Open-source alternatives to DocuSign

DocuSign made e-signatures normal, and most people only ever use a sliver of it: send a contract, get it signed, keep a record. DocuSign Standard is £20 per user a month on an annual plan, so a team of five sending the odd contract pays £1,200 a year for that.

The two open-source options below do the everyday job from your own server.

Hands-on: Documenso

Documenso is a modern, open-source DocuSign alternative, and very actively developed.

• The full workflow, free when self-hosted. Upload a PDF, drop in signature, date and text fields, add your signers, and send.
• Several signers, in order if you need it, with each person signing in turn.
• Templates for the documents you send again and again.
• An audit log and signing certificate for every document, showing who signed, when, and from where.
• Your branding, teams and an API for connecting it to other systems.

The enterprise licence adds single sign-on and a few specialist compliance features, which most small businesses don't need.

Running it needs a PostgreSQL database, a way to send email, and a digital certificate that Documenso uses to seal each signed document. That certificate is the bit people most often get wrong, and the bit I set up and look after.

Hands-on: DocuSeal

DocuSeal is lighter and quicker to get going, with a particularly good visual builder for fillable PDF forms.

• Drag-and-drop form fields on any PDF, with a dozen field types.
• Several signers and signing order, including groups that sign at the same stage.
• The audit trail is built into every signed PDF as its last page, so the record travels with the document.
• Runs almost anywhere, from a single Docker setup.

The catch: in the free self-hosted edition, automatic reminders, your own branding, bulk sending and SMS verification aren't included. They come with DocuSeal Pro, which is charged per user, even when you host it yourself. For many teams, reminders alone make that a deal-breaker.

Of the two, clients find DocuSeal easier to sign with. The signing page is very simple, especially on a phone, and its form builder is quick to use.

The UK angle: are these signatures legal?

For most business documents, yes. In England and Wales, electronic signatures can be used as evidence (Electronic Communications Act 2000), and the Law Commission concluded in 2019 that an electronic signature can be used to sign a document, including a deed, as long as the person intends to sign and any other formalities are met. The government agreed in 2020.

Both tools produce what UK law calls a "simple" electronic signature, backed by an audit trail. That covers the everyday: contracts, proposals, quotes, NDAs, onboarding forms and terms of business.

Some documents still need more:

• Wills need two witnesses physically present when you sign.
• Deeds that need witnessing still need a witness physically present.
• Property deeds for HM Land Registry can only be signed electronically through its own approved process.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about a particular document, ask a solicitor.

Self-hosting also keeps signed contracts, with all the personal details in them, on a UK server you control.

Honest drawbacks

• No "qualified" signatures. For the rare cases that need the highest level of electronic signature, you will need a specialist provider.
• Fewer integrations. DocuSign plugs into almost everything. These tools have APIs and webhooks, but fewer ready-made connections.
• DocuSeal's free edition is limited. No reminders or branding without paying per user.
• The signing certificate needs care. Get it wrong and documents may not show as properly sealed.
• Someone has to run it: updates, backups, and making sure the emails asking people to sign actually arrive.

Sources

• Documenso on GitHub
• Documenso self-hosting requirements
• Documenso enterprise edition
• DocuSeal on GitHub
• DocuSeal pricing (free vs Pro)
• Electronic Communications Act 2000, section 7
• Law Commission: electronic execution of documents
• HM Land Registry: electronic signatures (practice guide 82)
• Wills Act 1837, section 9