Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 14, 2026
An OpenSign alternative, and when open source is the better choice
OpenSign is an open-source e-signature platform (AGPL-3.0 for most of the code) that you can self-host with Docker, and its hosted cloud has a free plan with unlimited e-signatures, templates, signing order and completion certificates. Paid cloud plans, Professional at $9.99/month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly) and Teams at $19.99 per user per month billed yearly, add the API, webhooks, reminders and bulk send, metered by premium credits. eSignSimple is a hosted, closed-source tool with 3 free documents a month and unlimited documents for $9.99/month on Silver. If you want the source code or your own server, choose OpenSign.
OpenSign, built by OpenSignLabs, describes itself as a free and open-source DocuSign alternative. Its GitHub repository is active (the latest release when we checked was v2.41.3, August 2026). Most of the code is under the GNU Affero General Public License v3, with some directories under their own licenses. Self-hosting uses the official Docker images and a docker-compose file; the README warns that the default MongoDB instance is not persistent, so you need to supply your own database to keep data.
The hosted cloud at opensignlabs.com has a generous free plan: unlimited e-signatures, sign-yourself and request signatures, unlimited templates and guest signers, 14 field types, signing in order, document expiry, decline, and completion certificates. Professional adds field validation, webhooks, Zapier, API access, automatic reminders, custom email templates, your own SMTP, email-based signer verification, embedded signing and public links. API sends, bulk sends, public links, kiosk mode and embedded signing use premium credits: 240 a year on Professional yearly or 100 a month on monthly billing, each covering one document with up to 10 signers.
eSignSimple is not open source and cannot be self-hosted. We run the service for you: upload a PDF or Word file, place fields and send; signers need no account. Every document gets an audit trail and a certificate of completion with a SHA-256 hash. We don't meter API calls with credits: on Silver, documents sent by API, bulk send or web form count toward an unlimited plan.
How does eSignSimple compare with OpenSign?
| Feature | eSignSimple | OpenSign |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | No | Yes, mostly AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-hosting | No; hosted only | Yes, Docker (bring your own MongoDB for persistence) |
| Free plan | Yes, 3 documents/month | Cloud: unlimited e-signatures, templates and signers |
| Paid cloud entry | $4.99/month (Bronze, 25 documents/month) | Professional: $9.99/month billed yearly, $29.99 monthly |
| API | REST API v1 and webhooks (Silver and up) | Professional and up, with 240 credits a year (yearly) or 100 a month (monthly) |
| Bulk send | Yes, up to 200 people per send (Silver and up) | Professional and up, uses credits (each credit = 1 document, up to 10 signers) |
| Public signing links | Yes, Silver and up (public link, single-signer templates) | Professional and up, uses credits |
| Signing order | Yes | Yes, on the free plan |
| Signer email verification code | No | Yes (email OTP) |
| Teams | Gold ($19.99/month): up to 5 senders with shared templates; no SSO or admin console | Teams: $19.99/user/month billed yearly, $39.99 monthly |
| Audit trail | Yes, with certificate of completion and SHA-256 hash | Yes, completion certificate with logs |
| Maintenance | None; we run it | None on cloud; yours if self-hosted (updates, backups, email) |
How much does OpenSign cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted (open source) | Free software | AGPL-3.0 for most of the code; you pay for and run the server, database and email. |
| OpenSign Free (cloud) | $0 | Unlimited e-signatures, templates and guest signers, signing order, completion certificates. |
| OpenSign Professional | $9.99/month billed yearly, $29.99 monthly | API, webhooks, Zapier, reminders, bulk send, embedded signing; 240 premium credits a year (yearly) or 100 a month (monthly). |
| OpenSign Teams | $19.99/user/month billed yearly, $39.99 monthly | Teams and organizations, shared templates, bring your own storage, kiosk mode; 500 credits a year (yearly) or 100 a month (monthly). |
| OpenSign Enterprise | On request | Custom domain, white-labeling, uptime SLA, SSO, priority support. |
Prices checked October 14, 2026 on OpenSign plans and pricing, OpenSign on GitHub (README), OpenSign license, OpenSign self-hosting docs. 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 OpenSign the better choice?
- The source code is open, so you can audit it, modify it and host it on your own infrastructure. We are closed source and hosted only.
- Its free cloud plan has no document cap, against our 3 documents a month.
- Embedded signing, kiosk mode and email verification codes for signers, which we don't have.
- Self-hosting can keep documents entirely on servers you control, which some organizations require.
- Enterprise options for custom domains, white-labeling and SSO.
Why do people switch to eSignSimple?
No server to run
Self-hosting means patching, backups, a persistent database and outgoing email that doesn't land in spam. With eSignSimple you sign in with Google and send; there is nothing to maintain.
No credits to track
On OpenSign's paid cloud plans, API sends, bulk sends and public links consume premium credits. On our Silver plan, those all count toward unlimited documents for $9.99/month.
Bulk send to 200 people per send
OpenSign credits cover one document with up to 10 signers each. Our bulk send sends separate copies to up to 200 people at once on Silver.
Support from the people who run it
When something breaks on a self-hosted install, you are the support team. With a hosted service, we are. Gold adds priority support.
Who should pick which?
| Pick eSignSimple if… | Pick OpenSign if… |
|---|---|
| You want a hosted tool with no maintenance and a simple price. | You want open source, or to self-host on your own servers. |
| You send through the API or bulk send often and don't want to count credits. | You need embedded signing or kiosk mode. |
| You don't need the source code. | You send many documents a month and want them free on the cloud plan. |
How do you switch from OpenSign to eSignSimple?
- Download your completed documents and completion certificates from OpenSign.
- Keep the source PDFs of templates you reuse.
- Create an eSignSimple account with Google and upload them as templates.
- If you used OpenSign's API, map your calls to our REST API and webhooks in the developer docs.
- Shut down your self-hosted instance only after you have exported everything you need to keep.
Our take
OpenSign is one of the most complete open-source e-signature projects, and its free cloud plan is very generous. If open source or self-hosting is a requirement, it belongs on your shortlist with DocuSeal and Documenso.
If you don't want to run software or keep track of credits, a hosted, flat-priced tool is simpler. eSignSimple gives one sender unlimited documents, bulk send, web forms and an API for $9.99/month.
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. OpenSign 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 OpenSign really free?
The software is open source, mostly under AGPL-3.0, and its hosted free plan includes unlimited e-signatures and templates. API access, bulk send, reminders and embedded signing are on the paid cloud plans (checked October 2026).
Can I self-host OpenSign?
Yes. OpenSign provides Docker images and a docker-compose setup. Its README notes the default MongoDB instance is not persistent, so you should connect your own database.
Can I self-host eSignSimple?
No. eSignSimple is a hosted service only, and its code is not open source.
What are OpenSign premium credits?
On Professional and Teams, sending by API, bulk send, public links, kiosk mode or embedded signing uses one credit per document, with up to 10 signers per document. Professional yearly includes 240 credits a year; monthly plans include 100 a month.
Are eSignSimple and OpenSign signatures legally binding?
Both provide simple electronic signatures with an audit trail, valid for most business documents. See are electronic signatures legally binding?.
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