Signing a PDF yourself and sending one out for someone else's signature are two different jobs, and free tools don't treat them the same way. Online signers handle your own signature, e-signature services handle sending and tracking, and an open source option lets you host signing yourself. Check what each free option covers before a contract goes out.
This usually comes up the day a client emails a contract or a supplier wants a form back by tonight. Every tool below describes a free plan or free use on its own website, and I've grouped them by job, in no particular order. One well known service is missing on purpose: Dropbox Sign's page offers a free trial rather than a free plan, so it's trial only and doesn't belong on a list of free tools.
Seven checks before anyone signs
- Who signs: just you, or a client, supplier or colleague as well
- Whether you need to send, track and get a document back, or only add your own signature
- What the free option on the vendor's page covers, in words, not just the word free
- Whether there's a limit on senders or on daily use
- Whether you can sign in the browser or need to install something
- Whether you'd rather keep documents on your own server
- Whether the same tool also edits, converts or merges PDFs, so one app does the lot
Run through those before you sign up anywhere. The first two decide which group you belong in, and the next two decide whether a free option will still fit you in a few months. The last three are about how you like to work, and they're the ones people tend to regret skipping.
Three meanings of free on signing pages
Free doesn't mean the same thing from one signing page to the next, and that's the detail worth checking before you send anything important. DocuSeal says it's free forever for individuals. SignWell shows a free plan with a cap on senders. Xodo describes an online signing tool with a daily limit on free use. Each of those is free, and each is free in a different way.
The difference shows up at the worst moment. A free option with a sender cap is fine for one freelancer and awkward the day a business partner wants to send from the same account. A daily limit is fine for the odd signature and frustrating in a week when three contracts land at once. Read the free plan description on the vendor's page in full, then picture your busiest week, not your average one.
Sign it yourself, send it out, or host it
If you only ever add your own signature, the simplest group is the online signers. Smallpdf describes signing PDFs online with no installation needed, and PDFgear goes wider as a PDF editor that reads, edits, converts, merges and signs, with online tools as well. These suit anyone who receives documents and sends them back signed.
If you send documents to other people and need them returned, you want an e-signature service. Signaturely is built around uploading a document and getting it signed, and Jotform Sign covers creating, sharing and signing documents. The tool with the sender cap mentioned above also sits in this group, with tracking on top.
If you'd rather keep signed documents on your own server, the open source option is the one that offers self-hosting as well as a hosted version. That's a bigger setup job, so it suits someone comfortable running their own software.
All seven in one table
| Tool | Kind of tool | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| DocuSeal | Self-host or hosted signing | Owners who want signing on their own server |
| Jotform Sign | Send for signature | Creating, sharing and signing documents in one place |
| PDFgear | PDF editor with signing | People who edit, convert and sign PDFs |
| Signaturely | Send for signature | Uploading a document and getting it signed |
| SignWell | Send for signature | Sending, signing and tracking documents |
| Smallpdf | Sign a PDF yourself | Signing a PDF online without installing anything |
| Xodo | Sign a PDF yourself | An occasional signature online |
Each tool in a line
In no particular order beyond the alphabet. Each line uses what the vendor says about its own tool.
DocuSeal
Best for: Open source document signing you can use hosted or run yourself. Vendor claim: Free forever for individuals.
Jotform Sign
Best for: Creating a document, sharing it and collecting signatures from one place. Vendor claim: Free E-signature Software.
PDFgear
Best for: People who also read, edit, convert and merge PDFs. Vendor claim: completely free and without signing up.
Signaturely
Best for: Uploading a document and getting it signed by someone else, from a vendor whose page describes a free plan.
SignWell
Best for: Sending, signing and tracking documents. Vendor claim: Electronic Signatures Built for Business at Any Scale.
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Smallpdf
Best for: Signing a PDF in the browser with nothing to install. Vendor claim: Sign PDFs Online, No Installation Needed.
Xodo
Best for: An occasional signature online, within a daily limit on free use. Vendor claim: Free & Easy eSign Tool.
A dry run with a dummy contract
- Make a one-page PDF with your business name, a date line and a signature line, and nothing confidential in it.
- Choose two tools from the group that matches your job, using the checklist above.
- Sign the PDF yourself in each, then send it to a second email address you own as if it were a client.
- Open the signing email on your phone, sign as the client, and check what both sides receive afterwards.
- Download the signed copy, open it on another device, and keep the tool that felt simplest from both ends.
Where a freelancer signing a few contracts can start
If you mostly sign what other people send you, an online signer with nothing to install is plenty, and you can be done in a couple of minutes. If you send proposals and contracts out yourself, use an e-signature service with a free plan and read its limit first, because that limit is what decides whether it still works for you when business picks up.
Only go self-hosted if you already run your own software and want documents kept on your own server. For the steps involved in signing online, read my guide on how to sign documents online, and if you're comparing two of the larger e-signature names, see Adobe Sign vs DocuSign.
Do you make e-signature or PDF 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
Can I sign a PDF for free without installing anything?
Yes. Several tools here describe signing PDFs in the browser, with nothing to install, on their own pages.
Is there a free tool that sends documents for other people to sign?
Yes. Three e-signature services on this list describe a free plan for sending documents out for signature. Read each plan's description, because the limits differ.
Why isn't Dropbox Sign on this list?
Its page offers a free trial rather than a free plan, so it's trial only. This list includes only tools whose own page describes a free plan or free use.
Can I host an e-signature tool myself?
One tool here is open source and can be self-hosted as well as used as a hosted service. It suits someone comfortable running their own software.
Do free signing plans have limits?
Often, yes, such as a cap on senders or on daily use. Limits change, so check the vendor's own page before you rely on a free plan for client work.
Do I need an account to sign a PDF?
Not always. One PDF editor here says its tools work without signing up, while the e-signature services generally have you create an account to send and track documents.
