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Make working with documents something easy with these DocuSign Alternatives: Free and Paid

At the core of any growing business should always be properly managed processes that bring positive outcomes along with friendly and professional experiences for both clients and employees. One of the best ways to achieve such a thing is to shift business operations online, make it one step closer to an automated workflow, and adopt a trusted eSignature solution.

The popularity of the latter has not boomed until recently. Individuals and businesses can use an eSignature instead of a handwritten one. It has the same legal weight as a wet signature and is equally admissible in court. However, some people still prefer paper-and-ink solutions to manage paperwork over electronic ones. There are several myths some people still hold on to:

However, as the shock waves of COVID-19 and the global climate changes shocked our societies, businesses, and individuals have started migrating their document management online and adopting eSignatures. The recent IRS statistics are just another example of proof. In 2020, over 90% of tax filers submitted their tax reports electronically - and this number is expected to grow. If you or your business haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, now is the time to do so. Digital transformation is just one step away.

Where do wet signatures fall short?

The typical scenario of getting papers signed and routed is a somewhat convoluted process. We send documents as PDFs or in any other formats to our clients and employees. Most of them print the documents, sign them by hand, scan them, and email the signed copies back and forth. If the content needs some editing, you edit them using third-party websites, often exposing your sensitive data online. These routinely performed tasks often result in:

Does it pay off to switch to electronic signature?

According to the World Counts, paper waste occupies 26% of the world’s total landfill waste; it also accounts for 1-3% of companies’ expenditures, according to Gartner Inc.

Amidst COVID-19, having a paperless and online solution for managing paperwork is imperative for businesses that want to keep pace with changes.

There is no shortage of affordable and easy-to-use tools in the market that allow for the editing and eSigning of documents. If you’re actively searching for ways to test out, adapt, or improve your eSignature workflow, the first software that you might think about is DocuSign.

What is DocuSign?

DocuSign is, undoubtedly, one of the most popular services for eSigning, managing, and automating document flows online. It’s been around since 2003 and gained a reputation as a trustworthy and full-fledged platform for working with eDocuments. DocuSign is a great tool for signing papers electronically, collecting eSignatures, and facilitating any type of paper-based workflow.

DocuSign’s subscription plans

DocuSign offers four pricing plans — Personal, Standard, Business Pro, and Premium. Each plan caters to the needs of individuals and businesses of any size. Pricing is based on every plan’s features and capabilities, the number of users, the number of envelopes (containers with documents) sent, support level, etc.

DocuSign also offers a Freemium option with a limited toolset for those who don’t have regular needs in eSignature solutions.

What do users like the most about DocuSign?

What do users dislike about DocuSign?

Even though DocuSign was the first to set a quality benchmark in the eSignature and document management industry, it still has a few significant drawbacks:

Is DocuSign a Holy Grail for eSignature and document management?

The whole point of taking documents digital and swapping the traditional wet signature for the modern eSignature is to reduce the costs that come from paperwork and file storage. By alleviating the burdens of a physical connection to negotiation and document management, companies should be able to save time and gain a more professional look in their clients’ eyes.

Considering the pricing of DocuSign plans and the features they provide at higher-than-market prices, DocuSign might not seem like the best choice for individuals or businesses looking for a budget-friendly option. It seems only reasonable to consider a more efficient DocuSign equivalent, price- and functionality-wise. We’ll go over other similar programs and examine what the best eSignature solution is for you.

Sign or request to sign PDFs: Paid DocuSign alternatives

As the eDocument market evolves, new cheaper alternatives to DocuSign emerge and provide even more competitive and less pricey features. With various tools, the full document management and signing process might seem simple on the surface. However, it is a highly complex process that requires all records to be properly managed to keep up with a range of compliances and industry standards.

DocuSign vs. pdfFiller

pdfFiller is probably the best alternative to Docusign, and here’s why. An online PDF editor lets users effortlessly edit and create PDF files and handle business transactions electronically. With pdfFiller, you can get unlimited eSignature capabilities, collaborate on documents, modify PDF content, create and share interactive fillable forms, and collect payments.

pdfFiller offers three pricing options:

You get 30 days to test out the software before committing to an annual or monthly plan.

The lower plan provides you with a range of features to work with PDF files and eSign them. The multi-seat Plus plan gives more options in terms of customization. You get a whole spectrum of tools for editing PDF files (rearranging, editing, converting to other formats) and interactive features such as signing links, data collection forms and fillable fields, and integrations with major platforms. The Premium plan provides you with even more solutions automation-wise: payment collection, role-based workflows, access to the most extensive library of legal forms. On top of that, while DocuSign charges $60/month + $60/user, while pdfFiller offers even more features for $40/month + $8/user.

With pdfFiller, you can password-protect your PDF documents. With DocuSign, you can do so with the envelope (file with documents). Also, if you don’t want someone to access company documents, you can take advantage of the Encrypted Folder feature and protect sensitive information.

The best part about pdfFiller is that you can access it on any device of your choosing. It has a desktop app for both Windows and Mac and a mobile one for Android and iOS. If you, by chance, are already using it in a web browser, you will find that the editor doesn’t differ significantly across other versions. So it won’t take a lot of time or effort to get the solution up and running, no matter the platform you are on.

SHA-256 encryption ( sensitive data protection standard, used in the medical and banking industries), real-time audit log, two-factor recipient authentication, and password-protected documents.

ESIGN, UETA, HIPAA, FERPA, SOC II Type 2, PCI DSS, CCPA, and GDPR

assistance from support within a day (Basic plan), within 30 minutes (Plus plan), instant priority support in a live chat (Premium plan).

pdfFiller is well-suited for businesses of any size looking for the best price/quality value. It offers more valuable and competitive tools at considerably lower prices.

To discover all pricing options or sign up for a free trial, click here.

DocuSign vs. SignEasy

SignEasy is one option among eSignature services. Like DocuSign, it’s a cloud-based eSignature software that allows you to sign and send eSignature requests from a web or mobile application in a specified order or simultaneously from anywhere. It started as a mobile app; the mobile-first approach makes using the software very easy and intuitive. SignEasy lets you integrate and sync information with major solutions: Microsoft Outlook, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.

SignEasy offers three pricing options:

If you subscribe to annual billing, you save up to 50% in the long run. The first two plans are single-seated, meaning that only one user will have access to the account. The service charges $20 for every new user you add to the team within the Premium plan. The price is much more competitive than the per-user rate that Docusign offers ($25 additionally for each user in the Standard plan and $60 in the Business plan).

Unlike DocuSign that offers a 30-day free trial, SignEasy only grants users 14 days to try their software.

The SignEasy and DocuSign workflows for signing documents are quite similar. You can add, drag and drop, or upload documents to sign yourself or send for signature with both services. The recipients receive an email asking them to sign the document. SignEasy is well-suited for individuals or small and medium-sized businesses that need multi-seat accounts and essential collaborative options to work with documents.

One of the main SignEasy highlights is the in-person signing feature that comes with the basic Plus plan. With DocuSign, to get this feature, you need to opt for the Business Pro plan.

SignEasy lacks some of DocuSign’s essential capabilities, such as sending documents in bulk to multiple users and creating a link for easier document sharing. Unlike DocuSign, the service doesn’t offer the ability to set up a payment method for collecting customers’ payments. Also, the Plus and Professional plans only come with three reusable templates, which doesn’t make SignEasy a great replacement to DocuSign. This might be time-consuming, considering that you need to add fillable fields every time you send a document for signing.

SignEasy offers real-time assistance through live chat or phone calls with the Professional and Premium plans.

industry-standard SSL encryption, information is stored on AWS service.

ESIGN, UETA, European Directive, eIDAS, PCI-DSS, EU Regulation No. 910/2014, IRS, CFR 11 (coming soon), and GDPR.

In terms of features and enhanced capabilities, DocuSign trumps SignEasy. However, SignEasy is more competitive price-wise. It’s more suitable for individuals or small businesses looking to cover the most basic needs.

To check out all the service capabilities and find out more details, click here.

Docusign vs. eSign Genie

eSign Genie is a full-featured eSignature DocuSign alternative for signing and getting documents signed by multiple recipients in just a few clicks. It also allows for API integration, has an audit trail, and reusable templates.

eSign Genie offers four pricing options:

eSign Genie gives users 14 days to take their software for a test drive. The trial includes two reusable templates and five documents.

With most other cheap DocuSign alternative services offering only subscriptions, a pay-as-you-go option sets eSign Genie apart from DocuSign and other services. You can buy a minimum of 5 documents on demand at $2 each that never expire. If you need more documents to sign or send for signature, you can simply top up your account.

eSign Genie’s interface is similar to DocuSign’s, except you can drag and drop fillable fields onto the document from the left toolbar instead of clicking on them. A point that might make customers choose in favor of eSign Genie is the limited number of reusable templates available with DocuSign. As you upgrade to Business Premium, you get up to 20 reusable templates.

eSign Genie also offers custom branding options at a lower price. It allows users to add custom colors, logos, email domains, and remove favicons from the signature frame. Besides, eSign Genie allows third parties to sign in person without providing an email address.

256-bit document encryption, audit trail, eSignature certificate, role-based activities, email authentication.

UETA, ESIGN, HIPAA, FINRA, CFR Part 11.

eSign genie provides a wide range of materials that facilitates onboarding for new users. It also offers live chat and phone support, starting with a Professional plan.

eSign Genie is the solution that is well-suited for small and mid-sized businesses that handle documents regularly and freelancers that prefer to pay as they need.

To read more about the service’s capabilities or sign up for a 14-day free trial, click here.

DocuSign vs. eversign

eversign is an intuitive and secure solution for individuals and companies of any size to sign and collaborate on electronic documents and manage teams. eversign offers multiple integration opportunities with Salesforce, Google Docs, OneDrive, Zoho, and others.

eversign doesn’t offer a free trial, but you can sign up for a single-seat free plan to send up to five documents to be signed per month.

eversign offers three pricing options apart from the Free plan:

Signing up for an annual plan saves up to 50% in the long run.

The company’s core product offerings are in-person signing options, contract negotiation tools, an audit trail, and an extensive library of templates. eversign integrates with major platforms such as Google Docs, Salesforce, and others. The platform offers robust and all-in-one solutions at a lower price point compared to DocuSign. However, it does lack the features that might be critical for some businesses, such as bulk-sending of documents to multiple users at once and collecting payments using interactive fields.

If you get stuck while using eversign, you can visit the eversign’s Help Center or contact the support team with the option available under your plan: phone, email, contact form, or live chat.

maintained by apilayer, audit trail, all data connected to accounts and documents information is stored on servers that are hosted by IBM.

ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Even though DocuSign offers more capabilities, eversign would be a good fit for businesses that want to get off the ground with professional eSignature tools and API solutions at a lower cost.

DocuSign vs. HelloSign

If you’re looking for DocuSign competitors that provide a smooth and frictionless eSigning experience, look no further than HelloSign. It’s a user-friendly tool that allows companies and individuals to create and route electronic documents for signatures. The platform makes it easy to fill out documents and manage entire document workflows from anywhere from the web or mobile application.

HelloSign offers five pricing options:

The service offers a 30-day free trial. Unlike other services, it requires you to provide a credit card to sign up for the trial.

The Free plan comes with a single-user account and routes up to three signature requests per month. Other options have no limitation on the number of eSignature requests but allow up to 5 senders (with the Business plan) to join the account.

HelloSign integrates with Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot CRM, and others and cloud platforms such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, etc. One of the most competitive features, that make HelloSign stand out from the crowd of lookalike solutions, is a highly intuitive interface and user flow. However, HelloSign falls short in providing an unlimited number of reusable templates that save users a great deal of time.

AES 256-bit encryption, transparent document encryption with DEK and the master key, TLS-encrypted communication.

SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, ESIGN, EUTA, eIDAS, Privacy Shield, and GDPR.

One of the ways to get in touch with support representatives is by filling out an online form or sending an email, which, as indicated on the website, is a primary source of assistance. You may also find the answers to your questions by visiting the Help Center.

Despite offering good pricing options, HelloSign’s main disadvantage is the limited number of reusable templates that come with the best-value plans.

To discover all pricing options or sign up for a free trial, click here.

DocuSign vs. Open eSignForms

Open-source software is a type of software program that makes its source code publicly available. It means that anyone can take it, make any tweaks and use it without any legal problems in the future. If you’re looking for a Docusign open source alternative, Open eSignForms by Yozons might be your best option. They were pioneers in web-based eSignature solutions and, since 2001, offered their open-source code for businesses, non-profit organizations, and medical institutions and helped them shift document management processes online.

To learn more about this open-source substitute for DocuSign, visit this page.

Free DocuSign alternatives for eSigning PDFs

Suppose you need to sign a simple vacation rental agreement and email it to your landlord. The only option you find is to sign up for eSignature services, but that is not something you feel like doing. Besides, you might not want to go too deep into the technicalities of using the advanced eSignature software and only need basic features: writing on a PDF document, adding some essential graphic elements, and inserting your digital signature. Believe it or not, there are plenty of free apps like DocuSign available right at your fingertips. Let's take a look at a few of them.

Sign or request to sign PDFs: free DocuSign alternatives

One of the biggest challenges of eDocuments is the ability to eSign it and get it eSigned by another party(-ies) whose signature(s) is vital on the document. In most cases, this is required for agreements, business contracts, transaction certificates, etc.

Suppose your needs are limited to self-signing and editing. In that case, you need to consider checking programs similar to DocuSign that offers more possibilities for professional document workflows to meet your needs.

Let’s go over some alternatives that will not cost you an arm and a leg.

DocuSign offers a Free plan, and it comes with a pretty basic but useful set of features. Under this plan, you can add basic and custom fields to documents (text, initials, signature, date, name, etc.), self-sign an unlimited number of files, send up to three documents for signing per month, and keep track of your document workflow via an audit trail.

If you’re still looking for other free solutions to test out, you might want to check Dochub and PandaDoc.

DocuSign vs. Dochub

Dochub is among the apps similar to DocuSign. It provides editing and eSigning services. It offers a Free plan with minimal editing and signing capabilities, catering to the most basic needs. You are allowed to edit up to 2,000 documents, create up to five self-signed documents and three signature requests. In addition to that, it has a useful Google Chrome extension that helps edit documents right from your browser.

Verdict: DocuSign and DocHub free plans come with limited capabilities. However, Dochub limits the features that DocuSign users take advantage of without any limitations or additional costs.

DocuSign vs. Pandadoc

PandaDoc, with its free plan, is probably the best alternative to DocuSign. You’re allowed to upload as many files for signing and sending as you or your business need. PandaDoc is the only eSignature platform that offers the ability to collect payments at no extra cost. In addition to that, you may invite up to three users to collaborate on documents free of charge.

Verdict: PandaDoc sounds like the best option for freelancers or small-scale businesses that are just starting out or those on a limited budget.

Despite being packed with great features, Docusign is not the best choice to go with if the DocuSign pricing options do not really fit into your growth strategy. The price for the most basic Personal plan starts from $15/month. As your business scales, you might want to add more capabilities, and will need to pay for the features that are probably already included in other programs like DocuSign that offer plans at a better price. In addition to that, you might end up overspending on features that you don’t really need.

Have you tried pdfFiller yet? You won’t find any other PDF editor like pdfFiller that features a top-notch eSignature solution and document management tools for streamlining your daily document-based workflows. Take the guesswork out of choosing the right eSignature and data routing solution for your business. pdfFiller is well-suited for individuals as well as organizations of different sizes and from various industries.

Take pdfFiller for a test drive for 30 days free of charge and see for yourself.