13 best e-Signature software for small business: Features and pricing included

Since ‌the world began swapping pen and paper for digital alternatives, dozens of electronic signature platforms have emerged to facilitate this transition. The swarm of e-signature providers flooding the market has, in a sense, muddied a process meant to simplify and streamline operations. 

With so many options available, choosing the right e-signature software for your small business can be both overwhelming and confusing. But when armed with the right information, organizations are in a better position to select a provider that fits their professional needs, budget, and client expectations.

Here are 13 options meant to help facilitate an informed choice.

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1. Blueink

Blueink’s mission is to deliver premier, customer-centric eSignature solutions that prioritize affordability and intuitive design. Its software is designed to foster a more efficient way of doing business through transparent, streamlined processes.

Its key features include bulk send, SMS delivery, custom branding, and in-person signing functionality. Standard and advanced fields, reusable templates, delivery options, and signer options are among its other offerings.

Blueink’s Teams feature allows organizations to manage multiple departments in a single account, and limit the data and documents users can see to those needed for their job function. Additionally, Blueink’s fine-grained permissions let you assign view, edit and admin access to individual users.

Meanwhile, Blueink’s detailed audit trail captures all signing-related activity and downloads a separate cryptographically-secured Certificate of Evidence for extra assurance. Its multi-layered identity verification is tracked in the audit trail and cryptographically secured.

Pricing: Blueink’s standard plan, similar to DocuSign’s standard plan, is 52% cheaper at $12 per user per month. Its Business Pro tier is also half the price of DocuSign at $20 per month. For enterprise-level pricing, contact Blueink online.

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2. DocuSign

DocuSign is a household name in the e-signature industry, known for its robust features that cater to a wide range of users, from individuals to large enterprises. The platform complies with industry standards and regulations, ensuring the legality and validity of electronic signatures. 

Form fields, secure storage, and collaboration tools are among the features users can expect to find on this platform. Other tools include document workflow automation, templates for frequently used documents, and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that allow users to sign and manage documents on the go.

Of course, DocuSign is also equipped with standard features like audit trails, multiple authentication methods, and collaboration options.

Its advanced offerings include markup and annotation capabilities that allow users to edit documents with annotations, comments, and highlights, making it easy to communicate changes or feedback during the review process.

DocusSign’s bulk sending tool can benefit organizations dealing with large quantities of similar documents.

Pricing ranges from $10 per month for a personal eSignature plan to $480 monthly for an advanced premium solution.

3. Adobe Sign

Aobe Sign, part of the Adobe Document Cloud, touts itself as a seamless e-signature experience integrated with popular productivity tools like Adobe Acrobat. Its integration with Acrobat can be useful for users seeking to convert, combine, and edit PDF documents directly within the Adobe Sign interface by streamlining document preparation.

As part of the broader Adobe Document Cloud ecosystem, Adobe Sign offers secure cloud storage for signed documents and can be integrated with other Adobe products and services. Another benefit of being part of the Adobe family is that its integration with branded solutions can help ease document management and workflows.

Outside its own logo, Adobe Sign integrates with apps and services like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce.  This is meant to help users initiate and complete e-signature processes directly within their preferred platforms.

With Adobe Sign, users can also track the status of their documents in real-time, providing insights into when recipients have viewed and signed the document.  Adobe Sign generates detailed audit trails, recording every step of the signing process, which is crucial for compliance and legal purposes.

Pricing: Adobe Sign pricing ranges from $12.99 per month for individuals and $24 per month for teams. 

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4. PandaDoc

It may not be as cute as the bear, but PandaDoc aims to get the job done. This is a platform that markets itself as an all-in-one document automation service that includes e-signature capabilities. It allows businesses to create, send, and e-sign documents within a single platform, streamlining their entire document workflow. 

This platform includes payment processing capabilities that let users collect payments directly within the document. This can be useful for businesses that require clients to make payments as part of the agreement process.

Speaking of dollars and cents, PandaDoc also lets users create and send price quotes and proposals. Its platform is said to be a good fit for businesses with complex pricing structures.

Like other service providers, PandaDoc also includes a content library where users can store frequently used content like product descriptions, pricing details and legal clauses. These templates can help streamline document creation by allowing users to reuse standardized layouts and content.

Other features include workflow automation, customer relationship management integration, document collaboration, and custom branding.

Its analytics and document insights tool collects data from the signing process and uses it to better understand customer behavior and improve follow-up strategies.

Pricing: Varies based on package, with the essentials bundle running $19 per month and the business tier tagged at $49 monthly. Organizations are instructed to contact its sales department for a quote on the enterprise package.

5. SignNow

Document merging, in-person signing, and role-based permissions are among the perks touted by SignNow. 

It stands out for offering support in multiple languages, making it accessible to users and clients around the world. This can be valuable for businesses with an international user base, or even for those dealing with clients who prefer to communicate in different languages.

Also noteworthy are SignNow’s role-based permissions that allow users to control who can view, edit and sign specific documents. This ensures that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information.

This platform also offers customizable branding, a template library, integration capabilities, and advanced security features. It supports a variety of form fields, which can be useful for users seeking to create interactive documents or customize forms to meet specific needs.

When collaborating on SignNow docs, multiple users can work on a document at once while tracking changes and leaving comments.

Pricing: Business tier starts from $8 per user per month, and the most expensive business cloud tier runs from $50 per user per month with a five user minimum.

6. Signeasy

As its name indicates, this platform strives to please through simplicity and ease of use–even when a user isn't connected to the Internet.

As you’ve probably noticed, it’s not unusual for platforms to provide mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices for on-the-go signing. However, Signeasy is unique in that it supports offline signing, allowing users to sign documents even when off-the-grid. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to finalize forms while traveling or in remote settings.

Signeasy also keeps users informed about the status of their documents through real-time notifications. Users receive alerts when recipients view or sign documents, facilitating timely follow-ups if needed.

Another Signeasy perk is that it supports biometric authentication methods such as touch or facial identification on mobile devices. This enhances the security of the e-signature process by ensuring that only authorized individuals can access and sign documents.

Other features include document templates, branding, cross-platform integration and global compliance standards.

Pricing: The team plan starts at $20 monthly per user, while the business plan runs $30 per month, per user and up. Signeasy’s business plus tier starts at $50 per user per month.

7. OneSpan

Formerly known as eSignLive, OneSpan’s sales pitch is led by its automation capabilities. It allows users to set up and automate document workflows based on specific business processes. Workflows can include multiple steps, such as document preparation, review, and sequential or parallel signing sequences.

OneSpan Sign also sends automated notifications to signers, providing real-time updates on its status. Notifications can include reminders for pending signatures, ensuring timely completion of the signing process.

Its document packaging feature allows users to combine and send multiple documents at once, automating the process of sending and managing related documents as a single transaction. This can be helpful during times when multiple documents must be signed together.

Other features meant to make user lives easier include document templates, application integration, customizable workflows, advanced form fields and template management. 

Like SignEasy, it supports offline signing, allowing users to sign documents even when not connected to the Internet. With a global presence, OneSpan supports multiple languages to suit an international user base. 

Pricing: OneSpan’s professional plan costs $20 per user, per month. Pricing on its enterprise plan is not available online, but can be obtained by contacting its sales department.

8. SignRequest

SignRequest offers much of the same features as its competitors, including a user-friendly interface, integration capabilities, and mobile accessibility.

It strives to set itself apart from this crowded market through plans that come standard with certain perks, including unlimited signatures, a secure audit trail and 17 languages. 

As well, this platform is designed for quick implementation, allowing users to set up and start using the platform with minimal effort. The simplicity of the setup process is beneficial for users seeking a hassle-free onboarding experience.

Once signed up, users will find that the platform is designed to be intuitive, making it easy for them to navigate and complete the e-signature process without unnecessary complexity. That’s because the platform's design and features are crafted to cater to users with various levels of technical expertise.

Custom branding, audit trails, security and compliance measures and document tracking are among SignRequest’s other selling points.

Pricing: Professional accounts are $9 per month per user, and business accounts are $15 monthly per user.

9. Xodo Sign

Formerly eversign, Xodo Sign presents itself as a good option for those seeking to dabble in electronic signatures without opening up their wallet. It offers a free plan with essential features so users can get started on the process at no cost. This makes it accessible for those on a limited budget.

Xodo Sign is available on multiple platforms, including web browsers, iOS, Android, and Windows. This cross-platform compatibility ensures users can access and sign documents from various devices. 

The platform integrates with cloud storage solutions like Google Drive and Dropbox. This integration enables users to access and sign documents directly from their cloud storage accounts.

Document templates, real-time collaboration, mobile accessibility and offline signing are among the other features offered through the platform. Xodo is among the electronic signature providers to offer in-person signing that lets users complete documents face-to-face. This can be helpful in cases where immediate signatures are required.

Pricing: Not everything in life, or online, is free. While Xodo lite is free, its cheapest paid option starts at $7.99 per month while its pricier professional plus runs from $79.99 per month. Pricing for its most expensive enterprise plan is available through an online quote.

10. RightSignature

RightSignature, not to be confused with left signature, allows users to attach supporting documents to the signing process. This is useful when providing additional information or context is necessary for the documents being signed.

This platform also features embedded signing so that documents can be directly embedded into a website or application. Its template library allows users to create and save document templates for frequently used forms, streamlining the document creation process and ensuring consistency.

RightSignature also offers reusable form fields so that users can easily add standardized information to documents. Its workflow automation tool allows users to set up and customize document workflows.

Branding customization, multi-language support, in-person signing, and attached security measures are among the platform’s other offerings.

Pricing: RightSignature’s advanced plan starts at $60 per month, while its sharefile premium tier runs $122 and up.

11. Sertifi

This platform has historically placed a strong focus on serving the hospitality industry. Its solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of hotels, travel providers, and other related businesses.

Its integration with payment processing allows users to combine the e-signature process with payment collection to streamline transactions and reduce the need for separate systems. 

Meanwhile, Sertifi’s customizable workflows let users design document signing processes that align with their specific business requirements. This flexibility can be particularly useful for organizations with unique approval or signing workflows.

This platform integrates with Salesforce, offers multi-language support, audit trails, and document tracking, and other features such as compliance and security.

Pricing: Sertifi doesn’t divulge its pricing tiers online, instead directing those interested to submit queries.

12. Signable

This platform goes head-to-head with competitors targeting simplicity and ease of use as a selling point. Like other providers, Signable is designed to be accessible on the go and boasts a user-friendly interface, and document tracking.

Parlez-vous français? Signable does set itself apart from the crowd with a full translation service for seven languages. This includes English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese. Such a translation service could be a huge service for users tasked with signing a document in a non-native language.

Pricing: Users can either pay $1.50 per envelope, or sign up for a plan ranging from $330 to $2,915 per year.

13. DropBox Sign

Say goodbye to HelloSign, because it’s now known as DropBox Sign. Nevertheless, the platform still aims to bid farewell to paper with key features that include in-person signing, document templates, and API access for custom integrations. This platform touts itself as being particularly suitable for businesses that prioritize ease of use, collaboration, and customized document workflows.

Its user-friendly design helps facilitate a streamlined experience, reducing complexity and making it accessible to users of varying technical prowess. 

For the more tech-savvy crowd, HelloSign offers HelloWorks, an advanced product that allows businesses to create complex, data-driven workflows beyond simple e-signatures. HelloWorks is designed for scenarios requiring more than just a signature, such as multi-step processes with data collection and validation.

For organizations seeking to remain on brand throughout the entire process, HelloSign allows for the signing process to be embedded directly into a website or application. Businesses can customize the signing interface with their company’s motif, maintaining a consistent and professional look throughout the e-signature process.

Other features include collaboration tools, advanced workflows, and flexible document workflows that allow users to design custom sequences for document signing and approval. The platform supports a range of document types and enables users to adapt the workflow to their specific business processes.

Pricing: HelloSign provides a free plan that allows users to sign an unlimited number of documents. However, this plan may have limitations on the number of documents you can send for signature. Other plans range from $15 a month to $40 per user per month for an enterprise subscription, which requires at least five users.

Take your pick

Choosing the right e-signature software is a crucial decision for small businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and streamline their document processes. Each of the 13 e-signature solutions mentioned in this guide offers unique features and pricing structures.

Before making a selection, businesses should consider their specific needs such as the volume of documents, collaboration requirements, and budget constraints. By making an informed choice, they can empower your business with a secure and efficient electronic signature solution. 

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