Esup-Signature

Overview

Esup-Signature is open-source software for creating signature workflows, sending documents, and tracking their completion and proof. It is best suited to institutions that need several kinds of signatures and can run the service on their own infrastructure. Its workflow and verification capabilities are substantial, but local installation makes it a poor fit for teams seeking a hosted service.

Key features

Workflows can specify signers, signature types, and whether everyone assigned to a step must sign. Teams can launch predefined processes, fill documents online, and delegate signing or data entry; pending and future requests can also be transferred to another person. This flexibility suits institutional approval paths, although mixed-level workflows have a firm constraint: simple signatures must come before advanced or qualified signatures.

The supported signature types include verification, visa, and simple, advanced, and qualified electronic signatures. For hardware-backed signing, Esup-DSS-Client uses certificates stored on physical keys or cards, so the certificate remains on the device. Esup-Signature can sign documents in any format, but only PDFs support a visual signature; other formats use XAdES signatures.

Verification covers both simply signed documents and certificate-based signatures: the application can check a simple signature’s integrity and display its proof file, while DSS Signature verifies certificate-based signatures. Integration with the European Commission’s DSS solution supports eIDAS signatures. For institutions managing documents elsewhere, exchange is supported through CMIS with systems such as Nuxeo or Alfresco, as well as network shares, local storage, and web services. PDF forms can also become web forms prefilled from institutional LDAP or custom data sources.

Pricing

Esup-Signature (open source): free. The plan uses an Apache 2.0 license and must be installed on the institution’s own server. There is no paid hosted tier described; the cost advantage comes with responsibility for local deployment and operation.

Platforms

Esup-Signature supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. The self-hosting requirement is central: the FAQ says the service is not offered as a hosted product and must be installed on an institution’s local server.

Who it's for

The intended users include internal agents, staff, and students, along with external partners, citizens, and consultants. Institutions should have technical capacity for implementation: the FAQ identifies Java, Maven, Git, and PostgreSQL as minimum technical knowledge, with Spring, CAS, Shibboleth, Apache, Tomcat, and LDAP useful for full operation. Consortium project support includes identifying project actors and applying security patches and fixes for defects that prevent normal operation.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A free, Apache 2.0-licensed plan avoids a software subscription and permits institutions to host the service themselves.
• Pros: Multiple signature levels, hardware-key support, workflow delegation, and signature verification cover demanding institutional processes.
• Pros: CMIS, network-share, local-storage, and web-service options can connect document flows to existing systems.
• Cons: Institutions must install and operate it locally; there is no hosted service for teams that want a vendor-managed deployment.
• Cons: Implementation requires technical knowledge, and mixed-level workflows cannot place a simple signature after an advanced or qualified one.
• Cons: Only PDFs receive visual signatures, so signing other document formats means using XAdES instead.

Alternatives

OpenSign is worth considering for organizations that prefer a free plan advertising unlimited digital signatures and templates, completion certificates, sequential signing, and OpenSign Drive.

Sign.Plus is an alternative for readers who need Android or iOS support and a free plan capped at three total signature requests and one template.

Certinal may suit readers looking for a consent and compliance enterprise plan with clinical and data-processing consent, multi-channel capture, and EMR-native integration; its price is custom pricing.

Dropbox Sign is an option for readers who want a free plan capped at three signature requests per month or an Essentials plan at $15 a month, billed monthly.

Jotform is a broader forms option, with a free Starter plan that includes five forms and 100 monthly submissions.

Signaturely offers a free plan limited to one document or signature request per month, with an audit trail and history.

BoldSign is another free-plan alternative, with Essential providing 25 envelopes per month, two templates, and one user.

eSignly may fit individuals who need a free plan for five signing requests per month and PDF files up to 5 MB.

Browse the E-Signature Software category for more options.

Verdict

Institutions with technical staff and a need for configurable signing, verification, and local control should consider Esup-Signature. Its strongest case is the breadth of workflow and signature capabilities without a software charge; its decisive drawback is the requirement to install and operate it on an institutional server. Choose another service if avoiding local deployment matters more than that control.