PlainMerge vs S-Docs

PlainMerge creates batches of personalized PDFs by combining a PDF template with rows from an Excel spreadsheet. Users can drag spreadsheet headers into positions on a template or match them to native PDF form fields. The app supports native forms, custom fonts, multi-page PDFs, and QR code rendering, and accepts.xlsx,.xls, and.ods files. Outputs can be personalized PDFs, emails with PDF attachments, or both. Its desktop app works offline on macOS, Windows, and Linux. The maker also links to Mergram, a browser-based PDF merging service that requires no installation. PlainMerge is described as open source, and its GitHub repository displays an AGPL-3.0 license. The PlainMerge plan costs $59 as a one-time purchase as a one-time fee. There is no free plan, though the maker offers a trial version for personal use without stating its duration. Support is available by email and GitHub Discussions. The privacy policy says personal information is collected when provided through support email and may be retained indefinitely, including in backups; the product page says purchases are not refundable.

S-Docs automates document generation and e-signatures using CRM data, with templates and workflows designed for Salesforce and direct integration with HubSpot. Salesforce templates can draw on Salesforce data, related data, formulas, conditional logic, and custom Apex. Documents can be generated on demand, through Salesforce Flow, or in scheduled and batch processes. The Salesforce product runs natively inside an organization and processes data on the Salesforce platform. Listed storage options include Amazon S3, Box, and Google Drive. Output types include emails, PDF, DOC, HTML, CSV, DOCX, PPTX, and XLSX files, along with certificates, contracts, and quotes; API access and batch personalization are also listed. S-Docs describes its Salesforce solution as FedRAMP High and DoD IL5 compliant, and its Trust Center lists FedRAMP and SOC materials. The free Salesforce plan allows up to 150 documents and 50 e-signatures. The paid plan is listed at $25 a year, billed annually at $25 per user per month, with a $3,000 minimum contract and 10-license minimum. It requires Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, or Developer Edition, and does not support collecting data through fillable PDFs.