The Ultimate Guide to Choosing E-Signature Software for Your WordPress Website

As an experienced webmaster with over 15 years in the industry, I‘ve helped hundreds of clients implement online signature solutions. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my insider knowledge to help you find the perfect e-signature platform for your WordPress site.

The Rising Popularity of E-Signatures

Electronic signatures have seen massive growth in adoption over the last few years. According to a recent Business Wire study, the global e-signature market is predicted to reach $5.46 billion by 2024.

Several factors are fueling this rapid growth:

• Cost savings – A DocuSign survey found that e-signature solutions save an average of $36 per document by cutting printing, postage and paper costs. These savings add up quickly.
• Convenience – Signing digitally is much faster and easier than printing, signing, scanning and emailing documents back and forth.
• Security – Electronic signatures provide better security and compliance over paper documents. Records are encrypted and access controlled.
• Mobile access – More users are signing documents on their smartphones. E-signatures support this shift toward mobility.
• Environmental benefits – Reducing paper usage has an enormously positive environmental impact.

Its clear that electronic signatures are becoming a mandatory part of doing business online.

Top E-Signature Use Cases

Here are some of the most common uses for e-signatures that I‘ve seen across client websites over the years:

• Contracts – Service agreements, NDAs, employment contracts etc. need to be signed to become legally effective. E-signatures make signing contracts easy.
• Order approvals – For high-value transactions, require customer signature to approve and fulfill orders.
• Proposals – Get proposal or estimate approvals seamlessly without endless emails.
• HR onboarding – Employee onboarding involves tax forms, company policies, manuals etc. to be signed. This can go completely digital.
• Consent forms – Doctors, beauticians etc. need consent from patients to provide certain services. E-signatures improve compliance.
• Legal documents – Signing of wills, power of attorney, affidavits, settlements etc. can be done digitally for better record-keeping.
• Petitions – Non-profits use signed petitions to gather support for social and environmental causes.
• Finance – Loan agreements, tax forms and other finance documents require signatures for processing.

The use cases are practically endless. Wherever you need a signature, there‘s an opportunity to speed up the process using e-signatures.

Now let‘s look at the top e-signature solutions for WordPress sites.

1. WPForms – The Best Overall Choice

WPForms is far and away the most popular WordPress form builder plugin, active on over 1 million websites. Their Signature Addon provides an easy way to add legally-binding e-signature fields to any WPForms form.

Here‘s why WPForms is my top recommendation for most users:

Easy for Beginners

WPForms makes it simple for even non-techy users to create forms and collect signatures without any coding. With over 800 templates, you can be up and running in minutes.

Powerful Features

Despite being easy to use, WPForms provides advanced features like multi-page forms, conditional logic, partial signoffs and more.

Optimized Signing Experience

Small touches like mobile responsiveness, smooth signature capture and clear design make signing documents a breeze.

Top-Notch Security

WPForms adheres to stringent security protocols and standards like PCI compliance, GDPR, HIPAA etc. Your data is in safe hands.

Awesome Support

As a customer-centric company, WPForms offers exceptionally responsive support via live chat, email and Facebook.

Reasonable Pricing

For all its capabilities, WPForms is very reasonably priced. Their Pro plan starts at just $199 per year including e-signatures.

For most users, WPForms strikes the perfect balance of being easy to use yet powerful. Unless you have very specific needs, it‘s hard to beat WPForms.

2. Formidable Forms – A Versatile Developer-Focused Option

Formidable Forms takes a more developer-oriented approach. Where WPForms is drag and drop simple, Formidable provides maximum flexibility and customization for advanced users.

Key Benefits:

• Create complex multi-step forms with conditional logic, dynamic fields etc.
• Integrates tightly with WooCommerce for orders, subscriptions etc.
• File uploads, calculations, front-end editing and more advanced features
• Visually display and manage form entries on the front-end
• Develop customizations using hooks, filters, shortcodes etc.
• Rock-solid security backed by encryption, data privacy and audits

Formidable Forms is perfect for developers, agencies and users who need deep customization capabilities and total control.

For most beginners though, Formidable Forms has a steeper learning curve. But if you need maximum power and flexibility, it’s a superb choice.

Their Business license starts at $199 per year including access to the Signature addon.

3. Gravity Forms – Simple And Intuitive

Gravity Forms emphasizes usability and ease of use in its form builder and signature solution. Even non-technical users can quickly setup forms and signature fields.

Some of the benefits include:

• Intuitive drag and drop builder needs no coding
• Signatures captured as PNG images and attached to entries
• Mobile-friendly signature experience works on all devices
• Seamlessly integrates with WordPress
• Large user base provides helpful tutorials and support
• Trusted by 5 million+ websites

Gravity Forms is a great choice if you want minimal learning curve. Their signature addon is relatively basic but gets the job done.

Downsides are the lack of advanced features, and the requirement for their expensive Elite license at $259/year for signatures.

But for quick and painless e-signatures, Gravity Forms is hard to beat.

4. WP E-Signature – Simple Plug & Play Option

WP E-Signature is purpose-built as an e-signature plugin for WordPress. It adds signatures to your forms in minutes with zero fuss.

Why Users Love WP E-Signature:

• Lightweight and optimized just for signatures
• No lock-in to a particular form builder
• Upload or draw signatures using mouse/touch
• Customize the signature appearance
• PDF support along with images
• One-time payment for continued use
• GDPR compliant data handling

This plugin is ideal if you want a simple plug & play signature solution without learning a full form builder. As it‘s decoupled from form software, you can use it with Contact Form 7, Ninja Forms, custom forms etc.

Just keep in mind that it lacks some bells and whistles of the other solutions. But for basic e-signature needs, it gets the job done well.

WP E-Signature is available on CodeCanyon starting at $24.

5. PDF Buddy – Great for PDF Forms

PDF Buddy takes a different approach of letting you create fillable PDF forms visually from your WordPress dashboard. This sets it apart from traditional form builders.

Why Use PDF Buddy:

• Design professional PDF forms without any coding/design skills needed
• Collect legally-valid e-signatures on your PDF documents
• Track and manage signatures directly within WordPress
• Download, email and work with signed PDFs
• One-click PDF creation right in WordPress
• Available in 17 languages to cater to global audiences

If your website involves extensive use of PDF documents and forms, then PDF Buddy is an obvious choice. The ability to create great-looking PDFs out of the box is invaluable.

PDF Buddy costs a one-time fee starting at $35 for the core plugin, with the Signature addon available separately for $16.

Key Factors for Choosing E-Signature Software

Here are some key criteria to evaluate when choosing an electronic signature solution:

1. Ease of Use

How easy is it to create forms and add signature fields? Can you get started quickly without advanced skills?

2. Features

Do the features match your needs? Think about signatures, forms, workflow automation, integrations etc.

3. Security

Review the platform‘s security protocols, certifications, privacy policy etc. to ensure your data stays protected.

4. Support & Documentation

Is responsive technical support available if you need assistance? How about documentation and tutorials?

5. Pricing

Watch out for hidden fees and limitations of free plans. Paid plans should offer full functionality without surprises.

6. Developer Options

Can the solution be customized and extended as needed? Developer-friendly platforms are more flexible.

7. Reviews & Reputation

Research thoroughly to avoid fly-by-night vendors. Favor established solutions with many positive genuine reviews.

Prioritize these factors based on your site goals, level of technical skill, budget and specific functionality needs.

Get Started with E-Signatures on Your WordPress Site

Electronic signatures are critical for taking your WordPress site to the next level. Implementing e-signatures improves security, compliance and the customer experience – key pillars of any successful online business.

I hope this guide provided you clarity in choosing the right e-signature solution for your website. My recommendation is to start with WPForms as the best overall option, and go with a specialty solution like PDFBuddy if you have specific PDF use cases.

Please feel free to reach out if you need any assistance in implementing electronic signatures for your website. I‘d be happy to provide my expert guidance based on 15+ years of experience in this field.

Good luck and here‘s to legally binding documents in just a few clicks!