Free electronic signature: 2026 comparison
Looking to sign documents online without paying? Several solutions offer a free plan, but their limitations vary considerably. This guide compares the options available in 2026 to find the best free electronic signature for your needs.
What is a free electronic signature?
Three categories of free plans coexist in 2026 and their legal and operational implications have nothing to do with: (1) time-limited trials (DocuSign 30 days, Yousign 14 days) which force a paid migration afterwards; (2) permanent plans but limited to the single SES signature level (PandaDoc, some Dropbox Sign offers), often legally hosted but without sufficient identity reinforcement; (3) permanent plans with advanced AES eIDAS signature including (Certyneo), which combine free, enhanced proof value and EU hosting.
The main legal criterion is not the free of charge but compliance with the eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014. The three levels defined by eIDAS simple signature (SES), advanced (AES) and qualified (QES) are all admissible in court, but their burden of proof differs. A free SES with a full time-stamped audit trail has the equivalent evidence value of a handwritten signature for the majority of private contracts (devises, NDAs, commercial agreements). For HR contracts, real estate warrants or important invoices, the AES is recommended because it adds identity verification (OTP or SMS or email).
The second criterion is data sovereignty. U.S. solutions (DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign, PandaDoc, Dropbox Sign) are subject to the Cloud Act, which allows a U.S. jurisdiction to require access to your contracts even if they are hosted in Europe. European solutions (Certyneo in Germany, Yousign and Universign in France) are outside this scope. For professional use in the EU, the combo free + AES + EU hosting offers the best value-to-legal-protection ratio.
2026 free plan comparison
| The solution | Free plan | eIDAS compliance | Hosting | The Cloud Act | Audit trail | Multi-signatories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certyneo | 5 env./month, no expiry | SES + AES | EU (Germany) | Not exposed | Qualified time stamp, PDF/A | Unlimited, parallel or sequential |
| DocuSign | 30-day trial only | SES + AES | Global / EU option | Exposed | - It 's complete . | Unlimited |
| Yousign | 14-day trial only | SES | France (OVH) | Not exposed | - It 's complete . | Unlimited |
| PandaDoc | Unlimited but SES only | SES only | US (AWS) | Exposed | Basic | Unlimited |
| Dropbox Sign | 3 signatures/month only | SES only | US (AWS) | Exposed | Standard | Limited to paid plan |
| Adobe Acrobat Sign | Try it for seven days only. | The SES + AES + QES | US (Adobe Cloud) is a software company. | Exposed | - It 's complete . | Unlimited |
| SignNow | Try it for seven days only. | SES + AES | US (AWS) | Exposed | Standard | Unlimited |
| Eversign | 5 signatures/month, limited | SES only | Austria / US | Partially exposed | Basic | Up to 3 signatories |
Certyneo: the only permanent free eIDAS plan
Certyneo is the only solution offering a permanent free plan (no expiration), including advanced eIDAS signature (AES) with OTP and a timestamped audit trail — hosted in the EU with no Cloud Act exposure. Ideal for freelancers, associations and SMEs sending fewer than 5 contracts per month.
- 5 envelopes / month
- 1 sender user
- Advanced AES eIDAS signature
- Timestamped audit trail
- 10-year evidence archiving
- No credit card
- No expiry
What free plan do you have on your profile?
The free electronic signature does not serve the same needs depending on whether you are self-employed, an association or a TPE.
Self-employed / freelance
You send a few quotes and contracts a month, mostly to repeat customers. Your stakes: speed of signing and professional proof, without paying for enterprise features you don't use.
Recommendation for the : Certyneo free plan (5 env/month, AES included)
Association or cooperative
You sign general meeting minutes, partnership agreements and prefectural forms.Several co-signatories (president, treasurer, secretary) often have to sign the same document, and traceability is essential for your auditors.
Recommendation for the : Certyneo free plan (unlimited number of subscribers)
The total number of contracts is calculated as follows:
You manage employment contracts, invoices and quotes for 1 to 10 employees. The volume remains under control, but you need AES for HR documents and EU hosting for your customer data.
Recommendation for the : Free plan + switch to personal plan 9 €/month over 5
How to sign for free with Certyneo?
- 1
Create your account
Email registration in 30 seconds, no credit card.
- 2
Import your document
PDF, Word or image — drag and drop into the interface.
- 3
Add the signatory
Their email is enough. They will receive a secure link.
- 4
Send and sign
The signatory clicks the link and signs in 30 seconds, without an account.
- 5
Download the signed PDF
Timestamped PDF + signing evidence available immediately.
When the free plan is no longer enough?
The Certyneo free plan covers 5 envelopes/month. If your needs exceed this volume, the Personal plan at €9/month offers 25 envelopes/month. For teams or high volumes, the Standard plan at €19/month includes 100 envelopes/month, a REST API and webhooks.
Questions about free electronic signature
- Is there really a free, permanent electronic signature?
- Yes, Certyneo offers a permanent free plan (no expiry). DocuSign and Yousign only offer temporary trials (30 and 14 days). PandaDoc offers a free plan but without AES or EU hosting.
- Does a freely signed document have legal value?
- Yes, if the solution is eIDAS-compliant. Certyneo generates eIDAS-compliant timestamped signature proofs even on the free plan. The audit trail constitutes evidence admissible in court throughout the EU.
- Can I sign for free without creating an account?
- Signatories never need to create an account. Only the sender needs to create a free account.
- Is data secure on a free plan?
- Yes. At Certyneo, the security level (TLS 1.3, AES-256 encryption, EU hosting) is identical regardless of the pricing plan.
- What's the best free electronic signature in 2026?
- The best criterion for the differences between the offers is not the free volume but the combination permanent plan + eIDAS AES compliance + EU hosting . Of this trio, Certyneo is the only solution to offer it free in 2026: 5 envelopes/month without expiration, advanced AES signature with OTP, hosting Germany outside the Cloud Act. DocuSign and Yousign only offer temporary trials (30 and 14 days), PandaDoc limits to the SES level, and Adobe Acrobat Sign starts with a 7-day trial. For a volume over 5 contracts/month, the Personal plan remains at €9/month at 2 to 4x cheaper than competitors.
- Does a free electronic signature really have legal value?
- Yes, provided the solution complies with the eIDAS Regulation (EU) 910/2014. A simple SES signature issued by a qualified provider and accompanied by a complete time-stamped audit trail is admissible as evidence in all 27 EU Member States. Its probative force is equivalent to a handwritten signature for common private contracts. For HR contracts, real estate contracts or public procurement, an advanced AES signature (OTP verification) is recommended included free of charge at Certyneo, on a competitor subscription.
- Can I use a free electronic signature for my professional activity?
- Yes, without restriction. The Certyneo free plan does not distinguish between personal and professional use: you can sign customer quotes, supplier contracts, mandates, business agreements, pay slips and partnership agreements. The only limit is the monthly volume (5 envelopes). One envelope can contain one or more documents and be sent to one or more signatories, which covers the majority of self-employed, associations and TPE which send less than one signature per week.
- What's the difference between a free and a paid electronic signature?
- The difference is based on four main points: (1) monthly volume free = 5 envelopes, paying = 25 to several hundred; (2) number of users sending free = 1, paying = multi-user teams; (3) enterprise features REST API, webhooks, SSO, CRM/HubSpot/Slack/Salesforce integrations are reserved for paid plans; (4) standard email support free, priority or dedicated on enterprise plans.