A free, unlimited electronic signature tool versus the paid industry standard. Here is exactly how they compare on cost and features.
DocuSign built the category, and it is a capable, enterprise-grade platform. But for most people and small teams, it is priced for the enterprise: per-user seat fees, monthly envelope limits, annual contracts, and a credit card before you can send a single document.
The big difference is simple: SignSimple is free. Upload a PDF, drag on your signature and other fields, and send it for signature — with no per-document fees, no seat charges, no monthly caps, and no card required. You get the core e-signature workflow people actually use, without the subscription wall.
If you sign the occasional contract, send NDAs, or run a small business, you likely do not need a DocuSign subscription. You need a document signed. That is what SignSimple does — for $0.
What you pay for the same everyday signing, side by side.
| Plan | SignSimple | DocuSign |
|---|---|---|
| Entry / personal use | $0 | ~$10 / month (5 sends / mo) |
| Standard / small team | $0 | ~$25 / user / month |
| Business / pro | $0 | ~$40 / user / month |
| Annual cost for one user | $0 | ~$120 – $480+ / year |
DocuSign pricing reflects publicly listed plans (billed annually) at the time of writing and is subject to change. SignSimple is free with no usage limits.
The everyday signing features that matter, compared feature by feature.
| Feature | SignSimple | DocuSign |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Paid subscription |
| Documents per month | Unlimited | Limited by plan |
| Signature requests | Unlimited | As few as 5 / month on entry plans |
| Per-user seat fees | ||
| Credit card required to start | ||
| Draw, type, or upload a signature | ||
| Signature, initial, date, name, email, company, title & stamp fields | ||
| Audit trail & certificate of completion | ||
| Email delivery of secure signing links | ||
| Recipients get their own copy & dashboard | ||
| Bulk personalized send (one upload → many recipients) | Included | Higher tier / add-on |
| Setup calls or annual contracts | None | Common for business plans |
Feature availability on DocuSign varies by plan tier.
We built SignSimple because we were tired of paying a monthly subscription just to get a document signed. E-signatures are a solved problem — they should not be a premium, per-seat feature.
So we made the core signing workflow free for everyone: upload, place fields, send, sign, done. No credit card, no envelope counter ticking down, no sales call.
Upload a PDF and send it for signature in minutes — for $0.
No credit card. No limits. No subscription.