PDF Verified vs DocuSign
The enterprise eSignature incumbent, and its pricing reflects it.
Drop your document here and sign it now. PDF, Word and Excel all work: a .docx or .xlsx is laid out in your browser exactly as it was written, so there is nothing to convert first. Add a signature, a date, a company stamp or a watermark, then download it sealed. Free to start, no account, and the file is never uploaded to open it.
Brand recognition + Salesforce integration. The default choice for Fortune 500 procurement.
PDF Verified vs DocuSign in depth
DocuSign is the category benchmark, and for a large enterprise standardising on one signing system across thousands of employees, that maturity is worth paying for. But its pricing is built around per-user plans and envelope limits, which is a poor fit for anyone who signs occasionally or sends in bursts. Pay for a seat you barely touch and the cost per signed document quietly becomes very high.
PDF Verified is designed for the opposite pattern: $1.50 per completed document with no seat to maintain, or a flat plan when volume grows. It matches the legal weight (ESIGN, eIDAS, UETA) and adds things DocuSign either gates behind higher tiers or does not offer at all, public QR verification on every page, serialized company seals, and optional KYC identity checks before signing.
Why teams choose PDF Verified over DocuSign
- Unlimited documents on the $15 Business plan vs DocuSign's $40/user Business Pro.
- REST API included free with Business, DocuSign charges $720/month as an add-on.
- Every signed PDF carries a public QR verification page. Anyone can scan and verify without an account.
- Mobile-first signing portal with native bottom-sheet UX. DocuSign's mobile web fights with their app.
- Verified stamp library: company seals and approval stamps with auto-incrementing serial numbers and a public /verify-stamp QR link, plus AI field auto-detection, all built-in.
Comparison
| Feature | PDF Verified | DocuSign |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly documents on free plan | 3 (forever) | 5 (trial only) |
| Unlimited signers per document | Yes, free | Yes, paid plans |
| Public QR-verified audit page | Yes, every signed PDF | No public verification URL |
| Mobile-first signing (no app) | Yes | Mobile web is functional but app-first |
| REST API included | $17.60/mo Business plan | $720/mo add-on |
| Company seal / serialized stamp + QR verification | Built-in stamp library | No native stamp library |
| Audit certificate PDF | On every plan | Standard tier and up |
| eIDAS + ESIGN + UETA compliant | Yes | Yes |
Is DocuSign better than PDF Verified?
DocuSign is the more recognized enterprise brand and integrates deeply with Salesforce. For most SMBs and freelancers, PDF Verified delivers the same legal binding (ESIGN, eIDAS, UETA) at roughly 1/3 the cost, with REST API + QR verification + audit certificates included on every plan rather than gated as add-ons.
Looking for a DocuSign alternative?
That search almost always means one of two things: DocuSign costs more than the signing you actually do, or the way in is heavier than the job. DocuSign starts at $10 a month on Personal, charged per seat, so the bill tracks how many people you have rather than how many documents you send. PDF Verified charges $1.50 for a completed document, or $15 a month for unlimited documents, with no seat to buy and no envelope allowance to run out of. For a business that signs in bursts, a few contracts one month and none the next, that is the whole difference.
If you want a free DocuSign alternative to test with a real document first, you can. Three documents a month are free for as long as you want them, with no card, no trial countdown and no watermark stamped across the result. DocuSign offers 5 (trial only). Sign one thing, send it, look at the audit certificate, and decide after that.
How much does DocuSign cost per user?
Published pricing starts around $10 per user per month on Personal, and the plans people actually end up on are usually higher, because the features that make a signing tool worth having (an API, bulk sending, identity checks, audit certificates) sit further up the list. Check current pricing on their site before you decide, since it moves. The comparison table above is dated 2026-05.
What PDF Verified is, and what it is not
Electronic signature law is settled in broad terms and specific in the details. The ESIGN Act, UETA, eIDAS and their equivalents recognise electronic signatures across more than 190 countries, and what decides a particular case is intent to sign plus evidence connecting the signature to the signer, which is what the audit certificate records. Certain document types carry their own formalities wherever you are: deeds, wills, some property instruments, and anything requiring a witness or a notary. Sign only what you are authorised to sign, since applying another person signature without their authority is forgery whatever tool is used.
PDF Verified is a tool for preparing, signing, stamping and checking documents. It is not a law firm, a compliance service or a forensic examiner, and nothing here is legal, financial or compliance advice. Requirements differ by country, by document type and by the party asking, so check what applies to your document before you rely on it, and take advice where the document matters. You are responsible for the documents you create, sign and send, and for having the authority to do so: signing or stamping in somebody else name, or as an organisation you do not represent, is forgery whatever tool is used. To the extent the law allows, we accept no liability for how a document made with this tool is used or relied on. The full position is in our terms of service.