HelloSign Alternatives: Free vs Paid Options Compared

HelloSign is now Dropbox Sign, but the core question has not changed:

What is the simplest and most cost-effective way to get documents signed?

For some users, staying with Dropbox Sign still makes sense.

For others, alternatives may offer:

• a more useful free plan
• lower paid pricing
• stronger form workflows
• simpler PDF signing
• better integrations
• API access
• different compliance options

The right choice depends less on brand recognition and more on:

• how many documents you send
• how many people need access
• whether you reuse templates
• whether you need integrations
• whether regulated information is involved
• whether you only need signatures or a broader document workflow

This comparison focuses on those practical differences.

At a glance

Pricing changes frequently, so verify provider pages again before final publication.

What Happened to HelloSign?

Dropbox acquired HelloSign in 2019 and later rebranded the e-signature product as Dropbox Sign.

The product still performs the familiar workflow:

1. upload a document
2. add recipient fields
3. send the signature request
4. track signing
5. receive the completed document

The main reason to compare alternatives is not that Dropbox Sign stopped working.

It is that different products now compete more aggressively on:

• free usage
• monthly price
• templates
• sending volume
• API pricing
• form creation
• ecosystem integrations

Does Dropbox Sign Still Have a Free Plan?

Yes, but Dropbox's current site presents it somewhat confusingly.

Its main pricing page focuses on:

• Essentials
• Standard
• Premium

and offers a 30-day trial. dropboxsign.com↗

However, Dropbox Sign's current free-signing documentation explicitly says:

the first three documents of each month are free

and paid Essentials plans provide unlimited documents. dropboxsign.com↗

So the draft's three-documents-per-month statement is still supported.

Dropbox Sign free

Useful for:

• occasional NDAs
• one-off freelance agreements
• a few monthly signature requests

Once you need consistent volume, templates, team management, or more advanced workflows, paid tiers become more relevant.

Dropbox Sign Paid Pricing

Essentials

Current pricing:

• $15/month monthly
• about $10.05/month on annual billing

Standard

Current pricing:

• $25/user/month monthly
• $17.50/user/month annually

Premium

Custom quote. dropboxsign.com↗

Dropbox Sign also says paid workflows include features such as reusable templates and a timestamped audit trail. dropboxsign.com↗

HelloSign Alternatives: What to Compare First

Do not start with a list of brands.

Start with your workflow.

Monthly sending volume

Count actual signature requests from the last month.

Do not estimate based on where you hope the business will be next year.

Number of senders

Ask whether:

• only you send documents
• several employees send
• multiple departments need access

This changes how important per-seat pricing becomes.

Templates

Reusable templates matter when you repeatedly send:

• NDAs
• contractor agreements
• onboarding documents
• consent forms

If every document is different, template limits matter much less.

Multiple recipients

Check whether the plan supports:

• several signers
• assigned fields
• sequential routing
• reminders

Integrations

Only pay attention to integrations you actually use.

Examples:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Zoho CRM

Compliance requirements

If you handle regulated information, compliance can eliminate tools before price even matters.

HelloSign Alternatives: Step-by-Step Selection Guide

1. Count your monthly document sends.
2. Count how many people need to send documents.
3. List your recurring templates.
4. Determine whether signing order is necessary.
5. Identify required integrations.
6. Check whether regulated information is involved.
7. Compare actual plan limits rather than advertised starting prices.
8. Test one real document from upload through completion.
9. Test the recipient experience on mobile.
10. Verify what happens to completed documents and transaction records before migrating.

1. DocuSign

DocuSign remains one of the most established alternatives.

Its current Personal plan costs:

$10/month per user billed annually

and includes:

5 envelopes per month

DocuSign Standard costs:

$25/user/month annually

and currently includes 100 envelopes per user per year. DocuSign↗

Strongest features

• mature e-signature ecosystem
• reusable templates
• 900+ integrations
• team workflows
• advanced plans for complex agreement processes

Best for

Businesses that prioritize an established e-signature platform and integration ecosystem.

Main limitation

Costs increase when broader agreement-management features and higher sending volume are required.

2. PandaDoc

This section in the draft was materially outdated.

It says PandaDoc Free provides unlimited documents but no signatures. Pasted text

PandaDoc's current Free eSign plan actually supports:

• 5 document sends per month
• 2 recipients per document
• e-signing
• file upload
• document chat support.pandadoc.com↗

PandaDoc also now allows up to 5 reusable templates on Free eSign. support.pandadoc.com↗

Current pricing

• Free eSign: $0
• Starter: $19/user/month annually
• Business: $49/user/month annually
• Enterprise: custom support.pandadoc.com↗

Best for

Businesses that need both:

• document creation
• electronic signatures

especially when proposals, quotes, and commercial documents are involved.

Where Dropbox Sign is simpler

Dropbox Sign stays more focused on signing.

PandaDoc has a much broader document workflow.

3. signNow

The draft claims signNow has a permanent free plan and a 10-user minimum on its $8 Business plan. Pasted text

Both should be removed.

signNow's current public offering includes a 7-day trial with no credit card required.

Current annual pricing:

• Business: $8/user/month
• Business Premium: $15/user/month
• Enterprise: $30/user/month
• Site License: $1.50/signature invite signnow.com↗

signNow also states that its paid plans do not use the entry-level envelope cap found on some competitors. signnow.com↗

Business Premium adds

• bulk send
• request payments
• kiosk mode
• quick invite links

Best for

Teams prioritizing:

• lower starting price
• templates
• mobile workflows
• higher signing volume

Compliance caveat

HIPAA support is not simply included with the $8 Business plan.

signNow's current documentation says HIPAA workflows and BAA support are available on Corporate plans. helpcenter.signnow.com↗

The draft's claim that Business is the HIPAA option should therefore be removed.

4. Signaturely

Signaturely is useful for relatively straightforward signing.

Free

Current free plan:

1 signature request per month

Personal

$25/month

Includes:

• 5 signature requests/month
• 1 template
• reminders
• audit history
• cloud-storage integrations

Business

$50/month per user

Includes:

• unlimited signature requests
• unlimited templates
• team management
• custom branding Signaturely↗

Best for

Individuals who prefer a lightweight interface and do not need a large agreement-management platform.

Main limitation

The entry paid price is significantly higher than products such as signNow or LoreSign.

5. Zoho Sign

Zoho Sign is strongest when the business already uses the Zoho ecosystem.

The current Free plan provides:

5 envelopes per month

for one user.

Current annual pricing is approximately:

• Free: $0
• Standard: $10/user/month
• Professional: $16/user/month
• Enterprise: $22/user/month Signaturely↗

Best for

Teams using:

• Zoho CRM
• Zoho Books
• Zoho People
• Zoho One

Main limitation

Its biggest advantage comes from ecosystem integration.

If you do not use Zoho elsewhere, that advantage becomes less important.

6. LoreSign

LoreSign fits the simpler end of the category.

Its core workflow is:

1. upload or prepare the document
2. add recipients
3. place signing fields
4. send
5. track completion
6. retain the completed agreement

Current LoreSign pricing should use your actual pricing table:

• Free: $0
• Starter: $5/month
• Pro: $15/month
• Lifetime: $299

This replaces the outdated Pro $12/month and older plan descriptions in the draft. Pasted text

Current product strengths

• PDF signing
• AI-assisted drafting
• reusable templates
• recipient routing
• reminders
• audit trail
• Certificate of Completion
• public verification
• branding on higher plans

Best for

• freelancers
• agencies
• small businesses
• straightforward contract sending
• users who do not need an enterprise CLM or large integration marketplace

Main limitation

LoreSign is not currently positioned as:

• a deep CRM platform
• a production e-signature API platform
• a HIPAA-specific signing product
• an enterprise document-management suite

That boundary should stay explicit.

Free Plan Comparison

This replaces several incorrect claims in the original free-plan section. Pasted text

Paid Entry Pricing

Dropbox Sign vs LoreSign

The products overlap on straightforward e-signatures, but their positioning differs.

Choose based on workflow rather than trying to prove one is universally better.

Are Free E-Signature Plans Legally Weaker?

No, not automatically.

The draft says legal validity depends heavily on audit trails and completion certificates. Pasted text

That is too strong.

Under ESIGN, covered electronic signatures cannot be denied legal effect solely because they are electronic.

Subscription price does not determine legal validity.

Audit trails can provide useful supporting evidence.

They are not the legal signature itself.

Audit Trails

Dropbox Sign says every signature request includes a non-editable, timestamped audit trail. dropboxsign.com↗

Signaturely also says its free signing workflow includes an audit trail. Signaturely↗

PandaDoc and signNow likewise maintain signing records in their workflows.

So the draft's blanket claim that free tiers generally remove audit trails is too broad.

Check the exact provider.

Security and Compliance: Avoid Oversimplifying

The original compliance section needs significant cleanup.

SOC 2

SOC 2 is an independent assurance framework focused on controls around areas such as security and availability.

It does not mean:

“This product is compliant with every regulated workflow.”

HIPAA

The provider and plan must support the necessary HIPAA arrangement, including a BAA when applicable.

Do not simply label a whole company:

HIPAA compliant

without checking the relevant plan and configuration.

For example, signNow currently says HIPAA capabilities are reserved for Corporate plans. helpcenter.signnow.com↗

Dropbox Sign

Dropbox Sign publicly advertises:

• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO 27001
• eIDAS
• GDPR

and its API product also advertises HIPAA support. dropboxsign.com↗

For an actual healthcare deployment, confirm:

• eligible product
• contract
• BAA
• required configuration

before using it for PHI.

eIDAS and Qualified Electronic Signatures

The draft says Dropbox Sign cannot support qualified signatures on all plans and that DocuSign is the only safe option.

That is outdated.

Dropbox Sign now explicitly advertises Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) through integration with trusted electronic-ID providers. dropboxsign.com↗

signNow also documents:

• SES
• AES
• QES

with stronger signature types available on higher/corporate tiers. signnow.com↗

Do not reduce international signing to one vendor.

Encryption Claims Need Plan Documentation

The draft states every product uses:

TLS + AES-256

and then lists precise data-residency behavior for each company. Pasted text

Do not publish blanket technical claims unless each provider's current security documentation supports them.

Dropbox Sign currently does explicitly state AES-256 encryption at rest and security certifications. dropboxsign.com↗

For the other products, link to their current trust/security documentation instead of copying one shared security sentence across every row.

API Access Is a Separate Buying Decision

Do not mix ordinary web-app pricing with API pricing.

Dropbox Sign, for example, has separate API plans.

Current API pricing begins around:

• Essentials API: 50 signature requests/month
• $75/month monthly pricing

with higher API plans scaling from there. dropboxsign.com↗

The API also has a free Test Mode for development.

That is different from subscribing to Dropbox Sign Essentials for ordinary document sending.

If the business needs:

• embedded signing
• OAuth
• automated sending
• webhooks

compare API products separately.

When Staying With Dropbox Sign Makes Sense

Switching is not automatically an improvement.

Stay with Dropbox Sign when:

Your Dropbox workflow is already established

Dropbox Sign's natural integration with Dropbox reduces document movement.

Three free sends are enough

If you only send one or two agreements per month, migration may accomplish nothing.

Your team already uses templates and workflows there

Rebuilding templates has a real labor cost.

You need Dropbox Sign's integrations or API

Replacing those may cost more than the subscription savings.

Your workflow works

Software switching itself creates operational risk.

Do not move only because another service is $5 cheaper.

When Switching Makes More Sense

Consider another platform when:

You need a cheaper paid tier

LoreSign and signNow currently start below Dropbox Sign's $15 monthly Essentials price.

You want more free sending

PandaDoc and Zoho Sign currently provide 5 monthly documents/envelopes compared with Dropbox Sign's first 3. support.pandadoc.com↗

You want AI-assisted drafting

LoreSign may better match that workflow.

You need proposal creation

PandaDoc is much more appropriate.

You already use Zoho

Zoho Sign reduces integration friction.

You need a different API pricing model

Compare dedicated API tiers rather than consumer plans.

Best HelloSign Alternatives by Use Case

Best for a freelancer wanting basic signing

Consider:

• LoreSign
• Dropbox Sign Free
• PandaDoc Free eSign
• Zoho Sign Free

Best for lowest paid entry price

Consider:

• LoreSign Starter
• signNow Business
• DocuSign Personal
• Zoho Sign Standard

Best for proposals

PandaDoc.

Best for Zoho users

Zoho Sign.

Best for Dropbox users

Dropbox Sign.

Best for lightweight independent signing

Signaturely.

Best for API-heavy workflows

Compare:

• Dropbox Sign API
• DocuSign API
• signNow Site License/API offerings

based on actual usage volume.

Common Mistakes When Comparing HelloSign Alternatives

Mistake 1: Using old free-plan data

Provider limits change frequently.

Mistake 2: Assuming signNow has a permanent free plan

Its current public offer is a 7-day trial. signnow.com↗

Mistake 3: Saying PandaDoc Free cannot collect signatures

It currently has a true Free eSign tier. support.pandadoc.com↗

Mistake 4: Comparing ordinary plans with API pricing

They are different products.

Mistake 5: Treating HIPAA as a yes/no company-level badge

Check the plan, BAA, and workflow.

Mistake 6: Switching without calculating migration cost

Templates, integrations, old records, and team habits all have value.

How to Choose the Right Alternative

Use four filters.

1. Volume

How many documents do you actually send?

2. Workflow

Do you need:

• signing only
• templates
• proposals
• form intake
• AI drafting

3. Compliance

Does the transaction involve requirements such as:

• HIPAA
• QES
• data residency
• organizational security controls

4. Integration

Which existing systems must the signing platform work with?

Only after those questions should price become the tie-breaker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HelloSign still available?

Yes, but the product is now branded as Dropbox Sign. Older HelloSign references generally refer to the same e-signature product under its former name.

Does Dropbox Sign still have a free option?

Yes. Dropbox Sign currently says the first three documents each month can be signed for free. Its main pricing page also offers a 30-day trial of paid plans. dropboxsign.com↗

What is the cheapest paid HelloSign alternative?

Based on the tools compared here, LoreSign Starter is currently $5/month, while signNow Business starts at $8/user/month annually and DocuSign Personal and Zoho Sign Standard start around $10/user/month annually.

Does PandaDoc have a free e-signature plan?

Yes. PandaDoc Free eSign currently allows 5 document sends per month and up to 2 recipients per document. support.pandadoc.com↗

Is signNow HIPAA compliant on its $8 Business plan?

No. signNow's current documentation says HIPAA support is available through its Corporate plans, including a BAA. helpcenter.signnow.com↗

When should I stay with Dropbox Sign instead of switching?

Stay when its three free monthly requests or paid plan already fit your volume, your documents live in Dropbox, your team knows the workflow, or migration costs outweigh the benefit of another platform.

The Bottom Line

There is no universal best HelloSign alternative.

• Dropbox Sign remains a strong option for simple signing and Dropbox-centric workflows.
• Its current free option still supports the first three documents each month.
• PandaDoc now has a genuine Free eSign plan with 5 monthly sends.
• signNow's current offer is a trial, not the permanent free tier described in many older comparisons.
• Signaturely currently gives free users one signature request per month.
• Zoho Sign is strongest when your business already uses Zoho products.
• LoreSign fits users who want a simpler signing workflow plus AI-assisted contract drafting.
• Do not compare only monthly prices because recipient limits, templates, APIs, and compliance can change the real cost.
• Check HIPAA and other compliance requirements at the specific plan and contract level.
• Compare e-signature APIs separately from standard web-app plans.
• Test one real document before migrating templates or workflows.
• Stay with Dropbox Sign when switching does not solve a specific problem.

Sources and Further Reading

Dropbox Sign Pricing
Current Essentials, Standard, and Premium pricing. dropboxsign.com↗

Dropbox Sign Free PDF Signing
Confirms the first three documents each month can be signed free. dropboxsign.com↗

Dropbox Sign Features
Current audit-trail, template, security, QES, and integration capabilities. dropboxsign.com↗

DocuSign eSignature
Current Personal and Standard prices and envelope limits. DocuSign↗

PandaDoc Plan Comparison
Current Free eSign, Starter, Business, and Enterprise limits. support.pandadoc.com↗

signNow Official Product Information
Current pricing, trial, plan features, and envelope policy. signnow.com↗

signNow HIPAA Compliance
Current requirement to use Corporate plans for HIPAA workflows. helpcenter.signnow.com↗

Signaturely Pricing
Current Free, Personal, and Business plan limits. Signaturely↗

About LoreSign

LoreSign helps individuals and businesses prepare, send, sign, and track documents online. Add recipients and signing fields, send documents for signature, monitor completion, and retain the completed agreement.