You're paying £15 a month for DocuSign and using it three times a month — £5 per envelope, before the licence fee. Most of those signatures are you signing routine contracts yourself, not requesting from counterparties.
There's a better way for that category. Here's the breakdown.
When you're signing for yourself
If you're the only signer — accepting a vendor contract, signing your own NDA, executing a routine document — you don't need an envelope tool. Browser signing is free, instant, and legally valid in most jurisdictions.
This is most of the volume for most professionals. Estimate: 70–80% of your signing usage falls here.
When you're requesting from one counterparty
For a single counterparty signing, you can also use browser signing — send them the PDF and ask them to sign in their browser too. Most counterparties happily do this when shown the option.
No envelope fees, no platform lock-in, no per-document cost. The signed PDF lands back in your inbox the same as any other reply.
When you do need an envelope tool
Real reasons to pay per envelope: multiple signers in a specific order, identity verification beyond simple electronic signature, formal audit trails for regulated industries, or counterparty requirements (some enterprise clients mandate specific platforms).
For these cases, the per-envelope fee is genuine value. For everything else, browser signing wins on every metric.
The maths
Solo professional signing 10 contracts a month, 8 of them self-signed: £40/month saved using browser signing. Annual saving: £480 plus the licence fee.
Team of 10, similar volume: £4,800/year easily. Multiply by the years the savings compound.
FAQ
Are browser signatures legally valid?
In most jurisdictions (US, UK, EU, AU, CA), yes — for routine commercial contracts. Simple electronic signatures are recognised under ESIGN, eIDAS, and equivalent laws. For high-value or regulated contracts, use a platform with stronger verification.
What about audit trails?
Browser-signed PDFs include the timestamp and signer info embedded in the PDF metadata. For formal audit trails (with IP addresses, identity verification), use a dedicated platform for those specific contracts.
How do counterparties react when I send a Flint link?
Most are fine — they sign in their browser, no install, no signup. The ones who insist on DocuSign are usually large enterprises with mandated procurement processes.
Can I keep DocuSign for the few cases that need it?
Yes — keep the lightest plan, use it only for the contracts that genuinely require it. Most of your volume moves to free browser signing.
Per-envelope fees should match per-envelope value. Sign in Flint for free where it makes sense, and keep paid tools for where they actually earn their cost.