Digital signature: The 5 most popular solutions on the market
The digital signature of contract documents is essential for an efficient digital sales process. This article gives an overview of the 5 most important solutions on the market – and how you can easily integrate them into your existing processes.
Digital signature: The 5 most popular solutions on the market
- DocuSign
- Adobe Sign
- IDnow eSign
- FP Sign
- HelloSign
1. DocuSign
One of the most renowned solutions in the field of digital signatures is DocuSign from the manufacturer DocuWare. If desired, the data can be held in the “EU ring” with server locations in Germany, the Netherlands and France. As part of the backup, the data then circulates between these three locations, but does not leave the EU ring and thus, according to the manufacturer, does not reach the USA. The interface of the website and app as well as the help area is clear and well structured. DocuSign can be tested free of charge for 30 days, after which the costs start at 9 euros per month.
+Established solution
+Test period: 30 days
+Data storage in the EU
-interface/help partly in English only
2. adobe sign
The advantage of Adobe Sign is already in the name: The solution integrates particularly well with other Adobe products. The server location for German customers is Frankfurt am Main. Unfortunately, the interface is considered confusing and not very intuitive, and the help section is also partly only available in English. Adobe only allows the free trial for 14 days. For basic digital signature features within Adobe Acrobat, packages range from $12 to $18 per month; for the much more interesting features, such as signable web forms, a Teams or SMB license is required. These start at around 41 euros per month – so Adobe Sign is also one of the more expensive solutions on the market.
+Established solution
+Data management in Germany
-Improvable surface
-Relatively high price for relevant functions
3. IDnow eSign
The digital signature is only one of many services offered by IDnow. Many banks and mobility service providers use the Videoident method in particular to save customers having to go all the way to the post office. In line with this, IDnow also offers “eSign”, a tool for digital signatures, which is often a bit too much of a good thing in the context of the multitude of other solutions from IDnow. Prices and test options cannot be viewed on the website either and must be agreed individually – IDnow’s offer is aimed particularly at large customers. In return, however, there is IT support available around the clock. For QES, the highest level of encryption, IDnow relies on its partner DocuSign. The servers are located in the EU.
+Many functions beyond digital signature
+24h IT support
+Data storage in the EU
-Too extensive for smaller companies
4. FP Sign
FP Sign comes from Francotyp-Postalia (FP Group). Its subsidiary Mentana-Claimsoft, which in 2012 was the first company to receive accreditation from the BSI for the government-secured De-Mail system. FP Sign is the in-house solution for digital signing, which is also hosted in Germany and scores with a transparent cost system: A test is possible free of charge for 30 days, after which FP Sign costs 19.90 euros per annual license. FP Sign is used via a web interface and mobile app, but both are considered less than ideal in terms of intuition. If you want to use FP Sign company-wide, you have to purchase a premium license with individual pricing – only then are workflow integrations and special enterprise modules available.
+Transparent pricing model
+Very favorable entry prices
+Data management in Germany
-Surface expandable
5. HelloSign
The last solution on our list belongs to Dropbox – another candidate that fits particularly well into the manufacturer’s in-house product range. HelloSign is operated via the website; the user’s own signature can be scanned in or deposited directly via a tablet. All this is – as also known from Dropbox – very clearly and intuitively possible. With its pricing model, HelloSign is aimed more at private individuals and small businesses: 3 signature requests per month are completely free, while those who want to create multiple users and use unlimited signature requests are priced at $15 to $25 per month. For larger companies and more sophisticated features and dashboards, HelloSign also has an Enterprise program that must be agreed upon individually.
+3 free signatures per month
+Very intuitive interface
+Focus on private customers and SMEs
-Hosting by default in the USA
CONCLUSION
The market of solutions for digital signatures is extensive – we have picked out the 5 most relevant tools from our point of view here. On the functional side, the solutions differ only to a limited extent. From a security perspective, care should be taken to ensure that the server is located in Europe. In addition to the functions and data management, however, it is particularly crucial that the solutions can be seamlessly integrated into your business processes. Only then, digital signatures are used reliably and reduce effort and time required for order processing by up to 90%.
This is where PIPEFORCE Digital Signature helps you. The module provides connections to common digital signature tools and integrates them directly into your business processes and systems. This applies both to legally binding external signatures and to internal approval processes.
Interesting for you? Then contact our team now. We will be happy to advise you on the subject of digital signatures and show you how PIPEFORCE can help you introduce them and use them efficiently in your company.
