PDF Vector vs LlamaParse
LlamaParse is LlamaIndex's hosted parsing service. It turns PDFs, Office files and scans into markdown, text or JSON for RAG and agent pipelines, with a separate Extract product for schema-based extraction.
Facts about LlamaParse come from its public pricing and documentation pages, checked on November 11, 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on their site before you decide.
Feature and pricing comparison
| PDF Vector | LlamaParse | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Developer API, TypeScript SDK, MCP server, no-code actions | Developer API, web dashboard, SDKs, CLI |
| Input formats | 27 formats, including PDF, Office, images, CSV, HTML, EPUB | 130+ file types, including PDF, Office, images, HTML, EPUB |
| Output | Markdown (optionally per page), HTML on Max; JSON via Extract; answers via Ask | Markdown, text, JSON |
| Schema-based extraction | Yes, any JSON Schema per request | Yes, via the separate Extract product |
| Layout and coordinates | Tables kept in markdown; no bounding boxes | Layout-aware parsing; tables and charts |
| Integrations | Zapier, Make, n8n, MCP server, REST from any language | Python, TypeScript, Go, Java SDKs; MCP server |
| Deployment and regions | Cloud (shared US instance); dedicated instances in UK, EU, US, Japan, Australia or Asia Pacific on Enterprise | Cloud (NA and EU regions); private VPC or hybrid on Enterprise |
| Pricing | Plans from $25/month; Document Parse $0.97 to $7.76 per 1,000 pages on Pro | $1.50 per 1,000 credits pay-as-you-go; parsing costs 1 to 25 credits per page; Pro plan $500/month |
| Free tier | 100 credits, no credit card | 10,000 credits per month |
When LlamaParse is a good choice
Teams already building on LlamaIndex who want very broad file-type coverage and EU or US data regions.
- Covers 130+ file types and offers several parse modes that trade cost for accuracy (1 to 25 credits per page).
- Mature SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Go and Java, an MCP server, and native LlamaIndex integration.
- Documented North America and EU regions, with data stored in the region it is uploaded to.
Things to consider
- Schema-based extraction is a separate product (Extract) with its own credit costs per page.
- Zapier, Make and n8n integrations are not documented.
- The Pro plan starts at $500 per month; below that it is pay-as-you-go.
Why teams choose PDF Vector
- Parse, extract with a JSON Schema, and ask questions through one API and one credit balance, with plans from $25 per month.
- Ready-made Zapier, Make and n8n actions for no-code teams.
- Specialized invoice, identity and bank statement APIs, plus academic search across eight databases.