DocSpring vs PDF.co

PDF processing and template management

PDF.co covers a broad range of PDF operations, including conversion, extraction, OCR, merging, and adding content to files. Its PDF editing API can fill named form fields or place text and images at coordinates. DocSpring organizes filling around stored templates with a field editor and data schema.

For a PDF you fill repeatedly, compare where the field mapping lives and who updates it. For a pipeline that starts with scanning or extracting a document, PDF.co handles processing steps outside DocSpring's document generation workflow.

Feature comparison

Follow the feature links for details in DocSpring's documentation. Sources for each PDF.co cell are listed at the end of the page.

Scroll the table sideways to see both products.

"Not published" means the vendor's public materials do not say either way, usually because it is handled on request. A dedicated integration is different from connecting an API through a generic HTTP action. Plan requirements and product boundaries are noted in the cells.

Fill the same PDF repeatedly from customer records

Take an application with a customer name and email. An existing AcroForm field and a blank space that needs a text overlay are different inputs; test both if your documents contain a mix.

Fill a stored DocSpring template

After creating the two fields, this request only needs the template ID and customer data. Field coordinates are stored in the template.

curl --fail-with-body \
  "https://sync.api.docspring.com/api/v1/templates/${DOCSPRING_TEMPLATE_ID}/submissions" \
  --user "${DOCSPRING_TEST_TOKEN_ID}:${DOCSPRING_TEST_TOKEN_SECRET}" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "test": true,
    "data": {
      "customer_name": "Mira Patel",
      "customer_email": "[email protected]"
    }
  }'

Set the environment variables to your template ID and test API credentials. Accounts in our EU region send requests to sync.api-eu.docspring.com instead. The response includes a download URL for a watermarked PDF. See the request and response guide.

Replace the source PDF with a revised form and check every field position. For a coordinate-based integration, verify the mapping and page dimensions instead of assuming the old positions still fit.

Credits per page per operation

Basic's 16,500 credits cover about 785 one-page form fills a month, or about 157 five-page contracts. DocSpring's 1,000-PDF plan counts each PDF once regardless of length and stores the field mapping so each request carries only the data. For a pipeline that also extracts or OCRs, price those PDF.co operations separately.

Moving PDF.co filling to DocSpring

Collect the original PDFs and the field names or coordinates used by your editing requests. Import existing form fields where possible, or recreate overlays in the DocSpring editor. Map your application's data into the template schema.

Replace source-file and annotation requests with a stored template ID and submission data. Update authentication, result URLs, and asynchronous job handling. Check fonts, checkbox values, images, and whether the output should remain editable.

Keep extraction or OCR steps in PDF.co if the application still needs them. Switching the PDF filling component does not replace a broader document-processing pipeline.

Discuss your documents with us.

Questions about PDF.co alternatives

Can DocSpring replace PDF.co for OCR or extraction?

No. DocSpring generates and fills documents. Keep OCR and extraction steps in PDF.co or a similar service and send the extracted data to DocSpring to create the output document.

Is placing a signature image the same as an e-signature workflow?

No. A signing workflow also needs to identify the participant, capture their consent and actions, and retain the audit record. DocSpring Data Requests provide signing forms and audit events; PDF.co places an image.

Does PDF.co store my field layout?

Only for HTML templates. For PDF filling, field names or coordinates are sent with every request, so a changed form means changing code. DocSpring stores the layout in a versioned template edited in the browser.