What makes a digital signature program special? We believe it’s a combination of features, usability, user-friendliness, and, of course, a generous free plan. We’re bringing you the 10 best free digital signature software in 2020 via this mini-guide.
Table of Contents
What is a Digital Signature?
A digital signature is a secure type of encrypted electronic signature. It is unique to the signer, thanks to encryption technology, and no one else can replicate it. Further, it is possible to verify if the document being signed is tampered with in any way.
Digital signatures are considered legally valid in 180+ countries, including Europe, America, and Australia. You can sign any document you typically sign offline:
- Legal affidavits, letters, and contracts.
- HR-related documentation like NDAs.
- Petitions with several signatories.
- Client authorization forms.
- Sales and service T&Cs.
10 Best Free Electronic Signature Solutions
1. CocoSign – Fast, Effective, and User-Friendly
CocoSign is a prominent document signing solution, used by businesses and individuals from around the world. Several well-known platforms like Mashable, Tom’s Guide, and Medium have reviewed it.
This e-signature app is our top recommendation because it has a great free plan and offers all the features you’d expect from such a solution. Further, the app has an upbeat user-interface and is a joy to use.
1.1 CocoSign Offers a Competitive Array of Features
The app provides all the features your business is likely to need:
a. You can use it for free
CocoSign comes with an excellent free plan. You sign up for an account to get started, and then you can start signing documents from your web browser immediately afterward. The free version comes with features like templates, customization, and the ability to set reminders and notifications.
b. Multiple people can sign at once
You can send the document to multiple people at a time for their signatures, if necessary. This is a necessary feature if you’re signing a contract or a petition. Further, the app allows you to define a signing order, which is known as sequential signing.
c. It supports customization
CocoSign offers several customization options that business users should find useful. For example, the app can create templates of often-used documents or contracts for quick reuse later. You can also create secure digital signatures online and store them for quick reuse later.
d. Audit trail protection and legal validity
Every document you sign with CocoSign will enjoy audit trail protection. The service will save important information like timestamps if you need it later. Further, the software allows you to create legally-valid e-signatures that are accepted in almost all countries worldwide.
e. It’s as straightforward as it gets
Signing a document is a hassle-free experience. You won’t need any technical skills or know-how. You sign up for a free account on the website and immediately begin signing documents. The service provides all the document signing end editing tools you could need.
f. The user-interface is well-designed
The user interface is accessible and cheerful. You can log into your virtual dashboard from any web browser or PC. Essentially, you will be able to sign the document from anywhere and at any time. The dashboard tracks important information like the signature status in real-time.
1.2 Some Caveats
CocoSign has a lot to offer but it does come with minor cons:
a. The advanced features are locked
Cocospy offers some advanced features that are limited to paid users. For example – custom branding, a template library, payment collection, and in-person signing, among others. To be fair, this is standard with all e-signature solutions, and CocoSign is cheaper than most.
b. There is no Android or iOS app for now
You can’t download the software on Android or iOS at the moment. That may or may not change in the future. Still, the software is designed to be mobile-friendly and platform-independent. You can use it from your mobile browser without installing anything.
1.3 The App Covers all the Legal and Security Bases
CocoSign ticks all the legal boxes:
a. It complies with relevant data regulations
Businesses around the globe are expected to comply with some data-sharing regulations. Some of these include the ESIGN, GDPR, HIPAA, ESIGN, and the CFR. CocoSign is pre-compliant with all these regulations, so you don’t have to make any special efforts when using the app.
b. It’s secure
Every connection you make to the site will be on the HTTPS protocol. That means any document or other data you upload to the site will be protected. The software uses all the latest security protocols like the PCI DSS to keep your data safe.
c. It’s private
CocoSign is a private-to-use solution. It’s a trustworthy solution that doesn’t make your data or personal information available to anyone. Your information is stored encrypted and it is logically separated from the information uploaded by other users.
All in all, CocoSign provides solid user experience and has a better-than-average free plan, making it easy to recommend.
2. DocuSign
DocuSign is reputed to be the best e-signature maker software and for good reason. It offers advanced features and has an excellent user-interface. It was launched back in 2003 and is currently used by over 200,000 people.
You can use this software for Windows, iOS, and Android operating systems. You can download dedicated apps for the latter two platforms.
The Good: DocuSign is very easy to use. It’s designed to be used by the technically-challenged, and it shows. The app offers the best data security and privacy. Further, the app is chock full of all the features businesses and large enterprises could require.
The Bad: The free plan is a disappointment. You can sign a document and that’s about it. If you wish to pay for the service, it’s going to burn a hole in your pocket. It’s not an affordable solution for many SMBs. Further, the tech support is disastrous and it often has integrations/compatibility problems.
As good as this e-signature software is, it’s not perfect. Other solutions are fast catching up or even surpassing DocuSign.
3. Docsketch
Docsketch is a small American-owned-and-run company. Their online signature software is reliable and easy to use. This is the platform of choice for several reputable businesses like SUMO, Cornell, and TinySeed. Over 10,000 businesses use it to date.
This app comes with all the tools you’d require from an e-signature software. It lets you sign documents, prove the legal validity, and create templates – all online from your web browser. Some advanced features on offer are multi-signatory support, audit reports, and field suggestions.
The free version is limited in scope. You can sign and send 3 documents per month, and the platform supports notifications and reminders. Overall, the app works well and gets top marks on ease-of-use.
4. SignRequest
SignRequest is one of the more popular e-signature tools at the moment, especially in New Zealand and the US. It’s actively used by over 300,000 businesses and has been localized into 17 languages. This is the tool to get if you are looking for a tool in your native language.
The USP of this app is that it comes with a Google Chrome extension. It allows you to sign any document you have open in your web browser with just a few clicks, without you having to open separate software, which can come in handy.
The drawback of this app is that it is not particularly well-organized. You cannot upload multiple documents to its servers at once, which can be a problem. Further, the free plan is limited and doesn’t support template customization.
5. FileInvite
FileInvite was made for businesses that constantly need signatures from their customers. It was made by the team behind Zyber, an e-commerce maker that launched in 2009. The service is well-respected and considered reliable.
The app is sold as a document authorization and collection service. Essentially, you can send documents to your customers, have them signed, and collect them back again.
This software comes with all the standard features like template creation and customization. It allows you to interact with several clients or customers at once and send them regular reminders via email. A drawback is there is no free version. You can try it out for 14 days only.
6. Moxtra
Moxtra is a tool that allows you to create “digital branches” where you can host your customers and do business. A digital branch is a communication getaway that handles everyday business tasks, including document signing.
Some businesses that are looking for multi-function software may find Moxtra useful. It offers several useful tools in one – a video chat feature, a messenger, a task manager, a payment collector, a screen viewer, and many more. You can try it out free for 90 days.
The biggest advantage of this software is that you won’t have to use a separate service to sign your documents. But the drawback is that your business will have to commit to software as a whole. Further, it’s not a dedicated signature maker tool and doesn’t have some common features.
7. Eversign
Eversign was founded by an Austrian company in 2015. This software is popular because it has a standard set of tools and doesn’t cost much to use. It has a solid reputation and is the platform of choice for many global businesses.
The software can be accessed online from any internet-enabled device. You can access the service and use its various features without any training. Further, this software integrates with popular email applications like Gmail and file sharing apps like Dropbox. You can sign up to 5 documents free monthly.
This platform would doubtless be more popular if it didn’t have some niggles. It’s a chore to sign a large, multi-page document with Eversign. The whole process is slow and cumbersome, possibly due to an un-optimized software or slow servers.
8. PactSafe
PactSafe is a platform that offers “Clickwrap” agreements, which are essentially agreements a customer or client can make with your business just by ticking a box. These are traditionally implemented by retail organizations and marketplaces like Doordash.
PactSafe comes with several other useful features like the ability to send custom URLs to your customers and allowing them to sign contracts with text messages. The service will also help you to customize and embed their software into your workflow.
The drawback of PactSafe is that it’s not a conventional digital signature software. Further, it doesn’t come with a free plan. You have to pay $375 per month if you’re an SMB, which is not always affordable. The service suits retail businesses with a certain transaction volume best.
9. Concord
Condor is amongst the better-known digital signature software. Prominent businesses like Discord and Kickstarter make use of Concord. This service is one of the more secure ones around. Over 300,000 businesses rely on this program.
You can use the standard number of document signing features with Concord. Any document you sign on Concord is protected by a US Federal standard algorithm. It allows you to verify the document’s authenticity at any time and be protected against tampering.
While Concord is a reliable, secure solution, it is premium only – and it costs a significant amount if you do decide to pay for it. They don’t offer a free monthly plan. You can try the app, though, with the free trial.
10. SIGNiX
SIGNiX is the e-signature software of choice for real estate agents in the US. Over 341,000 agents have made use of it to date. The solution is also popular with government organizations, healthcare setups, and management institutions.
Besides the standard set of e-signature features and encryption tools, SIGNiX offers an offline document verification feature. That means you don’t have to connect to a remote server every time if you wish to determine the document you received hasn’t been tampered with.
This software is easy to use too, making it easy to recommend. However, they don’t offer a free trial or a free version. They do offer a free live demo.
Conclusion
We arranged these 10 best free digital signature software tools mainly based on how many features you receive for free. All these apps are worth trying out, with CocoSign arguably the best and most affordable online document signing solution at the moment.
