Documenso vs Firma (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Firma grades higher than Documenso: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Documenso grades higher on ease of use. Firma grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Documenso
Open-source document signing, hosted or on your own servers
Firma
Pay-per-envelope e-signature API for SaaS products
Which one is for you
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 Firma if
- Fits if you send low volumes from your own SaaS and want no monthly fee
- Works for developers who want webhooks and a TypeScript SDK
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have no developer, as there is no signing app to open
- Watch out: prices are in euros and billed in your currency at the day's exchange rate
- Tight if you need fast support, because one-business-day priority support is EUR 100 a month extra
- Watch out: one envelope is one document however many signers or pages it has
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADocumensoFair | 2.4GPAFirmaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$40 a month for three on Teams, billed yearly, about $13 a head, for up to 5 users and unlimited documents. That's the middle of this category. The free Community Edition only costs nothing if you run your own server, so it doesn't lift the grade. | AEUR 0.049 an envelope with no minimum, so 100 envelopes cost under EUR 5, under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe hosted free plan is 5 documents a month with up to 10 recipients each, and no card. Fine for casual signing, not 20 a month. The self-hosted Community Edition has no limits, but it's meant for testing. | CA testing-mode API key with unlimited test envelopes and no card, but real sending is paid. |
| Features | CTemplates, direct links anyone can sign from, a team space, an API, webhooks and embedded signing. The basics are there, but the listing shows nothing on bulk send, signer ID checks or payments, and unlimited documents come under a fair-use policy. | CREST API, TypeScript SDK, embedded editors, webhooks, audit trail and unlimited teams. It does the API job and has no end-user app of its own. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. The hosted version is a normal web app with templates to set up. Running it yourself means looking after servers, which is real work. | DNo store rating on record, and you write code against an API before anything is signed. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API, webhooks, Zapier and embedded signing for your own site or app. No phone or desktop app. | BWeb and an API, with Zapier and n8n connectors listed. |
| Best for | open-source signing you can host yourself | cheap pay-per-envelope signing in your own app |
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: Documenso and Firma. How we grade
Where they differ
- Documenso is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Documenso also covers documents.
- Firma also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
At a glance
| Documenso | Firma | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $25 per month, billed yearly ($300 a year) | €0.049 per envelope, no minimum |
| Free plan | Hosted Free plan: 5 documents a month with up to 10 recipients each, no credit card required. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free testing-mode API key with unlimited test envelopes, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Documenso, Inc. | Firma.dev |
| Price read from | documenso.com | firma.dev |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Firma
- Prices are listed in euros and billed in your local currency at the current exchange rate, so the dollar amount varies.
- One envelope is one document sent for signature, however many signers or pages it has.
- Priority support with a one-business-day response is a separate €100 per month.
- It is an API product; there is no separate end-user signing app listed.
Key features
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.
Firma
- REST API and TypeScript SDK
- Send documents from templates or uploaded PDFs, add recipients with roles, set signing order and deadlines, and download signed files and audit trails.
- Embedded editors
- Template and signing editors drop into your app as an iframe, with custom styling and white-label branding applied.
- Unlimited teams
- Each of your customers can have an isolated workspace with its own branding and webhook settings at no extra charge.
- Webhooks and event stream
- Events such as document sent, viewed, signed and complete are pushed as webhooks, and a server-sent event stream covers team activity.
- Audit trail and compliance
- Every signing request records views, field changes and signatures. The vendor says it aligns with ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS and GDPR.
- Zapier and n8n
- For no-code use the vendor says Firma connects to Zapier or n8n.
Plans
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.
Firma
Pay as you go€0.049
per envelope, no minimum or contract
Flat rate at any volume, with unlimited teams, full API access and no per-seat fees. Priced in euros and billed in your currency.
Ways to pay less
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.
Firma
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Documenso or Firma?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Documenso starts at $25 per month, billed yearly ($300 a year), and Firma starts at €0.049 per envelope, no minimum.
Which has a free plan, Documenso or Firma?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Documenso has a free plan. Firma does not, though it has a free trial.
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.