I looked at HexaPDF several years ago, and really liked what I saw.
However, my only major issue with it was the difficulty (back then) for laying out PDFs. Most people I worked with found it a lot easier to layout in HTML/CSS and converting to PDF from there; so we went that way.
If I were to look for a way to manipulate existing PDFs I'd definitely use HexaPDF. I'll re-evaluate its (more recently) improved layout capabilities again and consider it for my next project. And I also think the dual-licensing model is fair.
However, my only major issue with it was the difficulty (back then) for laying out PDFs. Most people I worked with found it a lot easier to layout in HTML/CSS and converting to PDF from there; so we went that way.
If I were to look for a way to manipulate existing PDFs I'd definitely use HexaPDF. I'll re-evaluate its (more recently) improved layout capabilities again and consider it for my next project. And I also think the dual-licensing model is fair.
Congrats on the 10-year/1.0 milestone.