E-signature guides

Plain-language guides on what e-signature costs and what the law says. Every number has a source and a read date, and we say so when we could not confirm something. How we source and check them.

• How much does DocuSign cost per envelope?

  DocuSign works out at about $2 to $6.50 an envelope when you use your whole plan. The numbers by plan, and how to work out your real cost.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• DocuSign alternatives for freelancers: what the cheapest plans cost

  What 9 e-signature vendors charge a single freelancer sending 5 or 20 documents a month, from each vendor's own pricing page.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• Are electronic signatures legally valid? What the law says by country

  Where an e-signature is generally accepted for contracts, and where wills, powers of attorney and property transfers need more. Sourced, information not advice.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• How to e-sign a document online: draw, type or upload

  Three ways to e-sign a document or PDF online, what each one proves, and what to check before you send it back. No account needed for the first two.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• DocuSign API alternatives: what the API plans cost and who publishes a price

  DocuSign's developer API plans cost $50 to $480 a month billed annually. What each includes, and the vendors that publish an API price.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• E-signature API pricing per envelope, compared

  What 7 e-signature vendors charge per envelope through their API, worked out from their own pricing pages, and what is not published.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• White-label e-signature: who offers it and what is public

  Which e-signature vendors let you remove their branding, what each page says, and the prices that are public. Much full white-label is quote only.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• What an e-signature audit trail should contain

  What US and EU law say about electronic signature records, and what Dropbox Sign, BoldSign and Documenso actually record. Sourced.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• Embedded signing explained: signing inside your own app

  What embedded signing means, which vendors offer it on which plans, and the prices that are public. From each vendor's own page.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• Bulk send for e-signatures: limits and pricing compared

  How many recipients each e-signature vendor lets you bulk send to, which plans include it, and how each copy is counted or charged.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• E-signature for HR onboarding: I-9, W-4, EU and Germany

  Which onboarding documents can be signed electronically in the US, the EU and Germany, with the rule and its source for each. Not legal advice.

  Updated 14 October 2026

• Choosing an e-signature provider as a company: a checklist

  A checklist for picking an e-signature provider for a company: price per envelope, API, branding, bulk send, audit trail and law, each with a source.

  Updated 14 October 2026