Looking for an alternative to the Gravity PDF WordPress plugin? Having a 3rd-party plugin is always challenging. So, here’s a solution that’s all in one.
Approximate read time: 5 minutes
Generating PDF documents using Gravity Forms isn't the best experience.
It needs a 3rd-party add-on, and it's not ideal. That's even more true when there are three different PDF options, each excelling in different areas.
It'd be much easier if there were a simpler solution to automatically generate a PDF. And there is.
With this post, I'll show you why Formidable Forms is the best Gravity PDF alternative and why it should be your primary form builder.
So, let's dive in.
An overview of Gravity Forms PDF
Gravity Forms PDF (GravityWP) doesn’t exist.
The reason is that Gravity Forms doesn’t make a PDF add-on in-house. Instead, Gravity Forms uses three different 3rd-party plugins to create generated PDFs from Gravity Forms entries.
The three solutions are:
- Fillable PDF for Gravity Forms
- Gravity PDF for Gravity Forms
- Gravity Flow for Gravity Forms
But, to understand this model better, let’s look closer.
How does Gravity Forms PDF export work?
Gravity Forms mainly focuses on its in-house plugin, a form builder that lets you customize different form fields.
If you want add-ons, you have to download a compatible plugin. And the best ones are “Certified Add-Ons.”
None of these plugins are created nor supported by Gravity Forms.
So, if you want customer support, you’ll have to contact the plugin makers, not Gravity Forms. And that could mean delays in getting your problem fixed.
Plus, each plugin is excellent for a different purpose.
Fillable PDFs is excellent for a Gravity Form PDF custom template. Also, Gravity PDF generates PDFS using one of four Gravity Forms PDF templates in its free version.
Or does a website need Gravity Forms to attach a PDF to notifications? Fillable PDF is your best option. If you need an entire Workflow plugin, Gravity Flow is perfect and can also do PDFs.
So, you’re getting different Gravity Forms PDF extended options, like Gravity Forms print to PDF, with various plugins. So, for example, which would you choose if you use Gravity Forms for PDF invoices?
Not so simple, right?
Plus, the plugins work on a freemium or a premium pricing model.
For example, here’s how much you’d pay for each plugin and Gravity Forms:
- Gravity Forms-Fillable PDF (minimum $210/year)
- Gravity Forms-Gravity PDF (minimum $60 with free Gravity PDF plugin, $350 with paid Gravity PDF plugin)
- Gravity Forms-Gravity Flow (minimum of $150/year)
But is Gravity Forms no longer free? It isn’t.
Well, some add-ons are included with a Gravity Forms subscription, right? Yes, some are (many aren’t).
So…you have to pay for both plugins? Why would I do that? You wouldn’t!
There’s another option…
Formidable Forms is the Gravity Form PDF plugin for you
We’ll cut straight to the chase.
Formidable Forms handles form export to PDF natively. Install a simple add-on (which we develop and support) with a few clicks, and you’re ready.
If you’re using Gravity Forms as a PDF generator, know Formidable can do everything Gravity Forms can do… and more.
We’ll mention that the Form to PDF feature is available in Formidable’s Business plan, which starts at $199.50/year. However, it's worth seeing the features you get for the same price or cheaper than Gravity Forms export to PDF options.
For example:
- Want to send your PDF as an email attachment? No problem.
- Prefer to download your form entries as a PDF for safekeeping? You got it.
- Display a downloadable PDF document after form submissions? It’s as easy as… well, you get it.
All you have to do is head to your WordPress admin, find your WordPress form in Formidable, and turn on the setting for generated PDF. That’s it.
It’s so easy, and we’ll show you how right here.
Simple PDF setup with Formidable
Imagine you have a beautiful order form (built with Formidable Forms, of course) on your WordPress website.
It’s gathering tons of orders for your business. But you need a way to send the order info to a PDF for customers. So, you enable the Form to PDF add-on in Formidable’s settings.
First, you go into the admin area of your WordPress site.
Next, you go into the Settings of your form to the Actions & Notifications of your form. And here’s where the magic happens.
Easily attach a PDF of entries to email
Gravity Forms sends PDF attachments through 3rd-party plugins.
Any time you add a plugin, you invite potential problems.
Formidable's PDF can automatically email the PDF to a customer with one plugin. Click the add toggle, and you’re ready to go. No downloading an additional plugin, entering usernames and passwords, or API keys.
Told you it was easy.
So, it may be time to change if you’re using Gravity Forms for PDF email attachments.
Download the PDF
Want to download a specific form entry instead?
Great! That’s easy, too.
Under the Entries of each form, Formidable records, well… the entries. Click the entry you want to download and click the Download as PDF link, and you’re set.
Then, display it as a link, a 'Download PDF' button, and any other way you can think of.
You can also use Formidable Views. Easily create a customer dashboard or display the PDF file.
You can even attach the download link to a form submission response. The options are yours! Formidable Forms is an excellent alternative to Gravity Forms download PDF after submit method, right?
Customize your PDFs
With Formidable's Views to PDF feature, you can customize your PDF to look exactly how you want.
Not sure where to start? Use one of our templates to create and customize a PDF invoice, contract agreement, certificate, job application, letter of recommendation, or any other document you can think of!
Then, display it or make it downloadable for anyone!
Formidable does more than forms
If you need a form-to-PDF feature, you’re probably collecting contact information, orders, and other similar info.
Lucky for you, Formidable Forms offers all the flexibility you need at a lower price than Gravity Forms.
Not only do you get easy PDF access, but you also get:
- Payment integrations to handle your payments
- 150+ form templates to save you time
- Product recommendation quizzes for website visitors
- User-friendly drag-and-drop builder to create any form in minutes
- Formidable Views to create any application you can dream of
- Email service integrations with merge tags
- User Flow to optimize your customer flow
And that’s just scratching the surface.
You get this and much more for less than you’d pay to use Gravity Forms.
Less is more… for you!
Want to try out your Gravity PDF WordPress plugin alternative?
The options for Gravity Forms to generate a PDF are great.
We’re not trying to say they can’t help you. But, for the same price, you get features similar to Formidable's.
We’ll admit that Fillable PDF’s features are pretty good. Advanced fillable PDF template customization options, paper size adjustment, and other great features.
But Formidable's PDF customization options are just as good!
However, if you’re using Gravity Forms for PDF downloads, Formidable Forms is often a cheaper and better option for your form data. If you’re unsure, check this post on how easy it is to send a form to a PDF with Formidable.
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Hi Kyle - great explanation and seems like the solution follows a more native path than Gravity + Gravity PDF.
I already pay the $500 per year for an Enterprise gravity license, so I don't think this makes a lot of sense at this time. Would you agree?
Corrie
Hi Corrie,
Thanks for your question. Gravity Forms is a great tool and if it is meeting all of your current and future needs, it may not be worth the switch.
However, If you are running into limitations with Gravity Forms or finding you need expensive third-party tools like Gravity Wiz or Gravity Views to complete your projects, you might find Formidable Forms an excellent investment.
Formidable Forms offers a unique feature called "Views" that allows you to display form data in customizable tables, directories, calendars, and more. This feature is particularly useful if you want to display your data on your site. Gravity Forms, on the other hand, doesn't have a built-in feature similar to Formidable Forms' Views.
Formidable Forms also offers an extensive range of features that are included out-of-the-box, including multi-page forms, conditional logic, calculation fields, file uploads, front-end editing, and integration with various third-party services.
We have many users who have made the switch and have never looked back. If you choose to do the same, know we will be standing by and ready to help if you run into any roadblocks. Our support team is world-class and we strive to do all we can to help our customers find success using Formidable Forms.