# open-pdf-sign

> open-pdf-sign (952 stars, v0.3.0 Sep 2025, last commit Feb 2026) is a single JAR that needs Java 11+. It signs a PDF with a certificate and key you supply, including an existing Let's Encrypt certificate, using PAdES BASELINE-B, -T, -LT or -LTA, with an optional visible signature block and TSA timestamp. A server mode exposes signing over a local HTTP API. Apache-2.0, with some code derived from the LGPL-2.1 EU DSS library. It does not send documents to signers, collect signatures from others, track status or keep templates.

- Repository: https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign
- Official docs: https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#readme
- Checked: 2026-10-16

## What it replaces
- DocuSign: Certificate-based digital signatures (PKI) (partial). Signs PDFs with your own certificate from the command line or a local API; no multi-party signing workflow.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Yes, command-line JAR or local server mode | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#features | 2026-10-16 |
| Code licence | Partial | Apache-2.0; the org/openpdfsign/dss folder modifies LGPL-2.1 code from EU DSS | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#license | 2026-10-16 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No separate model weights | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#readme | 2026-10-16 |
| Commercial use | Partial | Yes; Apache-2.0 plus LGPL-2.1 conditions for the DSS-derived code | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#license | 2026-10-16 |
| Paid services needed? | Confirmed | None required; works with your own certificate, including a Let's Encrypt certificate; TSA optional | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#usage-with-lets-encrypt-certificates | 2026-10-16 |
| Hardware | Unknown | Not documented beyond Java 11+ | none found | - |
| Operating systems | Partial | Any OS with Java 11+; also packaged for Nix and wrapped on npm; per-OS support not listed | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#get-started | 2026-10-16 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Easy; download the JAR from GitHub releases and run it with Java | https://github.com/open-pdf-sign/open-pdf-sign#get-started | 2026-10-16 |

GitHub: 952 stars, 53 forks, last push 2026-02-09, archived: no.
---
Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/open-pdf-sign). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.