Free PDF editor: what you can actually do without paying
Every free PDF editor is free at something and paid at something else. Here is where the line usually sits, and how to get a document filled, signed and exported without hitting it.
← All postsHow-to
E-signature software: what to compare before you pick one
Every e-signature tool claims to be legally binding. The differences that matter are the audit trail, how multiple signers are handled, and what happens to the document after the last signature.
How-toE
E-signature software has quietly become standard equipment: contracts, offers, NDAs and consent forms now go out as signing links rather than attachments. The tools all look alike on the pricing page — upload, place a field, send — so the comparison has to happen a level down, in what the software records and what it hands back when everyone has signed.
Here is what actually separates them, and what the law expects of any of them.
What makes an electronic signature hold up
- Intent — the signer took a deliberate action to sign, not merely opened the file.
- Attribution — the signature is tied to an identifiable person, normally through an email address and an authenticated session.
- Integrity — the document cannot be altered after signing without that being detectable.
- A record — a trail showing who signed, in what order, from where and when.
Under eIDAS in the EU and the ESIGN Act and UETA in the United States, an electronic signature that satisfies those four is binding for ordinary business documents. A short list of exceptions — wills, some property transfers, certain family-law documents — still requires a handwritten signature or a notary, so check local rules before you use e-signature software for those.
The comparison that matters
- Audit trail. Ask to see one. It should log every view and signature with a timestamp and identity, and travel with the finished document rather than living only in the vendor's dashboard.
- Multiple signers. Sequential and parallel signing, a controlled signing order, and a status you can read at a glance beat a mailbox full of forwarded PDFs.
- Field placement. Signature, date, initials and text fields you can drag onto any document — otherwise you are re-typing contracts to fit the tool.
- Templates. Contracts and NDAs you prepare once and send many times; this is where the time saving actually comes from.
- Reminders and expiry. Automatic nudges and a deadline after which the request lapses, so nothing sits open forever.
- The finished artefact. A sealed PDF with a completion certificate you can download and store yourself — not a link that stops working when the subscription ends.
- Pricing shape. Per-user, per-envelope and per-document models diverge sharply once volume grows. Model your real monthly count before choosing.
The question that separates serious tools from the rest: what do I still have if I cancel tomorrow? If the answer is not "every signed document, as a sealed PDF, with its certificate", keep looking.
A signing flow that does not fall apart
- Prepare the document once as a template, with the fields already placed for each signer role.
- Add signers in the order they should sign, and give each one a short message saying what they are signing and by when.
- Send the request and let the tool chase — reminders exist so you do not have to write "just following up".
- Watch status rather than your inbox: awaiting your signature, awaiting others, completed, declined.
- When the last signature lands, store the sealed PDF and its certificate where the rest of your contracts live, not in the signing tool alone.
In Ettex Sign that flow is the product: drag-and-drop signature, date and text fields, sequential or parallel signers with a visible status, per-signer messages and automatic reminders, expiry dates, reusable contract and NDA templates, and an audit trail logging every view and signature with time and identity. Completed documents download as sealed PDFs with a completion certificate attached, and preparation works offline — you send when you are connected.
Where teams still get caught out
- Sending the contract as an attachment "just in case" — now two versions exist and only one is signed.
- Using a personal address for a company agreement. Attribution is weaker and the record leaves with the person.
- Treating a photographed signature page as a signed contract. It has no trail, and no way to prove the rest of the pages were not swapped.
- Not deciding who owns finished documents. Signed contracts belong in your document storage, filed and searchable, on the day they complete.
Frequently asked
Is e-signature software legally binding?
For ordinary business documents in most jurisdictions, yes — provided intent, attribution, integrity and a record can be demonstrated. Specific document types such as wills and some property transfers are excluded.
What is the difference between an electronic and a digital signature?
An electronic signature is the legal act of signing by electronic means. A digital signature is the cryptographic technique — a certificate-backed seal — that many e-signature tools use to prove the document has not changed.
Do both parties need an account?
With most tools, no. The sender needs an account; signers open a link, sign, and receive the completed copy.
What should the audit trail contain?
Signer names and email addresses, timestamps for each view and signature, the signing order, and an identifier for the document version that was signed.
Can I use e-signature software for international contracts?
Generally yes — electronic signature law is broadly recognised across the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia — but the required assurance level varies, and some countries expect a qualified signature for specific contract types.
Pick e-signature software on the strength of its record, not the smoothness of its signing animation. A year from now, the only part you will care about is the sealed PDF and the trail attached to it.
Get the best of the Ettex blogProduct news, guides and tips — straight to your inbox, no spam.
More from the blog
How-toF
How-toN
Non-disclosure agreement template: the clauses that actually matter
A non-disclosure agreement template is easy to find and easy to get wrong. Six clauses decide whether it protects anything — the rest is formatting.
How-toP
Purchase order format: the fields that keep an order from stalling
A purchase order format is a handshake in fields: what was ordered, at what price, on whose authority. Get those right and the matching invoice clears without a single email.