Teams look past Docusign when per-user envelope allowances cap their volume, when bulk send and payments sit on the top self-serve tier, or when they want a free plan. Most go to Dropbox Sign or SignNow for a like-for-like swap, to Zoho Sign or BoldSign for lower seat prices, and to Youtrust or Skribble for European signature levels.
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What each alternative does differently
1. Dropbox Sign
Straightforward signing with a strong developer API · United States
Every tier includes unlimited signature requests, so volume does not hit an allowance as it does at Docusign. Essentials is for one user, Standard starts at two users with 15 template slots, and Premium for five or more users is quoted. A 30-day trial unlocks paid features.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you send many documents and want to stop counting envelopes.
Pricing: Per user per month on published tiers with a 30-day trial; API plans are sold separately by monthly signature request volume. (free trial)
Full review: #2 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Dropbox Sign →
2. airSlate SignNow
Low-cost signing for routine business paperwork · United States
Priced per account with unlimited users at no extra cost, where Docusign charges per user. The vendor's home page lists custom branding, teams and an API with a free sandbox. Signature invites are capped by tier. Branded airSlate SignNow.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if many people sign or send and per-user billing is what hurts.
Pricing: Priced per account rather than per seat, with unlimited users on every plan and a cap on signature invites that rises with the tier; a 7-day free trial, with API and site licenses priced separately by invite volume. (free trial)
Full review: #3 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit airSlate SignNow →
3. Adobe Acrobat Sign
Signing built into Acrobat and Microsoft 365 · United States
Sold inside Acrobat Standard and Pro team licenses, listed at $16.99 and $23.99 per license a month on annual terms billed monthly, so e-signature comes bundled with PDF editing. Pro adds web forms. Acrobat Sign Solutions and the API sit outside the page I checked.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if your staff already use Acrobat and PDF editing is half the job.
Pricing: Included in Acrobat Pro and Acrobat Standard business licenses per user per month; Acrobat Sign Solutions for larger deployments and API use are quote only. (free trial)
Full review: #5 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Adobe Acrobat Sign →
4. Zoho Sign
Signing that plugs into the Zoho suite · India
A free plan for a single user with 5 envelopes a month. Standard gives 25 envelopes per user a month, unlimited envelopes start on Professional, and bulk send, payment collection, QES and APIs wait for Enterprise. A 14-day trial needs no card. Sits naturally beside other Zoho products.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you already use Zoho and want a free tier or a lower per-user price.
Pricing: Per user per month on published tiers with a limited free plan; also included in the Zoho One bundle. (free plan)
Full review: #7 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Zoho Sign →
5. Youtrust (formerly Yousign)
European e-signature with eIDAS signature levels · France
Formerly Yousign, now Youtrust, with data hosted in the EU. A free plan allows two requests a month, and Plus and Pro give unlimited signatures per user. Advanced signatures are an add-on and qualified ones start at €10 each. The API is priced on a separate page.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you want EU hosting and signature levels priced openly beside the plan.
Pricing: Free plan for one user with two signature requests a month, a single-user One plan at €9 a month, then Plus and Pro per user per month with unlimited simple signatures; advanced and qualified signatures are paid add-ons (QES from €10 each), and API plans start around €104 a month. (free plan)
Full review: #8 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Youtrust (formerly Yousign) →
6. BoldSign
Budget signing and API from Syncfusion · United States
Owned by Syncfusion. A free plan allows 25 envelopes a month; Growth is $5 per user for 50 envelopes, and Business is $15 per user with unlimited envelopes and SSO. The API is billed at $0.75 per envelope with a $30 monthly minimum and a free sandbox.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you want a low per-user price and a pay-per-envelope API.
Pricing: Per sender per month on published tiers with a free plan; the API is priced per envelope on a separate published list. (free plan)
Full review: #9 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit BoldSign →
7. SignWell
Minimal, low-cost e-signature for small businesses · United States
Sells plans with senders included instead of seats: Light has one sender and Business three, with extra senders billed monthly. The free plan allows three documents. Bulk send, conditional fields and templates sit on paid plans, and there are no contracts or cancellation fees.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if a few people send, recipients are many, and you want no annual contract.
Pricing: Published monthly plans that each include a set number of senders (one on Light, three on Business) with extra senders billed per month, a free plan limited to three documents a month for one sender, and API usage beyond the included documents billed pay as you go. (free plan)
Full review: #10 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit SignWell →
8. Skribble
Qualified e-signatures for Swiss and EU law · Switzerland
Built around three signature levels: simple, advanced and qualified. A pay-as-you-go Starter costs €1 per simple signature, while Team and Pro per-user plans include 72 or 120 advanced or qualified signatures a year. Company branding and SSO are priced as separate yearly add-ons.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you need advanced or qualified signatures in routine use and can budget per signature.
Pricing: Published business plans per user per month, with qualified signatures charged per signature or included in volume bundles. (free trial)
Full review: #11 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Skribble →
9. Documenso
Open-source document signing you can self-host · Germany
Open source under AGPL-3.0, with Docker and Kubernetes self-hosting. The hosted free tier allows 5 documents a month with up to 10 recipients; paid plans run $25 for one user, $40 for five and $250 for the Platform plan with white-label embedding. A younger product, with fewer integrations.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you want to self-host signing or embed it in your own product.
Pricing: The AGPL code is free to self-host; the hosted service has a limited free tier and paid individual, team and enterprise plans, with commercial licensing for companies that cannot accept AGPL terms. (open source)
Full review: #15 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Documenso →
10. Signeasy
Mobile-friendly signing with basic contract tracking · United States
Personal is $10 a month for five documents, Business is $20 per user with unlimited documents, and Business Pro is $30 per user. SSO, bulk sending and SMS notifications are add-ons, and API access needs a custom plan. A 100-day money-back guarantee is advertised.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if your needs are plain and you want simple tiers with a long refund window.
Pricing: Published tiers: a single-user Personal plan capped at a few sends a month, then Business and Business Pro billed per user, with API access and SSO on custom plans. (free trial)
Full review: #13 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit Signeasy →
11. OneSpan Sign
E-signature for regulated financial and public sector · United States
Aimed at financial services and other regulated enterprises, with white-labeling, identity assurance and embedded signing through APIs and SDKs. A Professional plan is listed at $22 per user a month on yearly billing, with Enterprise priced by volume. Overbuilt for a team that only needs signatures.
Switch from Docusign eSignature if you are a bank or insurer and need identity checks inside the signing flow.
Pricing: No published price list: plans are volume-based, sold as a set number of transactions or a usage band, with CRM and industry integrations billed extra; the only free option is a developer sandbox whose documents are watermarked and not legally binding. (none)
Full review: #12 of 15 in our ranking ·
Visit OneSpan Sign →
Questions and answers
Can I download all my signed documents from Docusign?
Yes, but the terms set no retrieval window after a paid subscription ends, so download before it does. Large archives can be pulled through the API, whose default limit is 3,000 calls an hour per account. Completed envelopes and their certificates should both be saved.
How much notice does Docusign need to cancel?
At least five business days before the term ends to stop auto-renewal, or switch it off in the admin console. Separately, the terms let you terminate your account on ten days' advance written notice. Your order form may set a different period, so read it first.
How many envelopes does a Docusign plan include?
Personal lists 5 envelopes a month and Standard lists 100 per user per year. Business Pro shows the same 100 on the Dutch pricing page, and Advanced plans carry a custom limit. Check the current page for your region, because plan details can differ by locale.
Are advanced and qualified signatures included?
No, on the self-serve plans qualified signatures are a paid add-on at €10 per recipient, and advanced signatures need a conversation with sales. The quoted Advanced plans include advanced signatures. Price this before comparing seat prices with a vendor that sells signature levels openly.
Does Docusign have a free plan?
The pricing page lists Personal at €9 a month, Standard, Business Pro and quoted Advanced plans, and no free plan, though the product page offers a Start for Free button. Free alternatives include BoldSign (25 envelopes a month), Zoho Sign (5) and Documenso (5 documents).
Are the Docusign prices in dollars?
The prices I could verify are in euros, from the Dutch pricing page: €9, €23 and €38 a month, billed annually. The dollar prices were not readable in this check, so compare them on the US pricing page before you decide.
