Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 14, 2026
Dropbox Sign vs airSlate SignNow: which is the better deal?
Choose Dropbox Sign if you send more than about 100 documents a year: Essentials is $10.05/month billed yearly with unlimited signature requests. Choose airSlate SignNow if you send fewer and want the lowest price or unlimited users: Business is $8/month billed annually ($20 monthly) with 100 invites per year and unlimited templates.
Dropbox Sign and airSlate SignNow are both signing-first tools for small and mid-sized businesses. Neither tries to be a proposal editor; both let you upload a document, place fields and send it. The real difference is how they meter usage.
Dropbox Sign charges per user and does not cap requests: Essentials is $15/month ($10.05 billed yearly) for one user, Standard $25 per user/month ($17.50 billed yearly) with branding, bulk send and SMS authentication. Templates are capped at 5 on Essentials and 15 on Standard. See our Dropbox Sign alternative page.
SignNow charges per plan with unlimited users but counts invites: Business, Business Premium and Enterprise each include 100 invites per year, at $8, $15 and $30/month billed annually ($20, $30 and $50 monthly). Templates are unlimited on every plan; bulk send starts on Business Premium and branding on Enterprise. Details in our SignNow alternative page.
If all you do is send finished PDFs or Word files for signature, eSignSimple is a simpler third option: a free plan with 3 documents a month, Bronze at $4.99/month and unlimited documents on Silver at $9.99/month. Its column is included for reference.
How do Dropbox Sign and airSlate SignNow compare?
| Feature | eSignSimple (for reference) | Dropbox Sign / airSlate SignNow |
|---|---|---|
| Starting paid price | eSignSimple: $4.99/month (Bronze) | Dropbox Sign: $10.05/month billed yearly ($15 monthly) · SignNow: $8/month billed annually ($20 monthly) |
| Higher plans | eSignSimple: Gold $19.99/month for up to 5 senders | Dropbox Sign: $17.50/user/month billed yearly · SignNow: $15–$30/month billed annually |
| Sending limits | eSignSimple: 25/month on Bronze, unlimited on Silver | Dropbox Sign: unlimited requests · SignNow: 100 invites per year |
| Users | 1 sender (Gold: up to 5) | Dropbox Sign: priced per user · SignNow: unlimited users |
| Free plan | eSignSimple: 3 documents/month | Dropbox Sign: 3 requests/month · SignNow: 7-day free trial |
| Templates | Yes, on every plan | Dropbox Sign: 5 / 15 / unlimited by plan · SignNow: unlimited on every plan |
| Signers need an account | No | No for both |
| Audit trail | Yes, with SHA-256 hash | Yes for both |
| Bulk send | Silver and up (up to 200 per send) | Dropbox Sign: Standard and up · SignNow: Business Premium and up |
| Branding | Logo and brand color (Gold) | Dropbox Sign: Standard and up · SignNow: Enterprise |
| Payments | No | Dropbox Sign: not listed on pricing page · SignNow: Business Premium and up |
| SMS / signer verification | No | Dropbox Sign: SMS authentication on Standard · SignNow: SMS sending and advanced signer authentication on Enterprise |
| API | REST API v1 and webhooks (Silver and up) | Dropbox Sign: API plans from $75/month billed yearly · SignNow: full API on Site License or separate API plans |
| Single sign-on | No | Dropbox Sign: Premium · SignNow: Site License |
How much does each tool cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Dropbox Sign Free | $0 | 3 signature requests a month (renewing every 30 days) and unlimited self-signing. |
| Dropbox Sign Essentials | $15/month, or $10.05/month billed yearly ($120.60) | 1 user, unlimited signature requests, 5 templates, Google Drive, Microsoft Word and HubSpot integrations. |
| Dropbox Sign Standard | $25/user/month, or $17.50/user/month billed yearly | 2 or more users (sales for 5+), 15 templates, branding, bulk send, team admin, SMS authentication, signer attachments, in-person signing; Salesforce as a paid add-on. |
| Dropbox Sign Premium | Custom quote | 5 or more users, unlimited templates, single sign-on, data residency, advanced signer fields and multi-team setup. |
| SignNow Business | $8/month billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | Unlimited users, 100 invites per year, unlimited templates, reminders, mobile apps. |
| SignNow Business Premium | $15/month billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | Adds bulk send, signing links, payment collection, scheduled sending and team reports. |
| SignNow Enterprise | $30/month billed annually ($50 billed monthly) | Adds custom branding, sending via SMS, advanced signer authentication, conditional and formula fields, approval workflows. |
| SignNow Site License | From $1.50 per signature invite | Adds full API access, premium integrations, SSO and phone support; volume discounts through sales. |
Prices checked October 14, 2026 on Dropbox Sign plans and pricing, Dropbox Sign API pricing, Dropbox Help: Dropbox Sign free plan, airSlate SignNow 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 | 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. |
Which one should you choose?
- Dropbox Sign: no request cap on paid plans, so busy senders never hit an overage.
- Dropbox Sign: a free plan for occasional use and a separate developer API with a free test mode.
- SignNow: the lowest entry price, unlimited users and unlimited templates on every plan.
- SignNow: payment collection on Business Premium and SMS sending with advanced signer authentication on Enterprise.
- Both: native mobile apps and team features, which eSignSimple does not have yet.
What would a simpler option change?
Choose Dropbox Sign if…
you send more than about 100 documents a year, work in Dropbox or Google Drive, or want a standalone API. Weighing Adobe too? See Adobe Sign vs Dropbox Sign.
Choose SignNow if…
you send under 100 invites a year, want many colleagues on one plan, or need to collect payments. Compared with DocuSign? Read DocuSign vs SignNow.
Consider eSignSimple if…
you want unlimited documents without per-user pricing: Silver is $9.99/month for one sender, Gold $19.99/month for up to 5. There are no payments, SMS checks or native apps yet. See how to send a document for signature.
Who should pick which?
| Consider eSignSimple if… | Pick Dropbox Sign or airSlate SignNow if… |
|---|---|
| You sign finished PDFs or Word files. | Dropbox Sign: high-volume senders and Dropbox users. |
| You send more than 100 documents a year but don't want per-user pricing. | SignNow: low-volume teams with many users. |
| You don't need payments, SMS or integrations. | Either: teams that need SMS checks or native apps. |
How do you move to either tool?
- Count last year's signature requests; SignNow's 100 invites per year is the deciding number.
- Count templates; Dropbox Sign caps them at 5 or 15 below Premium.
- List must-haves such as payments, SMS, branding or SSO, and match them to each plan.
- Export signed documents and audit trails before cancelling.
- Rebuild templates and test one real document in the new tool.
Our take
The math is simple: under about 100 documents a year, SignNow is cheaper and lets your whole team in. Above that, Dropbox Sign's unlimited requests make it the safer buy, though its template caps on Essentials and Standard can pinch.
If you want unlimited sending without counting users or invites, eSignSimple Silver is $9.99/month and keeps an audit trail for every document.
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. DocuSign and Dropbox Sign are trademarks of their owners; eSignSimple is not affiliated with either. See how we protect documents on our security page and what each plan includes on pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is SignNow cheaper than Dropbox Sign?
On list price, yes: SignNow Business is $8/month billed annually versus $10.05 for Dropbox Sign Essentials. But SignNow includes 100 invites per year, while Dropbox Sign's paid plans have unlimited signature requests.
Does either have a free plan?
Dropbox Sign does, with 3 signature requests a month and unlimited self-signing. SignNow offers a 7-day free trial instead.
Which is better for teams?
SignNow plans include unlimited users, so a whole team can share one plan if volume stays within the invite allowance. Dropbox Sign charges per user, from $17.50/user/month billed yearly on Standard.
Are both legally binding?
Yes. Both provide electronic signatures recognized under the ESIGN Act and UETA in the US and eIDAS in the EU.
Is there an option with unlimited documents and no per-user fee?
eSignSimple Silver is $9.99/month for one sender with unlimited documents, and Gold is $19.99/month for up to 5 senders. See our pricing.
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