Best eSignature solutions for Salesforce – A comparison for SMBs

For growing businesses like yours, Salesforce is where all the magic happens — teams can track leads, close deals and keep revenue flowing. But when it's time to sign contracts, things fall apart. Salesforce doesn't have built-in eSignature capabilities, so admins are forced to leave the platform and use a separate tool. The bad news is that many of these are clunky, overpriced and won't sync properly.

Enterprise eSignature tools may do the job, but they're primarily built for massive organizations, not smaller teams, and may come loaded with features you'll probably never use. Plus, they're often notoriously difficult to learn, turning a simple 'sign here' into a huge headache.

Here are five platforms that integrate really well with Salesforce. While all of these tools are marketed to small and medium-sized businesses, some may still be too complicated for your needs, so weigh up each option carefully!

Quick comparison

Lumin Sign

Lumin Sign for Salesforce is a Salesforce app designed with SMBs in mind, allowing you to collect and manage legally binding digital signatures through your CRM without switching platforms. You can install the app from Salesforce AppExchange and start using it in minutes — thankfully, there's no coding, APIs or ongoing maintenance required.

Strengths

If you're looking for enterprise-grade eSigning features without the complexity or premium price tag, Lumin Sign's app for Salesforce certainly does the job. For example, it lets you create contracts and other legal agreements from templates that automatically populate customer names, deal amounts and more. You can then send those documents to whomever you like in seconds and track everything in real time, including when contracts are opened, viewed and signed.

The great thing about this integration is that you don't have to leave Salesforce, and the people who receive your contracts can sign them on any device without needing to create an account or log in. You also benefit from enterprise-grade security, including data encryption and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance.

Get started with Lumin Sign for Salesforce from just $18 (USD) per user per month. This cost is considerably cheaper than most of the alternatives on this list.

Weaknesses

There are some things you won’t be able to do with Lumin Sign’s Salesforce app, such as editing PDFs or generating new agreements directly within the platform. However, to handle those tasks, you can use Lumin’s other document management tools, which include Lumin PDF and AgreementGen.

Price

Lumin Sign’s Salesforce integration is available from $18 per user per month.

Docusign

Docusign is the market leader in eSigning and has a native app that lets you collect, manage and monitor digital signatures directly within Salesforce.

Strengths

Like Lumin Sign, Docusign lets you can create contracts from templates, send them to recipients for signing and track all your progress in one place. This means you save time and can close those all-important deals faster without the need for any coding.

You'll find more enterprise-level features on Docusign's Salesforce app than Lumin Sign's. However, if you're just after basic eSignature capabilities, you may end up paying more for things you don't need.

Want to try before you buy? Docusign for Salesforce offers a 30-day free trial, which is longer than Lumin Sign's.

Weaknesses

Because Docusign's app has more advanced features, it might be challenging for your team to use. Plus, its interface isn't as user-friendly as Lumin Sign's. The layout can seem cluttered for some users, making it difficult to find the specific tools you need.

Docusign’s integration is also much more expensive than Lumin Sign’s, plus there are also additional fees to unlock certain features, so costs can add up depending on what you want to use it for. Some reviews mention that using the app feels like a constant upsell, which is frustrating and expensive for SMBs.

Price

The Docusign eSignature integration for Salesforce costs $30 per user per month for core functionality.

Acrobat Sign

Acrobat Sign from Adobe also has a native Salesforce app for sending, signing and tracking contracts directly in Salesforce.

Strengths

Acrobat Sign is designed to simplify eSigning workflows, offering custom templates, real-time contract history and notifications when documents are viewed, signed, canceled or declined.

You also get high-level reporting and analytics, as well as one-click 'Send for Signature' buttons that streamline sending from any Salesforce object.

One of the great benefits of Acrobat Sign's Salesforce app is that it leverages Adobe's world-class security. This gives you peace of mind that contracts are always secure and compliant.

Another plus is that Adobe offers tutorials and guides for the app, which may make it easier to use certain features.

Weaknesses

As you can see, Acrobat Sign's app is feature-rich. However, this makes it harder to use for SMBs that are new to eSigning. For instance, it has features that you might not even need, such as the ability to eSign in over 20 languages and send documents via fax from different locations. Ultimately, many of its workflow automations are specifically designed for enterprises, which can be overkill for smaller teams.

You may also encounter some issues with setup. Acrobat Sign for Salesforce runs within your web browser, but Adobe notes that Microsoft Edge may cause certain features to behave unexpectedly. That means you'll have to use Google Chrome, Firefox or something else.

Acrobat Sign's app is more expensive than some other alternatives - $4 more than Docusign's app and $16 more than Lumin Sign's. However, you can try its features for free for 30 days.

Price

The Acrobat Sign integration with Salesforce costs $34 per user per month.

Dropbox Sign

Dropbox Sign, formerly HelloSign, also offers a native app for Salesforce. It comes with a user-friendly interface that benefits SMBs and doesn't require any complicated code or API setup.

Strengths

You'll find a wide range of enterprise-level features in Dropbox Sign's app, including pre-populated documents, custom templates and one-click signing. You can also receive real-time notifications when someone takes action on a contract, such as when a document is opened, viewed, signed or declined.

If you currently keep documents in a Dropbox account, you'll probably benefit from this app. You'll be able to access all your files within Salesforce and then send them to recipients for signing.

You can try out the app with a free 30-day trial.

Weaknesses

Dropbox Sign's app doesn't have the advanced reporting and analytics that you'll find on Acrobat Sign's or Docusign's apps.

Some users have complained about Dropbox Sign's customer service team, which can be slow to respond if issues arise.

Price

Dropbox Sign for Salesforce starts at $29 per user per month (the Standard plan costs $24, plus there’s an additional $5 for the Salesforce app).

PandaDoc

PandaDoc for Salesforce integrates many of PandaDoc's features directly into the CRM, letting you populate contracts with information from customer profiles and send them for signing in one convenient location.

Strengths

PandaDoc’s platform offers an all-in-one document workflow, with tools for document creation, sales proposals, eSignatures and tracking.

One thing PandaDoc's app offers that you might not find elsewhere is built-in payment collection, allowing you to send invoices, get them signed and receive payment directly within the same workflow. However, this feature might be unnecessary if all you want to do is collect eSignatures, which the app is primarily designed for.

PandaDoc offers a 30-day free trial so you can see whether it's a good fit for your team before committing to a subscription.

Weaknesses

The biggest downside to PandaDoc for Salesforce is its price. Costs start at $49 per user per month, which is significantly higher than that of most of its competitors. This higher cost creates an obstacle for SMBs wanting to use the tool. Discounts are available for non-profits, but PandaDoc doesn't specify the exact amount.

With more higher-level features than other alternatives, PandaDoc's Salesforce app doesn't have the easiest learning curve. Smaller teams might struggle to use it without training or support.

There are also reports about the app being glitchy or even unstable at times, as well as the customer support team taking a while to resolve issues.

Price

PandaDoc for Salesforce costs $49 per user per month.

How to choose an eSigning app that integrates with Salesforce

By integrating eSigning with Salesforce, you can optimize your document workflows and collect legally binding signatures from the CRM you already know and use. However, not all Salesforce eSignature apps are the same, and you'll want to choose one that caters to growing businesses like yours.

All the tools above can be used by SMBs, but some may include advanced features you don't need or come at a cost that's hard to justify, especially if you only require basic eSignature capabilities. The great news is that you can always sign up for a free trial with one of these platforms to see whether they fit with your workflow and meet your needs. Lumin Sign's Salesforce app, for example, lets you sample its features for 14 days at no cost.

You may also want to check out customer reviews on websites like G2 and Trustpilot to get a better sense of how users rate features, pricing and customer support.