Adobe Sign is not a standalone product. It comes bundled with Acrobat Pro or as part of an enterprise package, starting at around £20 per month. If you just need to get a document signed, you are paying for a PDF editor, cloud storage, and a dozen other features you did not ask for.
Quill does one thing: it sends documents for signature. You upload a PDF, place signature fields, pay £1.99, and your signers get a link. No Adobe account, no subscription bundle, no software to install. Your signers sign in their browser and everyone gets a completed PDF with a full audit trail.
| Adobe Acrobat Sign | Quill | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~£20/month (bundled) | £1.99 per document |
| Annual cost (5 documents) | ~£240 | £9.95 |
| Standalone product | No (bundled with Acrobat) | Yes |
| Software to install | Acrobat desktop app | None (browser only) |
| Signer account required | No | No |
| Legal validity (UK) | Yes (SES) | Yes (SES) |
Adobe Sign is a good fit if you already pay for Adobe Acrobat Pro and send documents for signature regularly. The integration between Acrobat and Sign is seamless, and the template system is useful for repetitive workflows.
But if you do not already use Acrobat, subscribing to an Adobe bundle just to get a signature on a contract is expensive and unnecessary.
Quill has no templates, no workflows, and no integrations. You upload a PDF, add your signers, place fields, and send. The entire process takes under five minutes, and you only pay £1.99 per document.
Every signed document includes a full audit trail with timestamps, IP addresses, consent records, and a SHA-256 hash for tamper evidence. Signatures are legally binding under UK and EU law as well as US law.
If Adobe is not the only tool you are comparing, see how Quill works as a DocuSign alternative or why many users prefer electronic signatures without a subscription.
How it works
Drop in the contract, agreement, or document you need signed. Any standard PDF works.
Add your signers and click where each person needs to sign. Assign fields to the right people.
Pay and your signers receive an email with a secure link. They sign in their browser — no account needed.
Pricing
No subscription. No monthly fee. No account balance. You pay when you send, and only when you send.
Legal validity
Quill produces Simple Electronic Signatures (SES), recognised under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 (UK), EU eIDAS Regulation, and the US ESIGN Act. SES are legally valid for the vast majority of commercial contracts and agreements.
Audit trail
Every signed document includes a certificate page recording signer names, emails, timestamps, IP addresses, and consent records.
Tamper evidence
A SHA-256 hash of the completed PDF is computed and stored. Any modification to the document after signing is detectable.
6-year retention
Audit data and signed documents are retained for 6 years, then permanently deleted.
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Upload a PDF, add your signers, and send. Takes under five minutes.