You are searching for a free way to get a document signed electronically. That is reasonable. But the free tools come with trade-offs: document limits, watermarks, required accounts, broken PDF rendering, and features that stop working the moment you need them most.
Quill is not free, and this page is not going to pretend otherwise. It costs £1.99 per document. But £1.99 buys you something the free tools do not offer: a tool that works the same way every time, with no limits to discover, no accounts for your signers to create, and no moment where you hit a wall and have to start again with a different tool.
Free electronic signature tools typically work in one of three ways:
Free tier with limits — you get 3-5 documents per month, then hit a paywall. The free tier exists to get you invested before you discover the limit.
Free with watermarks — your signed document includes the tool’s branding. Fine for internal documents, awkward when you are sending a contract to a client.
Free with account requirements — your signers need to create an account to sign. This adds friction, delays, and a reasonable question from your signer: “Why do I need to sign up for something just to sign your document?”
If you send 2-3 documents a year, Quill costs £4-6. A subscription tool costs £150-300. A free tool costs nothing in money but costs you time every time you hit a limit, troubleshoot a broken PDF, or explain to a signer why they need to create an account.
£1.99 is less friction than free. See the full breakdown of what £1.99 includes, or read about whether electronic signatures are legally binding in the UK. If you are comparing subscription tools, see how Quill works as a DocuSign alternative or learn about 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
Sign documents without a subscription
Electronic signatures without a monthly fee. Quill charges £1.99 per document — no subscription, no account balance, no minimums. Legally binding in the UK, EU, and US.
£1.99 per document. That is the entire pricing page.
Pay-per-document electronic signatures. £1.99 when you send. No subscription, no account balance, no hidden fees. Legally binding in the UK, EU, and US.
A DocuSign alternative that does not charge monthly
DocuSign starts at £10/month with envelope limits. Quill is £1.99 per document with no subscription, no envelope caps, and no annual commitment.
Are electronic signatures legally binding in the UK?
Yes, for most commercial contracts. Electronic signatures are legally valid under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and retained UK eIDAS regulation. Here is what you need to know.
Upload a PDF, add your signers, and send. Takes under five minutes.