DocuSign vs HelloSign vs SigPDF — 2026 Comparison

Choosing an E-Signature Tool in 2026

The electronic signature market has exploded. What used to be dominated by a single company — DocuSign — now includes dozens of competitors at every price point. But more options does not necessarily mean easier choices.

This guide compares three tools that represent different philosophies in the e-signature space: DocuSign (the enterprise incumbent), HelloSign (now Dropbox Sign, the mid-market challenger), and SigPDF (the privacy-first, no-account alternative). We will look at pricing, features, privacy, ease of use, and the scenarios where each tool makes the most sense.

Quick Comparison

| Feature | DocuSign | HelloSign (Dropbox Sign) | SigPDF | |---------|----------|--------------------------|--------| | Price | Free tier (3 sends/month), then $10-$65/month | Free tier (3 sends/month), then $15-$25/month | Free | | Account required | Yes | Yes | No | | File upload to server | Yes | Yes | No (client-side) | | Multi-party signing | Yes | Yes | No | | Templates | Yes | Yes | No | | API access | Yes ($) | Yes ($) | No | | Audit trail | Yes | Yes | No | | Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Browser-based (works on mobile) | | Offline mode | Limited | No | No | | Learning curve | Moderate | Low | Minimal |

DocuSign: The Enterprise Standard

Overview

DocuSign is the market leader in electronic signatures, with over a million customers and integrations with virtually every business tool. It is the default choice for large organizations and is often required by counterparties in enterprise deals.

Pricing (2026)

• Free tier: 3 signature requests per month (sender only)
• Personal: $10/month — 5 sends per month
• Standard: $25/month per user — unlimited sends, templates, reminders
• Business Pro: $40/month per user — payment collection, signer attachments, bulk send
• Enterprise: $65+/month per user — advanced features, SSO, API access

Strengths

• Industry standard — Widely recognized and trusted by large organizations
• Comprehensive feature set — Templates, bulk send, workflows, payment collection, in-person signing
• Integrations — Works with Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and hundreds more
• API — Robust developer API for custom integrations
• Compliance — SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA-eligible, FedRAMP authorized
• Multi-party signing — Complex signing workflows with multiple signers, routing, and approval chains

Weaknesses

• Expensive — Costs escalate quickly with additional users and features
• Complex — Feature-rich but overwhelming for simple signing tasks
• Account required — Registration, email verification, and profile setup before first use
• Server-side processing — Documents are uploaded to and stored on DocuSign's servers
• Aggressive upselling — Free tier is very limited, and the platform constantly pushes upgrades
• Slow for simple tasks — Creating an "envelope," adding recipients, and configuring fields takes time for a one-off signature

HelloSign (Dropbox Sign): The Mid-Market Option

Overview

HelloSign was acquired by Dropbox in 2019 and rebranded as Dropbox Sign. It positions itself as a simpler, more affordable alternative to DocuSign, with tight Dropbox integration.

Pricing (2026)

• Free tier: 3 signature requests per month
• Essentials: $15/month — 5 sends per month, templates
• Standard: $25/month per user — unlimited sends, team features, integrations
• Premium: Custom pricing — branding, compliance, advanced features

Strengths

• Clean interface — Simpler and more intuitive than DocuSign
• Dropbox integration — Seamless if your team already uses Dropbox
• Good API — Developer-friendly with clear documentation
• Templates — Easy to create and reuse common documents
• Reasonable pricing — Less expensive than DocuSign for small teams

Weaknesses

• Account required — Same registration friction as DocuSign
• Free tier limitations — Three sends per month is not much
• Server-side processing — Documents are uploaded to Dropbox/HelloSign servers
• Dropbox dependency — Increasingly tied to the Dropbox ecosystem
• Fewer integrations — Smaller integration catalog compared to DocuSign
• Feature gaps — Missing some advanced features like in-person signing and payment collection

SigPDF: The Privacy-First Alternative

Overview

SigPDF takes a fundamentally different approach. It is a browser-based PDF signing tool that requires no account, no installation, and no file uploads. Everything happens in your browser using client-side JavaScript.

Pricing

• Free — No tiers, no limits, no hidden costs

Strengths

• No account required — Open the site and start signing immediately
• Complete privacy — Files never leave your browser. No server upload, no cloud storage, no third-party access
• No usage limits — Sign as many documents as you need
• No watermarks — Signed PDFs are clean and professional
• Speed — Upload, sign, download in under 60 seconds
• Works everywhere — Any device with a modern browser
• Affordable — Free to use; downloading signed PDFs requires a subscription from €2.08/month

Weaknesses

• No multi-party signing — You cannot send a document to others for their signatures
• No templates — Each document is a fresh session
• No audit trail — No server-side record of signing events
• No API — Not designed for developer integration
• No offline mode — Requires a browser with internet access to load the tool (though file processing is local)
• Single signer only — Designed for you to add your own signature, not to orchestrate multi-party workflows

Which Tool Should You Use?

Choose DocuSign if:

• You work in a large organization that needs enterprise compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP)
• You need complex signing workflows with multiple signers, routing, and approval chains
• You need integrations with CRM, HR, or other enterprise tools
• You send documents for signature frequently (dozens or hundreds per month) and need templates and bulk send
• Your counterparties expect DocuSign — some organizations will only accept signatures through specific platforms
• You have the budget — plan on $25-65 per user per month for meaningful functionality

Choose HelloSign if:

• You want a simpler alternative to DocuSign with a cleaner interface
• Your team already uses Dropbox and wants tight integration
• You need multi-party signing and templates but at a lower price point than DocuSign
• You are a small to medium business that does not need enterprise-grade compliance
• You value developer experience and need a clean API for integration

Choose SigPDF if:

• You need to sign a document right now without any setup
• You do not want to create an account or give away your email
• You care about privacy and do not want your files uploaded to a server
• You sign documents occasionally rather than as a core business process
• The document only needs your signature (not multiple signers)
• You want a free tool without usage limits, watermarks, or tier restrictions
• You are signing sensitive documents (contracts, medical forms, financial paperwork) and want to minimize data exposure

The Real Question: Do You Need a Platform or a Tool?

The fundamental difference between these three options is not a feature checklist — it is a philosophical one.

DocuSign and HelloSign are platforms. They manage the entire signing lifecycle: document preparation, signer routing, notification, authentication, storage, and audit trails. They are designed for organizations that send documents to other people for signatures as a core business process.

SigPDF is a tool. It does one thing — lets you put your signature on a PDF — and does it with zero friction. There is no workflow management, no signer routing, no cloud storage. You sign the document and you are done.

Most people do not need a platform. They need a tool. They have a PDF, it needs their signature, and they want to get it done in under a minute without creating yet another account.

For those people, SigPDF is the clear choice.

For organizations that manage document signing workflows with multiple parties, templates, and compliance requirements, DocuSign or HelloSign make sense — and the subscription cost is justified by the workflow automation.

Try SigPDF for Your Next Signature

Next time you receive a PDF that needs your signature, try the no-account approach. Open SigPDF, sign your document, and see how fast it can be when there is nothing standing between you and a signed PDF.

Sign Your PDF Now →