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Open-source alternatives to DocuSign

DocuSign does 6 jobs: send documents for signature, signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, reusable signing templates, eSignature API and embedded signing, certificate-based digital signatures (PKI). Most projects replace one or two of them, so pick the job you actually need.

Quick answer

Facts checked 16 Oct 2026

Open-source alternatives to DocuSign that run locally, allow commercial use and need no paid API include pyHanko (certificate-based digital signatures (PKI); MIT). None of the 13 projects we track covers all 6 DocuSign jobs, so most people combine two or more.

13 projects

DigiDoc4 Client

open-eid/DigiDoc4-Client

★ 144 active 1d ago

Estonia's official desktop app for signing and encrypting documents with an Estonian ID-card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID.

Replaces Certificate-based digital signatures (PKI) (partly) Not: send documents for signature, signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, reusable signing templates, eSignature API and embedded signing

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · LGPL-2.1-only
Paid services: Partial: Optional only
Hardware: Confirmed: CPU works
Setup: Confirmed: Easy

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Documenso

documenso/documenso

★ 15k active today

Self-hostable document signing platform with signing order, reminders, templates, audit logs and an API; AGPL core plus paid Enterprise features.

Replaces Send documents for signature + Signing order and reminders + Audit trail and completion certificate + Reusable signing templates + eSignature API and embedded signing (partly) Not: certificate-based digital signatures (PKI)

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · AGPL-3.0-only
Paid services: Partial: Optional only
Hardware: Confirmed: CPU works
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

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DocuSeal

docusealco/docuseal

★ 19k active 4d ago

Self-hostable app to build PDF forms and have them filled and signed by multiple people, with email, API and webhooks; some features are paid Pro.

Replaces Send documents for signature + Reusable signing templates + eSignature API and embedded signing (partly) Not: signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, certificate-based digital signatures (PKI)

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · AGPL-3.0-only
Paid services: Partial: Optional only
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

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DottedSign Self-Hosted

DottedSign-Official/dottedsign-self-hosted

★ 54 active 3w ago

New AGPL self-hosted edition of the commercial DottedSign e-signature service, run with Docker Compose; signed files carry a free-tier code.

Replaces Send documents for signature + eSignature API and embedded signing (partly) Not: signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, reusable signing templates, certificate-based digital signatures (PKI)

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · AGPL-3.0-only
Paid services: Partial: Optional only
Hardware: Confirmed: CPU works
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

Compare 8 of 8 facts sourced · checked 1d ago GitHub ↗ View details

endesive

m32/endesive

★ 277 active 5w ago

Pure-Python library to create and verify certificate signatures in PDFs, S/MIME email, XML (XAdES) and plain files, with PKCS#11/HSM support.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · MIT AND LGPL-3.0-only
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Easy

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DSS (Digital Signature Service)

esig/dss

★ 1.0k active 2d ago

European Commission Java library for creating, extending and validating advanced electronic signatures (XAdES, CAdES, PAdES, JAdES).

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · LGPL-2.1-only
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Hard

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JSignPdf

intoolswetrust/jsignpdf

★ 481 active 2d ago

Desktop and command-line app that adds certificate-based digital signatures to PDFs, with smartcard/HSM support, timestamps and PAdES.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · MPL-2.0 OR LGPL-2.1-only
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Easy

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LibreSign

LibreSign/libresign

★ 832 active today

Nextcloud app for document signing workflows with signing order, internal and external signers, reminders, certificates and validation.

Replaces Send documents for signature + Signing order and reminders + Audit trail and completion certificate + eSignature API and embedded signing + Certificate-based digital signatures (PKI) (partly) Not: reusable signing templates

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · AGPL-3.0-or-later
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

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open-pdf-sign

open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign

★ 952 active 8mo ago

Java command-line tool and small HTTP server that adds PAdES certificate signatures to PDFs, visible or invisible, with optional timestamps.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · Apache-2.0 AND LGPL-2.1-only
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Easy

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OpenSign

OpenSignLabs/OpenSign

★ 7.1k active today

Self-hostable PDF e-signing with multiple signers in sequence, OTP checks, templates, audit trail with completion certificate, and an API.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · Custom licence
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

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pyHanko

MatthiasValvekens/pyHanko

★ 785 active 1d ago

Python library and CLI that signs, stamps, validates and encrypts PDFs with certificates, PKCS#11 tokens, timestamps and PAdES profiles.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Confirmed: Yes · MIT
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Easy

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Signature PDF

24eme/signaturepdf

★ 832 active 5w ago

Lightweight PHP web app to sign PDFs alone or with others, plus page organising, metadata editing and compression; optional certificate signing.

Replaces Send documents for signature + Certificate-based digital signatures (PKI) (partly) Not: signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, reusable signing templates, eSignature API and embedded signing

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · AGPL-3.0-only
Paid services: Confirmed: None required
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

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Stirling PDF

Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF #1 TRENDING

★ 94k active today

Open-core PDF platform with 50+ tools (edit, merge, split, sign, redact, convert, OCR) as a desktop app, browser UI or self-hosted server.

Runs locally: Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use: Partial: Conditions · Custom licence
Paid services: Partial: Optional only
Hardware: Unknown: Unknown
Setup: Confirmed: Medium

Compare 7 of 8 facts sourced · checked 1d ago GitHub ↗ View details

Common questions about DocuSign alternatives

Is there a free, open-source alternative to DocuSign?

Yes. Documenso, OpenSign, LibreSign, DocuSeal and DottedSign Self-Hosted are free to download and run on your own computer without paid API keys. Each covers only part of what DocuSign does, so check which job you need.

Can I do send documents for signature locally without a DocuSign subscription?

Yes, with Documenso (AGPL-3.0-only), DocuSeal (AGPL-3.0-only) and OpenSign (Custom licence). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

Can I do signing order and reminders locally without a DocuSign subscription?

Yes, with Documenso (AGPL-3.0-only), OpenSign (Custom licence) and LibreSign (AGPL-3.0-or-later). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

Which DocuSign alternatives can I use commercially?

Confirmed: pyHanko. With conditions: DigiDoc4 Client, Documenso, DocuSeal, DottedSign Self-Hosted, endesive, DSS (Digital Signature Service), JSignPdf, LibreSign, open-pdf-sign, OpenSign, Signature PDF and Stirling PDF. This is not legal advice; read each licence.

Does any open-source project replace all of DocuSign?

Not as of 2026-10-16. Send documents for signature, signing order and reminders, audit trail and completion certificate, reusable signing templates, eSignature API and embedded signing and certificate-based digital signatures (PKI) are covered by different projects.

Open-source alternatives to DocuSign

Quick answer

Your requirements

13 projects

DigiDoc4 Client

Documenso

DocuSeal

DottedSign Self-Hosted

endesive

DSS (Digital Signature Service)

JSignPdf

LibreSign

open-pdf-sign

OpenSign

pyHanko

Signature PDF

Stirling PDF

Common questions about DocuSign alternatives

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