In this article we review the best e-signature software, highlighting their features, pricing, and pros/cons. We also explain electronic signature software, its benefits, and why businesses are increasingly adopting it. SignWell stands out as an intuitive, affordable option with automation and integration capabilities.
E-signatures aren’t a new technology—but for many businesses, adoption has been slow. However, with the rise of remote work, virtual collaboration, and digital document management, the demand for electronic signature solutions has skyrocketed.
And it’s not hard to see why.
Study after study reveals that switching from ink-and-paper signatures to digital ones can save businesses both time and money. In fact, according to one study, half of the organizations surveyed are going digital to cut down on expenses.
But with so many options on the market, how do you know which e-signature software is right for your organization? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this SignWell guide, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top e-signature tools that will help make signing documents faster, easier, and more secure.
Let’s get started.
At SignWell, we’ve spent tons of time testing popular e-signature tools to determine which features are must-haves, what tools are best for specific industries, and which offer the most benefits at a reasonable price.
We’ve used these insights to develop our own e-signature tool that’s designed to be simple and affordable, while still offering the features that make e-signing so powerful. However, we understand that every organization has different needs and preferences.
With that in mind, we’re here to help you find the e-signature solution that works best for your business.
Electronic signature software is a category of software that lets users sign, send, and store legally binding documents without the need for physical paperwork. To do this, e-signature tools use various technologies to verify the signer’s identity—things like:
Once the signer’s identity is confirmed, they can electronically sign the document using their mouse, keyboard, or stylus. In some cases, they can upload an image of their signature or simply click a confirmation button to indicate their agreement.
Once a document is signed, electronic signature software will often help you maintain the file, storing it in a secure location and providing you with easy access when needed. Some solutions even offer advanced features like audit trails, document tracking, and automatic reminders for unsigned documents.
SignWell is a simple (but powerful) electronic signature software designed to streamline the document signing process for businesses of all sizes.
We’ve worked hard to create an e-signing process that supports the various ways people naturally use e-signing software, with features like bulk sending, orders, and no-download, no-signup for all (it’s all done through email invite).
We’ve also made sure to include features that lighten your workload through automation. For example, you can set up templates and workflows to streamline the signing process for common documents and automate reminders for signers to ensure timely completion.
SignWell offers a free plan that’s great for personal use (or anyone who wants to test out the platform). One person can use it to send three documents per month, with extra features like templates and reminders.
The paid plans include:
Paid plans are also where you’ll be able to access advanced features like custom branding, in-person signing, data validation, and more. You’ll want to choose the plan that best fits your needs and budget.
SignWell’s API pricing is pay-as-you-go—you only pay for what you use. Billing occurs after 30 days based on your volume. There is an option to pay monthly or yearly, with a 10% discount for yearly payments.
Your first 25 API documents are free each month.
Pros
Cons
Adobe Acrobat Sign is a digital signature solution designed to streamline the document signing process. It’s integrated with Adobe Acrobat, allowing users to create, sign, send for signature, manage, and track documents from a single platform.
This solution is also Microsoft’s preferred e-signature solution, so you also benefit from seamless integration with Microsoft apps. That means if you already use tools like Outlook, Word, or PowerPoint, you may find it easier to incorporate Adobe Acrobat Sign into your workflow.
Adobe offers various e-signature plans for businesses and individuals.
Individual users can get it in Acrobat for $12.99/month and Acrobat Pro for $19.99/month with an annual commitment. Teams and businesses can access the tool at $14.99 to $23.99 per user per month with an annual commitment.
There are also custom enterprise plans available for large organizations with high-volume signing needs.
Pros
Cons
DocuSign offers a comprehensive system for preparing, signing, and managing agreements electronically. Part of the DocuSign Agreement Cloud, its e-signature solution enables users to sign documents on virtually any device, from almost anywhere, at any time.
The platform aims to replace slow, manual, and paper-based processes with an automated, digital solution, boasting over 500,000 customers and millions of users in over 180 countries.
DocuSign offers three main e-signature plans—Personal, Standard, and Business Pro, with prices ranging from $10 to $40+ per user per month when billed annually.
Each plan comes with varying features like the number of envelopes per month, collaborative tools, advanced fields, and integrations. Customers can save up to 44% by choosing an annual billing cycle, and there are enhanced plans available for larger businesses that require more envelopes and users.
Pros
Cons
PandaDoc is a comprehensive electronic signature software known for its extensive document management and workflow automation capabilities. It’s used by over 20,000 companies globally to create sales documents and close deals faster.
PandaDoc distinguishes itself with advanced features like templates, interactive quotes, version tracking, the ability to collect payments through documents, and CRM integrations.
PandaDoc’s pricing has three tiers—Essentials ($19/user/month), Business ($49/user/month), and Enterprise (custom). Each tier offers additional features and capabilities, with the Enterprise tier providing the most advanced features like smart content, unlimited team workspaces, and API access.
Pros
Cons
Dropbox Sign (formerly known as HelloSign) is a comprehensive electronic signature software designed to facilitate the signing and management of documents digitally. Acquired by Dropbox in early 2019, Dropbox Sign has garnered attention for its ease of use, integration capabilities, and robust security features.
That said, the leading draw for many is that the tool is natively integrated into Dropbox.
Dropbox Sign offers pricing plans ranging from $15/month for individual users to $25/user/month for small teams. For larger teams, Dropbox offers custom quotes.
All paid plans include unlimited signatures.
Pros
Cons
Signeasy is an electronic signature solution designed to facilitate the signing and management of documents digitally. It’s widely adopted across various industries like insurance, education, healthcare, and more, for its ease of use and efficient document management capabilities.
Signeasy offers a range of pricing plans to cater to different business needs.
The pricing starts from $10 per month per user for the Essential plan, going up to $50 per month per user for the Business Plus plan. Each plan offers various features like unlimited document sending, templates, mobile apps, integrations with popular platforms, and varying levels of security and support options.
They also offer a free plan that supports up to 3 documents per month.
Pros
Cons
SignRequest is an electronic signature software that enables users to easily send and sign documents in a legally binding manner. It prioritizes simplicity, affordability, and efficiency, making it a suitable option for businesses of all sizes. The platform is designed to be intuitive, with a user-friendly interface that simplifies the digital signing process.
SignRequest offers two main pricing plans: Professional for $9 per month per user and Business for $15 per month per user. Both plans provide unlimited documents and come with a free trial option for users to explore the features before committing to a subscription.
Pros
Cons
Nintex eSign is an electronic signature solution best suited for medium to large businesses, with a particular focus on sectors like legal, financial services, health, and government.
It’s crafted to streamline the document submission process, with features like electronic signing and tracking within current business workflows. This makes it perfect for operations needing to collect, implement, and secure multiple signatures monthly.
Nintex is compatible with any device, enabling certified or biometric electronic signature approvals from anywhere, anytime.
Nintex allows you to customize pricing based on your specific needs and usage volume.
Pros
Cons
Zoho Sign is an affordable, secure, and user-friendly electronic signature solution that facilitates the digital signing of documents. It’s designed for businesses of all sizes, offering a comprehensive suite of features to manage document signing processes efficiently.
Zoho Sign offers a range of different pricing plans—Free, Standard ($10/user/month), Professional ($16/user/month), and Enterprise ($22/user/month). The free plan is limited to 5 envelopes per month, so most businesses will need to upgrade.
Pros
Cons
ShareFile is a secure content collaboration, file sharing, and sync software that offers integrated e-signing (previously known as RightSignature).
From secure document collaboration and email encryption to e-signature and file sharing, ShareFile allows businesses to share documents and manage workflows in a secure environment.
The pricing for ShareFile ranges from $10 to $67.50/user/month, depending on the plan you choose.
Higher-tier plans offer more features, like additional storage and advanced security options. There is also a free trial available for some paid plans for those who want to test out the platform before committing.
Pros
Cons
eSignatures.io is a lightweight e-signature tool that offers a user-friendly and streamlined experience.
It supports 23 languages, offers a range of integrations through Make (formerly Integromat) and Zapier, and has a free trial available for some of their paid plans. You can also access a few advanced features like audit trails, placeholders, and SMS authentication.
eSignatures.io offers pay-as-you-go pricing. This model gives users the flexibility to pay per sent contract without extra fees or hidden costs, making it economical for varying business sizes.
The pricing for eSignatures.io is straightforward, with a flat rate of $0.99 per sent contract. There are no monthly fees, and all features, including API and Zapier integration, are included in this pricing structure.
eSignatures.io also offers an Enterprise plan which includes a monthly fee of $4,999 and a cost of $0.99 per sent contract. It provides 24/7 support with SLA, a dedicated account manager, and access to Zoom meetings.
Pros
Cons
SIGN.PLUS is a comprehensive electronic signature software that excels in both price and performance compared to its competitors. It distinguishes itself with superior mobile apps for Android and iOS, offering a seamless experience for mobile users.
SIGN.PLUS offers plans starting at $9.99 per month for the Personal plan, going up to $49.99 per user, per month month for the Enterprise plan. You can also choose annual billing. These plans suit individual users and businesses needing different features and support levels.
Pros
Cons
OneSpan Sign (formerly eSignLive) is a leading provider of electronic signature software, catering to a wide range of industries including finance, government, and healthcare. The platform is designed to streamline the document signing process, making it faster, more secure, and compliant with global regulations.
OneSpan Sign offers a free trial for users wanting to test the platform out, along with three main plan options.
The Developer Sandbox offers a free unlimited environment for testing API and SDKs. The Professional plan ($22/user/month) includes features like e-signatures, unlimited templates, in-person and remote signing, advanced fields, mobile apps, and more.
The Enterprise plan provides flexibility in pricing with options for user or transaction-based pricing, REST API & SDK support, embedded signing, customized workflows, white-labeling, and premium support.
Pros
Cons
BoldSign is an electronic signature solution designed to streamline document signing processes for businesses of all sizes. It offers a user-friendly interface and robust features to ensure secure and efficient handling of digital documents.
ReadySign is an electronic signature software designed to provide unlimited document signing capabilities with simple, transparent pricing. It enables users to prepare, send, and sign documents securely from any device, ensuring compliance with the ESIGN Act and UETA.
Organizations that implement electronic signatures see an impressive 85% increase in overall performance. This boost signifies a substantial advancement in operational efficiency, streamlining processes, and enhancing productivity across various functions and departments within the organization.
The shift to electronic signatures results in an 80% decrease in signing errors and a remarkable 66% reduction in missing files. These statistics underscore the precision and dependability of electronic documentation systems, ensuring accuracy and completeness in record-keeping and transaction processes.
Adoption of electronic signatures can lead to a remarkable 500% surge in customer loyalty. This surge is primarily driven by the seamless and expedited signing process facilitated by e-signatures, which greatly improves customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty.
Electronic signatures offer substantial ROI benefits, with 81% of businesses achieving a positive ROI within a 12-month budget cycle. This ROI is fueled by enhancements in operational efficiency, increased productivity, and boosted sales.
Electronic signatures play a pivotal role in reducing the time required for document processing, enabling organizations to save up to an impressive 22,000 hours annually. This time-saving efficiency is important for expediting contract closures, accelerating agreement processes, and enhancing overall operational agility and responsiveness.
Make sure that the software uses strong encryption methods to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your documents. Plus, verify that the software complies with relevant legal and industry regulations, like eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust Services) in the European Union or the ESIGN Act in the United States.
SignWell ensures compliance with U.S. and international laws, including ESIGN, eIDAS, and UETA, as well as SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, and GDPR. Our platform offers secure document signing, with archived and protected documents to prevent further adjustments.
Opt for software with an intuitive interface to streamline the signing process for all parties. It’s also important to choose a solution that’s compatible with different devices (e.g., phones, laptops, etc.), operating systems (e.g., Windows, iOS, etc.), and browsers (e.g., Firefox, Chrome, etc.).
Check whether the electronic signature software integrates seamlessly with your existing tools and software, like document management systems, CRMs, and cloud storage services. If you are a Zoho user, for example, you may benefit from using Zoho Sign
Additionally, if you have specific integration needs, make sure the software provides APIs for custom integrations.
SignWell’s API offers a secure and scalable solution for seamlessly integrating electronic signatures into your website or web application. Users can conveniently fill out and sign documents directly on your platform, enhancing the user experience and automating workflows.
When evaluating e-signature software, check if it can automate different document workflows effectively. Look for features like document prep, sending, reminders, and archiving. Make sure it supports version control and tracks changes during signing.
For example, Dropbox Sign is a strong choice for digital document management, since it’s integrated into Dropbox’s popular cloud storage and document management ecosystem.
Check for robust audit trail capabilities that record every action and event in the signing process. For example, SIGN.PLUS offers tamper-proof audit trails and non-editable logs that capture activities with details like name, IP address, email address, and device.
It’s also essential to seek tools that provide compliance reports to aid in meeting regulatory requirements.
For example, SignWell’s audit reports enable monitoring of each document signature with detailed audit logs. These reports record all signatures, email addresses, relevant details, and document changes, enhancing transparency and accountability in the signing process.
There you have it—fifteen of the best e-signature software available.
Each of the tools we’ve covered is designed to help streamline your document management process and make it easier for you to obtain legally binding signatures. But not all will work equally well in every situation.
Looking for an intuitive, powerful e-signing solution? Look no further than SignWell. We’ve designed our platform with an easy-to-use and intuitive interface, making it simple for anyone to use within minutes of signing up.
Try SignWell for free today.