Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 1, 2026
A DocHub alternative for people who mostly need documents signed
DocHub, part of the airSlate family, is first a PDF editor: its free plan shares 3 uses a month across editing, signing and sign requests, and unlimited sign requests start with Pro at €12/month (about 25% less billed yearly). eSignSimple does not edit PDFs; it focuses on sending documents for signature, with 5 free documents a month and unlimited documents for $4.99/month. If you rewrite PDF text every day, DocHub is the better tool.
DocHub started as a browser PDF editor with a strong Google Drive and Gmail following, and is now owned by airSlate, the company behind pdfFiller and SignNow. Its plans are built around editing: annotate, rewrite text, fill forms, sign yourself, and send for signature. The free and Basic plans cap editing, signing and sign requests together at 3 uses a month; Pro removes those caps.
eSignSimple is narrower on purpose. You upload a PDF or a Word file (we convert Word to PDF), drag fields onto the page, and send it. Signers need no account, and each completed document gets an audit trail and a certificate of completion with a SHA-256 hash. We do not let you rewrite the text of a PDF; for quick one-off jobs we point people to our free fill PDF and sign PDF tools.
Prices below come from DocHub's pricing page on the date shown. DocHub showed us euro prices; your region may see dollars.
How does eSignSimple compare with DocHub?
| Feature | eSignSimple | DocHub |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Sending documents for e-signature | PDF editing, with signing built in |
| Free plan | Yes, 5 documents/month | Free: 3 uses/month shared across editing, signing and sign requests |
| Starting paid price | $4.99/month, $1.99/week or $39.99/year | Basic: €8/month (about 25% less billed yearly), same 3-use cap on selected features |
| Unlimited sign requests | Unlimited on Personal | Pro: €12/month (about 25% less billed yearly) |
| Edit PDF text and images | No (fill and sign only) | Yes |
| Signer needs an account | No | No |
| Audit trail | Yes, with certificate of completion and SHA-256 hash | Yes |
| Templates | Yes, on every plan | Yes |
| Bulk send | Yes, up to 200 people per send | Yes, on Pro |
| Web forms / public signing link | Yes (public link, single-signer templates) | Shareable fillable links |
| Word upload | Yes (Word converted to PDF) | Yes (converted for editing) |
| API | REST API v1 and webhooks | Not a headline feature; airSlate sells separate API products |
| Google Drive / Gmail integration | No native integrations yet (API and webhooks) | Yes, a core feature |
| Mobile | Mobile browser (no native app) | Browser-based; works on mobile browsers |
How much does DocHub cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | All features share a monthly limit of 3 uses (editing, signing, sign requests). |
| Basic | €8/month, about 25% less billed yearly | Unlimited self-signing and PDF downloads; selected features keep the 3-use monthly limit. |
| Pro | €12/month, about 25% less billed yearly | Unlimited PDF editing, unlimited sign requests, bulk send, in-person signing. |
| Site License | Quote-based | Unlimited users and features for organizations. |
Prices checked October 1, 2026 on DocHub pricing. 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 | 5 documents a month (a document counts when it is sent), unlimited signers, audit trail and certificate of completion, templates, web forms, API access. |
| Personal | $4.99/month, or $1.99/week or $39.99/year | 1 sender, unlimited documents, templates, bulk send (up to 200 people per send), web forms, reminders, REST API and webhooks. |
| Team | $19 per sender/month | Coming soon. Team seats, shared templates and branding are not available yet, so today every sender needs their own account. |
Where is DocHub the better choice?
- Real PDF editing: change text, add images, redact and annotate. We only fill and sign.
- Deep Google Drive, Gmail and Google Classroom integration, which many teachers and students rely on.
- Pro at €12/month bundles an editor and unlimited sign requests, which is good value if you need both.
- In-person signing and a large library of fillable forms through the airSlate family.
- A site license for whole organizations, while our Team plan is still coming soon.
Why do people switch to eSignSimple?
A bigger free allowance for signing
DocHub's free plan shares 3 uses a month across everything. Ours gives you 5 documents sent for signature a month, with unlimited signers, templates and web forms included.
Built around the signing flow
Sequential or parallel signing, automatic reminders and a certificate of completion are the product, not a menu item inside an editor.
Bulk send and web forms
Send one template to up to 200 people at once with bulk send, or publish a public signing link for single-signer templates.
A plain REST API
API keys, a handful of REST endpoints and webhooks on every plan, so a script or no-code HTTP step can send documents. There are no SDKs.
Who should pick which?
| Pick eSignSimple if… | Pick DocHub if… |
|---|---|
| You send contracts, agreements or forms for others to sign and rarely edit PDF text. | You edit PDFs (text, images, pages) as often as you send them. |
| You want one flat monthly price and no shared usage counter. | You live in Google Drive, Gmail or Google Classroom. |
| You want bulk send, web forms and an API without a sales call. | You need a site license for many users today. |
How do you switch from DocHub to eSignSimple?
- Download your completed documents and their signing history from DocHub.
- Finish any PDF text edits in DocHub or your editor, then save the final PDF (or keep the original Word file).
- Create an eSignSimple account with Google and upload the file; place signature, date and text fields in the builder.
- Save documents you send often as templates, and use bulk send or a web form link where you used shareable DocHub links.
- Send a test to yourself and check the certificate of completion before switching clients over.
Our take
DocHub is a good PDF editor that also signs. If editing is half your work, keep it, and compare it with pdfFiller and Smallpdf, which sit in the same category.
If what you really do is send documents and wait for signatures, a tool built for that job is simpler. That is what eSignSimple is: fewer features than a PDF suite, a bigger free signing allowance, and one price.
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. DocHub 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
Is DocHub free?
DocHub has a free plan, but all features share a limit of 3 uses a month, according to its pricing page (checked October 2026). Unlimited sign requests need Pro.
Who owns DocHub?
DocHub is part of airSlate, the same group that runs pdfFiller and SignNow. See our SignNow comparison too.
Can eSignSimple edit PDF text like DocHub?
No. We let you fill fields and sign, not rewrite the document. Make edits first, then upload the final PDF or Word file.
Which is cheaper for unlimited signature requests?
eSignSimple Personal is $4.99/month, $1.99/week or $39.99/year. DocHub Pro is €12/month, or about 25% less billed yearly. See our pricing.
Are signatures from eSignSimple legally binding?
We provide simple electronic signatures, which are valid for most everyday contracts in the US and EU. We do not offer qualified signatures.
Get your next document signed today.
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