Over the years, e-signature software went from being a convenience to a necessity for business.
Since the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce, or ESIGN, Act passed in 2000 and set legal requirements for e-signatures, the market has shown no signs of slowing down. Before the move to remote and hybrid work, many businesses used e-signature software at least once per month. Yet, with legal guidelines in place and a growing demand for the ability to conduct business remotely, e-signatures took flight with no signs of stopping.
E-signature software has various benefits for organizations, like improved performance and reduced costs. Paper usage also decreases, which is better for the environment, and e-signatures are convenient and avoid having users print out, sign, scan and mail documents.
However, not all e-signature software is the same. As organizations evaluate options, they should consider how employees will use the software, its integrations and whether it offers a mobile app, which can be essential for consumer-facing businesses. Organizations should also examine templates that require signatures -- such as contracts -- and their signing processes.
The unranked, alphabetical list of platforms below was created based on reports from leading analyst firms, such as Gartner and Forrester, and user reviews on G2 and Capterra, plus additional research by TechTarget editors.
1. Adobe Sign
Most Adobe Acrobat users understand its e-signature capabilities, but full access to those features requires a purchase. Adobe Sign lets recipients sign documents without downloading anything. Like other e-signature platforms, Adobe Sign integrates with various tools, including Salesforce, Zoho CRM, SAP SuccessFactors, Microsoft and Box, among others.
Users can create digital forms on their websites and integrate Adobe Sign for e-signatures. The software also offers a mobile app to scan and upload PDFs, along with customizable templates, notifications and reminders. Adobe Sign is easy to use, has responsive customer support and simplifies how users upload a signature.
However, the mobile app can be clunky, and its features can overwhelm some users -- making Adobe Sign a better choice for enterprise customers. It also lacks integration capabilities beyond its existing choices.
Adobe Sign's pricing for the Acrobat Standard for teams starts at $14.99 per user monthly.
2. Docusign
As part of Docusign Intelligent Agreement Management, a contract lifecycle management system, Docusign gears its e-signature software toward companies that handle a lot of contracts. The software has a mobile-responsive web app to simplify how parties sign agreements. It also supports document routing to multiple parties and lets users create reusable templates with standard and customizable fields.
Docusign uses APIs to integrate with over 350 apps, including Microsoft, Salesforce, Zoom, SAP, Google and Oracle products. The platform is user-friendly, offers multilanguage support and enables visibility into who views and signs documents. However, users can't download multiple documents at once with this tool, and it can't integrate with other PDF apps.
When billed annually, Docusign's e-signature pricing starts at $10 per month for the Personal plan and $25 per user monthly for the Standard plan for small-to-medium-sized teams.
3. Dropbox Sign
Formerly known as HelloSign, Dropbox Sign is part of the Dropbox suite. It offers document templates for commonly used forms, like nondisclosure agreements and tax forms, and sends automated reminders so unsigned documents don't fall through the cracks.
Dropbox Sign also integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Workspace, Box and SharePoint. Users can embed e-signatures into websites or apps using APIs, and automate employee onboarding and hiring processes. It also encrypts data during transfer and at rest to protect user privacy.
The platform is mobile-friendly, with notification and reminder options. However, some challenges include difficulty editing documents and limited customization.
The Dropbox Plus plan -- designed for individuals -- starts at $9.99 per month when billed annually. The Business version, geared toward teams, starts at $15 per user monthly, when billed annually. Both plans include Dropbox Sign.
4. Jotform Sign
Jotform Sign is e-signature software that includes workflow automation to let users sign documents on any device. It also lets users turn PDFs into documents with e-signature capabilities, automate processes and reuse document templates. Users can create approval workflows, embed documents for signatures in websites and receive alerts about document status through Jotform Sign Inbox.
Users said Jotform Sign is easy to use and set up, with an intuitive UI. However, customization is limited, and the number of signatures it collects is limited based on the pricing tier.
Jotform Sign offers a free version for users to collect 10 signatures per month. The paid tiers start with Bronze, which starts at $34 per month for 100 signatures and removes all Jotform branding.
5. PandaDoc
Organizations looking for e-signature software with a lot of features might consider PandaDoc. It offers a mobile app so users can track documents' statuses and get notified when someone opens, views, comments on or signs a document. The tool also offers a template library with over 450 contract, proposal and invoice templates, and users can drag and drop elements of them into documents to create their own templates.
The PandaDoc API lets users integrate with third-party apps, and users can add it to PDFs and Word documents. It offers prebuilt integrations with apps like Salesforce, Zapier, Zoho, HubSpot and Dropbox.
The software is easy to use, especially for creating documents. However, the signing space is small and can benefit from more out-of-the-box integrations.
PandaDoc offers paid plans that start at $19 per user monthly, when billed annually, that include templates, document editors and analytics.
6. ReadySign
Like its counterparts, ReadySign's e-signature software includes customizable templates and forms. It can also create an AnySign link, which lets signers opt in to sign the forms they need. Other features include bulk sending, notifications, reminders, custom signatures, document management to organize signed forms and user management with role-based permissions.
ReadySign is easy to use, cost-effective, enables a comprehensive audit trail and offers responsive customer service. However, users might struggle to control the reminders, and the search features are not easy to use. Also, the vendor's website lacks integration information.
ReadySign's pricing starts at $25 per user monthly for 10 users. The 40-user plan is $10 per user monthly, and the 100-user plan is $6 per user monthly -- all when billed annually.
7. SignNow
As a private cloud e-signature software provider, SignNow lets users add e-signatures to various forms, documents and templates, including PDFs, Word documents and contracts. The software uses APIs for website, CRM and other app integrations.
SignNow enables conditional documents, which means organizations can set documents to route by role. It also lets teams collaborate to create documents and templates and add custom branding to content. The platform is easy to use and supports e-signature management for multiple documents. It's also easy to sign documents from mobile phones.
Yet, the tool presents challenges. The documents don't open immediately and instead prompt the recipient to download the file. It also lacks a commenting feature for users to provide feedback before signing.
SignNow's pricing starts at $8 per user monthly, when billed annually.
8. Zoho Sign
Zoho Sign enables users to upload PDFs, Microsoft Word or other documents and add e-signature fields. It also offers reusable templates for frequently used documents and enables public URLs for self-service document signing. The tool also includes features for bulk sending, document status tracking, identity verification and regulatory compliance. It can be used on mobile devices.
Users said Zoho Sign offers good security, is easy to use and can easily integrate with other products and place e-signatures. However, the tool offers limited customization, and customer support is lacking.
Pricing for Zoho Sign starts with a free plan that allows for five signatures per month and signature workflows. Paid plans start at $10 per user monthly, when billed annually.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2022 and was updated to reflect changes in the e-signature software market.
Christine Campbell is a freelance writer specializing in business and B2B technology.