Top Formstack Documents alternatives in 2024. Features, pricing, integrations and more

You might be wondering if there are any worthwhile Formstack Documents (formerly Webmerge) alternatives. The answer is yes. We'll take a look at the alternatives and compare Formstack Documents with Plumsail Documents by features, integrations, pricing plans, and more. This article is part of our series comparing various document automation software. Explore more alternatives on our blog.

At the end of the article, you will find a general conclusion that will help you to make a decision.

Content of the article

• What is Formstack Documents?
• Pros and cons of Formstack Documents
• Top Formstack Documents alternatives
• What is Plumsail Documents?
• Feature comparison
  1. Supported document formats;
  2. Ready-to-go templates;
  3. Document editors;
  4. Templating syntax;
  5. Testing a document;
  6. eSignatures;
  7. Forms for documents;
  8. Integrations;
  9. Store and deliver options;
• Pricing
• Reviews
• Conclusion

What is Formstack Documents (formerly Webmerge)?

Formstack Documents (formerly Webmerge) is a document generation software. It allows you to merge data from different apps into document templates and deliver resulting files to recipients or store them in your favorite systems. In short, Formstack Documents helps to automate daily business workflow.

Pros and cons of Formstack Documents

Let’s first examine the advantages of using Formstack Documents:

• AI Assistance: Helps draft document templates by auto-generating fields;
• Integration Capabilities: Integrates with various CRM systems, such as Salesforce, form tools like Formstack Forms, and other business applications;
• Drag-and-Drop Template Editor: Simplifies the creation and modification of templates;
• User-Friendly Interface: Provides an intuitive interface for managing documents.

We have reviewed user feedback on Formstack Documents from Capterra and G2 and analyzed the platform thoroughly. Based on this information, we have identified the following drawbacks of Formstack Documents:

• Initial Configuration: You may need a software partner to configure the initial setup if you lack experience with merge-style tools;
• Lack of Online Document Editor: There is no built-in online document editor for on-the-fly modifications;
• Limited Templates and User Management: Each paid plan offers a restricted number of document templates and limits on the number of users who can manage documents;
• High Cost: The price per generated document can be relatively high.

All of these factors can lead to higher operational costs and hinder the ability to scale operations and improve overall business efficiency.

Top Formstack Documents alternatives in 2024

If you're exploring Formstack Documents alternatives, several options offer similar functionalities with their own unique features that might fit particular use cases. Here are some of the leading alternatives:

• Plumsail Documents
• Jotform
• PandaDoc
• Conga Composer

Further, we'll explore why Plumsail Documents is the most comprehensive alternative to Formstack Documents (formerly Webmerge), highlighting its features and benefits in detail.

We are issuing client contracts, subcontractors agreement, staff employment contracts. The [Plumsail Documents] processes, easily automated through MS Power Automate, are fast and reliable.

Pros: Solved all our complex document production needs based on MS Lists, through MS Power Automate. Cons: Nothing to dislike about Plumsail Documents - it works as you would expect it.

Switched From: Formstack Documents.

 

What is Plumsail Documents?

Plumsail Documents helps automate business processes related to managing, signing, and delivering documents. Customers use the app to generate documents from templates with data from other systems, sign them, and then deliver the results across the company or to customers. The app supplies the needs of the most demanding customers as it works equally well for basic and complex document templates with repeating fields, tables, pictures, charts, math formulas, and more.

Feature comparison

There is a significant difference in features between both products. This difference can be decisive when choosing a product. To deal with this, we'll talk about:

1. Supported document formats;
2. Ready-to-go templates;
3. Document editors;
4. Templating syntax;
5. Testing a document;
6. eSignatures;
7. Forms for documents;
8. Integrations;
9. Store and deliver options;

In the end, we will take a general conclusion about both systems. Let’s go into details.

1. Supported document formats

Both systems support Microsoft Office file formats, but there is some difference in fillable PDF and HTML files support.

Formstack Documents

Formstack Documents supports MS Office formats such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It also supports fillable PDF forms. Formstack Documents doesn't support HTML templates.

Output files can be in a format such as PDF, DOCX, XLSX, HTML, Email, PPTX, or JPEG, depending on the ready-to-go template you pick. It may confuse you because you can't see the template design and file format, so you can't know what particular output file format you will have.

If you upload your document, it can be the same output format as input, plus PDF and, in some cases, JPEG.

Plumsail Documents

Plumsail Documents supports all Microsoft Office document formats, plus fillable PDF and HTML files. Output file format can be as input, plus PDF.

In both systems, you can work with your documents online or edit documents offline in MS Office and upload them back to the system.

2. Ready-to-go templates

Both systems have an extensive set of templates for various business cases. In addition to templates, you can upload any document with your design or create a document template from scratch.

Formstack Documents

In Formstack Documents, it might take a while until you find a suitable template. You can't see the template's design and content when choosing it. You see only the template names. And even when you choose the one, you won't see the content until you make all the preliminary settings.

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, all the templates have a preview to help you find suitable template designs. If you need a document template, choose one from the ready-to-use templates or design your document template.

Comparison table.

3. Document editors

Both systems have powerful document editors with all the Microsoft Office editing functions. Formstack Documents editor is based on Microsoft Office online editor and has a Document Builder. Plumsail Documents are based on the Google Documents editor. In addition, it is planned to add the MS Office online editor as a second.

Formstack Documents

There are two types of editors, one is based on Microsoft Office Online, and another is so-called Document Builder. They are used for different document formats:

• Microsoft Office online editor works with the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents;
• Document Builder opens when you create documents from scratch or upload your PDFs;

Users can't work with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents in the Document Builder. It's only for creating templates from scratch and working with PDFs. As mentioned above, you can't see the document template design and file format while you choose ready-to-go templates. So you will never know what kind of editor and functionality you will use with ready-to-go templates before you try one.

Here is MS Office online editor example:

Here is what Document Builder looks like when you create new documents from scratch:

Also, you can edit documents in “advanced mode”, but you should have good HTML web development skills. Example in the screenshot below:

With Formstack Documents, it takes quite a lot of time to sort out all the nuances and limitations of the different editors. It can be inconvenient and confusing if you work with many diverse documents.

Plumsail Documents

Plumsail Documents online editor works the same with all formats of documents, whether you create a new document from scratch, upload a file, or use a template. You will work with full functionality without any unexpected issues.

4. Templating syntax

Templating engines have similar functions, but there is a difference in syntax and details. In short, you set placeholders, also known as variables, for data, and the templating engine merges the data into variables. Both templating engines support formatting merged data. The difference is in operations you may do with merged data.

Both systems work with JSON format. It may be helpful if your document template is complex or you already have JSON output from third systems.

Formstack Documents

Formstack templating syntax has elementary functions and some limitations. It does not support math formulas for processing data, pulling images into variables, and other particular operations with merged data.

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, we developed a smart templating engine that uses a minimal amount of syntax to make your work done. It's significant that with Plumsail templating engine, you can format pulled data in sophisticated ways. You can use formulas with data like in Excel or generate barcodes. There are too many different data formatting options to list them all here.

Let's see an example of how you can format the date and add five days to that date.

5. Testing a document

When the document template and everything else is set up, you may want to see what the final document will look like before sending it to someone. There is a testing feature for this.

Formstack Documents and Plumsail Documents provide the feature to test the template by filling the auto-generated form based on the template variables.

Formstack Documents

Plumsail Documents

Additionally, in case you have no time to fill the testing form, Plumsail Documents provides the testing data in JSON, which is automatically generated and based on template variables. So you can switch the tab to submit JSON and send some dummy data to see how the resulting document will look. You can use it while editing documents or managing settings for document templates.

6. eSignatures

Both systems have native integrations with different signature software and the ability to integrate other signature software via Zapier and Power Automate.

Formstack Documents

In Formstack Documents, you can use native integrations with the most popular signature software. You can see a list of apps in the screenshot below.

As you can see, there is Formstack Sign. Pricing plans start from 18$/month. Also, you can use Zapier and Power Automate to integrate other signature software.

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, you can use native integrations with different signature apps. You can see a list of native app integrations in the screenshot below.

If this is not enough, then you can always use a signature from another software by integrating with Zapier and Power Automate.

7. Forms for documents

Both systems, by default, have forms for document templates users create. You can share a link to the web form or embed it into your website (Form embedding for free is allowed only in Plumsail Documents). Both software have individual products that allow you to design and customize forms with additional features.

Formstack Documents

Formstack Documents allows you to use the default web form for each document you create. You can fill out the form yourself or share a link to the web form for someone else to fill out.

The default form is free. If you want to customize the form, try Formstack Forms.

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, a default web form creates for each document template. The created form is based on the template tokens. Once the form is filled, the submission data populates the document template. You can share the form by link or embed it on the site.

You can customize the forms to speed up the filling process and avoid mistakes. You can adjust the default data capture forms by changing the types of variables. Thus, the users will pick up the date using the date picker instead of typing in the date, and they won't be able to insert text into numeric fields, and so on. You can check out all the options in the documentation article.

You can add complex logic in a web form, customize the design, and more using Plumsail Forms, which has a free Scooter plan, which may be enough for your purposes.

8. Integrations

Both systems have a huge number of direct integrations and integrations via Zapier, Power Automate and Make with almost any software. Both go toe-to-toe, but there is a huge difference in user experience between them.

Formstack Documents

In Formstack Documents, you can use native integrations with third-party software and integrate your favorite app via Zapier, Power Automate or Make. Below you can see the example of the list of integrations.

Also, you can send data via a webhook (HTTP POST name/value pairs), using the field names in your document (i.e., first_name=John&last_name=Smith&phone=312-555-3029).

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, you can use direct integrations with popular software. Here is the list of direct integrations: SharePoint, DocuSign, signNow, Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Sign, OneDrive, eversign, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, HelloSign, Slack, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Plumsail Forms.

There are more than 2000 integrations with other systems, apps, and software you can set up via Zapier, Power Automate or Make.

As a new addition to integrations, Plumsail Documents extension is now available directly in Airtable. This extension allows users to generate documents with just one button click by connecting Airtable database with Plumsail Documents powerful templating and document generation capabilities.

Also, in Plumsail Documents, you can pass the data to the document template and start the process by sending a POST web request to the URL below. Review the documentation for more examples.

9. Store and deliver options

Both systems allow you to deliver documents via Email or store them in clouds and various software using native integrations or Zapier / Power Automate.

Formstack Documents

On the screenshot below (taken from Formstack Documents interface) you can see the list of native integrations with apps that you can use to deliver documents.

You can see the whole list of deliveries in the screenshot in the integration part above in this article.

Also, you can use Zapier or Power Automate to deliver and store documents in other software.

Plumsail Documents

In Plumsail Documents, you can deliver the document via email or store it in a different system using native integration or Zapier and Power Automate. On the screenshot below, you can see the list of native integrations.

Read more about deliveries in Plumsail Documents.

Pricing

As you may notice, both systems go closely in features, but there is a big difference in pricing plans. Let's compare pricing plans with the same features from both systems.

Formstack Documents

Formstack Documents pricing plans start from $83/month, allowing you to have one builder users, generate 50 documents, and utilize not more than ten templates from the Formstack Documents template library.

Plumsail Documents

Plumsail Documents pricing plans start from $25/month and allow you to merge 200 documents without limitations for the templates. You can create teams and invite as many users to the system as you need. No extra charge for this.

Thus, Formstack Documents costs over three times more, allows you to generate nearly 75% fewer documents, and limits the number of templates you can use.

Free trials

• 14-day free trial in Formstack Documents.
• 30-day free trial in Plumsail Documents.

Plumsail's 30-day free trial allows you to try all the features, learn details in the documentation, set the integrations, and check how it works without any rush.

Reviews

To be objective, we compare information from Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice websites. All the information is current only on the day the article was written.

• Formstack Documents has a 4.8-star rating
• Plumsail Documents has a 4.8-star rating

Conclusion

Both systems are well-made for document automation and go toe-to-toe in many features they give to users. The differences lie in details such as templating syntax, online editors, pricing plans, interfaces, etc. However, some of these details may determine the choice.

It's remarkable that with Plumsail Documents, you will pay much less for similar functionality and feature set. Also, in my opinion, simpler syntax in Plumsail Documents seems more convenient, and the interface is more intuitive.

Try Formstack Documents (formerly Webmerge) alternative for free

Try Plumsail Documents for 30-day free and make a confident choice of what system best meets your needs. If you have any questions, we will be glad to answer them in the community or write to our support.