Best Electronic Signature Software for Business
Signing forms, documents, contracts, and agreements is an integral part of doing business. Luckily, technology has simplified this process and made it much more efficient and convenient than collecting signatures via the traditional, in-person way.
There are many document signing software platforms that allow you to sign forms online, send them to your recipients via email, and obtain their signatures digitally, such as jSign.
However, out of the various electronic signature software companies, which one should you choose?
In this article, we go over the pros and cons of some of the most popular e-signature software platforms on the market, and we highlight a few of their valuable features.
Keep reading this article to learn more about the main document signing software providers and compare between what each of them has to offer.
What is electronic signature software?
E-signature software platforms allow you and your recipients to view and sign documents online.
To put it another way, you don’t have to meet with the signatories and obtain their signatures in person. Instead, you can use an electronic signature software provider to collect signatures from any location via email, an app, or a website.
Above all, the process is easy and straightforward. It entails the following simple steps:
- Upload your form or create one by using a ready-made template and designate the slots in which the signatures go.
- Create an online signature for yourself by drawing or typing it. You can use this signature thereafter when you want to sign documents online.
- Sign in the designated slots by simply clicking on them (after that, the signature software will automatically add the one you typed or drew).
- Send the document to your recipient(s) so that they sign it. Plenty of e-signature software providers enable you to do this directly from your account’s dashboard.
- Wait for your recipient to sign. They could do so by creating their own electronic signature and clicking on the designated slots.
It is no wonder, therefore, that many people are starting to rely on document-signing software solutions. It is faster, easier, and more efficient than in-person signing.
Why is e-signature software important?
Document signing software is important because it saves you a lot of time, money, and energy.
To clarify, here are some of the main benefits to using an e-signature software provider:
- You and your recipients can view, send, and sign documents at any time and place, and without having to leave your location or meet in person.
- Your organization will save money on paper, pens, and printer ink.
- Most document signing software platforms store and organize your files for you, which is much more time efficient than manually sorting and filing physical papers.
- You can utilize online form templates and, in many cases, customize them.
It goes without saying that these features can be valuable to businesses and organizations of all sizes and across a wide range of industries.
Industries that Use Document Signing Software
A lot of people are starting to take advantage of the services that e-signature software companies provide, including (but not limited to) professionals and entities in the following industries:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Health Care
- Insurance
- Legal
- Real Estate
- Transportation and Logistics
With that in mind, when you compare the features of document signing software providers, you want to make sure that their tools and services are suitable for your industry and type of work.
Compared: The Top Electronic Signature Software Providers
Here is a breakdown of the pros, cons, and notable features of the largest companies in the e-signature software space.
Adobe Sign
This is one of the most popular names in the tech industry. In fact, even Microsoft relies on Adobe’s signature software to fulfill their users’ signing needs.
Additionally, Adobe, in of itself, offers a range of digital products that include graphic design software, cloud storage platforms, business/organizational features, and more.
Here are several other positive aspects to using Adobe’s electronic signature products:
- The software is available via an app or as a web program.
- You can track the status of documents that were sent out to be signed.
- It is a SaaS software that can be accessed by multiple people from various devices.
- Adobe has its own cloud storage system for you to save your documents, templates, and signed files in.
With that in mind, the following are some of the downsides that Adobe users could face:
- It is reportedly hard to use.
- The software is relatively expensive, especially for individuals, sole proprietors, and smaller organizations.
- Their basic plan (the cheapest one) comes with limited forms of customer support.
- In the same vein, a lot of the features that make Adobe competitive and advantageous are only available to higher-paying enterprise/business clients.
In short, Adobe has an excellent e-signature software for larger firms. However, individuals and small business owners who want more affordable (but still high-quality) solutions should consider other options.
DocuSign
DocuSign is one of the renowned names in the electronic signature field for many reasons. Here are a few of them:
- You can integrate your document-signing software account with most of the cloud storage platforms that are on the market.
- Set up signature reminders.
- Utilize audit trails to track your documents.
- There are plenty of customization features, yet they require you to enroll in one of DocuSign’s more expensive plans.
As far as the downsides go, DocuSign only allows you to add five users to your account with their basic plan. DocuSign’s setup is also not as user friendly as that of their competitors.
HelloSign
Brought to you by DropBox (but still compatible with other cloud storage platforms), HelloSign has a user-friendly dashboard, a quick account-opening process, customizable branding tools, and tracking features.
Perhaps most noteworthy, you can try out HelloSign’s document-signing software through their free trial.
Nonetheless, just as any electronic signature software, HelloSign has its own downsides. The following are among them:
- There isn’t a large selection of document templates.
- You can’t add conditional or advanced fields.
- It doesn’t have certain advanced features that may suit organizations.
- HelloSign’s plans are relatively expensive, especially in comparison to other document signing software companies.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc is arguably one of the best choices for sales professionals and firms. For a start, it is particularly designed for these users.
Apart from that, PandaDoc has an easy-to-navigate dashboard, plenty of templates for you to pick from, and tools that enable small businesses and sole proprietors to send proposals, price quotes, and contracts to their clients.
PandaDoc’s cons lay in the fact that their drag-and-drop features may make a document appear unprofessional and, as mentioned earlier, most of their offerings revolve around the needs of sales departments.
SignNow
Users could access their SignNow dashboards on a web platform and through iOS or Android apps.
SignNow has an introductory plan, but its features merely include setting up signature fields, signing, and collecting signatures. Contacting support is limited with this plan, as well.
Users have to sign up for a pricier package to be able to create signature reminders, add their branding to the documents, and send invoices to clients.
Simply put, SignNow can be great for sending or signing documents in a hassle-free way, but you can find better-priced options if you’re looking for advanced tools.
jSign
Last, but certainly not least, is jSign. This electronic signature software provider has a host of competitive and state-of-the-art features. Not only is jSign’s dashboard incredibly user friendly, but you can also upload your own documents directly from the cloud storage platform that you prefer.
Other than that, with jSign, you will enjoy the following pros and advantages:
- Set up due dates, signature reminders, notifications, and a customizable calendar.
- Access your account from any device and location (you don’t need to download an app or software)
- Track every activity on your document, including who viewed and/or signed it and their IP addresses.
- Restrict signatures to specific locations.
- Obtain a certificate of completion once the recipients sign a document.
- Collect signatures in several ways. Among them are via drawing it, typing it, or using a pad.
- Know that you can rely on blockchain technology to track each document’s activities and identify fraud when it happens.
- Send, receive, and sign documents in multiple file types (such as .pdf, .docx, .doc, .ppt, .pptx, .png, .jpg, and others).
- Use forms that comply with legal requirements (for example, HIPAA).
Above all, you could try out these great features and more for free through jSign’s 14-day trial. After that, you can determine if jSign is the right document signing software to meet your needs.
With jSign, you will truly realize how fast, efficient, and straightforward your electronic signature process can be, and regardless of how big or small your business is and what profession or industry you work in.
From your user-friendly and easy-to-use dashboard, you can sign and send documents without leaving your desk, upload legally-compliant forms and templates from almost any cloud storage platform you prefer, and track the status of your files.
To add to that, you can access your account from any place and device as long as you have an internet connection, and you could contact support via phone, email, or a live chat 24 hours per day.
For the reasons above, it’s clear that jSign is the one to choose when it comes to the best electronic signature software. Click here to sign up now for our 14-day free trial!
