Quick answer
PlatoForms is a Sejda alternative for creating fillable documents and collecting form responses online. Use PDF Document Creator to design a new PDF for download, or turn existing paperwork into an online form. For online collection, your team can manage submissions, export PDF and CSV records, and add review steps and automatically upload generated PDFs to cloud storage.
Sejda combines PDF editing, fillable-field tools, and reusable file-processing workflows. It also offers a published fill-and-sign link with email returns. The useful comparison is what you need to prepare—and how your team will handle the completed responses. Both products can support a downloadable file or browser completion.
Compare the work you need to do
| Task | Sejda | PlatoForms |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare a document | Edit imported PDF text; add form fields to a PDF or blank page | Design a new document or add online fields to an uploaded PDF; uploaded source text is not rewritten |
| Distribute a fillable PDF | Download a document with form fields | Export a fillable PDF from PDF Document Creator |
| Collect answers online | Publish a fill-and-sign link with email returns | Publish a link or embed and keep separate submission records |
| Choose the filling layout | Fill fields on the document | Keep the PDF appearance or use responsive questions; standalone web forms are also available |
| Retrieve completed work | Receive the completed PDF through the published form’s email-return flow | Export submission PDFs and CSV data; configure email copies and cloud delivery |
| Reuse PDF processing | Save a chain of tools with Sejda Workflows | Run individual PDF utilities for merging, splitting, compression, and other file operations |
| Coordinate staff review | Handle the next review step after the emailed return | Add Approval steps or participant forms through Workflow |
Start with the File You Have—or Design a New One
For existing paperwork, PlatoForms’ AI field detection helps prepare fields for online completion. Review the detected fields and their PDF mappings before publishing. A responsive Web PDF Form lets respondents answer questions without navigating the original page layout, while preserving that layout in the generated document.
If you need a new document, PDF Document Creator provides a canvas and AI-assisted design tools. Edit the content and layout, then export a static or fillable PDF, or convert the design into an online form. When no PDF output is needed, start with a registration template or generate a web form from a description.
Sejda PDF Forms supports existing files and blank documents. Its separate PDF Editor can change existing PDF text. That matters if the task is to revise an imported document’s wording: placing online fields over that PDF in PlatoForms does not change its original text.
Decide Where Completed Responses Should Arrive
With PlatoForms, each online submission becomes a record in the submission dashboard, subject to your retention settings. Staff can retrieve PDFs and export response data to CSV for a spreadsheet. You can also configure PDF email attachments so colleagues receive a copy without downloading it manually.
Sejda’s published fill-and-sign route saves the source document in Google Drive and shares it publicly with anyone who has the link. Respondents complete the document and send it back by email. This can fit a process where your team already handles returned files in an inbox. Use a blank document suitable for public sharing as the source.
For cloud storage, PlatoForms’ Cloud Drive integration uploads generated PDFs to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box after submission. Choose a storage folder and optionally name subfolders using submitted values, dates, form names, or tracking codes. For example, registration PDFs can be grouped by program using a field value in the subfolder name.
PDF Processing and Participant Review Are Different Workflows
Sejda Workflows saves a sequence of PDF-processing tools for reuse with other files. The free service allows one saved workflow.
PlatoForms Workflow coordinates people completing or reviewing a submission. For a registration that needs staff approval, add an Approval step with the appropriate approve and send-back paths. Use a participant form step when someone needs to enter additional information or sign. A review-only Approval step does not require another published form.
To carry entries forward in one PDF across form steps, use the same PDF template and enable Combine data across steps. When one response must populate several different documents, use Master Forms and map the shared fields to each PDF.
If you enable the approval record page, completed approval decisions can be appended to a copy of the workflow’s final PDF. Retrieve that version through the workflow completion notification, tracker download, or final-PDF API. The original submission PDF is a separate record; a form-level cloud upload should not be assumed to include the appended page.
Collect a Signature—and Keep the Signing Record You Need
On paid plans, PlatoForms signature fields support drawing, typing, and image upload. Sejda also supports filling and signing documents through its browser tools.
For additional signing evidence, PlatoForms’ upgraded signature certificate records signer details, the consent notice, the signed PDF’s SHA-256 fingerprint, and an event timeline. A verification page lets recipients check the recorded evidence and compare a PDF with its fingerprint.
Certificates are available on paid plans and during the free trial. They are generated through tracked invitations or Workflow steps with the certificate option enabled. Public-link submissions do not produce certificates or show the certificate consent notice. The certificate guide explains setup and the differences between new and legacy forms.
Plans and Team Costs: What Does Your Subscription Cover?
PlatoForms includes multiple team members in one plan, with shared limits for published forms and monthly submissions. Sejda’s paid PDF tools are licensed per user, with team pricing available. Compare the colleagues who need access, the work they will do, and the volume your plan needs to support.
| Plan | Price and billing | What the plan covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sejda Free | Free | PDF Forms: up to 200 pages and 50 MB per file; 3 tasks per hour |
| Sejda Web Week Pass | $5/user, one-time payment for 7 days | Web PDF tools for a short project; does not renew automatically |
| Sejda Web Monthly | $7.50/user/month, billed monthly | Ongoing access to web PDF tools |
| Sejda Desktop + Web Annual | $63/user/year ($5.25/month equivalent) | Desktop and web PDF tools |
| PlatoForms Free | $0 | 2 members, 1 published form, 100 submissions/month; online collection and signature fields |
| PlatoForms Bronze | $12/month, or $120/year ($10/month equivalent) | 5 members, 2 published forms, 1,000 submissions/month; adds Workflow, signature certificates, and cloud integration |
| PlatoForms Silver | $36/month, or $360/year ($30/month equivalent) | 20 members, 20 published forms, 10,000 submissions/month; includes Bronze features |
Prices checked September 16, 2026, in USD. Sejda’s paid prices are per user; PlatoForms prices cover the listed team members, who share the plan’s usage limits. Sejda may display other currencies and team discounts on its pricing page. Its free limits vary by tool.
For online collection, choose by the features you need, then the team’s expected usage. Free covers a small form with signature fields. Bronze adds approvals, certificates, and cloud integration; Silver increases the form, submission, and member allowances. The full PlatoForms plan comparison also lists storage limits and other included features.
When Is PlatoForms the Better Fit?
Choose PlatoForms when your team needs to collect and manage responses to a form. For example, a published registration form can give each applicant a separate submission record, let staff export the answers, and route submissions for approval when needed. This fits a team that wants to handle responses in one place instead of organizing returned PDF attachments.
Sejda fits work centered on editing and processing PDF files, especially when its fill-and-sign email returns already suit your process. If you only need a downloadable fillable PDF, both products offer a route: Sejda adds fields to an existing file or blank document, while PlatoForms PDF Document Creator lets you design a new document and export it with fillable fields.
Frequently asked questions
Can people complete my form without downloading a PDF?
Yes. Share a published form link or embed the form on your website. Respondents fill it out in their browser and submit it directly. For a PDF-based form, PlatoForms places their answers into the configured PDF, which your team can retrieve from the submission dashboard.
Can PlatoForms AI turn an existing PDF into an online form?
Yes. AI field detection identifies fields for you to review and adjust. Publish a PDF Fillable Form to keep the document visible during completion, or a Web PDF Form for responsive questions that populate the PDF.
How do PlatoForms signature fields and certificates differ?
A signature field collects a drawn, typed, or uploaded signature. A signature certificate provides an additional signing record. Public-link submissions can collect signatures but do not generate certificates or display the certificate consent notice.
Create a Form Your Team Can Use
Turn an existing PDF into an online form or customize a registration template to collect responses. To design a new downloadable fillable PDF, start in PDF Document Creator.
