Anvil vs BoldSign (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick BoldSign: it is first in our ranking of e-signature and proposal tools, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BoldSign grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Anvil
Document automation and e-signature APIs for developers
BoldSign
Low-cost e-signature app and API from Syncfusion
Which one is for you
Pick Anvil if
- Fits if you build document and signing flows into your own software
- Works for small teams that fill PDFs and send them for signing
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want white labeling, which is on Product Pack at $425 a month
- Watch out: usage beyond included credits is $1.50 per e-sign packet, $0.10 per PDF fill and $1.00 per Workflow submission
- Tight if you want the API free, as keys need a card on file or a paid plan
- Watch out: native Salesforce and HubSpot links are listed as coming soon
Pick BoldSign if
- Fits if you send up to 25 documents a month and don't want to pay anything
- Works for small teams at $5 a head billed yearly, or nonprofits, who get Growth free
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you each send more than 50 documents a month on Growth, as unlimited needs Business at $15 a head
- Pricey if you bulk send often, as bulk send, SMS, WhatsApp and ID checks are charged on use
- Not for you if you need the API, which is a separate plan from $30 a month, then $0.75 an envelope
- Watch out: Premium shares 250 envelopes a month across all users and bills pay-as-you-go past that
- Watch out: trial accounts on public email domains get lower limits, and the free plan holds 2 templates
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAnvilFair | 3.0GPABoldSignVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DAI Pack is $99 a month and Product Pack $425 monthly ($340 yearly), several times the category's $20 middle. White labeling and in-person signing sit on the dearer one. | A$15 a month for three on Growth, billed yearly ($5 a head, $15 a head monthly), with 50 envelopes each a month and 10 templates. That's under 60% of this category's cheapest quarter. Unlimited envelopes on Business is $15 a head. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free plan for 2 users with unlimited templates, the UI, an audit trail and a sandbox. API access needs a card on file. | BThe free Essential plan gives one user 25 envelopes a month, 2 templates, signer authentication, reminders, branding and the apps. One person could really live on that. Paid plans have a 30-day trial too. |
| Features | CE-signature API, white-labeled signing, document AI, PDF fill, web forms and workflows. White labeling and several signing modes need Product Pack, and Salesforce and HubSpot links are listed as coming soon. | BSigner authentication on every plan, templates, in-person signing and team sharing on Growth, then SSO, AI field detection and HubSpot on Business. Bulk send, SMS, WhatsApp and ID checks cost extra on use, but they're there. It covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the product is aimed at developers who build workflows and call an API. | CThere's an iPhone app but no store rating on record yet. It's a web app where you upload a contract, place fields and send, with templates to set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and API, with Zapier as the current connector. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier, Xero and Power Automate, plus an API on its own plan from $30 a month. No desktop app, so it's a B. |
| Best for | e-signature and PDF APIs for developers | e-signatures from $5 a user, with a free plan for one |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Anvil and BoldSign. How we grade
Price against what you get
Anvil starts at $99 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. BoldSign starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
BoldSign scores higher and starts $94 a month lower. Of the other e-signature and proposal tools on the chart, 15 score higher than Anvil for less, and none scores higher than BoldSign for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Anvil also covers workflow automation and forms.
- BoldSign also covers documents.
At a glance
| Anvil | BoldSign | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $99 per month (AI Pack, billed monthly) | $5 per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 2 users, unlimited templates and UI use, multiple signers, embedding and a sandbox. API keys need a card or a paid plan. | Essential plan: one user, 25 envelopes a month and 2 templates, with an audit trail, signer authentication, reminders, branding and the mobile apps. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial; accounts on public email domains get lower trial limits |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Anvil | Syncfusion |
| Price read from | useanvil.com | boldsign.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Anvil
- Usage beyond included credits is metered: $1.50 per completed Etch e-sign packet, $0.10 per PDF fill and $1.00 per Workflow submission.
- The monthly figures shown are for monthly billing; annual billing takes 20% off ($340 a month for Product Pack).
- White labeling and interactive, progressive and in-person signing over the API need Product Pack or Enterprise.
- Native Salesforce and HubSpot integrations are listed as coming soon; Zapier is the current route.
BoldSign
- Growth caps each user at 50 envelopes a month and 10 templates; unlimited envelopes need Business.
- Bulk send, bulk links, SMS and WhatsApp delivery, ID verification and the Salesforce integration are add-ons charged on use.
- The API is a separate plan: from $30 a month with 40 envelopes, then $0.75 per envelope.
- Premium shares 250 envelopes a month across all users; each envelope past that costs $0.50.
Key features
Anvil
- Etch e-signature API
- One API call creates a signature packet with signers, fields and order. Signing is URL-based and works in a phone or desktop browser.
- Embedded, white-labeled signing
- Signers can sign inside an iframe in your own product, with CSS styling to match your brand. White labeling is on Product Pack and above.
- Document AI
- Upload a PDF and Anvil identifies input and signature fields and signers, producing a template ready to send.
- PDF fill and generation
- APIs fill PDF templates with data or generate PDFs from HTML or Markdown.
- Webforms and Workflows
- Mobile-friendly forms collect data and feed Workflows that fill documents and route them for signature.
- Sandbox and audit trail
- Every plan includes a sandbox for test packets, and each completed packet has an audit trail with timestamps, IP address and a document hash.
BoldSign
- Email, SMS or WhatsApp delivery
- Send signing requests by email on every plan; SMS and WhatsApp delivery are paid add-ons from the Business plan.
- Templates and bulk sending
- Save contracts as templates and share them with a team; bulk send from a CSV file and bulk signing links are add-ons.
- Signer verification
- Signer authentication is on every plan; ID with selfie checks, knowledge-based questions and SMS codes can be added on Business.
- AI field detection and search
- Business adds AI that places signature fields on a document and an AI search across signed documents.
- Audit trail
- Each document keeps a downloadable audit trail of its signing history, and the final file is digitally signed to show tampering.
- API and embedded signing
- A free sandbox for testing, then an API plan with embedded sending and signing, webhooks, Zapier, Power Automate and an MCP server.
Plans
Anvil
Free$0
2 users, unlimited templates, Document AI in the UI, audit trail and sandbox. API access needs a card on file.
AI Pack$99
per month, billed monthly
5 users, programmatic Document AI, 50 pages per AI-tagged PDF and a 40 requests/second limit.
Product Pack$425
per month, billed monthly ($340 billed annually)
AI Pack plus white labeling, interactive, progressive, parallel and in-person signing.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, single sign-on, HIPAA and DPA terms, embedded builders and priority support.
BoldSign
Essential$0
One user, 25 envelopes a month and 2 templates, with an audit trail, signer authentication and reminders.
Growth$5
per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
50 envelopes per user a month and 10 templates, with template sharing, in-person signing and team management.
Business$15
per user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly)
Unlimited envelopes and templates, SSO, custom roles, AI field detection and search, HIPAA and the HubSpot integration.
Premium$99
per month for up to 250 envelopes, billed yearly ($138 monthly)
Everything in Business for unlimited users, sharing 250 envelopes a month.
Ways to pay less
Anvil
- Annual discount
20% off annual plans
The pricing FAQ says annual plans are discounted 20%, giving $340 a month for Product Pack instead of $425.
BoldSign
- Annual discount
Save 40% with yearly billing
BoldSign's pricing page marks yearly billing as 40% off: Business is $15 per user a month billed yearly against $25 monthly.
- Nonprofit
Free Growth plan and 50% off for nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations get the Growth plan free and 50% off the Business and Premium plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Anvil or BoldSign?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Anvil starts at $99 per month (AI Pack, billed monthly), and BoldSign starts at $5 per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Anvil or BoldSign?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Anvil and BoldSign have a free plan.
Which platforms do Anvil and BoldSign run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BoldSign lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.