Have you ever wondered if there is a better way to give signatures? You’re not alone. There are millions of people that have been stuck in a rut with just their hand and a pen as a means to give their signature. Thankfully, technology has come a long way and many e-signature companies have popped up which make the process of signing documents easier for both the creator and recipient of the document.
In this article, I am going to share my experiences with three leading companies in the world of e-signatures which includes SignWell, HelloSign, and DocuSign.
SignWell — Best Free Electronic Signature Software
- FREE FOR 3 DOCS PER MONTH
- UNLIMITED DOCS START AT $8
- AUDIT REPORTS
- DOCUMENT SHARING AND TRACKING
For those of you who only need the occasional document signed, SignWell will be the perfect option for you. It’s safe, secure, and works on any device.
Even as a free software, all SignWell signatures are still legally binding.
More than 9,500+ businesses rely on SignWell for e-signatures. The software is simple but still comes with all of the features you need to sign documents and collect signatures.
- Instant signing
- Document workflows
- Collect multiple signatures on one document
- Ready-to-use templates
- Audit reports
- Document sharing and tracking
- Form field suggestions
- Sales documents
The free SignWell plan supports up to three documents per month for a single sender. For unlimited signatures, the Personal plan for a single user starts at $8 per month. Business plans start at $24 and include three users.
If you only need a couple of documents signed, the SignWell free plan is perfect for you. Learn more.
BEST OVERALL PandaDoc
PandaDoc wins for best overall because it offers a wide range of features with a user-friendly interface and reasonable pricing, including a free plan that can work for varying personal and business signature needs.Pros
- The free version includes unlimited signatures and payment collection
- Upgraded versions include templates, integrations, and advanced pricing
- Strong security and robust features to meet most signature-related needs
Cons
- Templates and integrations require a paid membership
- The lowest cost paid plan starts at $19 per month when billed annually
PandaDoc is a good choice for signatures, whether you need a single signature for a one-off contract or regularly need to have documents signed for your business. It offers a little something for everyone and is very easy to use. For those reasons, it clinches our top spot for electronic signature software.
The free plan could easily meet your demands if you have fairly basic signature needs. The lowest cost plan adds an audit trail, template, and rich media with a drag-and-drop editor for $19 per month per user on an annual plan. The higher-cost business plan is $49 per month per user and includes custom branding, approval workflows, CRM and Zapier integrations, and other helpful features. Some specific tools, like forms, bulk sending, and Salesforce integration, may require an extra fee.
PandaDoc helps you create or upload documents for signature quickly and makes it very easy for your customers to sign. Automated workflows push the process along when certain signatures are dependent on someone else. If you want to customize your sales documents with designer templates or CRM integration to align more with your brand and better your customer’s experience, it’s possible. But it’s also easy to just get simple signatures once in a while when you need them. Altogether, PandaDoc is a good choice for most signature needs.
BEST VALUE eSignatures.io
We picked eSignatures.io because it is a lightweight signature tool for fast signatures with a flat cost of $0.49 per sent contract.Pros
- Predictable pricing of $0.49 per contact sent (discounts for nonprofits)
- No add-on costs or fees and most services are included
- Speedy signing process for sent contracts
Cons
- No subscription option for unlimited signatures
- Fewer features than some competing apps
ESignatures.io isn’t as well-known of a name as some larger competitors. Still, the pay-per-contract pricing of only $0.49 each makes it highly desirable for some businesses, particularly those with a lower volume of signatures that require features included with some expensive subscriptions to other signature platforms.
There is no monthly fee or any subscription required. This low rate comes with nearly everything eSignatures.io has to offer to make document and workflow management a breeze. That includes SMS-based contracts, bulk sending, embedding, white-labeling, audit trail, and integrations with many sales and customer platforms. Even more, custom branding and template options can tailor your documents to your company’s style, helping you stand out to your customers.
For a pay-as-you-go signature app, this one has plenty of useful features and a good price. If you send less than 20 signatures documents per month, you could save a bundle by choosing this solution.
BEST FREE OPTION Preview for macOS
We picked Preview as the best free option because it is already built into all modern Mac computers and enables you to drop a signature into nearly any document quickly.Pros
- A free app built into macOS
- Save multiple signatures to paste into PDFs and other files
- You may already have it installed
Cons
- Not available for Windows
- It doesn’t support all file types
- Not cloud-based for multiple signers
Preview is built into macOS as a free, included feature. If you use a Mac laptop or desktop and ever click on PDF files or images, there’s a good chance you’ve used Preview and were just a couple of clicks away from adding a signature.
With Preview for the macOS app, you can create and save your signature or initials to your computer. The easiest way to do this may be to sign a piece of paper and use your computer to take a picture. You can also use the screen on an iOS device to save your signature. Once it’s saved, you can click on the Markup Toolbar button or Sign button to add it to a PDF.
Preview also gives you the option to combine multiple PDFs and rearrange the pages. You can password-protect sensitive documents so unwanted eyes can’t intercept and read the file. While it doesn’t work for everything and is not compatible with any operating systems other than macOS, Preview is simple to use and you can’t beat the price.
SignNow — Best For Embedded Electronic Signatures
- STARTS AT $8
- ROBUST API
- ENTERPRISE-GRADE SECURITY
- SIMPLE INTEGRATIONS
SignNow is a cross-platform e-sign software. It has a robust API, making it easy for businesses to embed electronic signature capability into their websites and apps.
You can use this software to create complex e-sign workflows and facilitate online signature requests without writing a single line of code.
There are other e-sign platforms on the market that offer similar functionality, but none are as straightforward as SignNow.
SignNow also integrates with a wide range of third-party apps out of the box. Sync it with your CRM, accounting software, payroll system, ERP system, marketing automation software, and more.
For such a powerful solution, SignNow is surprisingly affordable.
- Business – $8 per user per month
- Business Premium – $15 per user per month
- Enterprise – $30 per user per month
- airSlate Business Cloud – $50 per user per month
All plans come with unlimited templates and the SignNow mobile app. SignNow also offers enterprise-grade security. It’s GDPR compliant, OAuth 2.0, PCI DSS compliant, HIPAA compliant, and more.
DocuSign — Best Multi-Purpose Electronic Signature Software
- SAFE AND SECURE
- 350+ INTEGRATIONS
- SUPPORTS 43 LANGUAGES
- CONTRACT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT (CLM)
DocuSign is one of the world’s most popular electronic signature solutions. More than 500,000+ individuals and businesses across the globe trust this platform.
As a pioneer in the e-sign industry, the software has facilitated millions of signatures over the years.
DocuSign is one of the most versatile solutions in this category. It’s used in industries like financial services, real estate, government, education, healthcare, insurance, and more. The software is trusted by human resources departments, sales teams, and legal teams alike.
With DocuSign, you’ll benefit from features like:
- 350+ integrations
- Instant visibility statuses
- Support in 43 languages
- Reusable templates
- 99.99% uptime
- Mobile app signatures
The software is safe and secure as well. Compliance certifications include GDPR, ISO 27001, PCI data security, CSA STAR, SSAE 16, FedRAMP, HIPAA, and more.
DocuSign has solutions for individuals, small businesses, and global enterprises. Whether you need to collect signatures on a daily basis, or just need to sign the occasional one-off contract, DocuSign can accommodate your needs. They also have tools for complete contract lifecycle management, contract negotiation, and AI agreement analytics.
Here’s an overview of the DocuSign plans and pricing:
- Personal – $10 per month
- Standard – $25 per user per month
- Business Pro – $40 per user per month
Try DocuSign free for 30 days; no credit card required.
Conclusion
You need to check out the best e-signature software out there. You can use this for signing your documents and ensuring your confidential information stays confidential. There are many software packages you can choose from including scanner, email signer and digital signature tools such as Adobe Acrobat and DocuSign, Microsoft Office and others.
These tools let you sign all of your important documents quickly and effectively. So before you take a printing a document, think about using one of the many e-signature programs on the market today.