What is eSignature vs Digital Signature?

eSignature is the broad legal category; digital signature is a specific cryptographic technique within it.

Every digital signature is an electronic signature, but not every electronic signature is a digital signature. An electronic signature is any electronic mark indicating intent (a click, a drawn line, a typed name). A digital signature is a specific cryptographic operation using a private key to produce a verifiable, tamper-evident signature backed by a Certificate Authority. The terms get used interchangeably in marketing, but they have distinct legal and technical meanings.

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.

Use cases that need each

Simple eSignature is enough for most commercial contracts under ESIGN, UETA, and eIDAS SES. Digital signature (AdES or QES under eIDAS) is required when the law mandates written form, for high-value EU/UK transactions, or when non-repudiation is critical (the signer can't later claim it wasn't them).

How PDF Verified combines both

PDF Verified captures an eSignature (canvas drawing, typed name, or uploaded image) and pairs it with a SHA-256 document hash + audit trail + timestamp. On Business Plus, we additionally bind the signature to a TSP-issued certificate for AdES, giving you a true digital signature on top of the captured eSignature.

Which to pick

For SMB contracts, sales, HR, freelance work: eSignature. For EU/UK regulated transactions, financial-services onboarding, real-estate: AdES (digital signature). For QES-mandated transactions (rare): QES via TSP.

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.