DocuSign vs Dropbox Sign for freelancers: price, limits and free plans

Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.

The short answer

Dropbox Sign suits a freelancer better on paper: a free plan with 3 signature requests a month and unlimited requests on paid plans, where DocuSign has no free plan and caps envelopes (5 a month on Personal). DocuSign wins when clients specifically expect it.

Choose DocuSign eSignature if

  • Clients or your industry expect DocuSign
  • You need DocuSign-specific integrations
  • You send fewer than 5 documents a month (Personal plan)

Choose Dropbox Sign if

  • You want a free plan for the odd contract
  • You send more than a handful of documents a month
  • Your files already live in Dropbox

DocuSign eSignature vs Dropbox Sign, side by side

DocuSign eSignatureDropbox Sign
PricePersonal $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).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 planNo free plan. Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase.3 signature requests a month, renewing every 30 days; templates aren't included.
Best forBusinesses whose clients or industry expect DocuSign specifically.Dropbox users who send contracts every week.
Works onWeb browser, iPhone and iPad, AndroidWeb browser
Open sourceNoNo
Pros
  • Clients rarely question a DocuSign request
  • Mature audit trail and integrations
  • No envelope cap on paid plans
  • Convenient if your files already live in Dropbox
Cons
  • No free plan
  • Envelope caps: Personal allows 5 a month, Standard about 8 a month per user
  • Free plan covers only 3 requests a month and no templates
  • Costs more per month than SignWell's entry plan
Key features
  • Templates and reusable fields
  • Signing order and reminders
  • Audit trail for each envelope
  • Business Pro adds payments and bulk send
  • Unlimited signature requests on paid plans
  • Templates (paid)
  • Works inside Dropbox
  • 30-day trial of paid features
LinksAlternatives
DocuSign eSignature website		Alternatives
Dropbox Sign website

Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.

Neither quite right?

Other e-signature tools worth a look:

  • SignWell: A straightforward e-signature tool with unlimited documents on its cheapest paid plan. From $10/mo, free plan.
  • Documenso: An open-source e-signature platform you can use hosted or run on your own server. From $25/mo, free plan.
  • PandaDoc: Proposal and quote software with e-signature built in, rather than e-signature alone. From $19/mo, free plan.

Sources

Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:

How we choose and check these tools

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