Documenso vs eSignatures.io (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Documenso if

• Fits if you want signing software you can read, change and host yourself
• Works for up to five people sharing one $40 plan, or signing built into your own app

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if nobody on your team can look after a server and you want it free, as the Community Edition is meant for testing
• Not for you if you sign on your phone, as there's no app
• Too light for teams that need bulk send, signer ID checks or payments, which the listing doesn't show
• Tight if you stay on the hosted free plan, at 5 documents a month with up to 10 recipients each
• Watch out: only yearly prices are shown and monthly costs more, and self-hosted Business license prices aren't published

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

Documenso

• Unlimited documents on paid plans are subject to a fair-use policy.
• The free Community Edition is aimed at testing and internal trials, with community support only; production support needs a paid license.
• Self-hosting means running and maintaining the servers yourself; Business Edition license prices are not published.
• The pricing page shows yearly prices only; paying monthly costs more, as each plan lists a yearly saving.

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.

Documenso

Open source

The code is public, so it can be inspected, changed and run on your own infrastructure with no per-signature fees.

Templates and direct links

Save reusable templates and switch on a direct link for any of them, so recipients can fill and sign without logging in.

Teams

The Teams plan gives a shared team space with 5 users included and more added for $8 a month each.

API, webhooks and Zapier

Every paid plan includes API access, with webhooks and a Zapier integration for automating sends and follow-ups.

Embedded signing

Teams can embed signing in their own site or app, and the Platform plan removes Documenso's branding for white-label use.

Compliance documentation

Documenso publishes compliance pages on the ESIGN Act, UETA, 21 CFR Part 11, SOC 2 and HIPAA, and the Enterprise license adds compliance features.

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.

Documenso

• Free$0

  Hosted by Documenso: 5 documents a month, up to 10 recipients per document.

• Individual$25

  per month, billed yearly ($300 a year)

  Unlimited documents for one person, API access for personal use, email support and a premium profile name.

• Teams$40

  per month for up to 5 users, billed yearly ($480 a year)

  Unlimited documents, one team, API access for automation and embedded signing; extra users $8 a month each.

• Platform$250

  per month, billed yearly ($3,000 a year)

  Unlimited documents, users and API access, white-label embedded signing and integration support over Slack.

• Community Edition$0

  Self-hosted: you run it on your own servers with no usage limits and community-only support; meant for testing and evaluation.

• Business and EnterpriseCustom

  Self-hosted or cloud licenses sold through sales, with the enterprise feature set, priority support and AATL certificates.

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.

Documenso

• Annual discount

  Save with yearly billing

  Documenso's pricing page lists a yearly saving on each plan: $60 on Individual, $120 on Teams and $600 on Platform.

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.