Electronic signature solutions are becoming commonplace — and for good reason. They’ve streamlined the multi-day process of signing and sending ink-to-paper signatures. You can now procure a court-admissible signature remotely from your mobile device or computer in a few seconds.
Improve your workflows and cut the bottlenecks associated with physical signatures with Benzinga’s showcase of the best eSignature software solutions available for all business sizes.
Best Overall: DocuSign
Since 2003, DocuSign eSignature solutions have been trusted by hundreds of millions of users. Its services can accelerate agreements, eliminate manual tasks and increase convenience for your employees and customers.
DocuSign boasts highly-rated mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows that let you work on-the-go even without internet access. It also lets you add standard fields to your agreement like date or signature or create custom fields. You can see the status of your document through the signing process as well as set reminders and receive alerts at every step.
Sign documents in any of the 43 supported languages, and send documents out in 13. DocuSign’s reusable templates help save time and standardize processes by storing frequently used agreements. And it supports more than 350 integrations and leading APIs so you can collaborate with the tools and systems you already use.
The company also meets some of the toughest U.S., EU and global security standards with its strong data encryption technologies. DocuSign also fully complies with the U.S. ESIGN Act and UETA, as well as the EU eIDAS Regulation.
Pricing:
- Personal Plan starts at $10 per month
- Standard Plan starts at $25 per month
- Business Pro Plan starts at $40 per month
Mobile app? Yes. Available for Android, iOS and Windows
Best for HIPAA Compliance: HelloSign
HelloSign is a top option if your business wants to electronically sign documents in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards. The eSignature solution is available in a web interface, a tech-friendly API or as a Salesforce CRM software add-on.
Documents you send out frequently can be saved as reusable templates that expedite the signing process and streamline data entry. HelloSign also affixes a tamper-proof audit trail to every signature request to ascertain all actions are thoroughly tracked and time-stamped. Besides supporting 17 file formats, HelloSign also ensures the security of your sensitive documents with 2-factor authentication.
HelloSign also supports integration with Microsoft Word, Google Suite, Dropbox, Slack and Evernote tools. Its intuitive web interface offers a centralized dashboard where you can manage document authorizations and customize team settings to keep everything more secure and organized.
Pricing: HelloSign comes with a free plan and other premium tiers as follows:
- Essentials Plan starts at $15 per month
- Business Plan starts at $40 per month
- Contact HelloSign for an Enterprise Plan quote
Mobile app? Yes. Available for Android and iOS operating systems.
Best for Teams: PandaDoc
More than 23,000 teams trust PandaDoc to accelerate their document workflows with the convenience and security of legally binding eSignatures. Your customers can sign digital documents instantly from anywhere, on any device. PandaDoc’s built-in eSignature technology is not only legally binding but also ESIGN and UETA compliant.
PandaDoc’s paid versions extend beyond online signatures — they help you manage workflows by locking your branded or legal content, setting up approvals and creating custom roles to keep you in charge. You can also explore its library with more than 200 templates designed to help your organization make an impression.
Leverage the PandaDoc API to easily integrate the eSignature software features into your own website and applications. Open a PandaDoc account to upload, type or draw your signature, as well as limit the type of signature the document recipient can use.
Pricing: PandaDoc offers a free plan and 3 paid options.
- Essentials Plan starts at $19 per month per user
- Business Plan starts at $49 per month per user
- Contact sales for a custom Enterprise Plan quote
Mobile app? Yes. Available for Android and iOS.
Best for Ease of Use: Adobe Sign
Adobe Sign offers a broad set of easy-to-use features to get crucial agreements and documents signed faster than ever. You’re in full control of your documents thanks to real-time notifications and reminders that help you track and manage all the documents you sign. The solution automatically and securely stores your final signed documents and audit trails for future reference.
Add documents and PDFs as reusable templates so your organization can collect signatures without the need to start from scratch. Cloud signatures from Adobe Sign meet the highest levels of global compliance, so you can conduct business with security assurance.
Adobe Sign includes an extensive collection of APIs that add e-signature capabilities to apps your business already relies on, including Microsoft, Salesforce, Workday and Box.
Pricing:
- Acrobat PDF Pack with e-sign starts at $9.99 per month
- Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign starts at $14.99 per month
- Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign starts at $19.99 per month
Mobile app? Yes. Available on Google Play and App Store.
Best for Document Management: Eversign
Eversign’s capabilities don’t stop at eSignatures — you also get a host of tools to securely manage your documents in the cloud. You can prepare your PDF documents for signature by uploading them to eversign’s document editor, which is built to blend seamlessly with your day-to-day workflow. Choose from e-sign options like draw, type, upload or a system-generated signature.
eSignatures made with this tool conform with the most rigorous security requirements defined in the U.S., Europe and globally. You can securely store signed documents in your eversign account, line them up to auto-expire or export to a different storage platform.
To ensure compliance, eversign maintains a comprehensive and secure audit trail containing names, time stamps, email and IP addresses. Set up template documents for the forms or contracts you use often and pre-fill them with checkboxes, custom text and dropdown menus.
You can also include Eversign in your daily workflow by smoothly connecting to popular online applications like Zoho, Dropbox, Google Docs and Salesforce among others.
Pricing: Eversign offers a generous free plan and 4 paid plans.
- Basic Plan starts at $9.99 per month or $7.99 if billed yearly
- Professional Plan starts at $39.99 per month or $31.99 if billed yearly
- Professional Plus Plan starts at $79.99 per month or $63.99 if billed yearly
- Contact sales for an Enterprise Plan quote
Mobile app? Yes. Available for Android and iOS.
Important Features of eSignature Software
While features will vary among different eSignature software, here’s a blueprint of the most important features to consider.
User Experience
With business done from practically anywhere, you need an electronic signature software that works perfectly on all devices.
What’s the mobile experience for your signers? Does the tool give a mobile-friendly signing experience? Your signers should easily view any PDF documents they’re looking to sign — no pinching or zooming.
Solutions that offer a better user experience deliver higher completion rates.
Compliance
Choose an eSignature solution that offers continuous monitoring of the privacy and security landscape to ensure all agreements comply with the latest state, federal and international requirements.
Some questions you may ask to verify compliance include:
- Does the solution adhere to industry regulations like HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, SAFE-BioPharma, CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 (EU)?
- Which globally recognized solutions does the provider have? Look for the ISO 27001:2013 certification, SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 reports.
- Is there a dedicated team of subject matter experts across compliance, privacy and information security?
Security
A good eSignature software should meet and exceed the toughest U.S., EU and global security standards. Seek to understand cybersecurity and threat intelligence capabilities the provider offers. Ensure the solution offers comprehensive audit trails that can track user activities 24/7.
Integrations
Which other tools and systems do you use every day? Will your eSignature software blend with any of the systems your business already uses? Pre-built integrations will help you embrace eSignature technology into your existing workflows. Does the vendor offer APIs to build custom integrations?
Scalability
Is the electronic signature tool scalable to meet the needs of your company now and in future? Will it accommodate continuous modernization of how you do business? Pick an electronic signature solution with capability to expand as your business does.
Free Trials
Most providers allow for a free trial period with their software. Take advantage of this perk to try out some of the solutions you’re considering from popular eSignature solution vendors.
Benefits of eSignature Software
Here are some of the many benefits that come along with signing documents electronically:
- Improve document accuracy. Electronic signature software enabled mandatory fields, so you don’t have to worry about you or a client skipping any detail.
- Operational efficiency. eSignature software streamlines contract execution while increasing employee productivity by automating your organization’s document workflow.
- Risk reduction. Avoid human error and ensure your signers are authenticated with advanced digital methods like 2-factor authentication.
- Increased flexibility. From your personal desktop to your smartphone, eSignatures let you conduct business on-the-go.
- Better team communication. Status notifications let you easily track who signed a document at a specific point in time and alerts you who still needs to sign or what documents are already signed.
- Better document security. Signatures done with an electronic signature software have tamper-evident seals that make them authentic and verifiable. You may also set pins and passcodes to verify each signer’s identity and signature.
- Reduce operational costs. Keep your paper trail online to save money on physical supplies like paper and postage.
Cost of eSignature Software
Most eSignature software vendors ensure that you can find a solution for your business needs. Between premium plans, customizable packages and custom-fit quotes, businesses of all sizes can choose from these price ranges:
For small businesses: $0 to $25 monthly
For mid-size businesses: $30 to $100 monthly
For large businesses (enterprises): Custom pricing
Improve Workflow with Stellar Document Signing
Businesses with an eSignature software have a competitive advantage with their improved workflows, increased productivity, better document security and reduced operational costs. Don’t be left behind — with remote work gaining traction, signing documents from a far is more than just an efficient use of time: it’s a requirement.
Benzinga’s list of the best eSignature software is a great place to find a digital signature solution for your business. Get in touch with any of the vendors to enjoy a free-trial period.
Best eSignature Software Methodology
Benzinga analyzed the top eSignature software by industry and winnowed down the list to include those with the best attributes. We prioritized pricing, features and scalability. We also considered the availability of a mobile app and consumer reviews.