Documenso
Open-source e-signature (AGPL-3.0 for the Community edition): PDF document signing, templates, direct link, workflows, automation, teams, white label, API, Zapier and webhooks, audit log. Cloud: free (5 documents a month, 10 recipients per document), Individual at $25 a month ($300 a year), Teams at $40 a month (5 users, then $8 per extra user), Platform at $250 a month. Self-hosting with a Docker image; Enterprise licence on quote. The vendor cites ESIGN Act, UETA, 21 CFR Part 11, SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance; the page does not detail the eIDAS signature levels (simple, advanced, qualified).
Capturing a signature stroke on a PDF, time-stamped and accompanied by the IP address and a log, can be programmed with no difficulty, and is enough for a quote or an internal charter. What the page does not show is a signature level recognised under the European eIDAS regulation: an advanced or qualified signature requires an identity check and a certificate issued by a trust service provider, which neither a custom tool nor, without detail, an open-source tool provides. Choose the level according to the document (employment contract, lease, important deed) before choosing the tool.
What you lose
- The announced compliance (ESIGN Act, UETA, SOC 2).
- Templates, workflows and white label.
- The API, Zapier and webhooks.
- Support and the managed cloud.
Existing alternatives to Documenso
No free or open-source alternative currently meets our checks (active project under a free licence, free plan read on the vendor’s own site). Rather than invent one, the list stays empty.
What a home-built tool costs once it exists
- Hosting and database: a server cost, and automatic backups you actually test.
- Security and GDPR: dependency updates, an HTTPS certificate, protection of your customers’ data.
- Upkeep time: who fixes the tool on a Saturday night in the middle of service if the server goes down?
The prompt to build it yourself
Build a small tool for signing agreements for my business, replacing an e-signature subscription. Context: a freelancer who has 20 quotes and approvals a month signed by clients. To do: - Uploading a PDF and defining the signature and date zones. - Sending a unique link by email to the signer, who draws or types their signature on their phone. - An audit log per document: dates, IP addresses, signer's email, file fingerprint. - A sealed final PDF with the signatures and a completion certificate page. - A table of documents (sent, opened, signed, declined) and an automatic reminder at D+3. Out of scope: advanced or qualified signature under eIDAS, identity verification. Stack: web app, SQLite. README: how to run, backup, and a reminder that this tool produces a simple signature: for a contract that requires an advanced or qualified signature, you need a trust service provider.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Documenso cost, and what do you really pay for?
- Listed price: free (paid plans from €22.28/month). What the subscription covers and is hard to maintain yourself: The announced compliance (ESIGN Act, UETA, SOC 2).; Templates, workflows and white label.; The API, Zapier and webhooks.; Support and the managed cloud..
- Where do you start to build an equivalent of Documenso?
- Copy this page’s prompt into Claude, Codex or Cursor to get a first prototype. Then plan for hosting, data backups and GDPR compliance: that is what costs the most to maintain over time.
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