Lumin Sign vs DocuSign

How much of your life still revolves around paper? Are you printing 20-page contracts? Buying pens by the truckload? Spending big bucks on wrist braces for employees’ tendonitis?

Paperwork still needs a signature to be considered official. This can be a real pain when you're trying to get things done quickly.

Introducing the electronic signature!

An electronic signature – also known as an eSignature – is a digital version of your handwritten signature. It's a way to sign documents without having to print, sign and scan a piece of paper. 

Two major players in the eSignature game right now are:

• DocuSign, a senior, established product dedicated to the business of signing.
• and Lumin Sign, a new challenger eSignature workflow product from the folk behind Lumin PDF.

What's a "wet" signature?

A “wet” signature refers to the ol’ ink-on-paper signature, i.e. in-person signing. It’s called wet because, well, ink is wet.

In contrast, a “dry” signature is made from pixels, which should never be wet. These are more commonly known as electronic signatures, digital signatures or eSignatures.

Over the last 20 years eSignatures have come into their own; they’re considered equal to wet signatures in most scenarios as they’re legally binding and very secure. No more witnesses required; eSignatures hold up in court.

And best of all, eSignatures are good for the trees! No need to print hundreds of pages for a few signatures. Save time, money and the planet.

What's the best free electronic signature tool?

Most eSignature solutions offer the same basic functions. Lumin Sign and DocuSign are no different:

• Both allow you to eSign and send documents digitally, eliminating the need for printing, signing and scanning paper documents. 
• They're secure and legally binding, so you don't have to worry about the validity of your eSignature.
• Both enable eSignatures via desktop or mobile app.
  

Now for the fancy extras:

• Lumin Sign has the additional option of a customized eSign API, so businesses can impress clients with eSignatures straight from email, app - wherever business is done.
• DocuSign has the option to add a notary tool to the product.
• Lumin Sign is designed for sending documents, and has a dashboard to track your doc's journey from sent to signed.
  

DocuSign has age on its side, but Lumin Sign's sprightliness means it has function, hot features and it’s affordable. DocuSign gets the job done, but Lumin Sign gets several jobs done.

Is DocuSign or Lumin Sign cheaper?

So which is cheaper? Lumin Sign and DocuSign have different pricing styles – here’s how to wrap your head around them.

• DocuSign charges for sending out documents to sign. It calls these ‘envelopes”. On all plans you can sign as many times as you like, but there’s a limit on how many envelopes you can send out.
• Lumin Sign charges per document completion: completion occurs when your document has been signed by everyone who needs to do so.

Now, the price:

• DocuSign’s Business Pro plan is $40 per month per user. It has a limit of 100 envelopes/year, but it offers additional features like form fields, drawing fields and bulk send.
• Lumin Sign's Pro plan offers 100 documents at $18 per month per user, plus added features like contract tracking and automated reminders.

Is Lumin Sign or DocuSign easier for eSigning documents?

Both are really easy. They're purpose-built for sending and signing documents. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, how easy you find them to use may depend on your aim.

• DocuSign is easier if your goal is to create/customize a form before sending it off for eSignatures.
• Lumin Sign is easier if your goal is to collect information, eSignatures or negotiate terms.

Neither product requires the recipient to have an account in order to sign or fill out forms.

Can I try Lumin or DocuSign for free?

Of course! Lumin Sign's free plan allows you to send and sign 5 documents per month, and offers 7 day trials of any paid plan.

DocuSign doesn’t have a free plan but provides free trials for 30 days. 

So sign up and get signing – with a 7 day free trial of any plan, you’ve got nothing to lose.

If you want to do more – like pick a form from a library of templates or merge several documents into one for signing, check out Lumin's other products.