Quick answer
PlatoForms is a pdfFiller alternative for teams that repeatedly collect supplier applications, review the answers, and file completed PDF records. Convert existing paperwork into an online form or create a new document in PDF Document Creator. Add Approval steps for purchasing review and configure cloud-drive delivery for generated PDFs.
pdfFiller combines editing of imported PDFs with reusable templates, LinkToFill collection, and signature requests. Both products receive completed documents and export response data. The useful comparison is how suppliers complete the application, how staff resolve missing information, and how the purchasing team receives the records it needs.
Compare the supplier intake process
| Task | pdfFiller | PlatoForms |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare the document | Edit imported PDF text and pages; create reusable templates | Convert an existing PDF into an online form, or design a new PDF in Document Creator |
| Collect recurring applications | LinkToFill provides a reusable browser link and saves separate completed copies | Share a form link, embed it, or send invitations; each submission has its own record |
| Choose the filling layout | Recipients complete fields on the shared document | Keep the original PDF layout or use responsive web questions that populate the PDF |
| Reuse supplier details | Merge spreadsheet data into multiple documents; configure the source data and document fields | Master Forms maps one set of answers to several linked PDFs |
| Collect signatures | SendToSign supports ordered or parallel signing; Premium includes signNow Premium | Signature fields on paid plans; optional signature certificates through configured invitation or Workflow routes |
| Review and request corrections | Signing workflows and recipient settings depend on the pdfFiller/signNow setup | Approval steps collect decisions and comments; connect a send-back path for corrections |
| Export records | Completed PDF downloads and bulk extraction of field data | PDF, CSV, and uploaded-attachment exports |
| File documents in cloud storage | Save As exports; connected automation requires a supported trigger and action | Cloud Drive integration automatically saves generated PDFs to a chosen folder |
| Give staff access | Per-user subscriptions; business offerings add team controls | Team members are included within the plan’s allowance; assign per-form permissions for editing forms or viewing submissions |
Prepare a form suppliers can complete repeatedly
For an existing supplier application, PlatoForms can preserve its PDF appearance or display mobile-friendly questions while producing the completed PDF in the original layout. AI field detection helps prepare the fields; review their placement and test long company names and addresses before publishing.
If you need a new application, adapt an application form template or draft one with AI Form Generator. For a new PDF design, PDF Document Creator supports AI-assisted creation and editing, static or fillable PDF export, and online-form conversion. It edits its own designs; adding fields to an uploaded PDF does not rewrite the source text.
pdfFiller’s LinkToFill guide describes browser completion, separate submitted PDFs, and stored field data. Its AI Assistant can help draft the application and fill selected templates.
For a supplier application and an account setup sheet that repeat the same company details, use Master Forms to map those answers to both PDFs. Each output keeps its own layout.
Review applications and collect staff input
PlatoForms Workflow supports two different staff tasks:
- Review: an Approval step lets purchasing staff approve or send the application back, with comments. Connect the send-back path to the earlier form so the supplier can correct and resubmit it.
- Add information or sign: a form step collects an internal supplier code, additional details, or a staff signature. A reviewer can proceed to a form after approval when that extra information is needed.
A review-only decision does not require another published form. If later form steps must add entries to the same PDF, enable Combine data across steps when the steps use the same uploaded PDF. Master Form workflows also support mapping the previous step’s PDFs to their corresponding outputs.
pdfFiller’s signature-request guide describes signing order and parallel signing. Check how its recipient roles handle the purchasing decision and any return for correction, as well as the order of signatures.
Keep the signing evidence your process needs
On paid plans, PlatoForms supports drawing, typing, or uploading a signature. Signature certificates are available on paid plans and during the free trial. The upgraded format records signer details, the agreed consent notice, the PDF fingerprint, and a tamper-evident event timeline. New forms use this format, but certificates are generated only through tracked invitations or Workflow steps with the certificate option enabled. Public-link submissions have neither a certificate nor the signing consent notice.
The verification page supports checking a received PDF against the recorded fingerprint. A write-once certificate and timeline copy is retained for seven years, separately from ordinary submission retention. See the electronic signature guide for verification details and legal scope.
For pdfFiller, check the signing record produced by the route you use—SendToSign or the bundled signNow service—and how staff retrieve it with the signed documents. Do not treat an account activity log and a particular document’s signing evidence as interchangeable.
Export answers and organize supplier records
PlatoForms lets staff export CSV answers, completed PDFs, and uploaded attachments for a selected date range. This gives purchasing staff both individual records and data they can sort or use in a supplier register. Configure PDF email attachments when colleagues need copies by email.
With PlatoForms, connect Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box through Cloud Drive integration. Choose a storage folder, then optionally name subfolders with submission values, such as a supplier ID, company name, date, or revision number. Subsequent form submissions send their generated PDFs to the configured destination.
The approval record needs its own delivery route. With the approval-record option enabled, a workflow containing an approval decision appends an approval record page to a copy of its final PDF. Retrieve that version through the completion notification, tracker download, or final-PDF API. The form-level cloud upload should not be assumed to include the appended page.
For other destinations or actions, Zapier provides an additional connection route. Set staff access and submission retention for the records held in PlatoForms; cloud copies follow the destination service’s settings.
pdfFiller also exports completed PDFs and collected answers. Its LinkToFill documentation describes bulk field-data extraction to CSV or Excel. Its Save As guide covers cloud exports. For automatic delivery, verify which event triggers the integration and which document it saves.
Compare the cost for your purchasing team
PlatoForms includes multiple team members in one plan; pdfFiller prices the individual subscriptions below per user. Compare both the people who need product access and the volume of supplier applications your team handles.
| Plan | Price and billing basis | Team access | Relevant features and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdfFiller Basic | $20/user/month, or $96/user/year ($8/user/month equivalent) | Per licensed user | Edit and fill PDFs, convert files, and manage pages |
| pdfFiller Plus | $30/user/month, or $144/user/year ($12/user/month equivalent) | Per licensed user | Basic features plus reusable templates and basic fillable fields |
| pdfFiller Premium | $40/user/month, or $180/user/year ($15/user/month equivalent) | Per licensed user | Plus features, web-form collection, and signNow Premium |
| PlatoForms Free | $0 for the team | Up to 2 members | Online forms and signature fields; 1 published form, 100 submissions/month |
| PlatoForms Bronze | $12/month total, or $120/year total ($10/month equivalent for the team) | Up to 5 members included | Workflow, signature certificates, and cloud integration; 2 published forms, 1,000 submissions/month |
| PlatoForms Silver | $36/month total, or $360/year total ($30/month equivalent for the team) | Up to 20 members included | Bronze features; 20 published forms, 10,000 submissions/month |
Prices are in USD. PlatoForms prices cover all included team members, with no separate per-user charge within that allowance. Published-form and monthly submission limits are shared across the team.
Bronze covers supplier collection, purchasing review, and direct cloud filing within the limits above. Count each published form used by applicants or staff, and the submissions those forms collect. Review-only Approval steps do not need another form. Compare Bronze and Silver against your busiest month’s workload and the number of colleagues who need access.
Check whether the setup reduces supplier follow-up
Use one typical supplier application to check whether the setup reduces follow-up work. Ask purchasing staff to return it for a missing detail, then complete the review and any signing steps.
Check three results: the corrected answers appear in the required PDFs, the review decision is available to staff, and the documents and CSV data can be retrieved from their intended destinations. Note any manual copying, forwarding, or uploading still required.
Run the same example through pdfFiller’s collection and signing setup. Compare the remaining staff work alongside the subscription cost before choosing a process.
Frequently asked questions
When is PlatoForms a useful pdfFiller alternative?
Choose PlatoForms for recurring supplier intake that needs online completion, staff review, and organized PDF output. You can convert existing paperwork or create a new document in PDF Document Creator.
Can a supplier complete one PlatoForms form for several documents?
Yes. Master Forms maps shared answers to linked PDFs, such as a supplier application and an account setup sheet. Each PDF retains its own layout.
Can PlatoForms route a supplier application for review and save the PDF?
Yes. Use Approval steps for staff decisions and cloud-drive integration for generated form PDFs. To receive the workflow PDF with an appended approval record, use its completion notification or final-PDF download.
Try PlatoForms for Your Next Supplier Application
Start with your existing PDF or an application form template, and test the paperwork your purchasing team needs back.
