The 7 best eSignature apps in 2023

Regardless of which electronic signature software you choose, it’ll ultimately help you do the same thing: easily replace clunky and time-consuming handwritten signatures (commonly called “wet signatures” as a reference to the pen ink) with quick and streamlined digital signatures.

That major commonality between all of the different electronic signature tools is comforting—it means you can’t really go wrong. All of them will get the job done. But it also makes it tough to narrow down your options and select the best one for your business.

You don’t need to throw a dart at a board (although, you certainly can if you want to). We’re here to help you make sense of the different electronic signature apps on the market.

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Simplifying signatures: 7 best e-signature apps

There’s no shortage of e-signature software on the market. A quick search for “e-signature” on Capterra yields over 5,400 software products. Oof.

But much like any other industry, there are a few frontrunners that are more popular, reliable, and trusted than the others. Here are seven electronic signature solutions that you’re bound to come across again and again (and for good reason).

1. Papersign

Price: Free plan available. Pro plans start at $24 USD per month when paid monthly or $240 per year.

Available for: Web

Admittedly, Papersign is fairly new to the game compared to some of the old guard. But it’s a worthy competitor, if we do say so ourselves, mostly because of its incredible ease of use.

If you (or any of your signers) are increasingly frustrated with complex document workflows and fields that automatically make your digital document format all wonky, Paperform is the straightforward solution for getting your documents signed painlessly.

And while your documents are simple, that doesn’t mean they’re basic. With our document designer, you can customize your documents to match your brand without spending hours swearing at margins or fonts. You can build your document directly within Papersign, copy an existing document, or upload an existing PDF document for signatures.

You also don’t need to worry about losing track of your contracts, proposals, and more. You’ll get instant notifications to monitor your document’s progress in real-time, and there’s also a simple dashboard to keep an eye on all of your documents at once.

Papersign is even more powerful if you’re already using Paperform for your online forms, as it’s quick and easy to automate all of your e-signature workflows. But even if you aren’t currently using Paperform, Papersign is a standalone solution for quick, intuitive, and secure digital signing.

Already made up your mind and are ready to jump in? Get started with Papersign now.

2. Dropbox Sign

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $15 USD per user per month when billed annually.

Available for: Web, iOS, Android

Think you haven’t heard of Dropbox Sign before? You might be surprised. This solution previously went by the name HelloSign (that one sounds familiar, right?) before it was acquired by Dropbox in 2019 and rebranded to Dropbox Sign.

Needless to say, it’s one of the major players in the world of online signatures. You’ll find everything you’d expect—like an easy-to-use document interface.

You’ll also find some other helpful features, like the ability to create and save templates for documents you frequently use, automatic reminders, and integrations with popular apps like Google, Slack, Salesforce, and of course, Dropbox.

3. DocuSign

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $10 USD per month.

Available for: Web, iOS, Android

DocuSign is one of the biggest names for e-signatures with a long history. This electronic signature platform was founded in 2003 by an entrepreneur who was eager to simplify the varied signature needs— legal documents, sales contracts, and everything else—business owners have.

Today, it has more than a million customers and a billion users, making it undoubtedly one of the industry’s biggest behemoths.

Much like with the other solutions on the market, the signing process itself within DocuSign is pretty straightforward. However, if you want more advanced features, you’ll find them here too.

From in-depth contract lifecycle management to keep contracts moving forward to hundreds of integrations with other popular apps, large businesses in particular continue to turn to DocuSign to sign on the dotted line.

4. Acrobat Sign

Price: No free plan available. Paid plans start at $12.99 USD per month.

Available for: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.

If you’re an avid user of Adobe Acrobat, then Acrobat Sign is probably the natural choice for you. You can use it to collect signatures, customize your theme and branding, track and manage your documents…you get the gist.

But because Acrobat Sign is built by Adobe (the notorious master of PDF files), you’ll also find plenty of helpful PDF tools. You can easily create, edit, collaborate, sign, and share PDFs on any of your devices.

Plus, Adobe’s partnership with Microsoft means your other document workflows can be seamless too. In fact, you can sign and send PDFs without ever leaving whatever Microsoft app you’re working in. Easy peasy.

5. PandaDoc

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $19 USD per user per month.

Available for: Web, iOS, Android.

PandaDoc has all of the online signing features you’d expect, but with more of a focus on sales and marketing teams. While it can be used for any and all signatures, the software is geared toward quotes and proposals.

For that reason, you’ll find features that are more targeted toward those use cases, including approvals, audit trails, and native integrations with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.

Plus, with easy drag-and-drop editing and over 750 ready-to-use templates, you can send polished documents out for signature within minutes.

6. signNow

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $8 USD per user per month.

Available for: Web, iOS, Android.

signNow might not have the same instant name recognition as some of the other solutions, but it certainly has enough features to deserve a seat at the table.

With legally-binding signatures and custom branding, signNow has all of the capabilities you’d expect to find—along with some notable others.

signNow offers reusable templates, conditional workflows to automatically route documents to recipients based on their roles, and the ability to share your documents with multiple recipients with a link rather than entering their email addresses. All in all, it’s a simultaneously simple and robust solution.

7. RightSignature

Price: No free plan available. Paid plans start at $60 USD per month for three users, when billed annually.

Available for: Web

RightSignature is most comparable and competitive with DocuSign when it comes to features. However, at first glance, it seems significantly more expensive than its rival.

RightSignature’s paid plans start at $60 USD per month when billed annually, which gets you access for three users. That might make your eyes pop out of your head when you consider DocuSign’s $10 price tag. But bear in mind that DocuSign’s base plan is only for a single user.

To access more premium features and unlimited signature requests, you’ll need to step up to a higher plan. Those start at $25 per month per user, meaning DocuSign is actually more expensive than RightSignature.

Even so, while RightSignature is packed with plenty of features—templates, custom branding, sequenced signing, and more—its price tag typically means it’s a better fit for larger organizations than small businesses.

Choosing the best electronic signature tool for your business

When you’re tasked with selecting an electronic signature tool for your own business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by your choices. Fortunately, getting clarity about what you actually need and want can help you narrow things down. Make sure to consider:

• Pricing: How much can you afford to spend on your e-signature software?
• Number of users: How many people on your team need to actively use the tool?
• Number of signature requests: How many signature requests do you typically make? Are you only using a few per month or do you need unlimited documents?
• Ease of use: How intuitive do you need it to be? Keep in mind that you and your team likely won’t be the only ones using it—your signers need to as well.
• Advanced features: Are there certain capabilities you absolutely need
• Security: What security standards and measures do you need? Are there certain regulations you need to comply with? This is particularly important if you deal with a lot of sensitive or confidential information.
• Integrations: Are there existing tools you need your signature software and digital documents to play nicely with?

Before you even start your search, sit down to work through the above criteria and jot down some notes about what you’re looking for. It might help you eliminate some choices immediately.

If you end up left with a few options and are still scratching your head to make your decision, most e-signature software offers a free trial. So, sign up and use that trial period to build familiarity with the features and determine if it’s a solution you can see yourself using for the long haul.

And take comfort in the fact that, no matter which option you choose, it’s sure to be faster, more convenient, and more secure than any handwritten signature.

Ready to simplify your online signatures with Papersign? Get started with our free plan today.