E-signature tools all do the same core job, and their price pages all look different. The differences come down to three questions: do you pay per user, is there a cap on how many documents you can send, and what happens when you go over. Answer those for your own team and the right plan is usually obvious.
Prices below were read from each company's own pricing page on November 10, 2026. They change; check the linked page before you buy.
The three ways e-signature tools charge
Per user (per seat). The most common model. Each person who sends documents needs a paid seat. It is fair for one or two senders and gets expensive when a whole office needs to send the occasional form.
Per envelope (per document). An "envelope" is one sending: a document, or a packet of documents, sent to one or more signers. Many per-user plans also carry an envelope allowance, so you are limited both ways. API plans are often priced purely per envelope.
Flat per workspace. One price covers a set number of users and documents. Simple to budget; the thing to check is whether the included users and documents fit you.
What to check on any pricing page
- The envelope allowance and how it is counted. Per month or per year? Per user or shared? An annual allowance of 100 per user is about 8 a month.
- Overage. Are extra envelopes billed automatically, blocked, or not limited at all?
- Monthly versus annual. Headline prices are usually the annual rate shown per month. The month-to-month price is often much higher.
- Minimum seats. Some team plans start at two or more users.
- What signers pay. Nothing, on every service listed here. Signers do not need a paid seat.
- Add-ons. SMS delivery, identity verification, extra templates and integrations are often extra.
Published prices, read November 10, 2026
| Service | Entry paid plan | Team plan | Sending limits stated | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DocuSign | Personal: $11 a month on an annual commitment, single user | Standard: $30 per user a month; Business Pro: $45 per user a month (annual commitment), up to 50 users | Personal: 5 envelopes a month. Standard and Business Pro: 100 envelopes per user per year; extra envelopes are billed pay-as-you-go | None listed |
| Dropbox Sign | Essentials: $15 a month on monthly billing, 1 user | Standard: $25 per user a month on monthly billing, 2 or more users | Unlimited signature requests on paid plans | Free plan offered |
| PandaDoc | Starter: $19 per seat a month, billed annually | Business: $49 per seat a month, billed annually | Unlimited documents on paid plans | Free: 5 documents a month |
| BoldSign | Growth: $5 per user a month billed yearly, $15 monthly | Business: $15 per user a month billed yearly, $25 monthly | Growth: 50 envelopes per user a month. Business: unlimited | Essential: 25 envelopes a month, 1 user |
| Lock & Quill | Pro: $29 a month or $290 a year, 5 users included | Business: $79 a month or $790 a year, 25 users included | Pro: 100 documents a month. Business: unlimited. No overage fees | Free: 5 documents a month, 1 user |
Sources: DocuSign plans and pricing, Dropbox Sign pricing, PandaDoc pricing, BoldSign pricing, Lock & Quill pricing.
What that means for a team of five
Take five people who each send a few documents a month. Using the published rates above:
- A per-user plan at $25 to $30 a user is $125 to $150 a month for the team.
- A per-user plan at $15 a user is $75 a month.
- A flat plan that includes five users is one price regardless of how many of them send. Lock & Quill Pro is $29 a month for up to 5 users and 100 documents a month.
Reverse the example and the answer changes. One person who sends constantly and needs SMS delivery or ID checks on signers is well served by a per-user plan from a larger vendor, and a flat team plan gives them nothing extra.
What the larger services include that a simple one doesn't
Price is not the whole comparison. On their own pricing pages, DocuSign lists identity verification, remote online notary, a large integration catalog and compliance programs including SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001; Dropbox Sign lists SMS authentication, single sign-on and its own compliance list; PandaDoc is a full document tool with an editor, quotes and payment collection; BoldSign lists an API, SMS and WhatsApp delivery, ID verification and SOC 2 Type II. If you need any of those, pay for them.
Lock & Quill is deliberately smaller: standard electronic signatures under ESIGN and UETA, a sealed PDF with a certificate of completion, and a flat price. It holds no SOC 2, HIPAA or ISO attestations today and does not offer notarization or ID-document verification.
Quick answers
How much does e-signature software cost?
As of November 10, 2026, published small-team prices range from free tiers with 5 to 25 documents a month, through $5 to $49 per user a month on per-user plans, to flat plans such as Lock & Quill Pro at $29 a month for up to 5 users. Annual billing is usually cheaper than monthly.
What is an envelope in e-signature pricing?
An envelope is one sending: a document or packet of documents sent to one or more signers. Plans with an envelope allowance count each sending against it, however many people sign.
Is there a free e-signature tool?
Several services have a free plan with a monthly cap. As read on November 10, 2026: BoldSign's Essential plan lists 25 envelopes a month, PandaDoc's Free plan lists 5 documents a month, and Lock & Quill's Free plan includes 5 documents a month for 1 user.
Is per-user or flat pricing cheaper?
It depends on how many people send. For one or two senders, a per-user plan is often the cheapest. Once several people each need to send occasionally, a flat plan with users included usually costs less.
Do signers have to pay or create an account?
No. On the services compared here the sender pays and signers sign for free. With Lock & Quill signers do not need an account at all; they sign in the browser from the emailed link.