Overview:
Deploying an eSignature solution is mission critical for most businesses; however, choosing the wrong vendor could have devastating consequences. It is important to understand your business’s specific needs, such as cost predictability, scalability, security and enterprise-grade features that support your eSignature workflows.
The right eSignature solution can have a significant impact on your business, enhancing productivity and improving employee and customer satisfaction.
We’ve evaluated two eSignature solutions, Adobe Sign and Nitro Sign, to help you make an informed decision about which one better suits your unique business needs.
Key evaluation criteria we considered are:
- Price
- Price flexibility
- Scalability
- Feature Matrix
- Security
- Customer Support
- Customer Success
- Integrations
Adobe Sign Overview:
Founded as EchoSign in 2005 and acquired by Adobe Systems in 2011. EchoSign became eSign services under Adobe Document Cloud and was renamed Adobe Sign in May 2016. Adobe claims to be the preferred eSignature solution for Microsoft and trusted by top Fortune 500 companies.
Nitro Sign Overview:
Founded in 2005 in Melbourne, Australia, Nitro’s team now spans the globe and works with over half of the Fortune 500. Nitro is the number one alternative to Adobe Acrobat and has extended its platform to offer eSignature and document intelligence solutions.
Price: Nitro Wins for both Stand-alone eSign and Productivity Platform which includes Nitro PDF
Nitro Sign offers three eSignature packages ranging from Essentials at $9.99 per month for individual users, to Advanced at $19.99 per month and Enterprise at $29.99 per month for large enterprises.
Nitro Sign is available as a part of the Nitro Productivity Platform package, which includes the leading Adobe Acrobat alternative - Nitro PDF Productivity, Nitro Sign Essentials, Analytics, Control Center, and customer support starting at $9.99/user/month. This package is 40% less than Adobe’s Essential plan for a single user: Acrobat Pro DC with eSign, which is available for 14.99/month and 50% less than Adobe’s Essential plan for multi-users: Acrobat Pro DC with eSign for teams, which is available for $16.99/month.
Nitro Sign Advanced or Enterprise can be included with Nitro PDF Productivity for an additional $19.99 per month and $29.99 per month.
Adobe has a complicated licensing model with multiple buying options, while Nitro has a flexible licensing model and more straightforward pricing.
Pricing and Packaging for Adobe Plans:
Single User:
| Basic: Acrobat PDF Pack with e-sign | Essential: Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign | Advanced: Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign |
| $9.99/month | $14.99/month | $19.99 |
Multi-User:
| Essential: Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams | Advanced: Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign for teams | Enterprise: Adobe Sign |
| $16.99/month | $21.99/month | Not publicly available |
Price Flexibility: Nitro Wins
Adobe Sign
Adobe Sign’s single-user and multi-user for teams plans have a limit of 150 transactions/user/year. Business and enterprise-level customers that process a high volume of transactions or require a site license, can purchase a total volume of transactions with unlimited users. Adobe will retroactively backdate for additional licenses rather than include these licenses during a quarterly true-up.
Nitro Sign:
Regardless of the Nitro Sign plan you purchase; Nitro Sign offers unlimited eSigning and sign requests. Enterprise customers requiring a high volume of transactions, e.g. via integrations and APIs, are subject to contractual use limits and can purchase additional volume.
Scalability: Nitro Wins
Nitro Sign offers scalable eSigning and company-wide deployment at a lower total cost of ownership. With Adobe Sign’s higher priced plans and consumption-based pricing model, businesses will have difficulty deploying their eSignature solution across their organization and will likely pay overage charges for company-wide deployment or exceeding envelope usage.
Features Comparison: Adobe Sign Wins
Adobe Sign’s feature set, while comprehensive, offers more than most users/use cases need. Nitro Sign provides organizations with a flexible licensing model and cost reduction while solving for common business workflows.
Features listed on Adobe Sign’s website
Core Features
Adobe Sign’s differentiating features are in bold
- Request signatures
- Prepare Forms
- Sign
- In-person signatures
- Keep records
- Scan and sign on mobile / Can scan and sign on mobile with Nitro PDF Pro
- Cross-device signature capture
- Written signature workflow
- Digital signatures
- Stamps / Available in Nitro PDF Pro not Nitro Sign
- Simple eSignature authentication
Customization and Optimization Features:
- Languages - Adobe Sign supports more languages
- Branding - Nitro Sign also has custom branding, Adobe Sign offers a higher degree of customization and more options
- Shared Document Library - Adobe is referring to templates
- Self-serve web forms
- Bulk Sign - Adobe refers to this as Mega Sign
- Online Payments
- Advanced Forms
- Enhanced eSignature authentication – Adobe Sign supports more forms of authentication than Nitro Sign
- Automated ID-based signer identity verification
- Advanced roles and routing
- Workflow Designer
- Advanced language support
Security: Tie
Both Adobe Sign and Nitro Sign include a level of compliance that lends legal validity to the eSignatures created with each solution. They also both meet additional privacy and security requirements such as AICPA SOC2® Type 2, HIPAA, CSA STAR program, Privacy Shield and GDPR. Both solutions also offer enhanced security features such as Single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA) for added document security. DocuSign offers additional industry-specific compliance requirements, typically restricted to enterprise accounts, like FedRAMP and FERPA.
To review: Adobe Sign's security details click here.
To review Nitro Sign's security details click here.
Customer Support and Customer Success: Nitro Sign Wins
Adobe Sign Assisted Support allows customers to create a case, start a chat, or manage an existing case from the Admin Console's support tab if you're a System or Support administrator. Beyond Adobe's self-support resources, Adobe also provides enterprise support packages. Document Cloud for enterprise includes create a case, start a chat, or manage an existing case from the Admin Console's support tab if you're a System or Support administrator.
Nitro Sign
Nitro Sign Advanced and Enterprise plans include a dedicated customer success manager, additionaly, Nitro Sign has many of the same self-serve support options as Adobe Sign, including a Community Forum, Knowledge Base, and User Guides. For more information on Nitro Sign support, click here.
Integrations: Adobe Sign Wins
Adobe Sign is the clear winner in this category with over 100 integrations, with more integrations in the Collaboration/Productivity, HR/ERP, and CLM/CPQ categories.
Nitro Sign supports the most common integrations and continues to develop in this area. It currently has integrations with Salesforce, leading cloud storage providers like Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, and SharePoint and automation services like Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate which allows Nitro Sign to connect with thousands of applications. VisitNitro's integration page to learn more.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right eSignature solution depends on your business’s specific needs. If your business needs common eSignature workflows, is cost conscious, and requires an affordable deployment , then a solution like Nitro Sign will work great. If your business requires niche eSignature workflows and customizations, then Adobe Sign would be the better solution for select power users within the organization.
The list below shows how Nitro Sign and Adobe Sign compare, highlighting the most common eSignature workflow requirements.
To learn more about Nitro Sign, schedule a personalized demo now.
