BoldSign vs eSignatures.io (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 2.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BoldSign grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BoldSign
Low-cost e-signature app and API from Syncfusion
eSignatures.io
Pay-per-contract e-signatures with an API and no monthly fee
Which one is for you
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
Pick eSignatures.io if
- Fits if you send contracts in bursts and would rather pay per contract than per seat
- Works for developers who want signing in an app through the API
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need advanced or qualified eIDAS signatures, as only simple ones are offered
- Watch out: live photo ID checks ($2.99) and SMS delivery ($0.09 a message) are billed on top
- Watch out: signed contracts are kept for a mandatory three years, according to the site
- Tight if you want a trial first: its length and limits aren't stated
- Pricey if you send a lot, with the cost falling to $0.20 only at the $100,000 top-up
How we grade them
| 3.0GPABoldSignVery good | 2.0GPAeSignatures.ioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$0.49 a contract from a $50 top-up, with credits that don't expire. The category's figures can't price this, and what you pay depends on how many you send: 100 contracts is $49, and ID checks ($2.99) and SMS ($0.09) are extra. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | DThe pages describe a free trial but give no length or limits, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | CFlat fee per contract, mobile-first contracts, API, Zapier and Make, signer checks, links, kiosk mode and bulk send. Gap: only simple electronic signatures, with no advanced or qualified eIDAS signatures. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect it through its API, Zapier or Make, or send from the dashboard, so there's setup first. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb only, with Zapier, Make, Google Drive, WordPress, HubSpot, Salesforce, Claude and ChatGPT connections and an API. |
| Best for | e-signatures from $5 a user, with a free plan for one | a pay-per-contract signing API |
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: BoldSign and eSignatures.io. How we grade
Where they differ
- eSignatures.io also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| BoldSign | eSignatures.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly) | $0.49 per contract, prepaid in credits from $50 |
| Free plan | Essential plan: one user, 25 envelopes a month and 2 templates, with an audit trail, signer authentication, reminders, branding and the mobile apps. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial; accounts on public email domains get lower trial limits | Free trial offered; its length and limits are not stated on the pages read |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Syncfusion | eSignatures.com |
| Price read from | boldsign.com | esignatures.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
eSignatures.io
- Only simple electronic signatures are offered; advanced and qualified signatures under eIDAS are not.
- Live photo ID checks ($2.99) and SMS delivery ($0.09 per message) are billed on top of the $0.49 contract fee.
- The pages read describe a free trial but do not state its length or limits.
- Signed contracts are kept for a mandatory three years, according to the site.
Key features
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.
eSignatures.io
- Flat fee per contract
- A contract costs the same whether it has one signer or fifteen, two pages or twenty. There are no seat fees and no envelope caps.
- Mobile-first contracts
- Contracts are responsive text instead of PDFs, so signers on a phone do not have to pinch and zoom. The signed result is delivered as a PDF.
- API, Zapier and Make
- A single API request sends a contract, and the service also connects to Zapier and Make. Contracts can be drafted and sent from Claude or ChatGPT.
- Signer checks
- Signers can be asked for a one-time code by email or SMS, or for a live photo ID check. Photo ID checks cost $2.99 each and SMS delivery $0.09 per message.
- Links, kiosk mode and bulk send
- A contract link lets anyone sign, can be embedded on a site or shared as a QR code, and kiosk mode lets people sign one after another on a shared tablet.
- Data location and branding
- Contracts can be stored in the US, Frankfurt, London, Sydney or Canada. Your logo, company name, fonts and email domain can be used in the signing flow.
Plans
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.
eSignatures.io
Credits$50
one-time top-up, used as you go
About 100 contracts at $0.49 each. Larger top-ups add bonus credits, down to $0.20 a contract at $100,000. Credits do not expire.
Ways to pay less
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.
eSignatures.io
- Nonprofit
40% discount for non-profits
The pricing page states a 40% discount for non-profit organizations. How to claim it is not described on the page.
- Other savings
Bonus credits on larger top-ups
Credit purchases from $500 add 5% to 150% extra credits, lowering the effective fee from $0.47 to $0.20 per contract.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BoldSign or eSignatures.io?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BoldSign starts at $5 per user / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly), and eSignatures.io starts at $0.49 per contract, prepaid in credits from $50.
Which has a free plan, BoldSign or eSignatures.io?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only BoldSign has a free plan. eSignatures.io does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do BoldSign and eSignatures.io run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.