Autocrat is a free add-on that turns Google Sheets rows into documents, with 83M+ installs on the Google Workspace Marketplace (Oct 2026). It is a good tool, and many people should stay with it. This page helps you decide whether you are one of them, and lists what to compare if you are not.
What Autocrat is
Autocrat is an add-on for Google Sheets. You describe a job there: pick a Docs or Slides template, map spreadsheet columns to placeholders, and choose what happens afterwards (save a PDF, send an email). It can run when a Google Form response lands in the linked sheet. It is free.
Vendors change plans and features, so check Autocrat's own page for current details. What follows describes how this kind of tool generally works, based on public information as of 2026-10.
When to stay with Autocrat
- You already live in Google Sheets and are comfortable mapping columns.
- You need Google Slides templates as well as Docs.
- Your budget is zero and your setup already works.
- You merge data from sheets that did not come from a form at all.
If that is you, switching only costs you time. "It works" is a perfectly good reason to leave a tool alone.
Reasons people look elsewhere
- They want to set things up from the form, not from a spreadsheet that the form feeds.
- The setup feels like too many steps for a one-off job such as a single event or class.
- They need templates and a flow in another language, and want a starting point rather than a blank Doc.
- They want to know exactly what data goes where, and to see a short list of permissions they can understand.
- A job stopped running and they would like a tool where setup is easier to re-do.
The alternatives
Document Studio
A paid add-on that does the same job and more. Check its own pricing page for current plans. It makes sense if you need its wider feature set.
A free Apps Script
The cheapest option that still gives you full control. It takes some comfort with code and is yours to maintain. Our step-by-step guide includes a script you can copy.
FairSign Forms to PDF
Our add-on, which does one job: when someone submits a Google Form, fill a Google Docs template, make a PDF and email it. You set it up inside Google Forms in three steps. There are starter templates in English, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese. It asks for a short list of Google permissions, keeps form responses out of our servers, and costs $69 a year with a free plan of 20 PDFs per month. It works with Google Docs templates only, not Slides, and does not merge arbitrary spreadsheets. If you need those, Autocrat is the better fit.
See if it fits. Add FairSign Forms to PDF to Google Forms. It is free for 20 PDFs a month, and Pro is $69 a year. See pricing.
Questions to ask any tool
- Where do I configure it, in the form or in a spreadsheet?
- What Google permissions does it request, and can I read why in plain language?
- Does my form data leave my Google account? If yes, where does it go?
- What does it cost at my volume, per month and per year?
- What happens when I hit a limit? Does it stop silently or tell me?
- Which template formats are supported (Docs, Slides, Sheets)?
- Can I make it work with my language and fonts?
- How do I cancel?
Run a real test response through each candidate before you commit. Ten minutes of testing tells you more than any comparison page.
Our take
If Autocrat already does what you need, keep it. If you want to set everything up from the form, need starter templates in English, Chinese or Vietnamese, or want a short permission list and no form data on anyone else's servers, try FairSign Forms to PDF on one form.