer

    const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
    (async () => {
        const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
        const page = await browser.newPage();
        await page.goto('https://example.com');
        await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
        await browser.close();
    })();
    
  • html2canvas:

    Capture a screenshot of a DOM element using html2canvas

    html2canvas(document.getElementById('elementId')).then(canvas => {
        document.body.appendChild(canvas);
        const img = canvas.toDataURL('image/png');
        console.log(img);
    });
    
  • screenshot-desktop:

    Capture a screenshot of the desktop using screenshot-desktop

    const screenshot = require('screenshot-desktop');
    screenshot()
        .then((img) => {
            // img is a Buffer containing the screenshot
            // You can save it to a file or process it further
        })
        .catch((err) => {
            console.error(err);
        });
    
How to Choose: puppeteer vs html2canvas vs screenshot-desktop
  • puppeteer:

    Select puppeteer if you require a headless browser solution for automated screenshot generation. It provides more control over the rendering process, supports capturing full-page screenshots, and can handle dynamic content, animations, and complex layouts. Puppeteer is suitable for server-side applications and automated testing environments.

  • html2canvas:

    Choose html2canvas if you need to capture screenshots directly from the browser without any server-side processing. It is ideal for capturing specific DOM elements or entire pages as images. However, it may struggle with complex layouts, cross-origin images, and does not support capturing content rendered by canvas elements or videos.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    Use screenshot-desktop if you want to capture screenshots of the user's desktop or specific application windows. It is a good choice for desktop applications or Node.js projects where you need to capture the screen directly. This package is not suitable for capturing web pages or DOM elements.

README for puppeteer

Puppeteer

build npm puppeteer package

Puppeteer is a JavaScript library which provides a high-level API to control Chrome or Firefox over the DevTools Protocol or WebDriver BiDi. Puppeteer runs in the headless (no visible UI) by default

Get started | API | FAQ | Contributing | Troubleshooting

Installation

npm i puppeteer # Downloads compatible Chrome during installation.
npm i puppeteer-core # Alternatively, install as a library, without downloading Chrome.

Example

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
// Or import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';

// Launch the browser and open a new blank page
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();

// Navigate the page to a URL.
await page.goto('https://developer.chrome.com/');

// Set screen size.
await page.setViewport({width: 1080, height: 1024});

// Type into search box using accessible input name.
await page.locator('aria/Search').fill('automate beyond recorder');

// Wait and click on first result.
await page.locator('.devsite-result-item-link').click();

// Locate the full title with a unique string.
const textSelector = await page
  .locator('text/Customize and automate')
  .waitHandle();
const fullTitle = await textSelector?.evaluate(el => el.textContent);

// Print the full title.
console.log('The title of this blog post is "%s".', fullTitle);

await browser.close();