DocuSign

KEEP IT

The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying.

Electronic signature with the evidence around it: documents are sent as envelopes, signed in a tracked session, and sealed with a certificate of completion that stands up in a dispute.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Do not rebuild DocuSign. Build a signing flow for low-stakes documents and be explicit about what it is not.

STACK
- Node with Fastify, SQLite, pdf-lib for stamping
- SMTP for delivery

THE FLOW
- Upload a PDF, place fields on it by page and coordinate: signature, initials, date, text
- Each signer gets a signed, single-use, time-limited URL — never a guessable id
- Signers complete in order when the document is sequential

THE SIGNATURE
- Drawn on a canvas or typed in a script font, stamped into the PDF at the field position
- Flatten the result so the stamp is part of the page, not an annotation that can be removed

THE EVIDENCE, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL PRODUCT
- Append-only event log: sent, opened, viewed, signed, declined, each with UTC time, IP hash and user agent bucket
- SHA-256 of the document before and after each signature, chained
- A certificate page appended to the final PDF listing every event and hash
- Seal the completed file with a document signing certificate, and document the difference between that and a qualified signature

SAY THIS IN THE README, IN THESE WORDS
- This produces a simple electronic signature. It is not an advanced or qualified signature, and it may not satisfy the law where one is required. Take advice before using it for anything that matters.

Include a README on certificate storage, retention and the hash chain.

What you lose

An audit trail that holds up in a dispute: identity checks, timestamps, IP records and a certificate of completion
Compliance with eIDAS and the ESIGN Act, evidenced rather than asserted
Qualified and advanced electronic signatures where the law requires them
Long-term validation, so a signature is still verifiable a decade later
The fact that the other side already trusts the envelope when it arrives

If you would rather not build

SignWell — paid, cheaper, similar scope for small teams

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Documenso

Open-source document signing with fields, ordering and an audit trail.

documenso/documensofree · open source

OpenSign

Self-hosted e-signature with templates and a completion certificate.

OpenSignLabs/OpenSignfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

18/100

Verdict no at 18: stamping a PDF is easy and the evidence chain is buildable, but the product is legal standing, not software. If a signature is ever disputed, what matters is whose certificate sealed it and whether the process meets the standard — and that is bought, not coded.

History

tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about DocuSign

answered from the record above

Is DocuSign free?

No — the plan we track is $45 a month. Standard at $45 per user per month billed monthly, $35 annually, with an envelope allowance; overages are billed per envelope.

Can you replace DocuSign by building your own?

KEEP IT. The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying. Replacement score 18 out of 100, build time longer than it saves. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does DocuSign cost?

$45 a month on Standard — $540 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing DocuSign?

An audit trail that holds up in a dispute: identity checks, timestamps, IP records and a certificate of completion; Compliance with eIDAS and the ESIGN Act, evidenced rather than asserted; Qualified and advanced electronic signatures where the law requires them; Long-term validation, so a signature is still verifiable a decade later; The fact that the other side already trusts the envelope when it arrives. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to DocuSign?

Yes: Documenso, OpenSign. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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