Best E-Signature Tools for Small Business (2026)

Choosing the Right E-Signature Tool for Your Business

Small businesses sign a lot of documents — client contracts, vendor agreements, NDAs, employment offers, invoices, and more. The right e-signature tool saves hours of printing, scanning, and mailing while making your business look professional and organized.

But the market is crowded. There are dozens of e-signature tools, each with different pricing, features, and trade-offs. Some are designed for enterprise and are overkill (and overpriced) for a small team. Others are too basic to handle real business needs.

This guide ranks the five best options for small businesses in 2026, with honest assessments of pricing, features, strengths, and weaknesses.

Quick Comparison: Pricing and Key Features

| Tool | Starting Price | Free Tier | Account Required | Signer Authentication | API Available | Best For | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | SigPDF | Free to use | Yes | No | N/A (self-signing) | No | Privacy-first self-signing | | DocuSign | $10/month | Trial only | Yes | Email, SMS, ID | Yes | Multi-party workflows | | Dropbox Sign | $15/month | 3 docs/month | Yes | Email, SMS | Yes | Dropbox users | | PandaDoc | $19/month | Free e-sign | Yes | Email | Yes | Proposals and quotes | | SignRequest | $7/month | 10 docs/month | Yes | Email | Yes | Budget-conscious teams |

1. SigPDF — Best for Privacy and Quick Self-Signing

Website: sigpdf.com

Price: Free to use (subscription required for PDF downloads)

SigPDF takes a fundamentally different approach from the other tools on this list. It is a browser-based signing tool focused on simplicity and privacy. Your PDF is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded to any server.

What It Does Well

Complete privacy. This is SigPDF's defining feature. Your documents are processed locally in your browser — they never touch a server. For businesses handling sensitive contracts, financial documents, or documents containing personal client data, this is a significant advantage. No other tool on this list offers true local processing.

Zero friction. There is no account to create, no software to install, and no learning curve. Open the website, upload your PDF, sign it, and download. A new employee can use it on their first day without any setup or training.

Works everywhere. SigPDF runs in any modern browser on any device — Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad, Android. This matters for small businesses where team members use a mix of devices.

Multiple signature methods. Draw with a mouse or touchscreen, type your name in a signature font, or upload an image of your handwritten signature. You can also add text and dates to fill in form fields.

Limitations

• Self-signing only. SigPDF is designed for signing your own documents. It does not support sending a document to someone else for their signature, tracking signature status, or managing multi-party signing workflows
• No audit trail. There is no centralized record of who signed what and when. For compliance-heavy industries, this may be insufficient
• No API. You cannot integrate SigPDF into your existing business systems or automate signing workflows
• No saved signatures between sessions. This is a deliberate privacy choice, but it means you redraw or retype your signature each time

Best For

Small businesses and freelancers who need to quickly sign their own documents — contracts they have received, NDAs they need to return, tax forms, invoices, and similar. If your primary need is "I need to sign this PDF and send it back," SigPDF is the fastest, most private way to do it.

2. DocuSign — Best for Multi-Party Signing Workflows

Website: docusign.com

Price: Personal $10/month, Standard $25/month, Business Pro $65/month (billed annually)

DocuSign is the industry standard for electronic signatures and the name most people recognize. It is built for sending documents to multiple parties for signing, with tracking, reminders, and audit trails.

What It Does Well

Multi-party workflows. Send a document to five different people, each with their own signature fields. DocuSign handles routing, reminders, and tracking so you do not have to chase people down.

Audit trails. Every signing event is logged with timestamps, IP addresses, and email verification. This creates a defensible legal record that holds up in disputes.

Templates. Save frequently used documents as templates with pre-placed signature fields. For a small business that sends the same contract to every new client, this saves significant time.

Integrations. DocuSign connects with Salesforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, and dozens of other business tools. Documents can flow directly from your CRM into a signing workflow.

Brand recognition. When you send a document through DocuSign, recipients recognize and trust the platform. This reduces friction on the signer's end.

Limitations

• Expensive for small teams. At $25/month per user for the Standard plan (the minimum most businesses need), costs add up quickly. A five-person team pays $1,500 per year
• Complex interface. DocuSign has accumulated years of features, and the interface reflects it. Simple tasks sometimes require more clicks than they should
• Overkill for self-signing. If you just need to sign a document yourself, DocuSign's workflow (upload, add recipients, define fields, send, wait) is far more complex than necessary
• Cloud-based processing. Your documents are stored and processed on DocuSign's servers. For sensitive documents, this may be a concern

Best For

Small businesses that regularly send contracts, proposals, or agreements to clients and partners for signature. If your workflow involves multiple signers and you need tracking and audit trails, DocuSign is the established choice.

3. Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign) — Best for Dropbox Users

Website: sign.dropbox.com

Price: Essentials $15/month, Standard $25/month per user (billed annually). Free tier: 3 documents per month.

Dropbox Sign (rebranded from HelloSign in 2022) offers a clean, straightforward signing experience with strong Dropbox integration. It strikes a middle ground between DocuSign's complexity and simpler tools.

What It Does Well

Clean interface. Dropbox Sign has one of the most intuitive interfaces in the e-signature space. Preparing a document for signing is straightforward, with drag-and-drop field placement that feels natural.

Dropbox integration. If your business already uses Dropbox for file storage, signed documents sync seamlessly. You can initiate signing workflows directly from Dropbox.

Free tier. Three free documents per month with full signing features. For very small businesses or freelancers who only sign a few documents monthly, this may be sufficient.

Templates. Create reusable templates for contracts, NDAs, and other frequently signed documents.

API. A developer-friendly API for embedding signing into your own applications or automating workflows.

Limitations

• Limited free tier. Three documents per month is restrictive for most active businesses
• Fewer integrations than DocuSign. While it integrates well with Dropbox and Google Workspace, the integration ecosystem is smaller than DocuSign's
• Owned by Dropbox. Some businesses prefer to keep their signing tool independent of their file storage provider
• No local processing. Documents are processed and stored on Dropbox's servers
• Feature parity with DocuSign is not complete. Advanced workflow features, conditional routing, and some compliance certifications are more limited

Best For

Small businesses already using Dropbox for file management. The tight integration creates a seamless workflow from document creation to signing to storage, and the interface is easier to learn than DocuSign.

4. PandaDoc — Best for Proposals and Sales Documents

Website: pandadoc.com

Price: Essentials $19/month, Business $49/month per user (billed annually). Free tier: unlimited e-signatures.

PandaDoc is more than an e-signature tool — it is a document automation platform that covers proposals, quotes, contracts, and e-signatures. The e-signature feature is built into a broader document workflow.

What It Does Well

Document creation. Build professional proposals, quotes, and contracts from templates within PandaDoc. Add pricing tables, images, and rich formatting. Then send for signature — all in one platform.

Free e-signatures. PandaDoc offers unlimited free electronic signatures, which is unusually generous. You only pay when you need the document creation and workflow features.

CRM integration. Strong integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and other CRMs. You can generate documents pre-filled with client data and send them for signature directly from your sales pipeline.

Content library. Store reusable content blocks (clauses, terms, pricing tables) that can be inserted into any document. This standardizes your business documents and saves time.

Analytics. Track when recipients open documents, how long they spend on each page, and when they sign. This gives sales teams insight into prospect engagement.

Limitations

• More than you need for just signing. If all you need is e-signatures, PandaDoc's broader feature set adds unnecessary complexity
• Expensive if you want full features. The Business plan at $49/month per user is steep for small teams
• Learning curve. The document builder is powerful but takes time to learn and set up effectively
• Cloud-based. All documents are stored and processed on PandaDoc's servers
• The free tier is limited. While e-signatures are free, you cannot access templates, content library, or CRM integrations without a paid plan

Best For

Small businesses where the sales process involves sending custom proposals or quotes that need signatures. If you currently create proposals in Word or Google Docs and then use a separate tool for signatures, PandaDoc consolidates both into one workflow.

5. SignRequest — Best Budget Option

Website: signrequest.com

Price: Professional $7/month, Business $12/month per user (billed annually). Free tier: 10 documents per month.

SignRequest is a straightforward, affordable e-signature tool that covers the basics well without the complexity or price tag of larger platforms. It was acquired by Box in 2021 but continues to operate independently.

What It Does Well

Affordable pricing. At $7/month for the Professional plan, SignRequest is significantly cheaper than DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, and PandaDoc. For small businesses watching their budget, this matters.

Generous free tier. Ten documents per month for free is more generous than most competitors. Many freelancers and micro-businesses can operate entirely within the free tier.

Simple, focused interface. SignRequest does not try to be a document creation platform or a CRM add-on. It handles e-signatures and does it well, with a clean interface that requires minimal learning.

Templates. Create and reuse templates for common documents.

Team management. The Business plan includes basic team features — shared templates, team billing, and usage tracking.

Limitations

• Fewer integrations. The integration ecosystem is smaller than DocuSign or PandaDoc. You get Salesforce, Google Workspace, and a few others, but not the breadth of larger platforms
• Simpler workflows. Multi-party signing works, but advanced routing (sequential signing, conditional fields, approval chains) is more limited
• Less brand recognition. Recipients may not recognize SignRequest, which could cause hesitation compared to a DocuSign link
• Owned by Box. The acquisition raises questions about long-term product direction and independence
• Support is more limited. Do not expect the same level of customer support as DocuSign or PandaDoc on the lower tiers

Best For

Budget-conscious small businesses and freelancers who need a basic multi-party signing tool without paying DocuSign prices. If your signing needs are straightforward — send a contract, get it signed, file it — SignRequest does the job at a fraction of the cost.

Which Tool Should Your Small Business Use?

The right choice depends on your primary use case:

"I need to sign documents I receive and send them back." Use SigPDF. It is the fastest, most private option for self-signing. No account, no installation, no files leaving your device. See how it compares to other free PDF signing tools.

"I need to send documents to clients and partners for their signature." Use DocuSign (if budget allows) or SignRequest (if you want to save money). Both handle multi-party workflows with tracking and audit trails.

"I need to create proposals and contracts, then get them signed." Use PandaDoc. Its document creation tools combined with e-signatures create an efficient end-to-end workflow.

"My team already uses Dropbox." Use Dropbox Sign. The integration is seamless and the interface is excellent.

"I want the most privacy-focused option." Use SigPDF. It is the only tool on this list that processes documents entirely in your browser with zero server involvement.

The Privacy Advantage

It is worth highlighting the privacy distinction because it matters more than many businesses realize. When you upload a contract to DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, PandaDoc, or SignRequest, that document is stored on their servers. It is encrypted and protected, but it is still on a third-party server.

With SigPDF, your document never leaves your browser. The PDF is processed using JavaScript running locally on your device. No upload, no server storage, no third party ever sees your document. For businesses handling sensitive client data, confidential contracts, or documents subject to privacy regulations like GDPR, this is a meaningful difference.

Try SigPDF for Your Business

For quick, private document signing, open SigPDF in your browser and sign your next PDF in under a minute. No account needed, no software to install, and your files stay on your device.

Sign Your Business Documents -->

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest e-signature tool for small business?

SigPDF is free for the signing functionality itself. For multi-party signing tools where you send documents to others, SignRequest is the most affordable at $7/month. DocuSign starts at $10/month but most businesses need the $25/month Standard plan.

Do I need an e-signature tool if I only sign a few documents per month?

For self-signing (signing documents you receive), SigPDF handles this without any subscription. For sending documents to others, Dropbox Sign's free tier (3 documents/month) or SignRequest's free tier (10 documents/month) may be sufficient.

Are e-signatures from these tools legally binding?

Yes. Electronic signatures created through any of the tools listed in this guide are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS (EU), and equivalent laws in most countries. For more details, see our guide on whether electronic signatures are legally binding.

Can I switch between e-signature tools later?

Yes. Signed PDFs are standard PDF files that are not locked to any particular platform. If you start with one tool and switch to another, your previously signed documents remain valid and accessible. The main consideration is migrating templates and contact lists, which varies by platform.