{"licence":"CC BY 4.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","citation":"Ambera Forge, E-signature, October 2026","report":"https://forge.ambera.app/sectors/e-signature/2026-10","note":"Counts are over the companies Forge read in this sector during the month, each with its denominator. Themes and capabilities are the words the reading listed; a theme with no declared match shares no word with anything a company declares, which is not the same as no product doing it. Carried market-size figures are their publishers’ and are not redistributed here.","version":2,"monthKey":"2026-10","sector":{"slug":"e-signature","name":"E-signature","scope":"Signing documents online with an audit trail both sides can keep."},"coverage":{"entities":6,"readEntities":6,"neverRead":0,"readInMonth":1,"lastReadAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"},"withheldReason":null,"declaredCapabilities":[{"name":"Advanced security (2FA, access restriction)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"affordable flat pricing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"AI-Assisted Review and redlining","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"API and embedded signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"API and integrations","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"Audit trail","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"audit trail / certificate of completion","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"audit trail / legal compliance (ESIGN, UETA, eIDAS)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"bulk document download","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"Bulk send","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"Bulk sending","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"Contract Lifecycle Management","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"Custom branding","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"document creation + signing in one tool","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"Electronic Notarization","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"embed/white-label commercial licensing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"Embedded signing and requesting","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"envelope-based document editor","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"eSignature","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"eSignature requests and templates","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"Fillable/smart fields","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"free tier for low-volume signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"Integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"Iris Agreement AI","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"Legally binding e-signatures","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"legally binding signatures (ESIGN Act/UETA/eIDAS compliance)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"Mobile apps (iOS/Android)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"mobile/text signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"Multi-channel delivery (SMS/WhatsApp)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]},{"name":"no credit card required to start","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"no per-envelope fees / transparent pricing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"open-source / AGPL-3.0 codebase","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"Payment requests","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"public pricing with no per-seat sales calls","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"Reusable templates","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"SDKs and REST API","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"self-hosting option","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"self-hosting with data sovereignty","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"SOC 2/HIPAA compliance and data residency","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"]},{"name":"team workspace and SAML SSO","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"template-based workflows","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"templates","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"unlimited API usage on paid plans","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"]},{"name":"unlimited envelopes/templates","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"]},{"name":"unlimited self-signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"]},{"name":"Unlimited users per plan","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76"]},{"name":"Workflow Builder automation","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii"]}],"complaintThemes":[{"name":"Usage limits and caps","listing":6,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["100-invite-per-user annual limit","envelope caps force upgrades","free plan document cap too low for regular use","Low envelope caps on Personal/Standard/Business Pro plans","per-envelope pricing gets expensive at low volume","per-seat pricing charges regardless of usage","Template limits forcing upgrades","Trial send caps prompting upgrades"]},{"name":"Price level","listing":4,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["Cost jump from Essentials to Standard","pricing jump between Teams and Platform tiers","Pricing page defaulting to pricier IAM tier over classic eSignature","Seat minimums on IAM tiers raising real entry cost","Separate app vs API pricing with no bundling discount","steep price for necessary features in basic plans"]},{"name":"Billing, fees and cancellation","listing":3,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["Hidden per-transaction add-on fees (SMS, ID verification)","hidden/unpublished overage fees","Signature invite overage fees"]},{"name":"Complexity, setup and learning curve","listing":2,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["overkill complexity for minimal document needs","self-hosting setup complexity"]},{"name":"Free tier, trial and paywalled features","listing":2,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["Cost escalation from forced upgrades","no permanent free plan for sending documents"]},{"name":"expensive relative to basic feature set delivered","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["expensive relative to basic feature set delivered"]},{"name":"no pay-as-you-go option for occasional senders","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["no pay-as-you-go option for occasional senders"]},{"name":"occasional fidgety UX in open-source tools","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["occasional fidgety UX in open-source tools"]},{"name":"Privacy and security","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["self-hosted tools require own security/compliance handling"]},{"name":"shorter enterprise track record than incumbents","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"],"phrases":["shorter enterprise track record than incumbents"]},{"name":"Two-user minimum on Standard plan","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m"],"phrases":["Two-user minimum on Standard plan"]}],"complaintVocabularyVersion":2,"whiteSpace":{"rows":[{"theme":{"name":"Usage limits and caps","listing":6,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["100-invite-per-user annual limit","envelope caps force upgrades","free plan document cap too low for regular use","Low envelope caps on Personal/Standard/Business Pro plans","per-envelope pricing gets expensive at low volume","per-seat pricing charges regardless of usage","Template limits forcing upgrades","Trial send caps prompting upgrades"]},"declared":[{"name":"free tier for low-volume signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"sharedWords":["volume"]},{"name":"no credit card required to start","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"sharedWords":["credit"]},{"name":"unlimited API usage on paid plans","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"],"sharedWords":["usage"]}],"answeredBy":"price"},{"theme":{"name":"Price level","listing":4,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["Cost jump from Essentials to Standard","pricing jump between Teams and Platform tiers","Pricing page defaulting to pricier IAM tier over classic eSignature","Seat minimums on IAM tiers raising real entry cost","Separate app vs API pricing with no bundling discount","steep price for necessary features in basic plans"]},"declared":[{"name":"affordable flat pricing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"sharedWords":["affordable","pricing"]},{"name":"no per-envelope fees / transparent pricing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"sharedWords":["pricing"]},{"name":"public pricing with no per-seat sales calls","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj"],"sharedWords":["pricing","seat"]}],"answeredBy":"price"},{"theme":{"name":"Billing, fees and cancellation","listing":3,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["Hidden per-transaction add-on fees (SMS, ID verification)","hidden/unpublished overage fees","Signature invite overage fees"]},"declared":[{"name":"no per-envelope fees / transparent pricing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"sharedWords":["fee"]}],"answeredBy":"price"},{"theme":{"name":"Complexity, setup and learning curve","listing":2,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy"],"phrases":["overkill complexity for minimal document needs","self-hosting setup complexity"]},"declared":[],"answeredBy":"capability"},{"theme":{"name":"Free tier, trial and paywalled features","listing":2,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"phrases":["Cost escalation from forced upgrades","no permanent free plan for sending documents"]},"declared":[{"name":"free tier for low-volume signing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh"],"sharedWords":["free"]}],"answeredBy":"price"}],"unansweredCount":1,"belowFloor":6},"entities":[{"id":"cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","slug":"docusign","name":"DocuSign","kind":"competitor","site":"https://docusign.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","slug":"dropbox-sign","name":"Dropbox Sign","kind":"competitor","site":"https://sign.dropbox.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","slug":"signnow","name":"SignNow","kind":"competitor","site":"https://signnow.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","slug":"documenso","name":"Documenso","kind":"competitor","site":"https://documenso.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh","slug":"paying-for-occasional-signatures","name":"Paying for occasional signatures","kind":"discourse","site":null,"lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy","slug":"small-businesses-signing-a-few-contracts-a-month","name":"Small businesses signing a few contracts a month","kind":"segment","site":null,"lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z","addedBy":"definition"}],"entrants":{"placed":[],"sighted":[]},"entries":{"observed":1,"inference":0,"sourceBroken":0,"byTag":[{"tag":"FACT","count":1}],"byCategory":[{"category":"PRODUCT","count":1}]},"pricing":{"readEntities":6,"withPricing":5,"changesInMonth":0,"companiesChangedInMonth":0,"withheldReason":null,"companies":[{"entityId":"cmuohfpms005jofmyhueuumii","name":"DocuSign","kind":"competitor","site":"https://docusign.com","changesInMonth":0,"latest":{"claim":"DocuSign's pricing page now presents two tracks: classic eSignature plans (Personal, Standard, Business Pro, Professional Unlimited) and separately-listed Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) plans (Starter, Standard, Professional), with IAM plans leading and priced higher than the equivalent eSignature tiers.","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://documentesign.com/blog/docusign-pricing","observedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohfppu005lofmy3tccch3m","name":"Dropbox Sign","kind":"competitor","site":"https://sign.dropbox.com","changesInMonth":0,"latest":{"claim":"Dropbox Sign app pricing baseline: Free ($0, 1 user, 3 requests/month), Essentials ($15/user/month, unlimited requests, 5 templates), Standard ($25/user/month, 2-user minimum, unlimited requests, 15 templates), Premium (custom quote, unlimited users/requests/templates).","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://signaturely.com/hellosign-pricing/","observedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohfpsf005nofmyoo3wzc76","name":"SignNow","kind":"competitor","site":"https://signnow.com","changesInMonth":0,"latest":{"claim":"SignNow's core plans are Business at $8/user/month (annual) or $20/month (monthly), Business Premium at $15/user/month (annual) or $30/month (monthly), and Enterprise at $30/user/month (annual) or $50/month (monthly), plus a usage-based Site License starting at $1.50/signature invite.","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://eversign.com/blog/signnow-pricing-guide","observedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohfpvf005pofmyyqow1jsj","name":"Documenso","kind":"competitor","site":"https://documenso.com","changesInMonth":0,"latest":{"claim":"Documenso's public pricing (documenso.com/pricing, as reflected in third-party trackers) spans a Free plan (5 documents/month), Individual (~$25-30/month), Teams (~$40/month for 5 users, +$8/month per additional user), and Platform ($250/month flat), plus custom Enterprise and self-hosted licensing.","tag":"FACT","sourceUrl":"https://documenso.com/pricing","observedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohfqgf005rofmyqdlsxleh","name":"Paying for occasional signatures","kind":"discourse","site":null,"changesInMonth":0,"latest":{"claim":"DocuSign's Personal plan costs $10/month for only 5 envelopes/month with one user and basic fields, while Standard ($25-30/user/mo) and Business Pro ($40-45/user/mo) include unlimited envelopes but bill per seat regardless of usage.","tag":"FACT","sourceUrl":"https://thedrive.ai/blog/docusign-alternatives-no-per-envelope-fees","observedAt":"2026-09-30T20:43:23.272Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohfqji005tofmycgpjpfmy","name":"Small businesses signing a few contracts a month","kind":"segment","site":null,"changesInMonth":0,"latest":null}]},"funding":{"quartersConsidered":8,"readQuarters":2,"totalRounds":1,"currencies":["USD"],"withheldReason":null,"quarters":[{"quarterKey":"2025-Q1","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2025-Q2","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2025-Q3","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2025-Q4","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2026-Q1","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2026-Q2","entitiesRead":0,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]},{"quarterKey":"2026-Q3","entitiesRead":6,"rounds":1,"roundsWithAmount":1,"sums":[{"currency":"USD","tag":"FACT","amountMillions":2.2}]},{"quarterKey":"2026-Q4","entitiesRead":1,"rounds":0,"roundsWithAmount":0,"sums":[]}]},"marketSize":{"readAt":null,"publishers":[]}}