DocSend alternative
A simpler, more branded alternative to DocSend
DocSend is the original share-and-track tool for pitch decks and sales documents. Dropbox bought it in 2021 and it is now sold as Dropbox DocSend, priced per user.
Upload a document and get a link to share. Free.
In short
Choose PDF Deck if you want a clean, branded link for a PDF, deck, or Office file, with view tracking and a password, on your own domain, from $6 a month with a free plan.
Stay with DocSend if you need what it does that we don't: fundraising teams and sales organisations that need to know exactly who read which page, gate documents behind an email, or run a formal data room.
Why people look for a DocSend alternative
Per-user pricing adds up fast. A three-person team on Standard is $135 to $195 a month before they have shared anything. Most teams sharing decks and proposals do not need per-page heatmaps to justify that.
No free plan. You cannot try DocSend beyond a trial, and a founder sending one deck a quarter pays the same as a sales team.
The viewer is plain. DocSend renders your document inside its own frame with its own controls. There is no flipbook or presentation mode, and branding control is limited on lower tiers.
It has become an enterprise product. Since the Dropbox acquisition the focus has moved toward data rooms and compliance. Simple sharing is no longer the centre of the product.
Pricing: DocSend vs PDF Deck
DocSend pricing at time of writing, from its published plans. No free plan; 14-day trial. PDF Deck prices are in US dollars, billed monthly; annual billing saves two months.
DocSend
-
Personal $15/user/mo ($10 annual)
Basic link sharing and analytics, 1 user
-
Standard $65/user/mo ($45 annual)
Custom branding, per-page analytics, more links
-
Advanced $250/mo for 3 users, +$90/extra user
Data rooms, NDA, watermarking, SSO
PDF Deck
-
Free $0
3 documents, 10 MB files, flipbook, QR code, embed, view tracking, password
-
Starter $6/mo
20 documents, 20 MB files, 1 custom domain, no PDF Deck banner
-
Pro $15/mo
100 documents, 100 MB files, 1 custom domain, no PDF Deck banner
-
Business $38/mo
600 documents, 1 GB files, 5 custom domains, no PDF Deck banner
Feature comparison
| Feature | DocSend | PDF Deck |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes, 3 documents |
| Entry price | $10 to $15 per user per month | $6 per month |
| Pricing model | Per user | Per workspace, team members included |
| Share PDF as link | Yes | Yes |
| Share PowerPoint, Word, Excel | Yes | Yes, rendered to a browser viewer |
| View tracking | Yes, per page, per viewer | Yes, per page and per viewer on Pro and up |
| Viewer email capture | Yes | Yes, email gate or per-recipient links on Pro and up |
| Password protection | Yes | Yes, on every plan |
| Custom domain | Standard and up | Starter and up ($6/mo) |
| Flipbook and presentation modes | No | Yes |
| Embed on your website | Limited | Yes |
| QR code per document | No | Yes |
| Update file without changing link | Yes | Yes |
| Data rooms and NDA | Advanced plan | No |
What DocSend does better
We'd rather you knew this before you signed up than after.
- Page-by-page analytics on every paid plan, where PDF Deck includes them from Pro.
- A longer history of viewer identification and per-page data across large sales teams.
- Data rooms with NDA gates and dynamic watermarks on the Advanced plan.
- A long track record in venture fundraising; many investors know the DocSend viewer.
PDF Deck does not currently offer:
- Data rooms, NDA gates, or dynamic watermarks
- Self-hosting or an open-source edition
Who should choose which
DocSend is the better fit for fundraising teams and sales organisations that need to know exactly who read which page, gate documents behind an email, or run a formal data room.
PDF Deck is the better fit for founders, small sales and marketing teams, agencies, and anyone who wants a branded link for a deck, proposal, brochure, or report, with tracking, at a price that does not scale with headcount.
Moving from DocSend to PDF Deck
There is nothing to migrate except your files. Download them from DocSend, upload them here, and replace the links you have published. If you use a custom domain, point it at PDF Deck from your workspace settings and the change takes a few minutes. Your existing DocSend links keep working until you close that account, so there is no gap.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDF Deck a free DocSend alternative?
Yes. The free plan includes three documents with view tracking, password protection, QR codes, and embedding. DocSend has no free plan.
Can PDF Deck tell me who viewed my document?
Yes, on Pro and Business. Create a per-recipient link for each person, or turn on the email gate, and the analytics page shows who opened the document, which pages they read, and for how long. You can also get an email alert a few minutes after each view.
Does PDF Deck support PowerPoint like DocSend?
Yes. Upload a .pptx, .docx, or .xlsx and PDF Deck renders it to a browser-friendly document with a share link.