We Checked Out 15 Digital Signature APIs for Businesses. Here’s What We Found.

Quick Summary

This article reviews the top 15 eSignature APIs for businesses, helping you choose the best one for your needs. eSignature APIs simplify document signing and improve workflows. For better efficiency, explore solutions like SignWell. Take action by integrating an eSignature API, and for more insights, check out our blog for further research and updates.

Looking for the Best eSignature API?

E-signature APIs allow businesses and developers to integrate e-signature capabilities into their applications, websites, or workflows with only a tiny amount of code. 

Building, maintaining, and updating a reliable, secure, and feature-rich e-signature platform is expensive and time-consuming. Using an eSignature API can be a cost-effective way to streamline this process in the long run. 

At SignWell, we’ve spent a lot of time using these tools. That gives us a unique perspective on what separates good eSignature APIs from great eSignature APIs. So, we thought we’d help make your decision easier by offering you our top fifteen tools.

Let’s get started!

15 Best eSignature APIs

Here’s a quick rundown of the e-signature APIs we’ll discuss now:

  • SignWell: Affordable, simple, and legally binding e-signatures.
  • DocuSign: Best for consent retrieval and ID verification.
  • Zoho Sign: Document and template management with high security.
  • BoldSign: Enterprise-level, customizable document signing and tracking.
  • eSignatures.io: Mobile-first solution for responsive contract rendering.
  • Dropbox Sign: Integrates seamlessly with Dropbox for document signing.
  • Adobe Acrobat Sign: Reliable Adobe integration for enterprise document signing.
  • Foxit eSign: Custom-branded e-signatures with strong developer support.
  • PandaDoc: Streamlined document creation and management with integrations.
  • GetAccept: Automates document uploads and signing for sales teams.
  • HelloSign: User-friendly API for simple document signing solutions.
  • Sertifi: Combines e-signatures with payments for fast processing.
  • RightSignature: Simple, intuitive API for basic e-signature needs.
  • OneSpan: Focuses on secure, enterprise-grade identity verification.
  • Yousign: Easy integration and compliant e-signature workflows.
API Provider Best For Key Features Pricing
SignWell Simple, Affordable, Legally Binding eSignatures Embedded signing, eSignature integration, automated forms, secure and compliant, 99.99% uptime. Free developer account; custom pricing
Docusign Retrieving Consent and ID eSignature API, ID Verification API, Click API, CLM API, customizable workflows, ID verification support. Developer Account (Free), Paid plans $50+
Zoho Sign Document and Template Management Document management, template management, scalable for growing businesses, OAuth 2.0 security, good developer documentation. $0.50 per signature request
BoldSign Best for Enterprises Embedded signing, multi-tenant SaaS app integration, excellent customer support, customizable branding. $1.20 per document (600 docs/year)
eSignatures.io Best for Rendering Contracts on Small Screens Mobile-responsive contracts, advanced placeholders, webhooks for notifications, template collaboration. $0.49 per contract sent
Dropbox Sign Best for Dropbox Users Secure audit trail, signer attachments, multiple language support, integration with Dropbox, drag-and-drop fields. $75+/month
Adobe Acrobat Sign Best for Adobe Users Easy integration with Adobe apps, workflow triggers, audit trails, high-volume usage, merges data into PDFs, enterprise integrations. Free for up to 500 transactions/month
Foxit eSign Best for Custom-Branded Documents SDKs for multiple languages (Java, Python, PHP, etc.), API documentation, and webhooks for workflow automation. Free Developer Account; $25/month per user
PandaDoc Best for Document Management Document generation, legally binding signatures, customizable user flows, developer dashboard, integrations with CRM tools. $19+/user/month
GetAccept Best for Automating Document Uploads Open API, customizable branding, support for multiple signers, integrations with CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), comprehensive documentation. Custom pricing for API
HelloSign Best for Ease of Integration Easy-to-use API, simple signing experience, document status tracking, webhook notifications, and integration with popular tools like Google Drive. $29+/month
Sertifi Best for Payment and eSigning Integration Integration with payment gateways, seamless document management, robust reporting tools, and security compliance. Custom pricing
RightSignature Best for User-Friendliness Easy integration, flexible signing options, simple user interface, fast document management. $15+/month
OneSpan Best for Financial Transactions High security and compliance for financial industries, identity verification, and authentication tools. Custom pricing
Yousign Best for European Use Compliant with eIDAS (EU Regulation), secure signature authentication, easy API integration for mobile apps. From $19/month

Why Listen to Us?

At SignWell, building a top-tier eSignature API has been a priority from the start. Our API is used by businesses of all sizes and trusted by developers who need powerful, secure, and scalable document workflows.

In creating our product, we’ve evaluated most major eSignature APIs—from the world’s biggest platforms to fast-growing newcomers—so we know what makes an API great, and what to avoid.

What Is an eSignature API?

An eSignature API allows individuals and businesses to integrate digital signature functionality directly from their products and websites rather than using an eSignature tool directly.

The features you can access through an eSignature API vary from tool to tool, but might include:

  • Embedding e-signature capabilities into websites and apps
  • Signing documents online
  • Collecting eSignatures from customers, employees, and other stakeholders
  • Verifying signers’ identities using secure methods such as public key cryptography
  • Integrating with existing software applications
  • Archiving signed documents securely
  • White labeling

Take SignWell, for example.

SignWell is a legally binding e-signing platform for securely collecting and storing electronically signed documents. We’ve simplified the document signing process to make e-signing accessible for everyone and provide functionality for automated, speedy, accurate, and compliant e-signatures.

Our e-signature API is among the best—with robust security and compliance with U.S. and international e-signature laws. Consider integrating the API into your web or app code to create, complete, and send out all the documents you need electronically signed.

Benefits of an eSignature API

Workflow Automation

The main benefit of an eSignature API is workflow automation. By integrating the API into your app or web code, you can get documents signed quickly and securely—no need to manually send out emails or spend hours getting documents printed and then signed manually. 

Plus, many tools that offer eSignature APIs can automate the process of sending documents from one person to the next according to pre-set orders. This means you can send, sign, and store documents in one automated process.

Ease and Convenience

Many e-signature APIs are designed to integrate with platforms and applications effortlessly, reducing the amount of time you need to spend sending out documents to signatories. Additionally, an e-signature API allows you to generate documents for signature on autopilot, send reminders to signatories, and track signature statuses.

Cost-Saving

eSignature APIs can help businesses save on costs, improving profits in the long run. When you’re investing less time into preparing, sending, and signing documents, you’re reallocating resources to other, more important tasks. This can translate into major cost savings for your business.

Things to Consider When Choosing An eSignature API

  • Compliance with industry standards: Ensuring the e-signing vendor meets industry compliance for e-signatures is essential. Verify whether they comply with e-signature laws such as eIDAS, ESIGN, U.S., and international laws. You should be clear on the validity of signatures on the platform you choose to be covered should a legal dispute arise.
  • Security: Encryption and security must be in place to protect signatures and sensitive information from unauthorized changes and tampering. The integrity of signed documents should be guaranteed under the signer’s sole control (Article 26 eIDAS). 
  • Usability: Consider your users and how intuitive they’ll find the platform to use successfully. Especially consider customers who may be new to e-signing and more accustomed to using pen and paper.
  • Easy integration: Consider how straightforward the API will be to integrate into your systems and start using it. Is the API documentation regularly updated? Will API assistance be readily available?
  • Scalability: Ensure the e-signing API offers provisions to scale. Issues like inefficient storage handling will hinder your business from scaling quickly.
  • Availability: What’s their uptime like? The last scenario you want is for signatures to be delayed due to a broken platform. 99.99% is the gold standard, representing just five minutes of downtime annually.

Choose SignWell for a Competitive Advantage

The right eSignature API can speed up your deals, reduce costs, and improve user satisfaction. And that’s exactly what SignWell was built to do.

With intuitive documentation, a generous free tier (25 documents/month), white-label options, and full compliance with global laws, SignWell’s API helps you get documents signed faster—without bloated features or complicated pricing.

Remember that SignWell will give you a competitive advantage when finalizing your decision. Our tool stands out because it is intuitive enough to collect e-signatures from almost anyone, even if they’ve never signed electronically. Resulting in you collecting more signatures faster!

Start today and try us out by sending your first 25 API documents for free!