Papermark is the open source DocSend alternative: upload a PDF, share a link, see who viewed which page. It is a strong choice, and its code is open source and can be self-hosted (the pricing page lists a self-hosted option on Enterprise). People look for alternatives when the document is not really a PDF anymore, when the free plan's 30 days of analytics are not enough, or when they want readers to do more than scroll. Papermark facts below come from papermark.com's pricing page and its GitHub repository, read on 2 November 2026.
What do Papermark's plans include?
- Open source: the repository is AGPLv3, with the
eefolders under a commercial license. - Free: 1 member, 50 links, 50 documents, unlimited visitors, page-by-page analytics, 30 days of analytics retention, password, expiry and optional email capture.
- Prices in USD. Pro: $29 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly). Business: $69 a month billed yearly ($90 monthly), where email verification by code starts. Data Rooms: $119 a month billed yearly ($179 monthly).
- Time per page is tracked on every plan.
Papermark alternatives, ranked
Hostus is first because it is the option we recommend when the document is a web page, like most proposals, reports and updates an AI writes today. The rest follow with the case where each is the right pick.
1. Hostus. A home for documents you send as web pages, built around the people who read them. Upload the proposal, deck or update as an HTML page (Claude or ChatGPT can turn your draft into one) and it lives at https://your-doc.hostus.page. Set it to Email-gated and the reader types an email before it opens; restrict it to a list of addresses or a company domain, and revoke access at any time. You see which email opened it and when, and how long each reader spent on each section. Readers can ask the document a question and get an answer drawn from it, reply to a specific section (you get an email), and, on public pages, ask for their own version, such as a one-page summary or a translation, published under their name with a link back to yours. Fix a sentence and upload again: the link stays the same, with the last 20 versions kept. Free: 20 documents, 2 MB in total (HTML and media together). Paid: $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
2. Stay on Papermark. Pick it if the file is a PDF or a deck that must stay one, if you want to self-host an open source tool, or if you need data rooms.
3. DocSend. Pick it if the other side expects DocSend and you need its advanced data rooms. See DocSend alternatives.
4. Ellty. Pick it for fundraising and deal data rooms with per-page analytics, NDA and Q&A; see Ellty alternatives.
How do the options compare?
| Option | Format | Free plan | Reading analytics | Readers can ask or reply | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostus | HTML pages | 20 documents | By section, per reader when gated | Yes: ask the document, reply to a section, ask for a version | No |
| Papermark | PDF and documents; HTML from Business | 50 documents, 30-day analytics | By page | Visitor feedback on every plan; Q&A in data rooms | Yes, AGPLv3 with commercial parts |
| DocSend | PDF and documents | No, free trial only | By page | Check their plans | No |
| Ellty | Documents and data rooms | Mentioned after the trial; limits not listed | By page, in seconds | Q&A from the Data Room plan | No |
Why send a document as a page instead of a PDF?
Because the reader can act on it. A page can hold an accept button or a short form, a calculator, a live chart or tabs, and it reads well on a phone. You can fix a number after sending without a new link. And reading by section, how long a client spent on Pricing or whether anyone reached Next steps, maps to how you follow up better than "page 7". On Hostus the reader can also ask the document a question, and the questions nobody's document answered show you what to add.
Good to know before you switch
Hostus hosts HTML pages, not PDFs, slides or Word files: a PDF that must stay a PDF belongs in a PDF-first tool. There are no data rooms with NDA gates, watermarks or screenshot protection, no e-signature and no team seats. The email gate does not verify the address; it records what the reader typed, and the link is the credential. There is no custom domain (pages live at a hostus.page subdomain), and every page carries a small Hostus badge. Links can be set to expire only through the Hostus connector or API, up to 90 days.