The best electronic signature software in 2026

Collecting a signature is the easy part; nearly every tool lets someone draw their name on a line. The real test comes months later, when a client says they never agreed to the payment terms or a tenant says page 4 was different when they signed. Good e-signature software gives you a file that answers that question by itself.

That is why the list above starts with evidence. A completed agreement should show who signed, when, from which email address, and that nothing has changed since. In PDFBetter, that evidence sits inside the signed PDF, so it travels with the file even if you move it to a shared drive or email it to your accountant.

PDFBetter's signature requests are designed to the technical requirements of an advanced electronic signature (eIDAS art. 26): a unique key per signer, under their sole control, linked to the document so any change is detectable. Signers are identified by email (and an optional emailed code), not by ID documents or SMS. If an agreement legally needs a qualified electronic signature, a notary or wet ink, use the process the law requires; our e-signature law pages summarize the rules by country.

Most signing jobs fall into a handful of patterns. Pick the pattern first, then the tool. Here is where each one lives in PDFBetter.

A typical example: a landlord sends a 6-page lease that needs the tenant's initials on every page, the tenant's signature, and then the landlord's countersignature. Set the order to sequential, put the tenant first, and CC the property manager. The landlord is invited only after the tenant finishes, and all three get the sealed lease when it is done. Our lease template is a good place to start if you don't have one.

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Run one real document through any tool on your shortlist before you commit. Pick the agreement you send most often, add two signers, and sign as one of them from your phone. Ten minutes of testing tells you more than any feature grid, and these are the points to watch.

• The signer's first minute. Does the link open on a phone without an app or an account? Is it clear where to sign and what they are agreeing to? PDFBetter shows the ESIGN consumer disclosure first, with options to sign electronically, ask for paper or decline.
• Order and reminders. Can the countersigner wait until the first signer is done? Do reminders go out by themselves? In PDFBetter you choose sequential or parallel order and a reminder every 1 to 30 days.
• Identity options. Email alone suits most everyday agreements. For higher-value documents, look for a one-time code. PDFBetter can require an emailed 6-digit code on every plan, including Free.
• Preparing the PDF. Contracts arrive with typos, old dates and account numbers that shouldn't go to everyone. A tool that edits and redacts saves a round trip to a second app.
• Where the evidence lives. An audit trail in the vendor's dashboard is only as durable as your account. Evidence sealed into the PDF stays with the file.
• How the plan is metered. Some plans count documents, some count envelopes per user per year, some count uses across every feature. Match the meter to how you actually send.
• Templates for repeat documents. If you send the same NDA or onboarding packet every week, place the fields once and start each send from a clean copy.

Up to 20 people can be added to one PDFBetter request as signers, approvers who approve without signing, or CC recipients who receive the completed copy. Each person's fields take their color, so it is easy to see that the tenant's initials are on every page and the landlord's signature is on the last one.

Count your sends before you compare prices. Free plans in this category range from a couple of documents a month to a handful, and the meter differs: some count documents, some count uses across every feature, some count per workspace.

If you send a few agreements a month, PDFBetter's Free plan covers it, and the same account still edits and fills PDFs with 3 edited-document downloads a month. If you send every day, Pro removes the cap, and new subscribers who pay yearly get a 7-day free trial. Business adds bulk send, branded signing and an API for teams.

1. 1

   Keep your old records

   Download completed agreements and their certificates from your current service, or keep them there. Signed documents don't need to move.

2. 2

   Rebuild your most-used document

   Upload the source PDF, place the fields once and save it as a template, so each send starts from a clean copy.

3. 3

   Send a test to yourself

   Add your own email as the only signer, sign from your phone, and open the sealed PDF to see the certificate and seal.

4. 4

   Turn on the options you need

   Choose an emailed one-time code for signers, reminders and an expiry date before sending to clients.

For step-by-step detail, read how to request an electronic signature. Coming from a bigger platform? Our DocuSign alternatives page compares sending limits and prices.