Posted by Docusign and its competitors are making it easier to sign documents remotely and fast-track agreements and deals.
The days of wet ink signatures are over. Today, the ability to sign documents electronically from anywhere globally is critical to a business’s success, empowering departments to close transactions and sign contracts with customers anywhere, at any time. However, businesses must first find eSignature software convenient to their needs to benefit from electronic signatures. For many businesses, DocuSign’s legally-binding eSignature tool is an attractive choice. Their basic package for individuals costs just $10 per month and offers the core functionality that business teams need to sign documents online.
However, businesses and legal teams might want more from their eSignature solution. They might also want to pay less. DocuSign is undoubtedly not the only eSignature software on the market. There are plenty of impressive alternatives to DocuSign, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
The different types of DocuSign alternatives
The best alternatives to DocuSign fall into the following three categories:
eSignature competitors: eSignature competitors are the software solutions limited to electronic signings, like DocuSign. These DocuSign competitors tend not to add value at other stages in the contract lifecycle. Still, they are ideal for businesses looking for a cheap and cheerful way to get contracts signed remotely.
Contract lifecycle management: Contract lifecycle management includes enterprise-minded solutions from SAP, Ariba, and Oracle, and these are aimed at large corporations with long implementation periods, making them unfit for business and legal teams seeking to gain value from the product quickly. However, they may be worthwhile for some businesses.
All-in-one contract automation: All-in-one solutions deliver the same electronic signature capabilities as DocuSign and other competitors and cover the rest of the contract lifecycle end-to-end, enabling business and legal teams to reduce several manual systems to just one. Contract automation software is perfect for teams that want to build, edit, negotiate and agree with contracts in a single, intuitive platform- not just sign them.
Each solution can add value in different areas. Therefore, when adding which DocuSign alternatives warranted a mention. This article examines various other parameters, including functionality, integrations, pricing, user experience, and support.
RELATED ARTICLE: How to Create an online Signature for PDF Documents in 2022.
The best DocuSign alternatives
The market is full of thrilling alternatives to DocuSign, and certain DocuSign alternatives are tailored to specific business sizes and industries. Here are some top DocuSign alternatives
- Juro
- HelloSign
- signNow
- Adobe Sign
- SignRequest
- SignEasy
- eSignly
- Eversign
1. Juro
Unlike most DocuSign alternatives, Juro is an all-in-one contract automation platform that allows users to sign and create, review, negotiate, manage, and renew contracts in one unified workspace. While many DocuSign alternatives focus solely on increasing efficiency at the point of signing, Juro seeks to help visionary legal counsel and the teams they enable to agree and manage contacts more efficiently throughout the contract lifecycle, not just at the eSignature stage.
This end-to-end functionality means that DocuSign has fewer features than Juro since DocuSign lacks features such as a rich text editor, natural language Q and A, approval workflows, and in-depth insight into contract analytics. Therefore, if you are looking for an alternative to DocuSign that can add value at every stage of the contract process, Juro is naturally a better and more comprehensive choice than DocuSign and most other eSignature companies.
Benefits of Juro
- A unified contract workspace: Juro possesses a workspace where legal teams and business users can create, review, negotiate, sign, manage and renew contracts all in one place.
- Advanced functionality: This includes external and internal commenting, custom branding, conditional logic, and a real-time dashboard to ensure no contract falls through the cracks.
- Automated Workflow: These benefits empower business and sales teams to self-serve on standard contracts using templates provided by legal.
- Up-to-date dashboards: include data analytics to ensure businesses can gain insight into critical business and contract metrics. This is essential to making contract audits more efficient.
- Convenient, real-time editing allows users to leave comments, collaborate, and make instant edits to a live contract.
Limitations to Juro
- Advanced functionality might prove unnecessary for businesses that only need to sign contracts electronically. Many other DocuSign competitors offer basic eSignature functionality for a lower price, without the extra functionality you get with Juro.
- Slightly more expensive since the software goes beyond eSignature.
Pricing: Juro offers tiers of pricing that appeal to every business-from monthly plans for five users, right up to scale plans, and enterprise-ready models.
Integrations: Zapier, Salesforce, Greenhouse, Google Drive, Slack, Workday, etc.
Support available: Dedicated customer success manager, live chat support, and email support.
2. HelloSign
HelloSign is a Dropbox company that promises a simple way to electronically request and add legally binding signatures to contracts and other documents. The popular eSignature solution provides a cost-effective option for basic signature requirements.
This DocuSign alternative offers a wide range of features, including but not limited to advanced conditional fields and the ability to create document templates, making it a worthy option to DocuSign for business users that need a reliable eSignature solution at a relatively low cost.
Benefits of HelloSign
- A simple solution to capturing legally binding eSignatures.
- Offers templates and custom branding like DocuSign, allowing you to add character to your agreements.
- Team management tools are available for enterprise plan users
Limitations to HelloSign
- No document editor or robust creation tool. Instead, it would be best to use plug-in tools to connect HelloSign to Google Docs.
- Metadata isn’t captured using HelloSign, so users will struggle to capture, search, and audio contract data.
- Since HelloSign’s workflow lacks flexibility, is PDF-based, and trying to make simple changes and collaborate on legal documents is a manual process, particularly compared to more flexible and collaborative solutions like Juro.
Pricing: $15 per user per month for a basic package or $25 per user per month for the standard package. Premium users will pay more.
Free trial options: HelloSign offers a 30-day free trial
Integration: Dropbox, Gmail, Google Docs, Salesforce, Oracle, and Slack.
Support available: Support can be accessed via email.
3. Adobe Sign
Adobe Sign is offered as part of Adobe’s extensive portfolio of business apps. Adobe Sign is an online, cloud-based eSignature solution that enables its users to view, send and sign PDFs online. Customers favor Adobe Sign for its fast, convenient, and reliable electronic signature capabilities and its trusted brand name.
However, there are various features that Adobe Sign doesn’t have that DocuSign and some other alternatives to Adobe Sign do, like customizable templates and specific popular integrations. If these are features that your business needs from an eSignature tool, then Adobe Sign may not be your first choice.
Benefits of Adobe Sign
- Capture legally-binding electronic signatures while creating a reliable audit trail.
- High-profile integrations, including Microsoft, make eSignatures on Word documents seamless.
- Similar useful features to DocuSign, including templates, activities notifications, and payments collection.
Some limitations to Adobe Sign
- Unlike DocuSign and other alternatives such as Juro, there is no custom branding for documents and templates.
- Many essential features are locked behind Enterprise plans, for example, CRM integrations and automated workflows.
- No access to document analytics prevents businesses and legal teams from accessing vital contract metrics such as dates, deliverables, and monetary values.
- It is missing some useful integrations, such as Greenhouse, Zapier, and Slack.
Pricing: $9.99 for single users, $34.99 per month for small business plans, and $39.99 for standard business plans.
Free trial options: Adobe Sign provides a 14-day free trial.
Integrations: Microsoft, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, NetSuite, and SugarCRM.
Support available: You can access support via email, phone, chat, or submitting a ticket.
4. Sign Now
SignNow is a versatile alternative to DocuSign since it is suitable for use in various industries. However, it is beneficial for gathering eSignatures on high-value forms or within professions where signatures must be fast and convenient.
SignNow is also hugely popular for its low price. It offers features such as custom branding, bulk sending, and fillable templates for a fraction of the price that other DocuSign alternatives do. SignNow has many of the same basic eSignature features that DocuSign does, so it is an excellent alternative for business users looking for a cheaper option and relatively basic functionality.
Benefits of SignNow
- A highly affordable eSignatures solution is perfect for customers who only need to sign documents electronically securely.
- Access to advanced features such as approval workflows and conditional logic is available, but only with Enterprise plans.
- DocuSign’s similar useful features include templates, renewal reminders, activities notifications, and payment collection.
Some limitations to SignNow
- Far from an end-to-end contract workflow solution. Since SignNow focuses on eSignature. This is a weaker DocuSign alternative for legal and business teams looking to streamline the entire contract management process.
- Lack of integrations, since SignNow does not integrate with Salesforce, Workday, Greenhouse, or Zapier, unlike most alternatives to DocuSign.
- There is no access to data and analytics, meaning customers will miss opportunities to extract and analyze valuable contract data.
Pricing: A basic package is charged at $8 per month per user. A business premium account is set at $15 per user per month, and an enterprise package is set at $30 for each user per month.
Free trial options: SignNow does offer a free trial for users
Integrations: Google Drive
Support available: Support can be accessed via email. Enterprise users can receive support via the phone.
5. SignRequest
Image Source: Juro.com
SignRequest is another cheap alternative to DocuSign. SignRequest’s eSignature software delivers a simple solution for businesses looking to capture legally binding electronic signatures. The user-friendly interface allows customers to upload files and creates fields that can be easily moved using their drag-and-drop tool, just like DocuSign.
SignRequest’s low price point, lack of specialized tools, and convenience make it perfect for teams looking for a basic eSignature product. However, it will probably not be suitable for teams that want to do more than just sign contracts.
Benefits of SignRequest
- Legally-binding eSignature with a secure audit trail that is easy to navigate.
- Free package for single users that process fewer 10 or less documents per month and don’t mind SignRequest’s branding on their documents.
- Access to third-party integrations, including Zapier, Salesforce, and Slack.
- Access to unlimited templates for Business plan users.
Some limitations of SignRequest
- Many practical features are locked behind Enterprise or Business plans, including payment collections and 24/7 support.
- Lack of additional features required to support business and legal teams throughout the rest of the contract process, such as the ability to use conditional logic, approval workflows, commenting, and negotiation tools.
Pricing: SignRequest offers a free plan with limited options for a single user. Professional plans start at $7 per month for each user, and Business plans start at $12 per month.
Free trial options: SignRequest offers a free 14-day trial.
Integrations: Salesforce, TOPdesk, GSuite, M-Files, Zapier, Slack, etc.
Support available: Support is available via email, phone, and online meetings.
6. SignEasy
SignEasy is yet another popular DocuSign alternative that offers legally binding and fully compliant eSignature services across many file formats and devices. SignEasy users can benefit from offline signature collection, advanced security features, and a digital audit trail.
However, unlike DocuSign, the software doesn’t provide payment collection, and users on a standard plan will be pretty restricted to the number of templates they have access to. This can be a significant drawback for those that are willing to subscribe to a higher-paid plan since some DocuSign alternatives offer unlimited templates, even on lower-paid {or free} plans.
Benefits of SignEasy
- Legally-binding eSignature that is compatible with a wide range of different file formats
- Advanced security features include passcodes, fingerprints, FaceID authentication, and access to a detailed digital audit trail.
- Convenient signing experience with offline electronic signature collection, access from all devices, and various core integrations {e.g., Dropbox, GSuite, ect}
Some limitations to SignEasy
- Reusable templates are limited on SignEasy, and you can only upload more if you decide to pay for the Premium plan instead.
- No access to data and analytics, unlike some DocuSign alternatives. However, DocuSign also lacks access to analytics and dashboards to help businesses gain insight into their contracts and processes.
Pricing: Standard plans cost $10 per month per user. Meanwhile, Premium plans cost $60 per month when billed annually.
Free trial options: SignEasy invites users to enjoy a 14-day free trial.
Integrations: Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, GSuite, Dropbox, and more.
Support available: You can access support from SignEasy via email or phone, but only during specific business hours.
7. eSignly
eSignly is a popular choice for businesses that need stand-alone eSignature functionality and a little more. It is renowned for being a fast, simple, and affordable way to get documents signed and having a user-friendly interface.
Although eSignly is relatively minimalist, eSignly is perfect for businesses seeking a low-cost electronic signature solution. It also offers a unique pricing approach that enables multiple users within one team to have varying access levels to suit their needs while staying connected on the platform. This means that administrators can purchase Business plan access, while other team members who require less access and functionality can stick with either the Pro plan or the Free one. This flexibility is a stand-out feature for eSignly, as most DocuSign competitors will only offer a single rate for an entire team.
Benefits of eSignly
- A straightforward product offering that promises a fast and cost-effective electronic signature collection
- The flexible pricing model ensures businesses pay for what they need and never more.
- User-friendly interface making eSignatures simple for all departments.
Some limitations to eSignly
- Unlike some other alternatives to DocuSign, no document analytics or insights are available on eSignly, which support a data-rich contract repository and flexible data layers.
- Unable to generate and edit documents since eSignly is simply an electronic signature solution without the capacity to support other stages of the contract lifecycle.
- Lack of integrations prevents users from collecting eSignatures through their favorite CRM platforms, for example.
Pricing: eSignly offers a free package, but it is fundamental. A professional package will cost users $11 per month, and the Business team package is charged $15 per user per month. eSignly also offers Enterprise options.
Free trial options: eSignly invites users to enjoy a 15-day free trial.
Integrations: eSignly does not advertise any integration options.
Support available: Support is available via chat and email.
8. Eversign
Eversign is a popular cloud-based eSignature tool used by freelancers and companies alike as legal agreements are increasingly agreed upon remotely. Like many alternatives to DocuSign, eversign is designed only to deliver electronic signatures, not automated or streamline the entire contract process like Juro.
Eversign is also known to have a slightly less intuitive interface than some other DocuSign competitors, making it a less popular option for users who value user experience. However, if your business needs a more straightforward eSignature solution for a low cost and user experience that doesn’t bother you too much, eversign is a decent alternative.
Benefits of Eversign
- A simple way to sign electronically and close deals on the move, with signing on mobile available, just like most leading alternatives to DocuSign.
- Custom branding is available, but only as part of the Enterprise plans.
- Renewal reminders to ensure that you never miss an important renewal date again.
Some limitations to Eversign
- Lack of flexibility is a key issue for users, as they cannot add more field types to contracts, customize the message signers receive and amend who is notified about signatures.
- Inability to make edits in real-time. If users want to make revisions to a contract, these must be made where the contract was originally created, and the eSignature process must start all over again.
- There is no access to contract data, such as revenue amounts and other essential business data that can otherwise be retrieved using software like Juro.
Pricing: A basic package will cost $7.99 per month, a professional package will cost $31.99 per month, and professional plus packages will cost $63.99 per month.
Free trial options: eversign invites users to enjoy their basic package for free. However, it may not be helpful for businesses that need more functionality.
Integrations: Google Drive, Gmail, Slack, and more.
Support available: Support can be accessed via email.
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