Fillable vs FormForge

Fillable is a web and API service for turning PDFs into guided client workflows. It detects fields, accepts document uploads, supports signatures, and creates shareable completion links that clients can use without an account or app. Browser tools can fill, create, sign, merge, split, compress, convert, and OCR PDFs. Guided packs collect completed forms and requested documents; the free plan includes one active pack, all library templates and official forms, and a test API key. Teams can import existing PDFs, apply field validation and conditional logic, and export PDF or JSON. The REST API parses PDF fields and text into JSON and fills existing form fields. Each key allows 100 requests per calendar day, counting authenticated calls that succeed or return errors. It does not create PDFs from HTML, convert file formats, or add fields to flat PDFs. Core tools run in the browser; server-side conversions upload files and delete them afterward. Paid monthly plans start at $9/mo.

FormForge is a free browser-based tool for turning existing PDFs into fillable forms. Its AI detects fields in flat PDFs and scans, running locally in the browser through WebAssembly. Users can add text, checkbox, radio button, dropdown, signature, date, and number fields, then run Form doctor’s 21 AcroForm checks with one-click fixes. CSV data can be used to generate batches of completed PDFs. Signatures can be drawn or typed in a handwritten style; an optional cryptographic signature can be added on export. Processing and drafts stay on the device in the browser. The installable PWA works offline once its resources are cached, but opening or reloading the page requires a connection. Exports include AcroForm PDFs and ZIPs of filled PDFs, which the site says open in several desktop and mobile PDF readers. FormForge does not edit underlying PDF page content or reorder, delete, rotate, or merge pages. It has no fixed file-size or page-count limit, though practical limits depend on device memory. The free plan requires no account or credit card and has no watermark or page limit.