E-signature software
We put 6 e-signature software tools through the same test. DocuSign came out on top with 5 out of 5. Here are all the results, what each tool costs and how we test them.
E-signature software we tested
Best score first. Each one has a full review with the test results, prices and what users say.
DocuSign
5/5Read our review →
Adobe Acrobat Sign
4.5/5Read our review →
Dropbox Sign
4.5/5Read our review →
Zoho Sign
4.5/5Read our review →
SignNow
2/5Read our review →
DottedSign
2/5Read our review →Test results compared
Every tool got the same test, between October 16, 2026 to October 29, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Minutes per task from the fixed list | Free-plan limits hit during the project | Works on desktop, web and phone | Collaboration: sharing, permissions, comments | Price for 1 person and a team of 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DocuSign | 5/5 | 3.0 min/task; 5.3 min p95 | 1 limits reached during 14 days | 3/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 1 s | 15/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
| Adobe Acrobat Sign | 4.5/5 | 1.7 min/task; 3.3 min p95 | 2 limits reached during 14 days | 3/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 13 s | 13/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
| Dropbox Sign | 4.5/5 | 2.9 min/task; 5.0 min p95 | 2 limits reached during 14 days | 3/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 24 s | 14/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
| Zoho Sign | 4.5/5 | 1.8 min/task; 2.7 min p95 | 2 limits reached during 14 days | 3/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 27 s | 14/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
| SignNow | 2/5 | 8.1 min/task; 12.9 min p95 | 6 limits reached during 14 days | 2/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 80 s | 7/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
| DottedSign | 2/5 | 8.4 min/task; 13.9 min p95 | 6 limits reached during 14 days | 2/3 desktop/web/phone paths; sync 78 s | 9/15 sharing/permission/comment checks | – |
Want just the shortlist?
Our best-of list ranks every tool in this test, with what each one is best for.
What e-signature software do
E-signature software lets people sign documents online and keeps a record of who signed, when and from where. Most tools add templates, signing order, reminders, identity checks and storage of the finished file. Bigger products add bulk sending, payments, forms and contract management.
Who uses them: Freelancers and small businesses signing contracts and quotes, Sales and HR teams sending offers and onboarding paperwork, Real estate, finance and healthcare firms with compliance rules, Developers embedding signing in an app through an API.
Price range: Entry prices run from free (Zoho Sign: 5 envelopes a month; Dropbox Sign signing-only) to about 11 USD per month (Docusign Personal). Business seats run roughly 8 to 10 USD (SignNow, Zoho Standard) up to 30 to 45 USD (Docusign Standard and Business Pro). Adobe sells signing through Acrobat plans from 14.99 USD per month. Enterprise tiers are quoted. DottedSign Pro is 8 USD per month on yearly billing.
What to check before you buy
Send limits. Plans cap envelopes or invites (for example 5 a month, 100 per user per year, 25 per user per month). Check what happens past the cap.
Price per user. Seat prices range from about 8 to 45 USD per month billed yearly; compare against how many senders you really have.
Legal validity and compliance. Look for ESIGN, UETA and eIDAS support, SOC 2 and ISO 27001, plus HIPAA where relevant.
Integrations. Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google and storage links save manual work.
Cancellation and renewal terms. Auto-renewal, notice periods and early-termination fees are the top complaint theme in reviews.
How we test e-signature software
The test for this category: Send the same 5 documents for signature; signer experience, audit trail, legal standards, price per envelope.
A team of 3 testers uses each tool for the same two-week project with a fixed task list (for example plan a launch, share notes, schedule 10 meetings, sign 5 documents, edit 5 PDFs).
Each tool is tested on a paid plan, and its review shows the plan, the price and the test dates. The overall score is the average of the five parts on the right, rounded to the nearest half star. See the full method for productivity and collaboration tools.
What we measure
- Minutes per task from the fixed list
- Free-plan limits hit during the project
- Works on desktop, web and phone
- Collaboration: sharing, permissions, comments
- Price for 1 person and a team of 10
The five parts of the score
Frequently asked questions
Are electronic signatures legally binding?
In the US, ESIGN and UETA give them legal effect for most documents; the EU uses eIDAS. Some documents, such as certain wills, still need wet ink. Tools name which regimes they support: SignNow cites eIDAS, UETA and ESIGN, Docusign cites 21 CFR Part 11 and HIPAA.
Is there a free e-signature tool?
Zoho Sign has a free plan with 5 envelopes a month. Dropbox Sign's free plan is signing only. Docusign has no free plan on its pricing page. Recipients never pay.
Which is the cheapest paid option among the main tools?
SignNow Business at about 8 to 9 USD, Zoho Sign Standard at about 10 and Dropbox Sign Essentials at 10.05 per month on yearly billing; Docusign Personal is 11.
What is an envelope?
One document or set of documents sent to signers counts as one envelope; Docusign and Zoho Sign cap them per plan.
Can I cancel anytime?
Varies: Docusign monthly plans cancel any time, annual plans have a 30-day one-time refund; Dropbox Sign does not refund; Adobe charges up to half the remaining commitment on annual-commitment plans after 14 days.
Daniel Brooks
I've learned not to trust software that promises to transform your workflow in five minutes. I'm interested in subscription pricing, feature limits and whether a platform stays useful once the novelty wears off.
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