If there ever was a court case, it would be a lot harder for anyone to claim they weren't the one to actually sign the document. This creates both a 'fingerprint' that makes the document unique and a paper trail that can be independently verified. It's still legally binding, but because anyone could easily forge it, you might have a harder time in a contentious court case.Ī digital signature is a special kind of electronic signature that uses cryptography to protect the document and also embeds details like email addresses, when and where people signed any documents, and the serial number and identifying details of the device they use to do it. You can make one with almost any app, from Microsoft Word to Adobe Photoshop. An electronic signature is just your typed, drawn, or otherwise computer-added signature on a document.

Electronic signatures and digital signatures are slightly different things. electronic signatureĪs with all things legal, definitions matter. PandaDoc for collecting payments when people signĭigital signature vs. Preview for occasionally signing documents on a MacĪdobe Acrobat Reader for occasionally signing documents on a PCĮSignatures.io for a pay-as-you-go option HelloSign for integration with cloud storage The best eSignature softwareĭocuSign for businesses that sign lots of things I considered and tested almost 40 electronic signature apps, and these are the eight best-for everyone on both sides of the paperwork.

Whether you're looking for a way to electronically sign a document that you've just received or want to send documents out to be digitally signed by contractors and other business partners, we've got recommendations for the right apps to use. It's reached the point now that I'm relieved to see a DocuSign link in an email-and get stressed when it's a link from one of the many apps not on this list. As a freelance tech writer, I've had to sign dozens of contracts, statements of work, W8-BEN-E forms, and other legal documents over the last decade just to do my job.

How to create your signature look