Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 6, 2026
A gov.br signature alternative, and when gov.br is the better choice
The assinatura gov.br is Brazil's free electronic signature for citizens: anyone with a silver (prata) or gold (ouro) gov.br account can sign their own documents with an advanced electronic signature under Lei 14.063/2020, and anyone can check it on the ITI validator. If you just need to sign a document yourself, use it. eSignSimple is for a different job: sending documents to clients and others, tracking who signed, and keeping an audit trail, with simple electronic signatures only.
The gov.br signature portal is run by Brazil's federal government. When a citizen with a prata or ouro gov.br account opens it, the National Institute of Information Technology (ITI) automatically issues a free advanced digital certificate, valid for one year and usable an unlimited number of times. You upload a file (PDF, Word, ODT or images up to 100 MB), pick where the signature goes, confirm with a code sent to the gov.br app, and download the signed file. The signature can be verified at validar.iti.gov.br.
It is a genuinely good public service, and we will not pretend otherwise. The signature is an advanced electronic signature tied to a verified identity, which is legally stronger than the simple electronic signatures eSignSimple provides. Lei 14.063/2020 and Decree 10.543/2020 regulate its use with public bodies; for private contracts, MP 2.200-2/2001 lets the parties accept electronic signatures outside ICP-Brasil. See our Brazil guide.
The limits are about workflow, not legal strength. Each signer needs their own gov.br account at the right level, so it fits Brazilian citizens with a CPF, not foreign clients. It signs one file at a time from your own account: there is no way to send a document to five people, set a signing order, remind them, or see a dashboard of who has signed. That collection workflow, with an audit trail and a certificate of completion, is what eSignSimple does.
How does eSignSimple compare with gov.br signature?
| Feature | eSignSimple | gov.br signature |
|---|---|---|
| Signature level | No (simple electronic signatures only) | Advanced electronic signature (Lei 14.063/2020) |
| Price | $4.99/month (Bronze, 25 documents/month) | Free |
| Free plan | Yes, 3 documents/month | Free, unlimited signatures for the 1-year certificate |
| Who can sign | Anyone with an email address, in any country | Citizens with a prata or ouro gov.br account |
| Signer needs an account | No | Yes, gov.br account at prata or ouro level |
| Identity verification | No | Yes, through the gov.br account level |
| Send a document to other people | Yes, with signing order and reminders | No; each person signs on their own account |
| Track status of a multi-party contract | Yes, dashboard and email notifications | No |
| Audit trail | Yes, with certificate of completion and SHA-256 hash | Signature verifiable at validar.iti.gov.br |
| Templates / bulk send | Yes / Yes, up to 200 people per send | No |
| Web forms | Yes, Silver and up (public link, single-signer templates) | No |
| API | REST API v1 and webhooks (Silver and up) | API for government bodies integrating the service |
| File types | PDF and Word (converted to PDF) | PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, JPG, PNG up to 100 MB |
| Languages | 10 languages: English, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), German, French, Italian, Japanese, Indonesian, Arabic | Portuguese |
How much does gov.br signature cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Assinatura gov.br | Free | For citizens with a prata or ouro gov.br account. The advanced certificate is issued automatically, valid 1 year, unlimited use, renewable while the account stays at that level. |
Prices checked October 6, 2026 on Governo Digital: Assinatura eletrônica gov.br, ITI: Assinatura eletrônica avançada, Governo Digital: Saiba mais sobre a assinatura eletrônica, Lei 14.063/2020 (Planalto). 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 gov.br signature the better choice?
- It is free, with no document limit while your certificate is valid. We cannot beat free.
- It is an advanced electronic signature linked to a verified government identity, stronger than our simple signatures.
- Public bodies in Brazil accept it, and Lei 14.063/2020 was written with it in mind.
- Anyone can verify a signed file on the official ITI validator, with no account at a private company.
- It accepts many file types, including Word, ODT and images.
Why do people switch to eSignSimple?
You need signatures from other people
With gov.br, you can only sign as yourself. With eSignSimple you upload a contract once, add your clients, set a signing order and send. Each signer gets a link and signs in the browser.
Your signers are not all Brazilian citizens
Foreign clients, or people without a prata or ouro account, cannot use the gov.br signature. Our signers need only an email address and no account at all.
One record for the whole contract
Every completed document gets an audit trail and a certificate of completion with a SHA-256 hash, covering all signers, timestamps and IP addresses in one place.
Repetitive paperwork
Templates, web form links and bulk send to up to 200 people help with rental agreements, service contracts and HR forms. Plans start at $0 for 3 documents a month; bulk send and web forms come with Silver; see pricing.
Who should pick which?
| Pick eSignSimple if… | Pick gov.br signature if… |
|---|---|
| You collect signatures from clients, tenants or suppliers, inside or outside Brazil. | You only need to sign your own documents as a Brazilian citizen. |
| You want signing order, reminders and a status dashboard. | You are dealing with a public body that asks for the gov.br signature. |
| A simple electronic signature with an audit trail is enough for your private contracts. | You want an advanced signature and every signer has a prata or ouro account. |
How do you switch from gov.br signature to eSignSimple?
- Keep using the gov.br signature for documents you sign yourself for public bodies.
- Create an eSignSimple account with Google and upload the contract as PDF or Word.
- Add each signer's name and email, place signature, date and text fields, and set a signing order if needed.
- Send, and follow progress on the dashboard; reminders go out automatically.
- Download the signed PDF with its certificate of completion and keep it with your records.
Our take
If you are a Brazilian citizen signing your own document, the gov.br signature is free, advanced and official, and you should use it. It is one of the best public e-signature services we know of. Read our Brazil guide for where it fits legally.
It was never designed for a business collecting signatures from customers. When you need several people to sign one contract, some of them foreign or without a gov.br account, and you want a single audit trail, eSignSimple fills that gap. Compare also DocuSign if you need a full collection workflow.
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. gov.br signature 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 the gov.br signature free?
Yes. ITI issues the advanced certificate automatically and free of charge to citizens with a prata or ouro gov.br account, valid for one year with unlimited use.
Is the gov.br signature stronger than eSignSimple?
Yes. It is an advanced electronic signature tied to a verified identity. eSignSimple provides simple electronic signatures with an audit trail, which are valid evidence for most private contracts in Brazil but are not advanced or qualified.
Can I send a contract to a client with the gov.br signature?
Not as a workflow. Each person signs the file on their own gov.br account, and you exchange files yourself. There is no sending, signing order, reminders or status tracking.
Can foreigners use the gov.br signature?
It requires a gov.br account at prata or ouro level, which in practice means a Brazilian CPF and identity validation. eSignSimple signers need only an email address.
Is a simple electronic signature valid in Brazil?
For private contracts, MP 2.200-2/2001 lets parties use electronic signatures outside ICP-Brasil when they accept them, and Lei 14.063/2020 lists simple signatures for low-risk dealings with public bodies. Some acts still require ICP-Brasil. See our Brazil guide.
Get your next document signed today.
Start with 3 free documents a month. No card needed.