Documenso vs DocuSeal
Documenso and DocuSeal are both e-signature software. Documenso is open source under AGPL-3.0, with 16k GitHub stars. DocuSeal is open source under AGPL-3.0, with 19k GitHub stars.
Which to pick
- Pick Documenso when
- A business wants an open DocuSign alternative with an API it can embed in its own product.
- Pick DocuSeal when
- You want DocuSign-style e-signatures without per-envelope fees and can run a Docker container.
Side by side
A document signing platform with templates, signing workflows, audit logs and PAdES-compliant digital signatures, offered hosted or self-hosted.
Creates fillable PDF forms and sends them for online signing on any device, with audit trails, templates, an API and embedding.
Self-hosting requires your own signing certificate setup, and team and enterprise features are paid.
Some features such as SSO and advanced branding are in the paid Pro tier; check legal validity of e-signatures in your jurisdiction.
Production-ready (both)
Self-hosted server and cloud service (both)
TypeScript, React, Prisma and PostgreSQL
Ruby, Rails, Vue, PostgreSQL and Sidekiq
Open source, AGPL-3.0 (network copyleft) (both)
Use inside your business is unrestricted. If you change it and let customers use it over the internet, you must publish your changes. (both)
16k GitHub stars
19k GitHub stars
Established: started 3 years ago, latest release v2.21.1.
Established: started 3 years ago, latest release 3.3.5.
Other comparisons
More e-signature apps
Both sides were judged on 2026-11-03 from each project's README and GitHub data. License, age and popularity lines are worked out directly.