fbpx

7 Best Free Esignature Solutions For 2023

Author: Nga Nguyen

Author: Nga Nguyen

Founder of PortaIstack. I come from a background in business consulting and technology delivery. Over the years, I've accumulated a collection of learnings from unforced errors big corporates make - I now want to use these learnings to help small businesses launch and scale up.

person signing document on a tablet device

We’ve scoured the internet and here is our list of the top 7 free esignature solutions offering free forever plans – in other words, it’s not a time-based free trial, but does come with some usage limitations (typically the number of esignature requests or downloads per month). So, if you’re a low-usage esignature user and are simply looking for a low-cost (or in this case free) esignature solution for ad-hoc use only, then you’ve come to the right place.

Esignature is here to stay

Remember the good ol’ days when everyone used to print, sign and scan back documents just to collect signatures? Okay, so sadly this practice is not entirely behind us – let’s just say, certain industries (we won’t name and shame here) still insist on wet signatures…in 2023!

But the good news is the adoption of electronic signature (or esignature) is rising…and at breakneck speed. According to Fortune Business Insights, the esignature market size is expected to grow from USD 3 billion in 2021 to USD 35.03 billion by 2029.

Here are our top picks

Enough of the fluff already, we’re guessing you’re already sold on the benefits of esignature and are now on the hunt for the best free esignature software available in today’s market.

Free esignature with extensive template library

screenshot of jotform free esignature software

(image source: jotform.com/products/sign)

  • Integrated with forms and document assembly: Jotform’s heritage as a powerful form builder means collecting signatures embedded within digital forms is a one-stop-shop experience.
  • 600+ ready-made templates: No need to create documents from scratch. Simply select from Jotform’s library of 600+ templates to quickly get started and then modify them as required.
  • Automated approval process: Specify required signers to your document signing workflow and get notified when everyone has done their bits.

Monthly limit: 10 esignature requests

Free esignature with no monthly limit

screenshot of oneflow free esignature software

(image source: oneflow.com)

  • No monthly limits: Yes, this is not a typo – Oneflow does not cap the number of documents you can send and sign when uploading PDF files. They do have a nifty digital contracts feature where you can create and collaborate on web-based contracts (as opposed to PDF uploads), but this is on their paid plan 😂.
  • Updates and comments: Easily track activities and get notified whenever someone makes an update or adds a comment.
  • Data portability:  Oneflow allows you to import or export all your contacts – this comes in handy if you need to move data between source systems.

Monthly limit: Unlimited esignature requests

Free esignature combined with client portal

screenshot of portalstack software

(image source: portalstack.io)

  • Client portal: Portalstack is a client portal solution that integrates esignature into the wider client management suite of features, which includes online forms, web documents, payments, file sharing, video calling, and more. With Portalstack, you can manage the entire client relationship lifecycle from a single solution 👏.
  • Audit trail: Transactional data such as date, time and IP addresses of all signatories to a document is recorded.
  • Automated reminders: Define how often you want to send reminders and let Portalstack do the chasing on your behalf.

Monthly limit: 5 requests

Try Portalstack Today

14-day free trial. No credit card required.

Esignature with auto field detection

screenshot of zoho sign free esignature software

(image source: zoho.com/sign)

  • Integration into Zoho apps: If you’re already hooked into the Zoho ecosystem (eg. you’re using their CRM), then integration into other Zoho apps is seamless (as one would expect).
  • Auto field detection (aka text tags): In simple, by adding text tags (eg. company_name) to your document, it will pull the data from an integrated Zoho app (such as CRM), removing the need for you to re-enter that data. This can be a massive time saver if you have lots of common data fields.
  • Mobile app: Free plan includes mobile access across all platforms (iOS and android) – can’t complain about that.

Monthly limit: 5 esignature requests

Esignature with generous storage

screenshot of box sign software

(image source: box.com/esignature)

  • Integration: Whilst paid users have access to over 1,500 built-in integrations, free users are limited to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace – we’ll still take that, especially when it’s free.
  • Generous storage: Up to 10 GB of storage, with a 250 MB file upload limit – that’s one hefty document to even come close to 250 MB 🤷‍♀️. 
  • 2-factor authentication: In addition to standard email and password (first factor), you can add an additional layer of access security (second factor) in the form of a one-time passcode sent to you either by SMS, email or an authenticator app.

Monthly limit: 5 esignature requests (for individuals)

Esignature with contract templates

screenshot of signwell software

(image source: useanvil.com/products/etch)

  • Approval request: If you’re sending a document that requires approval  (eg. proposals), then you can request the recipient to first approve the document before the request for signature is triggered.  
  • Save as template: Save your created documents as templates, so you can quickly reuse them at a later time. However, under the free plan, you’re limited to just one template 😨.
  • Contract templates: SignWell has a generous library of free contracts and agreements, ranging from NDA to bookkeeping services agreement.

Monthly limit: 3 esignature requests

Esignature with API documents

screenshot of eversign software

(image source: useanvil.com/products/etch)

  • 2-factor authentication: 2FA is offered under the free plan, but is limited to two SMS messages per month (to send the second-factor passcode).
  • 3 API Documents: This may not be relevant to the majority of readers here, but if you happen to be technically savvy with API integration, EverSign offers three API calls per month to embed esignature workflow within your application.
  • In-Person Signing: This feature allows you to collect signatures directly from your local device (eg. tablet, PC or mobile) – similar to how the FedEx person collects your esignature as confirmation of delivery.

Monthly limit: 5 esignature requests

Share this article

LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter

Create proposals, onboard clients and securely collect information, esignatures and payments. Client portal software made simple for busy professionals and service businesses.

© Portalstack 2023. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Security Policy
Made with in Melbourne

Social: LinkedinFacebookTwitter