Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 14, 2026
A Dubsado alternative for freelancers who mostly need signatures
Dubsado is a business-management system for service providers: client portals, forms, contracts, invoices, payment plans and, on Premier, scheduling and workflows. New subscribers pay $35/month or $335/year (Starter) and $55/month or $525/year (Premier). Its contracts are built in Dubsado's form builder and take one client signer each, with typed signatures. eSignSimple signs your own PDF or Word file with as many signers as you need, from $0 for 3 documents a month. If you want Dubsado's workflows and payments, keep it; for contracts alone, we are simpler and cheaper.
Dubsado has a loyal following among photographers, designers, planners and virtual assistants because it can run a whole client process: capture a lead, send a proposal with a contract and invoice in one link, collect payments through Dubsado Payments (Stripe), PayPal or Square, and automate the next steps. Its pricing changed for new subscribers on December 1, 2025; earlier customers keep their old rates.
Contracts in Dubsado are form templates. You build the terms in a drag-and-drop builder (or let its form tool start one from a description or an uploaded PDF), add initials and signature elements, and send the contract from a project. According to Dubsado's help center, a contract has a single client signer; a second client needs a copy as a sub-agreement. Signatures are typed, and you can add a countersignature field for yourself. Dubsado says signing records timestamps and IP addresses. A PDF you upload as-is is stored read-only: clients cannot e-sign it in Dubsado.
eSignSimple works the other way round. The document you already have is the starting point: upload a PDF or Word file, place fields, add every signer by email, set a signing order if needed, and send. Each completed document gets an audit trail and a certificate of completion with a SHA-256 hash. We have no client portal, invoices, payments, scheduler or workflows, and we will not pretend otherwise.
How does eSignSimple compare with Dubsado?
| Feature | eSignSimple | Dubsado |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | E-signature tool for sending documents and keeping proof | Business-management system: CRM, forms, contracts, invoices, payments, workflows |
| Free plan | Yes, 3 documents/month | No; 21-day free trial of Premier, no credit card |
| Entry price | $4.99/month (Bronze, 25 documents/month) | Starter: $35/month or $335/year |
| Contract limits | 25/month on Bronze; unlimited on Silver | Unlimited clients and projects on both plans |
| Use your own PDF or Word file | Yes (Word converted to PDF) | Contracts are built as form templates; uploaded PDFs are read-only and cannot be e-signed |
| Client signers per contract | As many as needed, in parallel or in order | One; extra clients get a copy as a sub-agreement |
| Signature style | Drawn or typed in the browser | Typed signatures; owner countersign field |
| Signer needs an account | No | No; link by email or the client portal |
| Audit trail | Yes, with certificate of completion and SHA-256 hash | Timestamps and IP addresses recorded, per Dubsado |
| Invoices, payment plans, online payments | No | Yes: Dubsado Payments (Stripe), PayPal, Square |
| Scheduling and automated workflows | No | Premier only |
| Team | Gold ($19.99/month): up to 5 senders with shared templates; no SSO or admin console | 3 extra users free; 4–10 users $25/month, more tiers above |
| Bulk send / web forms | Yes / Yes (Silver and up) | Lead capture forms: 1 on Starter, unlimited on Premier |
| API and integrations | REST API v1 and webhooks (Silver and up) | Zapier and bookkeeping integration on Premier |
| Mobile | Mobile web; native iOS and Android apps coming soon | iOS and Android companion apps |
How much does Dubsado cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $35/month or $335/year | Email integration, unlimited projects and clients, invoicing and payment plans, form and email templates, client portals, calendar connection, mobile app, 1 active lead capture form. |
| Premier | $55/month or $525/year | Everything in Starter plus scheduling, automated workflows, public proposals, bookkeeping integration, Zapier and unlimited lead capture forms. |
| Extra users | 3 free, then $25 to $60/month | 4–10 users $25/month, 11–20 $45/month, 21–30 $60/month; contact Dubsado above 30. |
| Extra brands | $10/month per brand | For running several businesses from one account. |
| Trial | Free for 21 days | Full Premier access, no credit card. Prices apply to new subscribers since December 1, 2025. |
Prices checked October 14, 2026 on Dubsado pricing, Dubsado: LLM info (plans, monthly prices, payments, apps), Dubsado: Legally binding contracts, Dubsado Help: Send a contract for e-signature, Dubsado Help: Add signature and initial fields to your contract, Dubsado Help: Upload a PDF of a signed contract. 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 Dubsado the better choice?
- A full client system: portals, questionnaires, proposals, contracts, invoices and payment plans tied to each project.
- Online payments through Dubsado Payments (cards, ACH, buy-now-pay-later and Tap to Pay), PayPal or Square. We take no payments.
- Automated workflows and scheduling on Premier, which save real time when you book many similar clients.
- Contracts that pull invoice and project details automatically, so prices and dates stay consistent.
- Three extra users included at no charge, plus native iOS and Android apps today.
- Unlimited clients and projects on both plans, with no contract count to watch.
Why do people switch to eSignSimple?
Contracts are all you use
If you open Dubsado mainly to send a contract, $335 to $525 a year is a lot for that one job. eSignSimple is $0 for 3 documents a month, $4.99/month for 25, or $89.99/year for unlimited documents on Silver. See pricing.
Several people must sign one contract
A couple, two business partners, or a client plus a guarantor can all sign the same document with us, in parallel or in a signing order, with one certificate of completion covering everyone. Dubsado's help center suggests sub-agreements for a second client signer.
Your document is already finished
Upload the PDF or Word file a lawyer or client gave you and place fields on it. No rebuilding the text in a form builder, and the signed file keeps the original layout.
Signers who want to draw
Our signers can draw or type their signature in the browser. Dubsado's help center describes typed signatures only.
Who should pick which?
| Pick eSignSimple if… | Pick Dubsado if… |
|---|---|
| You need contracts, NDAs or releases signed and handle invoicing elsewhere. | You want proposals, contracts, invoices and payments in one client portal. |
| Your contracts have more than one client signer, or arrive as finished PDF or Word files. | Automated workflows and scheduling will save you hours each week. |
| You want a free plan or a low monthly price without a client-management system. | Your team of up to four people works in the same account. |
How do you switch from Dubsado to eSignSimple?
- Download your signed Dubsado contracts from each project so your records are complete.
- Export or copy your contract template text into a Word or PDF file you control.
- Sign up for eSignSimple with Google, upload the file and place signature, initials, date and text fields.
- Save it as a template; for each client, add every signer by email and send.
- If you keep Dubsado for invoicing, upload the signed PDF to the project as a signed contract; otherwise cancel at the end of your term.
Our take
Dubsado is a strong choice when you use the whole system: forms, proposals, payments and workflows working together. For a busy photographer or planner, that is worth $35 to $55 a month, and we do not replace it.
Its contract feature, though, is shaped by the form builder: one client signer, typed signatures, and text you rebuild inside Dubsado. If signatures are the only reason you pay, a dedicated tool is cheaper and handles multi-party documents better. Start from our photography contract or independent contractor agreement templates, and compare HoneyBook if you still want an all-in-one.
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. Dubsado 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 Dubsado cost?
For new subscribers since December 1, 2025, Dubsado lists Starter at $35/month or $335/year and Premier at $55/month or $525/year, with 3 extra users included and extra brands at $10/month (checked October 14, 2026).
Does Dubsado have a free plan?
No. It offers a 21-day free trial of Premier without a credit card. eSignSimple has a permanent free plan with 3 documents a month.
Can two clients sign the same Dubsado contract?
According to Dubsado's help center, a contract has one client signer; for a second client you add a copy as a sub-agreement. In eSignSimple, one document can have several signers.
Can I e-sign a PDF I upload to Dubsado?
Dubsado's help center says uploaded PDFs are read-only and clients cannot e-sign them; you build a contract template instead. In eSignSimple, you upload the PDF or Word file and place fields on it directly.
Does eSignSimple have invoicing or a client portal?
No. We only handle documents and signatures, with templates, bulk send, web forms, reminders and an audit trail. Use an accounting tool for invoices.
Are eSignSimple signatures legally binding?
Yes, as simple electronic signatures under the ESIGN Act, UETA, eIDAS and similar laws, backed by an audit trail. See our United States guide.
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