Hey r/webdev,
I kept running into the same problem: every project I built needed to generate a PDF invoice, resize an uploaded image, or create a QR code. The options were either roll your own
(time-consuming) or pay a separate SaaS for each one.
So I built Forgelab.
What it does:
- PDF API — merge, split, compress, convert
- Image API — resize, compress, convert, watermark
- Invoice API — generate professional PDF invoices from a JSON payload
- QR Code API — generate and decode QR codes
One API key covers all four.
Pricing:
- Free: 5 calls/month, no card required
- Starter: $5/month — 100 calls
- Pro: $15/month — 1,000 calls
- Business: $30/month — 10,000 calls
Quick example — invoice in one API call:
curl -X POST https://api.forgelab.africa/api/invoice/generate \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-d '{"client":{"name":"Acme"},"items":[{"description":"Dev work","quantity":5,"unit_price":200}],"currency":"USD"}' \
--output invoice.pdf
Docs: https://forgelab.africa/docs
Would love feedback from anyone who has dealt with invoice generation or PDF handling in their apps.