Updated October 2026 · Prices checked October 6, 2026
PandaDoc vs airSlate SignNow: which should you pick?
Choose PandaDoc if you create proposals and quotes and want unlimited documents with a built-in editor: Starter is $19/seat/month billed annually, and there is a free plan with 5 documents a month. Choose airSlate SignNow if you mainly sign existing documents and want a low price: Business is $8/month billed annually, with 100 invites per year.
PandaDoc and airSlate SignNow are both popular with small and mid-sized businesses, but they solve different problems. PandaDoc helps you build and send sales documents; SignNow helps you get existing documents signed cheaply.
PandaDoc offers a free plan (5 documents a month), Starter at $19/seat/month and Business at $49/seat/month billed annually. Paid plans have unlimited documents and e-signatures; Business adds CRM integrations, approvals, web forms and bulk send. See our PandaDoc alternative page.
SignNow Business is $8/month billed annually ($20 monthly) with 100 invites per year; Business Premium ($15) adds bulk send and payment requests, and Enterprise ($30) adds branding, SMS invites and identity verification. Details in our SignNow alternative page.
If you only need to send PDFs or Word files for signature, eSignSimple is a simpler third option with plans from $4.99/month and unlimited documents on Silver at $9.99/month; its column is included for reference.
How do PandaDoc and airSlate SignNow compare?
| Feature | eSignSimple (for reference) | PandaDoc / airSlate SignNow |
|---|---|---|
| Starting paid price | eSignSimple: $4.99/month (Bronze) | PandaDoc: $19/seat/month billed annually · SignNow: $8/month billed annually ($20 monthly) |
| Higher plans | eSignSimple: Gold $19.99/month for up to 5 senders | PandaDoc: $49/seat/month (Business) · SignNow: $15–$30/month billed annually |
| Document limits | eSignSimple: 25/month on Bronze, unlimited on Silver | PandaDoc: unlimited on paid plans · SignNow: 100 invites/year |
| Free plan | eSignSimple: 3 documents/month | PandaDoc: 5 documents/month · SignNow: free trial |
| Document editor / proposals | No (upload PDF or Word) | PandaDoc: yes · SignNow: no |
| Signers need an account | No | No for both |
| Audit trail | Yes, with SHA-256 hash | Yes for both |
| Templates | Yes, on every plan | Yes for both (PandaDoc Free: up to 5) |
| Bulk send | Silver and up (up to 200 per send) | PandaDoc: Business · SignNow: Business Premium |
| Web forms | Silver and up (public link) | PandaDoc: Business · SignNow: invite links on Business Premium |
| Payments | No | PandaDoc: see PandaDoc plans · SignNow: Business Premium |
| SMS / ID verification | No | PandaDoc: see PandaDoc plans · SignNow: Enterprise |
| Integrations | No native integrations yet | PandaDoc: CRM integrations on Business · SignNow: CRM integrations via Site License |
How much does each tool cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| PandaDoc Free | $0 | 5 documents a month (60 per year), drag-and-drop editor, tracking, up to 5 templates. |
| PandaDoc Starter | $19/seat/month billed annually | Unlimited document uploads and e-signatures, document editor, tracking. |
| PandaDoc Business | $49/seat/month billed annually | Adds quotes, CRM integrations, branding, content library, approval workflows, web forms and bulk send. |
| SignNow Business | $8/month billed annually ($20 monthly) | 100 invites per year, templates, fillable forms, reminders, mobile apps. |
| SignNow Business Premium | $15/month billed annually ($30 monthly) | Adds bulk send, invite links, payment requests, scheduled sending. |
| SignNow Enterprise | $30/month billed annually ($50 monthly) | Adds branding, SMS invites, recipient identity verification, conditional fields. |
Prices checked October 6, 2026 on PandaDoc pricing, 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?
- PandaDoc: a full document editor with pricing tables, a content library and approval workflows.
- PandaDoc: unlimited documents on paid plans and a usable free plan.
- SignNow: a much lower entry price and payment requests on its mid-tier plan.
- SignNow: SMS invites and recipient identity verification on Enterprise.
- Both: native mobile apps and multi-user plans, which eSignSimple does not have yet.
What would a simpler option change?
Choose PandaDoc if…
your team writes proposals, quotes or contracts from scratch and needs CRM sync.
Choose SignNow if…
you sign documents you already have, send under 100 a year and want payments or ID checks cheaply.
Consider eSignSimple if…
you sign finished documents and send more than SignNow's yearly cap: Silver is $9.99/month with unlimited documents, but no editor, payments or ID checks. See how to send a document for signature.
Who should pick which?
| Consider eSignSimple if… | Pick PandaDoc or airSlate SignNow if… |
|---|---|
| You sign finished PDFs or Word files. | PandaDoc: sales teams building proposals. |
| You want unlimited documents for $9.99/month. | SignNow: low-volume senders who want payments. |
| You don't need proposals, payments or ID checks. | Either: teams that need native mobile apps. |
How do you move to either tool?
- Decide whether you create documents (PandaDoc) or only sign them (SignNow).
- Count yearly volume against SignNow's 100 invites/year.
- List must-have features: CRM sync, payments, SMS, ID checks.
- Export signed documents and audit trails before switching.
- Rebuild templates and test a real document in the new tool.
Our take
These tools rarely compete head to head. PandaDoc wins for sales documents; SignNow wins on price for straightforward signing.
If you want straightforward signing without a yearly invite cap, eSignSimple is unlimited on Silver ($9.99/month) and keeps an audit trail for each 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 PandaDoc?
Yes. SignNow Business is $8/month billed annually versus PandaDoc Starter at $19/seat/month billed annually. PandaDoc's paid plans include unlimited documents, while SignNow Business lists 100 invites per year.
Does PandaDoc have a free plan?
Yes, with 5 documents a month and up to 5 templates. SignNow offers a free trial.
Which is better for proposals?
PandaDoc. Its editor, pricing tables and content library are built for proposals and quotes.
Are both legally binding?
Yes. Both provide electronic signatures recognized under the ESIGN Act, UETA and eIDAS.
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