The electronic signature is the future of enterprise software solutions. At a time when maintaining physical distance is of top priority, businesses can smoothly carry out their processes using e-signature capabilities. E-signature capabilities are also the most convenient innovation of this digital age. Businesses are now capable of operating and managing from smartphones. Printing out a document just for signing could be inconvenient and time-consuming. Digitalization and mobility are pushing enterprises to adopt electronic signature free capabilities.
The best online contracting software in the market right now are those which are equipped with an electronic signature. E-signature is heavily used in contract management.
Contract management is a process that requires several approval stages. Electronic signature can streamline stage approval process. With automated workflows and e-signature capabilities, contract approvals and signing can be carried out in a small amount of time.
While e-signature is a useful feature to have in your contract management system, it is also important to know the features of each e-signature option. In this blog, we have put together what we think are the 5 top electronic signature companies in the market now. Before we get into our top 5 list, let us take a look at what exactly is electronic signature and how does it work?
What is an Electronic Signature?
In simple terms, an electronic signature (e-signature) is a method of getting consent or approval on any type of digital document. This signature has the same legal standing as a physical signature. There are specific requirements defined in every country to govern the proper usage of electronic signatures legally. In the US, UETA created the ESIGN Act to give legal validity to e-signatures.
There are many benefits to adding electronic signatures to a contract management system. It speeds up your contract management process. The electronic signature is secure. Signatures are stored in a safe location, encrypted. Since the process becomes digital you can also ensure the privacy of the documents. E-signature is also a green alternative. A study conducted by Fortune has stated that companies could save $1 Billion just by reducing their paper waste by 1%. An efficient electronic signature-free software helps you to acquire approvals or consent on documents from anyone around the world in mere moments while reducing costs and time spent on physical labor.
Now let us take a look at the 5 best electronic signature providers in the market.
Top 5 Electronic Signature Providers
1. DocuSign
DocuSign is one of the global leaders in the esignature company market. You can sign up for a free trial of 30 days. After the 30-day free trial period ends, there are multiple service plans to choose. DocuSign offers personal and business plans as options. DocuSign has hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Let us take a look at some of the features in DocuSign.
- Remote Signing Capabilities: With the DocuSign mobile applications you can send and sign documents from anywhere in the world.
- Status Visibility: Assign status to documents so that you can check the progress of the approval/signing process.
- Multi-Language Support: DocuSign offers support in 43 languages on the platform.
- Templates: You can create and reuse templates.
- Integrations: DocuSign supports 350+ integrations including Salesforce, Google, SAP, etc.
- Easy Data Collection: You can customize and add fields to your agreements.
Website: DocuSign
2. Adobe Sign
Adobe Sign is also a popular e signature provider. One of the most attractive selling points of Adobe sign is that it easily integrates with Microsoft Office products. Adobe's features vary with the plan you choose. There are three plans available currently Acrobat PDF pack with e-sign, Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign, Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign. These are some of the basic features, below:
- Ability to sign PDFs and Documents.
- Send documents to other people to be signed.
- Automatic notifications and reminders.
- Ability to create and export PDFs to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
- Collaborate on PDFs.
- Ability to use e-sign and PDF tools in Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Box, and Dropbox.
Website: Adobe Sign
3. Sertifi
Sertifi is an efficient e-signature provider that has customers around the world. Sertifi helps you sign and close deals at a record speed. Sertifi e-signature software enables you to achieve a solution that is customized for your needs. With easy-to-build templates, you can save a lot of time. Features included are:
- Automated and simple workflows for your complex business operations.
- Real-time status update and automated notifications.
- Efficient user management.
- Secure cloud storage.
- User-friendly portal, integrations, and API.
- Ability to apply custom branding.
Website: Sertifi
4. HelloSign
HelloSign is a simple way to send, receive and manage e-signatures. It provides an intuitive user-friendly signing experience to streamline your paperwork. It has a free trial and a no-cost plan available. The free plan has limited features. Some of the features include:
- Template creation for frequently used documents.
- Efficient tracking for audit trails.
- Cloud storage integrations.
- Language support (22 languages).
- Customer email support round the clock.
- Automatic reminders and notifications.
Website: HelloSign
5. PandaDoc
PandaDoc offers one document automation software. You can streamline the process of creating, approving, and e-sign on documents. It offers a free 14-day trial for its plans and also has a free plan with limited features. Let us take a look at some of the features:
- Secure and legally binding e-signature capabilities.
- Document analytical feature that gives intelligent suggestions.
- Template library with 200+ designs and the ability to create new templates.
- Easy integration capabilities.
- A document editor with rich media drag and drop features.
- Bulk documents send capabilities.
Website: PandaDoc
