PDF Docs vs DocExport: which monday.com PDF app fits your team?
By Arnav Ghatage, founder of Fortimus · Updated
Short answer
Both apps turn monday.com items into PDF and Word documents. The biggest difference is signatures: in PDF Docs, eSignatures are built in on every plan and sending a signature request from the app does not use up an allowance, while DocExport includes signatures (through BoldSign) from its Professional plan, with 10 to 50 per plan. DocExport is the better fit if you need a signing order, charts in documents or a long marketplace track record.
DocExport PDF Generator is one of the most installed document apps on the monday.com marketplace, and for good reason. PDF Docs is newer, built by Fortimus, the team behind Mirror Item Multiple Boards. This page compares the two on what teams actually ask about: making the document, getting it signed, sending it and automating it.
Full disclosure: we build one of these apps. We have tried to be fair, and we say where DocExport is the better choice.
At a glance
| PDF Docs | DocExport | |
|---|---|---|
| Make a PDF from an item | Yes | Yes |
| Word (.docx) output | Yes | Yes |
| Use your own Word file as the template | Yes | Yes |
| Ready-made documents | Invoice or quote, NDA, event ticket, item summary, board report | Template gallery |
| Subitems as invoice lines | Yes | Standard plan and up |
| QR codes in documents | Yes | Professional plan and up |
| eSignatures includedDocExport signatures are powered by BoldSign | Every plan | Professional plan and up |
| Signature allowanceIn PDF Docs, a signature request sent from the app does not count as a document | No separate allowance | 10, 25 or 50 included, by plan |
| Signing order (signer 1, then signer 2)PDF Docs sends every signer their link at the same time | No | Yes |
| Signers need a monday.com account | No | No |
| Send the document by email | From your own Gmail | Email templates on Professional and up |
| Save documents to Google Drive by automation | Yes | Not listed |
| Charts in documents | No | Professional plan and up |
| Where it runs | monday Code (inside monday.com) | Own servers in the EU (Germany) |
Note: We do not list prices on this page yet. Compare the plan sizes below, then check current prices on each marketplace listing.
Making the document
Both apps fill a template from the item's columns and save the PDF back on the item. The difference is how you build the template.
In PDF Docs, you either pick one of five ready-made documents that need no setup (name your columns like the document's fields and they fill themselves in), or write your own document in Word and paste fields such as {{Item.Client}} wherever a detail should go. You can also upload an existing PDF, such as a form or letterhead, and drag your columns onto the page. Lists work in Word templates too: one row per subitem, the item's updates, or the items in a Connect boards column. See how Word templates work.
DocExport also works from templates mapped to your columns, with a template gallery to start from, and adds charts, cross-board data and PDF merging on its Professional plan. If your documents are reports full of charts, DocExport covers more of that today.
Getting it signed
This is where the apps differ most. In PDF Docs, signing is part of the app on every plan. Put {{Signature}} and {{Date}} in a Word file (or {{Signature1}}, {{Signature2}} for more people), or drag signature boxes onto a PDF. Each signer gets a Review and Sign email from your own Gmail, signs in the browser with no account, and the signed PDF lands back on the item with a signing record showing who opened and signed, when, and from which IP address.
Sending a signature request from the app does not count against your plan, so there is no signature allowance to run out of. Only the automation that makes and sends a contract counts, as one document.
DocExport added eSignatures through BoldSign. Its site lists a signing order, a tamper-proof certificate and a full audit trail, and its pricing page includes 10, 25 or 50 eSignatures on the Professional, Enterprise and Enterprise Unlimited plans. The Free and Standard plans do not include them.
Tip: If you send more than a handful of contracts a month, count signatures as well as documents when you compare plans. Read how signing works in PDF Docs.
Sending and automating
PDF Docs sends email from your own Gmail account, not a no-reply address, so replies come back to you. Email templates fill in from the item, and the editor has an AI assistant for a first draft. Six automation recipes cover the common jobs: make a PDF, make it and email it (to an address or the item's Email column), save it to a Google Drive folder, or send a contract for signature, for example when a status changes.
DocExport offers automation recipes for creating documents and email templates on its Professional plan and up.
Plan sizes
| PDF Docs | DocExport | |
|---|---|---|
| Documents per period | 50, 250, 500, 1,000, 5,000 or unlimited | 50 (Free), 250, 500, 1,000, 2,500 or unlimited per month |
| eSignatures | Included, no separate allowance | None on Free and Standard; 10, 25 or 50 on higher plans |
| What counts | Each document made. Emails and signature requests from the app do not count | Each PDF generated |
50, 250, 500, 1,000, 5,000 or unlimited documents per billing period. Emails and signature requests sent from the app do not count.
Where your data goes
PDF Docs runs on monday Code, monday.com's own infrastructure, which is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified and GDPR and HIPAA compliant. DocExport runs on its own servers in Germany and states it does not store data from your boards. Both are reasonable answers; check which one your security team prefers.
Which one should you pick?
Pick PDF Docs if
- You send quotes, contracts or NDAs that need signatures, and do not want to count them.
- You want documents to go out from your own Gmail.
- Your documents already exist in Word, and you would rather keep editing them there.
- You want generated files saved to Google Drive automatically.
- You prefer an app hosted on monday Code.
Pick DocExport if
- Signers must sign in a fixed order.
- Your documents are reports with charts, or you need to merge PDFs.
- A long track record and many marketplace reviews matter most to you.
- You need data processed on EU servers outside monday.com.
Try PDF Docs on one board next to your current app before you switch anything.
Add PDF Docs to monday.comMoving over? See the DocExport alternative guide for a step-by-step switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDF Docs a good DocExport alternative?
Yes, especially if you need eSignatures. PDF Docs makes PDF and Word documents from monday.com items like DocExport does, and includes signing on every plan without a separate signature allowance. DocExport is still the better fit if you need a signing order or charts in documents.
Does DocExport include eSignatures?
Yes, through BoldSign. According to its pricing page, signatures are included from the Professional plan (10), Enterprise (25) and Enterprise Unlimited (50). The Free and Standard plans do not include them.
Can I use my DocExport templates in PDF Docs?
Not directly, but if your template started life as a Word file, you can reuse it. Replace each placeholder with a field such as {{Item.Client}} and upload it under My own Word file. PDF Docs lists a field for every column on your board, so you can copy and paste them.
Which app is cheaper?
It depends on your volume of documents and signatures. Compare the documents and signatures you send each month against each plan, then check current prices on the marketplace listings. In PDF Docs, signature requests sent from the app do not count against your plan.
Can I run both apps at the same time?
Yes. Both are board views and automation recipes, so you can test one next to the other on the same board before you remove either.
DocExport PDF Generator is a product of its own developer and is not affiliated with Fortimus. This page describes PDF Docs, Invoices + eSignatures by Fortimus. Details about other apps come from their public websites and marketplace listings as of October 2026 and may change. Spotted something out of date? Email support@fortimus.co and we will correct it.