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Documenso v. Docusign: THE SHOWDOWN

· 3 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 7 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or check out my bonus lists: open source games and API Development Tools.

A Tale of Two Electronic Signature Platforms

It's time to enter the ring as two heavyweight champions face off: DocuSign and Documenso. In one corner, we have the reigning champion – DocuSign, the established player with years of experience in the eSignature market. In the other corner, emerging contender Documenso brings a fresh perspective, aiming to disrupt the industry with its innovative open source approach.

https://github.com/documenso/documenso

ROUND 1: FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY​

Both platforms offer robust feature sets, but their approaches differ. At first glance, both DocuSign and Documenso seem evenly matched.

DocuSign focuses on providing comprehensive tools tailored for businesses of various sizes, offering integrations with popular apps such as Salesforce, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace. Meanwhile, Documenso takes a unique stance by emphasizing accessibility and affordability through its open source nature, enabling developers to customize and build on its core functionalities.

Winner? DocuSign edges ahead with its clearly communicated features and integrations. However, those looking for flexibility and cost savings might prefer Documenso.

ROUND 2: USER EXPERIENCE (UX)​

DocuSign boasts polished UX, ensuring easy navigation even for beginners. Its extensive documentation and resources cater well to both individual and enterprise customers. Documenso was easy to use, and I could sign documents quickly with their Single Player Mode.

Winner? DocuSign has more to offer and clear documentation to help users get started. Although Documenso has an easy to use single-player mode, the extra capabilities make DocuSign easier to use.

ROUND 3: COMMUNITY & INNOVATION​

Behold, the wildcard factor! With DocuSign being a seasoned veteran, it commands respect within the community and consistently delivers incremental innovations. But Documenso aims to change the space with transparency and collaboration through open source. Let's take a look at their open source support.

Open Source Stats​

  • Stars: 5.3k
  • Watching: 33
  • Forks: 580
  • License: GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

As an open source project, they have solid activity and PR velocity.

Documenso dashboard

With only seven employees, we can see a strong community showing.

Contributors for Documenso

A closer look:

contributor graph

You can see the full contributor list here.

And we see the fans showing up for Documenso and sharing their support 🎉

Contributor Highlights

Is this the beginning of a comeback round for the new kid on the block, Documenso?

AND THE WINNER...

As things stand today, DocuSign remains the dominant force in electronic signatures. Yet, with challenger Documenso pushing boundaries and refusing to back down, this is a competitive match. Will these rivals trade blows forever or eventually unite forces against common foes? Only time will reveal who emerges victorious in this ongoing battle royale.

Until then, stay tuned for future updates on the epic clash between DocuSign and Documenso!

What battle would you like to see next?