DocuSign Alternative
DocuSign does one thing brilliantly: legally binding e-signatures. It's the industry standard for ESIGN Act and eIDAS compliance, with envelope-based workflows, multi-signer routing, and a massive integrations ecosystem. But many teams using DocuSign actually need form filling, document collection, and PDF editing - and they're paying DocuSign prices for a signature tool when the real job is "collect completed documents from people." SimplePDF's Portal does exactly this.
What you get with SimplePDF
Form filling, not just signatures
DocuSign is optimised for signatures. SimplePDF handles the full workflow: form field detection, text input, checkboxes, images, and signatures.
Auto-detected form fields
DocuSign requires you to prepare documents by tagging fields. SimplePDF detects form fields in any PDF in one click - no manual tagging needed.
Flat monthly price, cents per document
DocuSign charges per envelope, typically $1 to $7 each depending on plan. SimplePDF is a flat $99/mo covering up to 2,500 documents and submissions per month: under 4¢ per document at full plan volume.
Client-side processing
Documents are edited in the browser, not on a server. On submit, with Bring Your Own Storage (S3, Azure Blob Storage, and SharePoint) completed files go straight to your own storage instead of ours. GDPR compliant and HIPAA-friendly by architecture.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | DocuSign | SimplePDF |
|---|---|---|
| E-signatures (legally binding) | Yes (ESIGN Act, eIDAS) | Signatures (not legally binding) |
| Form field filling | Limited (pre-tagged fields) | Yes (interactive + auto-detected) |
| Add text to PDFs | No | Yes |
| Add images to PDFs | No | Yes |
| Multi-signer routing | Yes | No |
| White-label | Enterprise plan only | Pro plan and above |
| Embeddable | Via API + templates | One iframe |
| Client-side processing | No (server-side) | Yes (in-browser) |
| BYOS | No | Yes (S3, Azure Blob Storage, and SharePoint) |
| Pricing | From $25/mo per user | From $99/mo (unlimited end users, from 2,500 documents + submissions/mo) |
| Document prep required | Yes (tag fields, set routing) | No (auto-detection) |
Integration Comparison
// 1. Create envelope via API
// 2. Add recipients and tabs
// 3. Generate signing URL
// 4. Embed in iframe
const envelopeId = await docusign
.createEnvelope({
documents: [{ ... }],
recipients: { signers: [{ ... }] },
tabs: { signHereTabs: [{ ... }] }
});
const viewUrl = await docusign
.createRecipientView(envelopeId, {
returnUrl: '...',
authenticationMethod: 'none'
});<iframe
src="https://yourcompany.simplepdf.com/editor"
width="100%"
height="800px"
/>Where DocuSign is the better fit
- You need legally binding e-signatures that comply with ESIGN Act, eIDAS, or other regulatory frameworks
- You need multi-signer workflows with sequential or parallel routing
- You need audit trails and tamper-evident seals for legal compliance
- You need deep integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft 365, or other enterprise platforms
- The primary workflow is signature collection, not form filling or document editing
Which SimplePDF product fits?
Portal
The closest to DocuSign's workflow. Share a link to a PDF form, users fill it in their browser, you receive the completed document. No envelope setup, no field tagging.
Learn about PortalEmbed
For developers who need document collection inside their app. One iframe gives users a full PDF editor with form filling and signatures.
Learn about EmbedPDF-to-Web-Forms
Convert PDFs into web forms automatically. Users fill a web form instead of a PDF. Great for patient intake, HR onboarding, and insurance claims.
Learn about PDF-to-Web-Forms