When was the last time you signed something with a pen and paper? Digital signatures are the way things are moving, which is why it's so important to have an eSignature app that you can rely on. Two of the most recognized solutions are HelloSign (now called Dropbox Sign) and Docusign.

I use HelloSign to run my business, and I've used Docusign many times when signing contracts with clients. While they both offer a fast and convenient way to sign documents online, there are still some noteworthy differences.

To compare the tools apples to apples, I spent more time testing each one, paying attention to how their features and workflow compare. Here's what I discovered in the Hello Sign vs. Docusign showdown.

HelloSign vs. Docusign at a glance 

Here's the gist: 

• If you're looking for a basic electronic signing tool (without many extra capabilities), HelloSign will be right up your alley. The tool gives you all the features you need to close deals quickly, save time, and sign legally binding documents. 

• Docusign, on the other hand, packs some really impressive functionalities to automate the agreement process and improve business operations for medium and large-sized organizations. 

HelloSign vs. Docusign: What's the same?

Before we get into the differences, let's look at what's common between the two digital signature apps. Both apps:

• Are legally binding and include a real-time audit trail

• Offer in-person signing options on paid plans

• Have a working mobile app

• Include multiple languages

• Offer bulk send on team plans

• Include repeatable templates for documents

• Connect to third-party apps and integrate with Zapier

Both apps are user-friendly, but HelloSign is a bit more simplified

Overall, both HelloSign and Docusign offer a smooth user experience and nearly identical eSigning workflow: upload documents, add signers, place fields, and send. But even though the workflow is the same, I find HelloSign a lot more intuitive.

With HelloSign, if you want to sign a document and send it to another recipient, you can easily add yourself as a signer and complete it before sending it out. Here's what I mean: after uploading your document, select Add me as a signer, and the tool will populate your information. From there, you can add recipients (signers), complete your fields, and send. It's straightforward with very few form fields.

With Docusign, the process is a bit more confusing, as there's no option to add yourself as a signer. So to sign an agreement with a client, you have to add yourself as a recipient, complete multiple form fields, and then email yourself alongside the other signers.

The first time I tried to do this on Docusign, I was so confused that I had to head over to YouTube to find a tutorial. That might be because I'm used to HelloSign's process, but it still feels a little unintuitive for me.

HelloSign is more affordable (especially for basic signing needs)

HelloSign and Docusign have similar pricing plans, but HelloSign is much more affordable when it comes to unlimited signature requests.

Free plans

They both offer free monthly plans that include unlimited self-signing and three signature requests. On this free plan, you can add signature fields and basic information, send to multiple recipients in one bundle, and use the audit trail to track documents in real-time. They're both very generous, suitable for users that need to sign a few documents every few months. 

Paid plans

After that, though, HelloSign is cheaper for the basic features most businesses need for eSigning. 

The main distinction between the two entry-level plans ($20/month for HelloSign and $15/month for Docusign) is that HelloSign includes unlimited digital signature requests every month, where Docusign limits you to five. That's a pretty stark difference.

To unlock Docusign's unlimited signature requests, you have to buy one of the team plans, Standard or Business Pro, which start at $45 and $65/user/month, respectively. HelloSign has a cheaper team plan starting at $30/user/month.

Also, since Dropbox acquired HelloSign, the platform offers a bundle deal—Dropbox One with eSign—that combines the features of Dropbox Sign's essential plan and Dropbox Professional for $31/month. 

The difference in pricing is clear. If budget is a big factor for your business, then you already have your answer. HelloSign offers all the basic features you'll need at a lower price.

Docusign is better for teams

It makes sense why HelloSign is cheaper: its feature set is very limited compared to Docusign.

Docusign gives teams access to robust features like delegated signing, custody transfer, insightful reporting, and options for providing signers with a more professional signing experience, like conditional fields, dropdowns, approval buttons, and read-only permissions.

When sending documents, you can use collaborative commenting to ask and answer questions within agreements. Set signing order, specify who views a document or receives a copy, and use pre-filled doc fields and automated routing to save time. You can even automate post-agreement actions like archiving documents and exporting data to CRM. 

Docusign also gives you more options to ensure the security of your documents, especially when managing multiple users. For instance, administrators can lock templates to limit changes to messaging, branding, and even recipients. You can even ask signers to verify their identity in multiple ways, like ID verification and knowledge-based authentication. You'll find these advanced features impressive—and even necessary—if you're an enterprise-level organization.

On top of all these, Docusign allows you to instantly collect payments after a document is signed. The tool connects to payment gateways like Braintree, Stripe, Authorize.net, and more. 

To be fair, HelloSign's team plans aren't totally lagging here. They offer important features like signer authentication with access codes, signer attachments, and in-person signing. But the few advanced features that are similar to Docusign's—like document dropdowns and signer reassignments—are locked behind their premium plan, and you have to speak to sales for a custom quote in order to access them. 

Docusign integrates with more apps than HelloSign (but HelloSign offers more bang for your buck)

Both apps provide basic integrations to platforms like Google, Dropbox, and Microsoft on all plans. But when it comes to more robust integrations, they offer very different capabilities: Docusign has over 400 native integrations, while HelloSign has just over 20.

With HelloSign, you can connect to enterprise-grade platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft SharePoint, and Oracle, to streamline the agreement workflow across your organization. These integrations are available on the Standard plan for $30/user/month.

Docusign, on the other hand, locks the majority of its robust integrations behind its enhanced plan. This means you can't connect to CRM providers unless you speak to sales for a custom quote. But it does connect to more work and productivity tools than HelloSign (think: Zoom and Stripe).

Having said that, both eSignature platforms integrate with Zapier, so you can connect them to thousands of other apps and automate routine processes. 

Automate HelloSign (now Dropbox Sign)

Dropbox Sign's Zapier integration lets you kick off workflows from other apps, so you can automatically send signature requests from anywhere, or start workflows based on actions you take in the app. Here are a few pre-made templates to get you started.

Automate Docusign

When you connect Docusign to Zapier,  you can automate signature requests and upload newly signed envelopes to cloud storage—among many other possibilities. Check out some ideas for automating Docusign with Zapier, or try one of these pre-made workflows.

HelloSign vs. Docusign: Which should you choose?

Both HelloSign and Docusign are excellent eSignature platforms with similar workflows and outputs, but in the end, they're ideal for different use cases. HelloSign is easier to use and more affordable, especially for single users and small businesses. But Docusign offers advanced features that make agreement processes easier and better for bigger teams. 

Related reading:

• 7 ways to manage your electronic signatures, automatically

• The best apps for freelancers

• How adding document automation to your workflows helps your business

• The best Docusign alternatives

This article was originally published in September 2022 by Brittney Thompson. The most recent update was in July 2023.