Choose by how your documents are made and where signed copies need to end up. If you send a few one-off contracts, a simple signing tool is plenty. If you send the same agreement again and again, look for templates and automation, and if signing has to happen inside your own software, look for an API.
Signing is the last step of a deal, and it's the step you want to feel invisible. Signaturely pitches itself as a quick way to get documents legally signed, with a free tier. If you need more than that now, or something different, these eight e-signature tools are worth a look. They're in no particular order, and they're grouped by how they expect you to work.
Build, send, sign, store: the four steps to test
Every e-signature tool gets a signature on a page. Where they differ is everything around that moment. How do you build the document in the first place? How is it sent, and can it go to several signers in a set order? How does the signer experience it on a phone? And once it's signed, where does the final copy live, and can you find it again in a year?
Run one real document through all four steps in each tool you shortlist. A proposal you've sent before, or a standard client agreement, works well. You'll learn more from that one run than from any comparison chart, including the one below.
Quick signing with little set-up
SignWell is aimed at people who want to upload a document and get it signed without building anything first. It's closest in spirit to what many freelancers wanted from their old tool.
Open and flexible options
DocuSeal describes itself as free and open source, which matters if you'd like to see the code or avoid being tied to one vendor. Documenso leans on templates, workflows and connections to the tools you already use. With either, check how much set-up would fall on you.
Sending at volume and contract management
eSignatures.io and Signeasy go beyond the single signature, with automation, contract links or contract management and shared workspaces. DocuSign sits at the larger end, with agreement management for bigger organisations.
Signing inside your own product
BoldSign and Legalesign both offer APIs for teams who want signing embedded in their own app or portal, so your clients never leave your site to sign.
The eight tools, alphabetically
Listed A to Z. Every line reflects what the vendor says about its own product.
BoldSign
Best for: Teams that want to send and track documents for signature and embed signing into their own workflows, with an API, according to the vendor.
Documenso
Best for: Teams wanting signing templates, workflows and connections to the tools they already use; the vendor describes it as modern, secure and customisable.
DocuSeal
Best for: Anyone after an open source option for filling and signing documents, including custom PDF forms that people complete online, per the vendor.
DocuSign
Best for: Larger organisations that want to create, agree and manage contracts in one platform, which the vendor frames as agreement management with AI.
eSignatures.io
Best for: Businesses that send contracts several ways: by hand, automatically, as a shared contract link or driven by AI, according to the vendor.
Legalesign
Best for: Software teams embedding signing into their own product through an API-first platform with documentation built for AI tools, as the vendor says.
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Signeasy
Best for: Small firms that want signing plus contract management, shared workspaces and AI-assisted insights from the same account, per the vendor.
SignWell
Best for: Freelancers and small businesses wanting signatures with no set-up and a quicker turnaround, which is the main promise on the vendor's own page.
Signing tools at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| BoldSign | E-signature with an API | Sending, tracking and embedding signing workflows |
| Documenso | E-signature workflows | Templates, workflows and integrations with existing tools |
| DocuSeal | Open source document signing | Building fillable PDF forms people complete and sign |
| DocuSign | Agreement management | Larger organisations managing agreements end to end |
| eSignatures.io | Contract sending and automation | Sending contracts by hand, by automation or by link |
| Legalesign | API-first e-signature | Embedding signing inside your own software |
| Signeasy | E-signature and contract management | Signing plus contract storage and shared workspaces |
| SignWell | Simple e-signature | Getting documents signed with very little set-up |
My advice on choosing a signing tool
Match the tool to the documents you send most, not the ones you send once a year. If most of your signing is one client agreement, a tool that turns that agreement into a reusable template will save you more time than any clever feature. If clients sign inside your own platform, start with the API options and get your developer to look at the documentation before anyone books a demo.
Before you cancel your current account, download every signed document and its audit trail, and store them somewhere you control. Signed copies are the thing you'll need years from now, and they're the easiest thing to forget in a switch.
A word on the law. The rules on electronic signatures vary by country and by document type, and some documents still need a wet signature or a witness. Check with your regulator or a legal adviser for anything high-stakes. If contracts are a big part of your work, my look at contract management software for law firms covers the storage side in more depth, and you might also like my list of HelloSign alternatives.
Do you make e-signature or contract software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Are electronic signatures legally binding?
In many countries, yes, for most everyday business documents. The rules vary by country and document type, so check with your regulator or a legal adviser for anything unusual.
What's an audit trail on a signed document?
It's a record of who opened, viewed and signed the document, and when. Keep it with the signed copy, because it's your evidence if a signature is ever questioned.
Is an open source e-signature tool safe to use?
It can be. Open source means the code is public, so it can be checked. How safe it'll be in practice depends on who hosts it and how well it's kept up to date.
Can I reuse the same contract for every client?
Yes. Most signing tools let you save a template with fields for names, dates and signatures, then send it again with a few clicks.
What should I export before switching e-signature tools?
Every signed document, its audit trail and your templates. Save them somewhere you control before you close the old account.
