Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 6, 2026
A Docaposte alternative for small businesses
Docaposte, the digital arm of France's La Poste group, sells e-signature from an off-the-shelf tool (Maileva Signer en ligne, from €15 per user per month plus €1.50 per signature, excluding tax) up to custom projects with simple, advanced and qualified signatures under eIDAS. eSignSimple offers only simple electronic signatures, but with unlimited documents for $9.99/month and no per-signature fee. If you need advanced or qualified signatures from a French trust provider, choose Docaposte.
Docaposte is a French trust service provider owned by the La Poste group. Its e-signature range goes from Maileva Signer en ligne, a ready-to-use web tool billed per user and per transaction, to customized signature integrated into a company's own processes, and to large projects for banks, insurers and public bodies. Advanced signatures, which need identity verification of the signer, sit in the Premium tier of Signer en ligne; qualified signatures are part of its customized offers.
eSignSimple is a much smaller tool. You upload a PDF or Word file, place fields, and send it to people who sign in their browser without an account. Every completed document gets an audit trail and a certificate of completion with a SHA-256 hash. We do not offer advanced or qualified signatures, only simple ones.
In France, the Civil Code (articles 1366 and 1367) accepts electronic signatures as evidence when the signer can be identified and the document's integrity is guaranteed; only a qualified signature benefits from the legal presumption of reliability. For most commercial contracts, a simple signature with a good audit trail is enough. See our France guide.
How does eSignSimple compare with Docaposte?
| Feature | eSignSimple | Docaposte |
|---|---|---|
| Signature levels | No (simple electronic signatures only) | Simple, advanced (Premium) and qualified (custom offers) |
| Free plan | Yes, 3 documents/month | No free plan listed |
| Entry price | $4.99/month (Bronze, 25 documents/month) | PRO: €15/user/month + €1.50 per signature (excl. tax) |
| Per-signature fee | None | €1.50 (PRO), €1.40 (BUSINESS), €1.30 (COMPANY) |
| Higher tiers | Gold ($19.99/month): up to 5 senders with shared templates; no SSO or admin console | BUSINESS €20, COMPANY €35 per user/month; PREMIUM on request |
| Storage | Signed documents kept in your account | 1 MB included, then €0.30 per MB |
| Signer identity verification | No | Yes, for advanced signatures (Premium) |
| Signer needs an account | No | No for simple signatures |
| Workflows beyond signing | Signing order, approver, viewer and CC roles | Approvals, completion requests, document submission, acknowledgment of receipt |
| Templates / bulk send | Yes / Yes, up to 200 people per send | Multi-recipient workflows |
| Audit trail | Yes, with certificate of completion and SHA-256 hash | Yes, as a trust service provider |
| API | REST API v1 and webhooks (Silver and up) | Custom integration offers (quote-based) |
| Languages | 10 languages: English, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), German, French, Italian, Japanese, Indonesian, Arabic | French first, with an English site |
How much does Docaposte cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Signer en ligne PRO | €15/user/month + €1.50 per signature | Excluding tax. Simple signatures, 1 MB storage included, €0.30 per extra MB. |
| Signer en ligne BUSINESS | €20/user/month + €1.40 per signature | Excluding tax. |
| Signer en ligne COMPANY | €35/user/month + €1.30 per signature | Excluding tax, multi-organization features. |
| PREMIUM / custom signature | Quote-based | Advanced signatures with identity verification; qualified signatures and integrations through custom projects. |
Prices checked October 6, 2026 on Docaposte: Maileva Signer en ligne, Docaposte: Customized electronic signature. Vendors change prices and may show different prices by country and currency, so confirm before you buy.
eSignSimple pricing, for comparison
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 documents a month (a document counts when it is sent), unlimited signers, templates, audit trail and certificate of completion. |
| Bronze | $4.99/month or $39.99/year | 1 sender, 25 documents a month, automatic reminders. |
| Silver | $9.99/month or $89.99/year | 1 sender, unlimited documents, bulk send (up to 200 people per send), web forms, REST API and webhooks. |
| Gold | $19.99/month or $179.99/year | Everything in Silver, team seats for up to 5 senders with shared templates, your logo and brand color, priority support. |
Where is Docaposte the better choice?
- Advanced and qualified signatures under eIDAS from a French trust provider. We offer neither.
- The backing of the La Poste group, which matters to French banks, insurers and public buyers.
- Custom integration projects for large organizations, plus related services such as registered electronic mail.
- Workflow steps beyond signing, like acknowledgment of receipt and document submission.
- A French-language product and French support.
Why do people switch to eSignSimple?
No per-signature fee
Docaposte's off-the-shelf tool adds €1.30 to €1.50 per signature on top of the monthly user fee. We charge $9.99/month for unlimited documents, $4.99/month for 25, or $0 for 3 a month. See pricing.
Simple signatures are enough for most contracts
Quotes, NDAs, freelance agreements and many HR forms have no form requirement in France. A simple electronic signature with an audit trail is valid evidence for them.
Set up in minutes
Sign in with Google, upload a PDF or Word file, place fields and send. No sales call or quote needed.
Built-in templates and web forms
Reusable templates, public form links and bulk send to up to 200 people come with Silver and up.
Who should pick which?
| Pick eSignSimple if… | Pick Docaposte if… |
|---|---|
| You are a freelancer or small business sending everyday contracts. | You need advanced or qualified signatures under eIDAS. |
| You want a flat price without paying per signature. | You are a large French organization wanting a custom, integrated project. |
| Your signers are in several countries and languages. | A French trust provider of the La Poste group is a procurement requirement. |
How do you switch from Docaposte to eSignSimple?
- List which documents truly need an advanced or qualified signature; keep those with Docaposte.
- Download your signed documents and proof files from Docaposte.
- Create an eSignSimple account with Google and upload your everyday contracts.
- Save recurring documents as templates and set signing order and reminders.
- Cancel per-user licenses you no longer need.
Our take
Docaposte is a serious French trust provider, and for regulated industries or contracts where you want a qualified signature, it is a better fit than we are. Read our qualified signature glossary entry if you are unsure which level you need.
For a small business signing everyday contracts, paying per user and per signature adds up quickly. We are the cheaper, simpler choice there. Compare also French rival Yousign and our France guide.
We compare published features and prices from each vendor's own website and list the sources above. Where we could not verify something, we say so. Docaposte is a trademark of its owner; eSignSimple is not affiliated with it. See how we protect documents on our security page and what each plan includes on pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Docaposte e-signature cost?
Maileva Signer en ligne lists PRO at €15 per user per month plus €1.50 per signature, BUSINESS at €20 plus €1.40, and COMPANY at €35 plus €1.30, excluding tax. Premium and custom offers are quote-based (checked October 2026).
Does eSignSimple offer qualified signatures like Docaposte?
No. We only provide simple electronic signatures with an audit trail and certificate of completion.
Is a simple electronic signature valid in France?
Yes, as evidence under Civil Code article 1367 when the signer is identified and integrity is guaranteed. Only a qualified signature is presumed reliable. See our France guide.
Does Docaposte have a free plan?
We did not find a free plan on its Signer en ligne page. eSignSimple has a free plan with 3 documents a month.
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