SignNow is affordable — but there’s no free plan, just a 7-day trial, and every paid seat caps how many signature invites you can send per year. SignForge gives you 10 free e-signs every month, forever, with the audit trail, verification, and developer API included.
SignNow competes on cheap paid seats. SignForge competes on what you get before you pay anything at all.
| Feature | SignForge | SignNow |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 e-signs/mo, free forever | None — 7-day trial only |
| Entry price | $0 | From $8/user/mo (annual billing) |
| Annual invite caps | No annual caps — quotas are monthly and published | 100 signature invites per user/year, overage fees beyond |
| Pricing model | Flat per workspace | Per user, per seat |
| Audit trail | Free — trail + certificate on every document | Included |
| Verification model | Open standards (W3C VC) + public transparency log | Proprietary document history |
| Developer API | Free (5 API envelopes/mo) + free sandbox | Separate API plans |
| AI document generation | Amanda AI — 12+ document types from a prompt | No |
| PDF tools included | 12 free tools | Basic editing tools |
| No signer account needed | Yes | Yes |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of August 2026. SignNow pricing shown is annual billing; monthly billing is higher. Pricing and features may vary by plan and region.
Mostly people who hit one of two walls: the end of the trial, or the annual invite cap.
SignNow's trial ends after 7 days. If you only sign a handful of documents a month, SignForge's free plan covers you indefinitely.
Every SignNow plan caps signature invites per user per year, with overage fees. SignForge quotas are monthly, published, and never per-seat.
SignNow's API is priced separately. SignForge's API is included free — 5 API envelopes/mo plus an unlimited quota-exempt sandbox.
Open-standards proof embedded in every signed PDF plus a public transparency log — verifiable without SignForge, in any tool.
No. SignNow offers a 7-day free trial, after which you need a paid plan — from around $8/user/month billed annually (monthly billing is higher). SignForge has a real free plan: 10 e-signs per month, free forever, with the audit trail, signing certificate, and developer API included.
As of August 2026, SignNow's published plans run from about $8/user/month (Business, annual billing) through $15/user/month (Business Premium) to $30/user/month (Enterprise). Monthly billing costs roughly 2× the annual rate. Note that every plan also caps signature invites per user per year, with overage fees beyond the cap. SignForge plans are flat per workspace: free ($0, 10 e-signs/mo), Pro $15/mo, Business $80/mo, Enterprise custom.
Yes. Both platforms produce legally binding electronic signatures under the ESIGN Act and UETA (US), eIDAS (EU), and similar laws worldwide, when applied with intent to sign. SignForge additionally embeds an open-standards proof bundle (W3C Verifiable Credential plus a public transparency log entry) in every signed PDF, so the evidence can be verified independently of SignForge — see our legality guide for a country-by-country breakdown.
The free plan is capped at 10 e-signs per month and 3 recipients per envelope, and signed documents carry SignForge branding. There's no trial clock and no credit card required — if you outgrow it, Pro is $15/month flat. The audit trail, signing certificate, verification proof, and API access are all included at $0.
10 free e-signs every month, with the audit trail, open verification, and developer API included from day one.
Start signing documentsFree forever. No credit card required.