DocuSeal vs Firma (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DocuSeal and Firma share a 2.4 GPA, and only DocuSeal has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
DocuSeal grades higher on features and ease of use. Firma grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DocuSeal
Open-source document signing, in the cloud or on your servers
Firma
Pay-per-envelope e-signature API for SaaS products
Which one is for you
Pick DocuSeal if
- Fits if you have a developer and want to embed signing in your own product
- Works for teams willing to host their own signing server to keep documents in-house
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on the free cloud plan: 10 request emails a month and 20 SMS
- Pricey if you need reminders, your own logo or SSO, as those are Pro at $20 a seat
- Watch out: embedding and the signing API are billed at $0.20 per completion
- Watch out: collecting payments while signing carries a 4% fee on Basic
- Skip it if you want no servers to look after, as the free open-source route needs your own hosting
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
| 2.4GPADocuSealFair | 2.4GPAFirmaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $20 a user a month, between the category's middle of $15 and its dearer quarter at $29. The free open-source version needs your own server, so it counts as C, not A. | 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 free cloud plan allows 10 signature request emails a month and 20 SMS requests. That's a cap you'll hit once you send regularly. | CA testing-mode API key with unlimited test envelopes and no card, but real sending is paid. |
| Features | BTemplates, 10 field types, multiple signers, API and embedding, payments during signing and verification add-ons. Reminders, a logo, SSO and bulk send beyond 50 a month are Pro, which are limits rather than missing basics. | 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 cloud plan is a web app where you build templates, and the open-source route means running it on your own servers. | DNo store rating on record, and you write code against an API before anything is signed. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Zapier, Make, n8n and GitHub connections and a signing API. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb and an API, with Zapier and n8n connectors listed. |
| Best for | open-source e-signatures 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: DocuSeal and Firma. How we grade
Where they differ
- DocuSeal is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- DocuSeal also covers documents and forms.
- Firma also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
At a glance
| DocuSeal | Firma | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per user / month | €0.049 per envelope, no minimum |
| Free plan | Basic cloud plan: legally binding signatures, multiple signers, 10 field types and 10 signature request emails a month. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free testing-mode API key with unlimited test envelopes, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DocuSeal | Firma.dev |
| Price read from | docuseal.com | firma.dev |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DocuSeal
- The free cloud plan allows 10 signature request emails a month and 20 SMS requests.
- Automated reminders, logo, own email address, SSO and bulk send beyond 50 a month need Pro at $20 per user a month.
- Embedding and the signing API are billed at $0.20 per completion, per the page's usage list.
- Collecting payments during signing carries a 4% processing fee on the Basic plan, and none on Pro.
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
DocuSeal
- Open-source core
- The code is on GitHub under AGPL-3.0, so the same signing tool can be deployed on your own servers.
- Templates and field types
- Documents are turned into templates with 10 field types. Pro adds auto-detected, conditional and formula fields and an import from DocuSign.
- Signing options
- Shared links, in-person signing, witnesses, attachments and multiple signers are listed, with an audit log and bulk send from a spreadsheet.
- API and embedding
- A signing API, embedded signing and a React component let developers add signing to a product, with webhooks and a test sandbox.
- Payments during signing
- Pro can collect payments when a document is signed. The cloud charges a 4% processing fee on the Basic plan and 0% on Pro.
- Verification add-ons
- ID card verification and knowledge-based authentication cost $2 each, and EU qualified signatures $2 to $4 each.
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
DocuSeal
Basic$0
Cloud plan with indefinite retention, user management and 10 request emails a month. Email support.
Pro$20
per user / month ($200 per year if billed yearly)
Cloud plan with unlimited requests, logo, own email address, reminders, payments, SSO, SMS verification and API.
Open Source$0
Free to deploy on your own servers, with your own SMTP, 10 field types and community support through GitHub.
On-premises Pro$20
per user / month, license for self-hosting
Self-hosted license that adds white-label logo, full control of data, roles and teams, SSO, payments and an account manager.
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
DocuSeal
- Annual discount
Pro is $200 a year when billed yearly
The pricing page offers Pro for $20 a month or $200 a year.
Firma
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DocuSeal or Firma?
As of Nov 13, 2026, DocuSeal starts at $20 per user / month, and Firma starts at €0.049 per envelope, no minimum.
Which has a free plan, DocuSeal or Firma?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only DocuSeal 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.