The best open-source DocuSign alternative: free to self-host and cheap per team in the cloud, but it offers simple electronic signatures only, with advanced and qualified EU signatures still planned.
What it is
Documenso is an open-source e-signature platform: upload a PDF, place fields, send to signers and get a cryptographically sealed document with an audit log, plus templates, teams and an API. The Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 and free to self-host with Docker or Kubernetes (you supply your own signing certificate); a commercial Enterprise license adds SSO, 21 CFR Part 11 controls and white-label embedding. Documenso Cloud has a Free plan (5 documents a month, up to 10 recipients each), Individual at $25 a month ($300 billed yearly, unlimited documents), Teams at $40 a month ($480 billed yearly) for 5 users plus $8 per extra user, and Platform at $250 a month for unlimited users and API, under a fair-use policy. Its docs list US ESIGN/UETA and EU eIDAS simple electronic signatures as compliant, with eIDAS advanced and qualified signatures planned. Checked on documenso.com November 12, 2026.
Best for
- Teams that want to self-host signing
- Small teams that want unlimited documents at a flat price
- Developers embedding signing in their product
What we like
- Open source (AGPL-3.0) and free to self-host
- Teams plan covers 5 users with unlimited documents for $40 a month billed yearly
- Developer-friendly API and embedding
What to watch
- Simple electronic signatures only; eIDAS advanced and qualified signatures are planned, not available
- No built-in identity verification (KYC)
- Self-hosting means running your own certificate, email, storage and security
- Fewer integrations and templates than DocuSign
Where Documenso ranks
Alternatives and head-to-heads
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