Is there an official AWS D1.1 WPS form?

AWS D1.1:2025 includes a sample WPS form in Annex J (Form J-1). It is a suggested format that comes with the standard; the code lists the required content.

Can I keep using my Excel WPS template?

Yes. Nothing in the code requires software. What matters is that the WPS has the required content, the values are within the code limits, and it is approved and available to the welders.

Is the WPS Welding free account just another template?

It is a template plus rules-only checks against the D1.1:2025 tables, saving and PDF export. AI drafting and the other modules need the paid plans or the trial.

Comparison · checked 2026-10-26

Excel and Word WPS templates vs WPS Welding.

Many shops write WPSs in a Word or Excel copy of the code’s sample form, or a template from the internet. It costs nothing and works for a handful of procedures. This page covers where that is enough and where software starts to pay.

§ 01

The short answer.

Choose Excel and Word WPS templates if you have a few procedures that rarely change, a CWI who knows the code tables by heart, and a small welder roster you can track by hand.
Choose WPS Welding if you write new procedures often, want each value checked against the code, or need WPQs, continuity, PQRs and NDE records in one place for an audit.

§ 02

At a glance.

As of 2026-10-26	Excel and Word WPS templates	WPS Welding
What it is	Fillable copies of the code forms (such as ASME QW-482 on pdfFiller) or sample WPS layouts from welding sites.^[1]	A web app with an editor, rule checks and linked records.
Official form	AWS D1.1:2025 has a sample WPS form in Annex J (Form J-1), which comes with the standard. ASME IX gives QW-482 for the WPS.^[3]	PDF export follows the Annex J (Form J-1) layout.
Essential variable checks	None. The person filling it in checks the values.	Deterministic rule engine for AWS D1.1:2025 Tables 6.6 and 6.8 and ASME QW-251. Values never come from the AI.
Modules	One file per document. Welder records and continuity in separate sheets.	WPS, PQR, WPQ and welder roster, qualification matrix, continuity tracking with lapse alerts, joint sketch. Pro adds NDE reports, code interpretations search and an audit packet ZIP.
Delivery	Files on a PC or shared drive. Works offline.	Web app in the browser. No install. Needs an internet connection.
Price	Free (plus the cost of the code book).^[1]	Free account: WPS editor, templates, rules-only drafts, PDF. Solo $199, Pro $249, Shop $499 a month (1, 3 and 10 seats). Annual is 10 times monthly.

Competitor facts from the public sources listed below, checked 2026-10-26. WPS Welding facts are from our own product and pricing page.

§ 03

Where Excel and Word WPS templates is better.

Free and offline. A template costs nothing, needs no account, and works on any PC without internet.
Total flexibility. You can lay out the form exactly as your customer or quality manual wants, for any code, including ones WPS Welding does not cover.
Enough for a few procedures. A shop with three or four stable prequalified WPSs and a handful of welders may never need more than a good template and a CWI.

§ 04

Where WPS Welding is better.

Values checked against the code. A spreadsheet does not know that A572 Gr 50 is Group II or what the minimum preheat is for the thickness. Our rule engine checks base metal, preheat and fillet size against Tables 5.6, 5.11 and 7.7, and the essential variables against Tables 6.6 and 6.8.
Records that link. WPSs link to their PQRs, welders to their WPQs, and continuity is computed from those records with lapse alerts. In spreadsheets each of those is a separate file to keep in sync.
Revision history and audit packet. Every WPS keeps its revision history, and the audit packet ZIP collects the current versions of everything for an auditor.
The free account is a template too. If you only want a better template, the free account gives you the editor, starter templates and a Form J-1 style PDF without a card.

§ 05

When WPS Welding is the wrong choice.

If you have a few stable procedures, work to codes we do not cover, or need to work offline, a well kept template is a reasonable choice.

WPS Welding covers AWS D1.1:2025, ASME Section IX and AWS D1.6. It does not cover AWS D1.2, D1.5, API 1104, ISO 15614 or CSA W47.1 today, and it has no SSO or multi-organization workspaces yet. It is a new product without a long customer track record.

§ 06

Frequently asked.

Is there an official AWS D1.1 WPS form?: AWS D1.1:2025 includes a sample WPS form in Annex J (Form J-1). It is a suggested format that comes with the standard; the code lists the required content.
Can I keep using my Excel WPS template?: Yes. Nothing in the code requires software. What matters is that the WPS has the required content, the values are within the code limits, and it is approved and available to the welders.
Is the WPS Welding free account just another template?: It is a template plus rules-only checks against the D1.1:2025 tables, saving and PDF export. AI drafting and the other modules need the paid plans or the trial.

§ 07

Sources.

pdfFiller fillable ASME QW-482 form: www.pdffiller.com/100042805-fillable-asme-section-ix-qw-482-form-files-asme (checked 2026-10-26)
Welding and NDT sample WPS format (PDF): www.weldingandndt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Sample-WPS-Format.pdf (checked 2026-10-26)
WPS Welding: what a WPS is and the Annex J sample form: wpswelding.com/welding-procedure-specification (checked 2026-10-26)

Facts about Excel and Word WPS templates were taken from its public website on 2026-10-26. Products and prices change, so check their site before you decide. Excel and Word are trademarks of Microsoft. ASME and AWS forms belong to their publishers. WPS Welding is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email sales@wpswelding.com and we will fix it.