BoldSign advertises 25 envelopes per month on its free tier. That sounds generous. What it does not tell you upfront is that there is a recipient limit per document that you only discover after uploading your PDF, adding all your signers, and placing every field. The error appears at the point of sending — after you have done all the work.
Quill costs £1.99 per document. That is stated on every page, before you upload anything. Each document supports up to 10 signers. There are no hidden limits, no surprise caps, and no moment where the tool pulls the rug after you have invested your time.
| BoldSign Free | Quill | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (with hidden limits) | £1.99 per document |
| Envelopes/month | 25 (advertised) | No limit |
| Recipients per document | Limited (discovered at send) | Up to 10 |
| Limits disclosed upfront | No | Yes |
| Audit trail | Basic | Full (timestamps, IP, consent, SHA-256) |
| Signer account required | No | No |
This is not a page designed to make BoldSign look bad. BoldSign has a capable signing platform with a generous free tier. But the way the recipient limit is surfaced — after you have already done the work — is a poor experience that wastes your time.
Quill takes the opposite approach. The price is £1.99 per document. Each document supports up to 10 signers. These facts are stated before you start, not after. If Quill is not the right tool for your document, you will know before you upload it, not after you have placed every field.
Every document includes up to 10 signers, a full audit trail with timestamps and IP addresses, a SHA-256 tamper-evidence hash, automatic reminders at day 3 and day 6, and a signed PDF emailed to all parties. Signatures are legally binding under applicable law in the UK, EU, and US. For full pricing details, see pay-per-document electronic signatures.
Comparing other tools? 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.
Related
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A Dropbox Sign alternative without the free tier ceiling
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Upload a PDF, add your signers, and send. Takes under five minutes.