Are you still printing contracts, signing them by hand, and scanning them back for your clients? A good electronic signature tool for companies closes that process in minutes, without paper or scanner. For this reason, many small businesses only adopt electronic signatures when they have already lost a client for taking too long to close a contract. This guide on electronic signature summarizes the criteria that should be reviewed before choosing. electronic signature: This guide summarizes criteria, limits and steps for choosing with context.
Electronic signature allows you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Electronic signature allows you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding. Electronic signature allows you to compare functions, limits and context before deciding.
Electronic signature requires comparing functions, limits and context before deciding.
electronic signature: criteria and guide
Table of Contents
Before choosing, check if you need something larger
Before choosing a loose business e-signature tool, it's worth checking out something else. Perhaps your office or business needs a more extensive system. If you also handle full legal cases and documents, our guide on management tools for small law firms can add additional context to your operation.
Free tool: Service Provision Contract Generator
Prepare an operational draft and review it for your country, activity and risk level. This tool does not substitute professional legal advice.
Platform chosen: DocuSign
DocuSign allows you to send a contract for electronic signature and receive it signed in minutes. Thus, the recipient does not need to create an account to sign. Additionally, it keeps a complete record of each signature with date and time. That record is useful if one day you need to check the validity of the document. On the other hand, it integrates with more than a thousand different tools, something useful if you already use other management software.
How much does DocuSign cost
DocuSign's Personal plan costs $11 per month, according to its official site verified today. That plan includes up to 5 documents sent per month. The Standard plan, meanwhile, costs $30 per user per month. In addition, this plan adds shared team templates. Therefore, a small business can start with the most economical plan. Thus, you only upgrade the plan when you send more documents per month.
What to look at besides the price
What to look at besides price matters as much as the monthly cost of the business e-signature tool. The legal validity of the signature, for example, varies depending on the country where your business operates. Likewise, it is worth checking how many documents each plan includes. That limit is usually the real reason for upgrading.
What this looks like in practice
A business with a few contracts per month gains order almost immediately only with the most economical plan. A business with more movement, on the other hand, makes better use of shared templates and mass sending of documents. However, no tool replaces a good legal review of the contract. In fact, it only streamlines the administrative part of the signature.
How to choose based on how many documents you sign per month
If you sign a few documents a month, the Personal plan is usually enough to get started. This way, you avoid paying for features that you don't need yet. If, however, your team sends contracts every day, it is advisable to add the Standard plan. That's why this plan adds shared templates that better organize the work of several people. Since each business signs at a different rate, it is a good idea to try the smallest plan before upgrading.
If instead you are looking for something specific for freelancers, our guide on the best e-invoicing software for freelancers covers that case.
DocuSign, PandaDoc and SignWell: practical comparison
An electronic signature does not become valid just by using a well-known brand. Enforceability depends on the country, the type of document, the identity and authority of the signatory, consent, the integrity of the file and the evidence that can be preserved. Supplier compliance statements should be read in conjunction with local law.
| Tool | Differential declared by the supplier | What to check before hiring |
|---|---|---|
| DocuSign | Electronic signature to send and sign documents; offers a global guide to legality and notes that enforceability depends on applicable laws. | Type of signature, identification, evidence, retention and jurisdiction of the document. |
| PandaDoc | Creation, sending, tracking and signing flow, with digital certificate and audit trail; declares ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS and GDPR compliance. | Which plan includes features, data location, and identity requirements. |
| SignWell | Records date, time, IP and email of the signatory and declares compatibility with eIDAS, ESIGN and UETA; Their security page mentions NOM-151 support through partner. | If the contracted modality covers the legislation and the level of signature required by the document. |
Official sources: DocuSign, PandaDoc and SignWell. Prices, features and compliance statements may change.
You can have it if you comply with the applicable legislation and identity, intention, integrity and evidence of the process can be demonstrated. The provider does not replace the analysis of the country or the document.
Not exactly. All three offer e-signature, but differ in document preparation, flows, auditing, integrations, identity, and compliance coverage.
The final version of the document, certificate or audit record, date and time, identity or email of the signer, IP where applicable, consent and the chain of custody.
When the document has labor, real estate, corporate, tax, notarial or regulatory effects, or when a law requires a qualified or certified signature.
Frequently asked questions about electronic signature for companies
Do my clients need to create an account to sign? No, most of these tools allow you to sign only with a link and without prior registration.
Does the electronic signature have the same legal validity as the paper signature? It depends on the country. However, most legislation in Spanish already recognizes its validity for most contracts.
Can I sign contracts from my cell phone? Yes, in fact most of these tools work well from a mobile app.
Can I migrate my contract templates from Word? Yes, although loading each template by hand takes time at first. Since most of these tools allow you to upload documents in common formats.
Best Electronic Signature Tools for Small Businesses: in Summary
Choosing the right electronic signature tool for businesses depends on how many documents you sign per month. It also depends on how much control you need over the shared templates. DocuSign covers everyone from a start-up business to a multi-user team, with plans starting at $11 per month. In the next article in the series we review how to digitize processes of a small business step by step. That's another case where leaving paper behind makes a difference.
