Software Alternatives & Startups

FILExt VS PDFGate

Compare FILExt VS PDFGate and see what are their differences

FILExt

Open, view and convert files online

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
Pricing
Free Free trial
PDFGate

Generate, process, and sign documents with a single API.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial $9 / Monthly

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, FILExt should be more popular than PDFGate. It has been mentioned 2 times since March 2021.

social mentions
2 vs 1
File Converter popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
73 vs 67

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

FILExt
PDFGate
Website filext.com pdfgate.com
Pricing
Free Free trial
Paid Free trial $9 / Monthly Official pricing
Platforms —
Zapier REST API
Company 2000 2024
Listed in

About FILExt and PDFGate

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

FILExt
PDFGate

FILExt is one of the oldest and most respected collections of file formats and file extensions. Over the past 20 years, more than 50 million users have found the right information and tools to open any file on their computer or smartphone. Our knowledge gathered during this period is regularly...

Read more about FILExt

PDFGate is a developer-first platform for generating PDFs, sending documents for signature, and managing document workflows. Convert HTML to PDFs, create fillable documents, and automate processing tasks like data extraction, watermarking, and encryption — all through a simple and scalable API.

Read more about PDFGate

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

FILExt 4 features
PDFGate 7 features
  • Extensive Database
    FILExt offers a comprehensive database of file extensions and associated programs. This is useful for users who need to identify or understand specific file types.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The website features an easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users of all technical levels to find information about file extensions quickly.
  • Regularly Updated
    The database is regularly updated to include new file types and extensions, ensuring that users have access to the most current information.
  • Free Access
    FILExt provides this vast array of information for free, allowing users to access necessary data without any financial commitment.
  • HTML to PDF
    Convert raw HTML or a live URL into a PDF with a single API call.
  • Fillable Form Fields
    Add native form fields such as text boxes and checkboxes to any PDF.
  • Form Data Extraction
    Read the values entered in a filled PDF form as structured data.
  • Digital Signatures
    Send documents for signing with envelopes, multiple recipients, embedded signing links and status webhooks.
  • PDF Security
    Password protect PDFs and flatten forms so filled content cannot be edited.
  • Watermarking and Compression
    Add watermarks to PDFs and reduce their file size.
  • MCP Server
    Let AI agents generate, fill and sign PDFs through the PDFGate MCP server.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
FILExt
PDFGate
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing FILExt and PDFGate.

What makes your product unique?

FILExt's answer

FILExt.com is a specialized online resource that provides comprehensive information about file extensions and the software applications associated with them. What makes FILExt.com unique is its extensive and meticulously curated database of file extension information, which serves as a valuable tool for users trying to identify unknown file types or seeking compatible software to open specific files.

Key Features That Make FILExt.com Unique:

  1. Extensive Database: FILExt.com boasts one of the largest collections of file extension information available online, covering a wide range of file types across various platforms and industries.

  2. Detailed Information: Each entry includes detailed descriptions of the file type, its purpose, and the software programs that can open, edit, or convert the file, providing users with actionable information.

  3. User-Friendly Interface: The website is designed for easy navigation, allowing users to search for file extensions alphabetically or use a search function to find specific file types quickly.

  4. Regular Updates: The database is continually updated to include new file extensions and software applications, ensuring that the information remains current and relevant.

  5. Community Engagement: FILExt.com often incorporates user contributions, allowing individuals to submit new information or corrections, which helps maintain the accuracy and breadth of the database.

  6. Educational Resources: Beyond just listing file extensions, FILExt.com may offer articles and guides that educate users on how to handle different file types, troubleshoot issues, and understand the nuances of file compatibility.

By focusing exclusively on file extensions and their associated applications, FILExt.com provides a niche but essential service that assists users in navigating the complexities of various file formats, making it a unique and valuable resource on the internet.

PDFGate's answer:

PDFGate covers the whole document workflow in one API. You can generate PDFs from HTML or URLs, add and fill native form fields, extract form data, and send documents for digital signature without stitching several vendors together.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

FILExt's answer

FILExt.com provides a comprehensive and up-to-date database of file extensions with reliable information on how to open them, making it a user-friendly choice over its competitors.

PDFGate's answer:

Most HTML to PDF APIs stop once the PDF is rendered. PDFGate goes further, with fillable form fields, flattening, watermarking, password protection, compression and signing envelopes with webhooks. It also ships an MCP server, so AI agents can generate and manage PDFs directly.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

FILExt's answer

The primary audience of FILExt.com is users seeking information about unknown or unfamiliar file extensions, including how to open, use, or convert files with those extensions.

PDFGate's answer:

Developers and SaaS teams that generate invoices, contracts, reports and forms from their own backend, and businesses that need those documents filled and signed.

What's the story behind your product?

FILExt's answer

FILExt was established in 2000 by Tom Simondi in California and is now based in the heart of Europe. In the 1990s, Tom Simondi worked mainly in computer support, sharing his knowledge with the Internet community. A single file extension page on 'Computer Knowledge' became particularly popular, because this website contained not only the appropriate description but also links to the software manufacturers. PC Magazine has selected Tom's file extension site as one of their Best 100 Undiscovered Sites. Microsoft became aware of this website and integrated it into Windows XP. When XP tried to open a file it did not know how to open it gave the user the option of choosing a local program or go to the Internet to find the answer. The second option resulted in Tom's file extension research page. Due to the great response to this single web page, FILExt.com was launched in 2001.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

FILExt's answer

FILExt.com primarily uses Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET for its server-side scripting.

PDFGate's answer:

PDFGate’s REST API is built with Node.js and NestJS, which handle document generation, form fields and webhooks. Digital signing runs as a separate Java service, chosen for its mature cryptography and PDF signing libraries. The platform is hosted on AWS. Developers can integrate through the REST API or through the PDFGate MCP server, which lets AI agents work with PDFs directly.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

FILExt's answer

Some of FILExt's biggest customers are Fortune Global 500 companies.

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

FILExt 5.0 · 1 review
PDFGate no reviews yet
  • Great online tool to look into files
    SaaSHub review
    · Aug 2021

    Better than Apache Tika's File Analyzer. The Filext online viewer shows any text found in a uploaded files. thousands of file types are previewed.

We have no reviews of PDFGate yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

FILExt 2 mentions
PDFGate 1 mention
  • how do you open or use .bin files as in to edit the contents or something similar to that
    Use https://filext.com to determine what kind of file it is, because some extensions are used for multiple file types. For example it can be used on DVDs as part of an automatic launching, as a form of executable file refered to as... Source: over 4 years ago
  • Need help decompiling AITD : The New Nightmare
    I can't figure out the ones without the filetype The VRM files are probably VR Model files, which you can learn more about here: https://vrm.dev/en/ Howeveer, the VRM files also say that they are gzip compressed, and I can't figure out... Source: over 4 years ago
  • PDFGate
    Hey there, I’m the founder of [PDFGate](https://pdfgate.com), an API that converts HTML into PDFs with support for fillable forms, encryption, and digital signatures. Like many here, I’ve run into the same frustration: most HTML to PDF... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago

Alternatives to FILExt and PDFGate

When comparing FILExt and PDFGate, you can also consider the following products.