DocuSign alternatives
Contrary to what many people may think, the move towards digitalization of contracts and other business documents does not mean that paperwork is over. However, it means that you should sign differently. No need to look for a pen, scribble your name several times on a piece of paper and mail it. In most cases, all you have to do is type in your name, tick off a box or use your laptop’s touchpad. And most importantly, it has the same binding power.
You might be familiar with DocuSign whether you are sending out documents for signing or signing them yourself. This one topped our list as we evaluated various eSignature apps available. But there are many apps out there that provide almost similar functionalities so if DocuSign doesn’t work for you here is a large group of Docusign alternatives
The most popular Docusign alternatives in a look
All these applications are ones that I have tried out and I can assure you that they will make it possible for you to put your signature on a document even if it is digital, often with some other additional features.
Do alternatives to Docusign work for official signatures?
The simple answer is yes – these Docusign alternatives provide legally binding signatures.
However, this is where things start getting complicated: unlike the interchangeably used terms would suggest, electronic signatures and digital signatures do not mean the same thing.
An electronic signature simply means that you have entered either keyboarded or scrawled or any other way into a document, usually in a PDF format. Just use whatever software you prefer to draw your signature; from MS Paint to Photoshop. In spite of its potential vulnerability to forgery by anyone, it still affords legal standing although actualizing it when someone goes before court could be tough. Do not be tempted to write my name on an agreement and then tell me that I digitally appended my signature (no).
To avoid such absurdities, most eSignature apps actually generate digital signatures. Besides inserting your paper-like signature, these services utilize cryptography in order to safeguard this file as well as include specific information like email addresses of signatories; time and place of signing; serial number and specs of the device they used for signing. This gives the document a fingerprint that makes it unique and creates a paper trail that can be independently audited.
If you are in search of a reliable digital signature app that can enable you make online signatures, you should get one from the initial part of this document. However, any of the Docusign alternatives here is great for simple marking where your signature is needed.
The following other apps can be used for digital signatures in place of Docusign
Docusign may be the most famous name when it comes to digital signature apps but there are many others like that. In case you prefer to take an overly official approach, here are some greatest Docusign alternatives.
OpenSign is a fully featured, easy-to-use eSign app with a free plan. You can send unlimited documents out to be signed every month without paying anything. So, if you only need to get contracts or other legal documents signed every so often, it's a great Docusign alternative.
Why Choose OpenSign™?
Innovative Technology: Harness the latest advancements in e-signature technology.
Data-Driven Security: With encryption and compliance at the forefront, your documents are in safe hands. also provide self host option for those who want full control of their data.
User-Centric Design: Experience unparalleled ease of use, designed for individuals and businesses alike. OpenSign™ user experience is designed while keeping the most novice user in mind. Finally, a tool that does not need numerous hours of training to get started.
Scalable Solutions: From small startups to large corporations, OpenSign platform grows with your needs. From free for life plan for individuals to branding and single-sign-on support for enterprises, our platform supports everything.
Open source APIs: OpenSign offers an open-source API that allows you to integrate it with your custom applications.
Being a business-bound Docusign alternative, SignNow is made in such a way that even the lowest-priced plan allows many users on one team. This isn’t true for all eSign apps. That’s if you pay annually. If advanced payment is made this subscription costs only $8/user/month instead of the original $20/user/month.
Adobe Acrobat Sign (formerly Adobe Sign) is one of the largest Docusign alternatives. It has everything you would expect from an industry giant like Adobe, whether you’re running a small business or a massive corporation. You can also edit and convert PDFs with it. Although it may not be as easy to integrate into your existing workflows, honestly, the most annoying thing about this product is Adobe changing its name over and over.
At esignatures.io, we offer focused electronic signing experience. The system enables you to create agreements and send them out to be signed by recipients individually or in bulk, automatically through API as well as when someone follows link though SMS or email. For example, let’s say you hire temporary workers during summer and need 20 contracts signed by June but none throughout the rest of year; well then eSignatures.io would be a good option in this case as it only charges based on usage rather than being paid for upfront use.
PandaDoc isn't just a digital signature app. It's designed to handle all kinds of important documents that your clients need to fill in or approve, like proposals, quotes, and contracts. If you need something that gives you more flexibility over your document workflow, it's worth a look.
DocHub is a full document collaboration app for teams, but it includes eSigning even on the free plan. If your team needs to create and edit a lot of documents together as well as occasionally get things signed, it's a great Docusign alternative.
DocHub pricing: Free for up to 3 eSignatures/month; from $10/month for Pro, with unlimited eSignatures.
Signaturely is another easy-to-use electronic signature app. It integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, and Box, so whatever cloud storage provider you use, Signaturely makes it simple to send documents out to be signed.
Signeasy is a solid Docusign alternative, with great mobile apps and support. It doesn't do anything radically different, but it offers a good service at a good price.
Signeasy pricing: Free for up to 3 eSignatures per month; from $10/month for Essential, with 5 eSignatures per month.
Xodo Sign (formerly Eversign) is a good eSignature app with a generous free plan. While the app might not be as polished as some of the others on this list, you can send up to five documents to be signed each month for free, which is pretty generous for the category.
Free Docusign alternatives already on your computer
If all you want to do is sign a document someone sent you via email, these are the Docusign alternatives you're looking for. Whether you're on a PC or a Mac, you have a solid option.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is Adobe's free PDF reader available for pretty much every platform. You can use it to digitally sign documents yourself, or send up to two documents off to be signed each month.
Adobe Acrobat Reader price: Free
Apple's Preview app allows you to electronically sign documents—but not digitally sign them. It's not as secure as a dedicated eSign app, but it'll do for simple forms and paperwork.
Preview pricing: Free (and already included on macOS)
Docusign alternatives in cloud storage apps
When Dropbox bought HelloSign, eSignatures came into the world of cloud storage. Now all the big names in cloud storage allow you to sign and send documents. So if you already use one of these apps, it's worth seeing if they do the trick before you add another tool to your tech stack.
A few years ago, cloud storage company Dropbox bought HelloSign—at the time, one of the best electronic signature apps. It's now fully integrated signing documents into Dropbox. Even the 2TB $11.99/month Plus plan designed for individuals allows you to send three documents per month off to be signed. If you need more storage or signatures, one of Dropbox's plans for professionals or businesses will have you covered.
Like Dropbox, cloud storage company Box has moved into the electronic signature space. Box Sign is integrated with every Box account. With a free account, you can send five documents per month off to be signed—and you get 10 GB of storage. With the cheapest paid plan, the $14/month Personal Pro plan, you get 100 GB of storage and 15 signed documents a month. The business plans all have essentially unlimited storage and signing. Especially if you're already using Box, it's a great deal.
Google is rolling native eSigning out to its premium Workspace plans. Right now, anyone with the $9.99/month Individual Workspace plan can send documents out to be signed, but the feature is also gradually rolling out to the business Workspace plans. If you're an avid Google user, this is a nice value add.
Docusign alternatives in PDF apps
If you don't have a Mac or don't like Preview for whatever reason, any good PDF editor can be used to electronically sign most documents. Just make sure to check they seem legit and secure enough to store your sensitive files—you don't want to upload an important contract to DodgyPDFs.com.
PDF Expert (owned by Readdle) is great for Apple users since it has an iPhone and iPad app. It has all the core PDF editing features you'd ever need, but you'll need to pay to get access to the digital signatures feature.
PDF Expert pricing: Free plan includes access to basic editing tools; from $79.99 (billed annually) for digital signatures.
Canva's PDF editor is probably more than you need to just sign a document—you can add graphics, audio, bespoke stickers, you name it. But it just takes a few clicks to upload a document, sign it, and download it again—and you don't even need to create an account to do so.
Canva PDF Editor pricing: Free
Just like with Canva, Smallpdf lets you upload, sign, and download a document without even creating an account. It's no-frills, and you can draw, type, or upload your signature. There are also lots of other helpful fields you can add—in addition to the other PDF editing features.
Smallpdf pricing: Free; from $12/user/month for unlimited document downloads
How to choose the right Docusign alternative for you
The reality is that you can electronically sign a document with almost any app. And you don't even need an app: you could do something truly wild like print it out, sign it with a pen, then take a photo and email it off.
This means that there are lots of Docusign alternatives out there that could work for you. With that said, the three most important things to consider are:
- Do you actually need digital signatures? (If that's the case, make sure you use a dedicated eSign app.)
- How often do you plan to be signing things or sending things off for signatures? (If it's a one-time deal, use a free app.)
- Does the app offer the features you need at the price you want to pay? (Sometimes the time you'll save is worth the cost.)
Top comments (0)