7 Best Electronic Signature Apps for 2024

eSignature apps have revolutionised the way we handle paperwork, making the traditional process of printing, signing, and scanning documents a thing of the past.?

With the advancement of technology, it's now possible to sign contracts and legal documents electronically, eliminating the need for physical signatures.?

However, ensuring the legality and validity of electronic signatures apps? in court requires jumping through a few hoops.?

To ensure your digital signature holds up in legal scrutiny, it is crucial to use a dedicated eSignature app that adheres to legal requirements.

Whether you're looking to sign a document you've just received or need to send documents for digital signatures from contractors and business partners, We have carefully curated a list of the best electronic signature apps.?

After considering and testing nearly 50+ electronic signature apps, we've narrowed down the selection to the top esignature apps that cater to the needs of individuals and businesses alike.

Best eSignature Software Online

• signNow: Tailored for small teams to large enterprises and their document signing needs.
• DocuSign: Ideal for businesses handling a high volume of documents requiring signatures.
• Dropbox Sign: Perfect for seamless integration with cloud storage platforms.
• SignWell: A free document signing app with a user-friendly interface.
• Preview (macOS): Best for occasional document signing on Mac computers.
• Signaturely: Offers app for simplicity and affordability.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows): Great for occasional document signing on PCs.

Understanding the Distinction: Digital Signature vs. Electronic Signature

When discussing online document signing, it's essential to understand the distinction between digital signatures and electronic signatures.

An electronic signature refers to any typed, drawn, or computer-generated signature added to a document. While legally binding, electronic signatures can be easily forged, potentially causing challenges in court.?

If the authenticity of an electronic signature is disputed, it becomes difficult to prove its validity. Digital signatures, on the other hand, are a specialized form of electronic signatures that employ cryptographic techniques to safeguard the document's integrity.?

Digital signatures embed additional details, such as email addresses, timestamps, device information, and unique identifiers, creating an unforgeable "fingerprint" and an auditable trail. Digital signatures are highly secure, recognized worldwide, and require dedicated eSign apps to apply.

Although the terms "digital signature" and "electronic signature" are often used interchangeably, it's crucial to be mindful of their differences as you conduct your research.

What qualities define an exceptional electronic signature app?

The predicament with business app categories like this one is that frequently, the individuals responsible for purchasing or selecting the app are not the ones who have to utilize it on a daily basis.?

Although numerous eSignature apps are available, many of them are incredibly difficult to use.

To compile this list, the document signing software had to offer a user-friendly experience while also providing all the essential features that businesses require. Any reputable eSignature app must meet several criteria:

The capability to effortlessly add an electronic or digital signature to any document. The purpose of these apps is to facilitate signing documents.?

However, the simplicity and ease of use are key factors, as well as compatibility with various document types and devices.?

Moreover, seamless integration with other apps and software platforms is crucial. While most apps can add a signature or typed name, We specifically sought out those that excelled in usability and could adapt to diverse workflows, whether it involved onboarding internal staff or hiring external contractors.

The ability to send a document to another person for their signature. This feature holds significant importance for a dedicated eSign app, and just like signing a document yourself, it should be easy and pleasant for the recipient.?

Additionally, the recipient should not be obligated to create an account or install any apps to sign the document.?

Accessibility for small to mid-sized businesses. While there are plenty of eSign apps designed for enterprise clients, featuring expensive plans, contract lock-ins, and accommodating dozens of users, such apps are not included in this list.?

We focused on esign apps suitable for signing a few clients each month or onboarding approximately a hundred employees, rather than managing multinational corporations.

Security. Although we do not specifically seek out a predefined set of features, any app capable of storing sensitive documents such as contracts needed to address security concerns in some manner.?

Features like encrypted or password-protected documents, compliance with U.S. or EU government regulations, and support for digital signatures were all qualifying factors.?

Availability of a free trial or free plan. A decent free trial, or even better, a free plan, was a prerequisite for making it onto this list. Priority was given to apps that didn't require users to provide credit card details since they are unnecessary.

Initially, We had a list of nearly 50+ eSignature apps. However, it was too extensive to conduct meaningful testing, so we narrowed it down by reviewing their websites and excluding those that clearly didn't meet the criteria, were primarily targeted towards enterprise clients, had generally negative user reviews, or didn't seem like a good fit overall.

For the remaining apps, we created an account, uploaded a highly important contract in both Word and PDF formats, and sent it to a secondary email address.?

Furthermore, We proceeded to sign the contract both as the sender and the recipient, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the overall workflow. Most apps that didn't meet the standards during this stage were eliminated from the list.

For the apps that were reviewed and analysed in this initial test, we dedicated additional time to exploring their interfaces, testing any prominent features they claimed to possess, and ensuring they fulfilled the remaining criteria. Based on this thorough evaluation, We are presenting to you the best? eSign apps.

Best Electronic Signature App for Small Teams to Large Enterprises

1. signNow (Web, iOS, Android)

signNow, 1st selection for the best electronic signature app for small teams to large buisness.

For numerous businesses, collaborating on paperwork is a collective effort. It often requires individuals from various departments to collaborate on and review documents before they are dispatched.?

Many electronic signature apps? impose a significant monthly fee per user. When you add two or three additional accounts, it doesn't merely double or triple your expenses; it can easily quadruple or quintuple them compared to the personal plans designed for individual users.

This is precisely why signNow stands out as my preferred signature app for small teams. It doesn't even offer a separate personal or individual plan. The Business plan commences at $20 per user per month for monthly payments, placing it on the more affordable end of the price range.?

Furthermore, if you opt for annual payments, the cost reduces to just $8 per user per month. As long as you are willing to commit to the platform and anticipate working on numerous contracts with your team, this offers excellent value for your investment.

Upon signing up, the initial step is to invite your team members. Click on "MyTeams" in the bottom-left corner, then select "Create Team," and proceed to add the email addresses of the individuals you wish to invite.

In addition to its collaborative features, signNow fulfils all the requirements of a best electronic signature app. It provides a user-friendly signing process for recipients, offers an unlimited number of templates for various document types, and even includes mobile apps.?

Moreover, you can seamlessly integrate it with your other services using Zapier. This enables you to automate tasks such as requesting signatures from new Trainerize clients or triggering actions based on new rows in Google Sheets.

Price of signNow: The Business plan starts at $8 per user per month.

Best Electronic Signature Software for Businesses with Extensive Signing Needs

2. DocuSign (Web, iOS, Android)

DocuSign, our recommended choice as the premier electronic signature software for businesses dealing with a high volume of documents.

DocuSign has gained immense popularity as an electronic signature app, and rightfully so. It offers a user-friendly experience and encompasses all the essential features required by most users in an eSignature software. While it may not be the absolute best solution for every unique requirement, it undoubtedly ranks among the top three options.

Getting started with DocuSign is remarkably simple: sign up for a free trial, and within moments, you are prompted to upload a document, prepare it for signatures, and send it to recipients.?

If you urgently require someone's signature, DocuSign's free trial enables you to accomplish it within minutes.

DocuSign is designed to facilitate the efficient management of numerous documents at different stages of the signing process.?

Within the Manage dashboard, you have access to a sidebar featuring an Inbox for received documents or "envelopes," a Sent box for those you have sent, and a Drafts tab for documents currently in progress.?

Additionally, Quick View options allow you to easily identify documents requiring action, those awaiting signatures, those approaching expiration, and completed documents.

In addition to its streamlined document management, DocuSign offers robust templates and reporting features. If you frequently send identical contracts, you can establish a template within the Templates dashboard.?

By uploading a file or utilizing a previously sent document as a foundation, you can add signature and information fields, save it, and expedite the process. This approach is similar to sending individual documents but significantly accelerates the workflow.

While the reporting features may not be particularly useful if you only send a few envelopes each month and are well aware of who has and hasn't signed their contracts, they become invaluable when managing numerous contractors, freelancers, or clients who must sign agreements.?

By navigating to the Reports tab, you can access valuable insights such as the number of envelopes sent, signing speed, and the count of unsigned documents.

DocuSign also offers integration with Zapier, enabling you to automate tasks like automatically uploading DocuSign envelopes to the cloud or notifying your team when a document has been signed.

Pricing for DocuSign starts at $10 per month for the Personal plan, allowing up to 5 envelopes to be sent monthly. For unlimited documents and automatic reminders, the Standard plan is available at $25 per user per month.

Although DocuSign stands as an exceptional electronic signature app, there are other noteworthy Docusign competitors for businesses handling substantial document volumes.?

Top-notch Digital Signature App for Cloud Users

3. Dropbox Sign (Web, iOS, Android)

Dropbox Sign, previously known as HelloSign, stands out as the ultimate electronic signature app for cloud users. It serves as an excellent alternative to DocuSign, boasting a user-friendly interface and a 30-day free trial. Moreover, it offers unlimited signature requests per month with its basic paid plan.?

It's worth mentioning that if you are already a Dropbox subscriber, you can send up to three signature requests per month and sign as many documents as you need for personal use.

Currently, Dropbox Sign is undergoing a transition phase. While the app itself is impressive, you may come across references to "HelloSign" in various places, particularly in URLs.?

This transition doesn't disrupt any functionalities, apart from possibly affecting password managers. Therefore, it's advisable to embrace this change and anticipate that the integration will become even more seamless when this list is updated next year.

Behind Dropbox Sign's sleek user interface lies a range of powerful features. Among all the apps we tested, it excels in integrating with cloud storage platforms.?

While it seamlessly integrates with Dropbox, it also offers smooth compatibility with Google Drive, Box, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Word, OneDrive, and even Evernote.

Furthermore, Dropbox Sign doesn't hold back on additional features. It supports customized templates and, on higher-tier plans, provides options for personalized branding, multiple user accounts, and advanced team management.?

Should you wish to integrate Dropbox Sign with non-cloud storage apps, you can effortlessly achieve this through Zapier.

With this capability, you can automate tasks such as automatically sending a contract when someone completes a Typeform or logging signature requests in Google Sheets.

Dropbox Subscription Cost: Starting at $20 per month for the Essentials package, granting unlimited document storage. For current Dropbox users, there is a complimentary option available, allowing up to three documents per month.

Top-notch Free Electronic Signature App for Document Signing

4. SignWell (Web)

SignWell, our choice for the best free electronic signature app for document signing, stands out from the crowd. Not every business requires the ability to send or sign numerous contracts each month.?

In such cases, SignWell (formerly known as Docsketch) offers the ideal solution with its free plan, allowing up to three documents per month.

Upon signing up, you can immediately begin sending contracts. Simply click on "New Document" from the dashboard. You have the option to upload a document for signing or create a template (note that the free plan only allows one template).?

Regardless of your choice, SignWell's modern and incredibly user-friendly web app will assist you in adding necessary information and signature fields. By enabling the "Suggest Fields" feature, the app will even assist you in placing elements within blank lines or gaps in the document. Once you're ready, click "Send," and the document is on its way to be signed.

Now, rest assured, SignWell has earned its place on this list due to its exceptional usability and comprehensive set of features.?

The fact that it offers an outstanding free plan is simply an added bonus. If you find yourself needing to send more documents in certain months, we highly recommend considering an upgrade to a paid plan.?

The "Personal" plan, priced at $10 per month, grants you access to five templates and unlimited documents, while the "Business" plan, priced at $30 per month, provides unlimited templates, permits up to three team members, offers custom branding options, and includes other convenient features like data validation.

For those who appreciate automated workflows, SignWell also offers integration with Zapier.?

This allows you to automate tasks such as receiving a Slack notification or uploading a document to Google Drive once a document is completed within SignWell.

SignWell pricing: Free for up to three documents per month. Starting at $10 per month for the "Personal" plan, which offers unlimited documents.

Top Choice for Electronically Signing Documents on a Mac: The Finest App

5. Preview (macOS)

Preview: Our preferred app for electronic signatures on a Mac, ideal for occasional document signing.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to sign a document without the need for extensive security measures and complicated procedures, there are alternatives available.?

Fortunately, if you own a Mac, you can save yourself the trouble of installing additional software or subscribing to any services. With Preview, you can conveniently sign documents directly.

To get started, open the document you wish to sign in Preview. Then, navigate to Tools > Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures, and select Create Signature. You have the option to create your signature using your trackpad, your iPhone, or by physically signing a piece of paper and holding it up to the camera.

Once you have created your signature, click Done and proceed to place it in the appropriate location within the document. After saving the document, you can promptly send it back, completing the signing process. Additionally, Preview retains your signature for future use, ensuring convenience and efficiency.

Preview cost: Included as a complimentary feature with all Macs.

Top Choice for an Electronic Signature App for Simplicity and Affordability

6. Signaturely (Web)

Signaturely stands out as our recommended electronic signature app that offers a flexible pay-as-you-go option. Many eSign apps impose limitations on the number of documents you can send per month unless you subscribe to their pricier plans.?

This can be quite inconvenient, especially if your eSigning needs fluctuate throughout the year due to factors like hiring seasonal staff or working on projects with unpredictable patterns.?

You may find yourself unable to send all the required documents when needed or forced to pay excessively in most months.?

However, Signaturely breaks away from this norm by offering an exclusive pay-as-you-go alternative.

Upon signing up for a free account, Signaturely encourages you to send a sample contract to yourself, allowing you to experience the service firsthand.?

This demonstration is conveniently incorporated into the homepage of their website, enhancing the user experience. From there, you have the freedom to navigate the platform, aided by the onboarding wizard that provides helpful guidance.

Unlike other top eSignature services, Signaturely is not primarily tailored for sending individual contracts to one-time recipients. Although you can still carry out such transactions, the platform is specifically designed for businesses seeking to streamline and automate their contract processes using templates.?

These templates can be set up in the dedicated Templates tab. While they may be slightly less flexible compared to other options, the absence of long-term commitment compensates for this limitation.

Once you have registered your credit card, eSignatures.io allows you to delegate the work without being hands-on. The platform offers an API for those interested in coding their own integrations and incorporates built-in Zapier support for others.?

This means you can easily automate tasks such as automatically uploading newly signed contracts to Google Docs or tracking them in your CRM system.

Price of Signaturely: $20 per month.

Top Electronic Signature App for Occasional Document Signing on a PC

7. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Windows)

Adobe Acrobat, our preferred choice for the finest electronic signature app when it comes to occasionally signing documents on a PC.

While Windows PCs lack an exceptional built-in alternative like Preview, fret not, as you can swiftly sign any document using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC app—something you most likely already have installed.?

In case you don't, simply download it from Adobe's official website. (Adobe also offers a more advanced app called Acrobat Sign, previously known as Adobe Sign, but it tends to be more intricate.)

To commence the signing process, open the desired document in Adobe Reader, and on the right sidebar, select Fill & Sign. Proceed by clicking the "Sign yourself" button located in the toolbar, followed by selecting "Add Signature."

There are multiple approaches to creating a signature: you can input your name and let Adobe Reader convert it into a signature-like representation, draw one using your trackpad, or upload an image of your signature.?

Opting to draw your signature is likely the simplest method if you desire a unique signature without excessive complications.

Drag your signature to the desired location, save the document, and promptly send it back.?

Additionally, Adobe Reader offers a premium plan that enables you to dispatch a document for signature.?

However, honestly speaking, keeping track of its name, functioning, registration process, and differentiation from other Adobe eSign apps has been quite chaotic in recent years.?

Given the perplexing situation, We genuinely suggest exploring alternative apps if you wish to send documents for signature.

Price of Adobe Reader DC: Free

Which is the top-notch electronic signature app for online document signing?

In all honesty, the paramount aspect lies in the utilisation of any of these apps. All of them effectively fulfil the fundamental requirement of providing a legally binding signature that can be monitored.?

However, each app approaches this task with a unique perspective. If your team frequently requires online document signing, it is essential to select an electronic signature app that offers user-friendly features and seamless integration with other apps in your workflow.

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