DocuSign alternatives for freelancers: cheaper e-signature options compared
There's no free DocuSign plan. Personal costs $11 a month billed yearly and allows 5 envelopes a month, and Standard's 100 envelopes per user a year works out to about 8 a month.
Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.
The short answer
SignWell is the cheapest way to send unlimited documents ($10 a month billed yearly). Documenso's free plan gives you 5 documents a month at no cost, and Dropbox Sign suits people who already work in Dropbox. Choose PandaDoc if you send proposals with prices, not just contracts.
- SignWell: From $10/mo, free plan
- Documenso: From $25/mo, free plan
- Dropbox Sign: From $15/mo, free plan
- PandaDoc: From $19/mo, free plan
Only need to sign a PDF someone sent you? You don't need any of these. See How to sign a PDF on iPhone and Mac without printing it.
DocuSign eSignature and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocuSign eSignature | No | From $11/mo | Businesses whose clients or industry expect DocuSign specifically. |
| SignWell | Yes | From $10/mo | Freelancers who send a handful of contracts a month and want the lowest price. |
| Documenso | Yes | From $25/mo | Technical solo founders who want an open-source or self-hosted option. |
| Dropbox Sign | Yes | From $15/mo | Dropbox users who send contracts every week. |
| PandaDoc | Yes | From $19/mo | Consultants who send proposals with pricing tables and want them signed in the same document. |
DocuSign eSignature: what you get
The most widely recognised e-signature service, priced by the number of envelopes you send.
- Price
- Personal $11 a month billed yearly ($132 a year, 5 envelopes a month); Standard $30 per user a month billed yearly (100 envelopes per user a year).
- Free plan
- No free plan. Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase.
- Best for
- Businesses whose clients or industry expect DocuSign specifically.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Clients rarely question a DocuSign request
- Mature audit trail and integrations
Cons
- No free plan
- Envelope caps: Personal allows 5 a month, Standard about 8 a month per user
Key features
- Templates and reusable fields
- Signing order and reminders
- Audit trail for each envelope
- Business Pro adds payments and bulk send
The alternatives
1. SignWell
Why switch: Unlimited documents from $10 a month billed yearly; the free plan covers 3 a month.
A straightforward e-signature tool with unlimited documents on its cheapest paid plan.
- Price
- Light $10 a month billed yearly ($12 monthly), unlimited documents; Business $30 billed yearly ($36 monthly) with 3 senders.
- Free plan
- 3 documents a month, 1 sender, 1 template.
- Best for
- Freelancers who send a handful of contracts a month and want the lowest price.
- Works on
- Web browser
Pros
- Lowest-priced unlimited plan in this list
- Simple enough to send a contract in minutes
Cons
- Free plan is capped at 3 documents a month
- Fewer integrations than DocuSign
Key features
- Unlimited documents from the Light plan
- Templates (5 per sender on Light)
- API with 25 free documents a month
SignWell alternatives · DocuSign eSignature vs SignWell, in detail
2. Documenso
Why switch: The most free documents here (5 a month) and open source, so you can self-host it.
An open-source e-signature platform you can use hosted or run on your own server.
- Price
- Individual $300 a year (about $25 a month) with unlimited documents; Teams $480 a year.
- Free plan
- 5 documents a month, up to 10 recipients per document, no card required.
- Best for
- Technical solo founders who want an open-source or self-hosted option.
- Works on
- Web browser. Open source.
Pros
- Free plan allows more documents (5 a month) than SignWell or Dropbox Sign
- You can run it yourself
Cons
- Hosted paid plan is billed yearly
- Self-hosting needs technical skills and upkeep
Key features
- Open-source code on GitHub
- Self-hosted option
- Unlimited documents on paid hosted plans
3. Dropbox Sign
Why switch: Unlimited signature requests on paid plans, and convenient if your files live in Dropbox.
Dropbox's e-signature service (formerly HelloSign), with unlimited signature requests on paid plans.
- Price
- Essentials $15 a month billed monthly (less when billed yearly; the yearly figures on Dropbox's page were inconsistent when we checked); Standard $25 per user a month.
- Free plan
- 3 signature requests a month, renewing every 30 days; templates aren't included.
- Best for
- Dropbox users who send contracts every week.
- Works on
- Web browser
Pros
- No envelope cap on paid plans
- Convenient if your files already live in Dropbox
Cons
- Free plan covers only 3 requests a month and no templates
- Costs more per month than SignWell's entry plan
Key features
- Unlimited signature requests on paid plans
- Templates (paid)
- Works inside Dropbox
- 30-day trial of paid features
Dropbox Sign alternatives · DocuSign eSignature vs Dropbox Sign, in detail
4. PandaDoc
Why switch: Proposals, quotes and signatures in one document, with a free eSign plan.
Proposal and quote software with e-signature built in, rather than e-signature alone.
- Price
- Starter $19 per seat a month billed yearly; Business $49 per seat a month billed yearly.
- Free plan
- Free eSign plan with no card required. PandaDoc's own pages give different document limits (60 a year on one page, 5 a month on another); the free plan leaves out analytics, branding, bulk send and integrations.
- Best for
- Consultants who send proposals with pricing tables and want them signed in the same document.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Proposal, quote and signature in one document
- Free eSign plan for occasional use
Cons
- Dearer than signature-only tools
- Free plan limits are stated inconsistently on PandaDoc's own site
Key features
- Proposal and quote templates
- Pricing tables inside documents
- Document analytics (paid)
- E-signature on every plan
Sources
Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:
- DocuSign eSignature: ecom.docusign.com, checked October 26, 2026
- SignWell: www.signwell.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Documenso: documenso.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Dropbox Sign: sign.dropbox.com, help.dropbox.com (2), checked October 26, 2026
- PandaDoc: www.pandadoc.com, www.pandadoc.com (2), checked October 26, 2026