Where WaiverCat's free tier stops
WaiverCat WaiverCat's free tier includes API access, custom fields, chained signatures, mobile signature support, and text or email notifications, but it stops at watermarking: all PDFs are watermarked on the free plan. That makes it suitable for testing or low-stakes use, not for clean client-facing waivers. The free offer is perpetual and does not require a credit card, but the practical limit is not a usage quota. It is the branding restriction on every PDF, which pushes builders toward another tool if presentation matters.
Switch table
| WaiverCat | Tally | FluidForms | SimplePDF | Formester | Fillout | Typeform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| signatures or signing support | Mobile signature, chained signatures | Collect signatures on free forms | Not stated | Add signatures | E-signature collection | Not stated | Not stated |
| monthly response or submission cap | Not stated | Unlimited forms and submissions within fair usage guidelines | 100 responses per month | Not stated | Unlimited responses | Up to 1,000 responses per month | 100 responses per month included |
| file upload support | Not stated | Collect file uploads on free forms | 1 file per response (5 MB) | Not stated | 100 MB file uploads | Unlimited file uploads included | Not stated |
| API or webhook access | API access | Use webhooks | Not stated | Not stated | 1 webhook | REST API access | Not stated |
| team seats or users | Not stated | Not stated | 1 user | Not stated | Not stated | Unlimited seats | 1 user included |
| language or localization support | Not stated | Access 45+ languages with RTL support | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Choose a form language included | Not stated |
| Card required | - | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| First paid tier | - | Pro $24 per month | Pro $49/month | Basic $99 / month | Personal $12 per month | Starter $15/ month ($228 billed annually, $180 billed annually shown as discounted annual total) | Basic $29/mo ($25/mo billed annually) |
The alternatives
Tally
FTV 63 / 100Tally's free plan is broad enough for general forms and still covers a few waiver-like needs. It includes unlimited forms and submissions within fair usage guidelines, plus signatures, payments, file uploads, conditional logic, calculations, password protection, completion redirects, webhooks, and integrations with Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Zapier, and Make. It also supports 45+ languages and RTL. If your waiver flow is only one part of a larger form workflow, Tally gives a lot of flexibility without forcing an immediate upgrade.
- Beats WaiverCat: Broader free form workflow and integrations
- Falls short: No PDF waiver annotation or chained signatures focus
- Who should switch: Switch to Tally if you need a free general form builder with signatures and integrations more than a dedicated waiver editor.
FluidForms
FTV 62 / 100FluidForms gives a free intake workflow with AI interview, autofill, and document intelligence, plus 100 responses per month, 10 AI actions, 30-day response retention, 1 file per response up to 5 MB, and 1 user. It also includes branding on forms and community support. The free plan is structured around guided data collection rather than document signing, so it is a different shape of product. If your waiver process is being replaced by an intake flow with document extraction or branching questions, FluidForms can fit that better.
- Beats WaiverCat: AI interview and document intelligence
- Falls short: Much lower response and file limits, and no waiver-signing focus
- Who should switch: Switch to FluidForms if your real need is guided intake and document processing rather than PDF waiver signing.
SimplePDF
FTV 74 / 100SimplePDF's free plan is aimed at individuals who just need browser-based PDF editing with JavaScript enabled and no ads. It is the closest fit if you want people to complete a PDF inside the browser and keep the host site experience simple. The free tier is intentionally light, with no team workflow details or submission quotas listed on the free offer. That makes it a clean option for personal use or very small-volume document editing when the main concern is keeping the editing experience uncluttered.
- Beats WaiverCat: Cleaner PDF editing experience with no ads
- Falls short: Less explicit workflow and signing automation on the free tier
- Who should switch: Switch to SimplePDF if you mostly need a clean browser-based PDF editor rather than a waiver platform with notification and API features.
Formester
FTV 60 / 100Formester's free plan is generous on basic capacity: unlimited forms, unlimited responses, unlimited fields per form, 100 MB file uploads, payment collection, e-signatures, offline forms, basic analytics, one webhook, one Google Sheets integration, and many built-in form features like conditional emails, quizzes, and spam protection. It also includes AI form generation and editing. For builders who want to collect signatures as part of a larger form, not specifically edit waiver PDFs, Formester offers a lot of free runway and much more layout variety.
- Beats WaiverCat: Unlimited forms, responses, and fields on the free plan
- Falls short: It is a broader form builder, not a waiver PDF annotation tool
- Who should switch: Switch to Formester if you want a free form system with signatures and unlimited basic capacity instead of a document-signing specialist.
Fillout
FTV 62 / 100Fillout's free plan includes unlimited forms, unlimited seats, and a wide set of submission features with a 1,000 responses per month cap. It supports form embedding, payments, answer piping, scheduling, PDF generation, conditional logic, unlimited file uploads, workflows, resume-in-progress forms, 50+ field types, integrations, REST API access, and 2FA. For teams that want a polished intake flow and enough headroom to run real operations before paying, it is one of the more capable free plans in this group.
- Beats WaiverCat: Unlimited seats and much higher submission headroom
- Falls short: Not centered on PDF waiver signing and annotation
- Who should switch: Switch to Fillout if you need the most free operational headroom for form workflows and can move off a dedicated waiver editor.
Typeform
FTV 57 / 100Typeform's free plan includes 100 responses per month, 1 user, unlimited typeforms, unlimited questions per form, and standard email support. It is a lighter free offer than some others here, but it is still useful if you want an established form-and-survey tool for simple collection. The free plan is better suited to small testing or low-volume use than to high-throughput waiver handling. It does not match WaiverCat's signing-specific workflow, but it can cover basic form capture when presentation and brand familiarity matter more than waiver features.
- Beats WaiverCat: Simple forms and surveys with an established interface
- Falls short: Tight 100-response cap and no waiver-specific signing workflow
- Who should switch: Switch to Typeform if you only need a small number of polished forms and do not need dedicated waiver handling.
Two quick picks
SimplePDF
SimplePDF is the closest drop-in if you care most about working with PDFs in the browser. It keeps the document-centered flow intact, so switching from a PDF waiver experience should require less process change than moving to a general form builder.
Fillout
Fillout gives the most free room before paying because it combines unlimited forms and seats with a 1,000-response monthly cap and a wide feature set, making it the best choice for builders who need to stay free while handling real volume.
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is best if I want no watermark or branding on the free plan?
Among these options, Tally and Fillout are better bets for a cleaner free-facing experience than WaiverCat's watermarked PDFs, but branding rules can still vary by product and plan. If removing document branding is the main goal, you will usually need to compare paid tiers as well.
Which free alternative is closest to a waiver workflow?
SimplePDF is the closest if your process is document-first, while Formester is closer if you want e-signatures inside a broader form builder. WaiverCat remains more specific for waiver annotation and signature handling.
Which option has the highest free volume?
Fillout has the clearest free headroom with unlimited forms, unlimited seats, and 1,000 responses per month. Tally also offers unlimited forms and submissions within fair usage guidelines, but its exact ceiling is not stated in the same way.
Do these alternatives include API or webhook support for free?
Tally includes webhooks for free, Formester includes one webhook, Fillout includes REST API access, and WaiverCat includes API access on the free tier. For others, the free-tier API or webhook details are not stated in the provided data.
Bottom line
For most builders, Fillout is the best overall alternative because it gives the most free breathing room without forcing a credit card, and it covers a wide set of workflow features before you have to pay. If you need the closest document-centric switch instead of the most headroom, SimplePDF is the next best fit. Choose Fillout when you want to move off watermarked waiver PDFs and keep running real forms for free.
Read the full listing for WaiverCat. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.