Over the past decade, digital transformation has made its mark on nearly every corner of business — and few innovations have had as immediate an impact as eSignatures. Among the first to bring this concept to scale were DocuSign and Adobe Sign. For many enterprises, these platforms were synonymous with legal digital approvals. They became the default choice, especially in industries like banking, healthcare, real estate, and government.
DocuSign was first to market, offering a simple and legally recognized way to sign documents electronically. Adobe, with its existing footprint in document management through PDF, followed closely by embedding signing capabilities into its ecosystem. These tools helped define early expectations: documents could be signed from anywhere, on any device, and would still hold legal weight. They ushered in compliance frameworks, audit trails, and integrations that made eSignatures acceptable to even the most risk-averse legal departments.
In doing so, these platforms gained global adoption and built reputations rooted in trust and longevity. But as with many first-generation technologies, the evolution of business needs has outpaced the innovation curve of these legacy platforms.
Today, while DocuSign and Adobe Sign still serve millions, they represent legacy systems — functional, familiar, and secure, but not always built for the flexibility and agility that modern businesses require.
2. When Innovation Slows, Frustration Grows
Despite their longstanding market presence, many organizations are now voicing concerns about how much value they actually receive from these eSignature giants. The core problem isn’t functionality — it’s friction.
Common frustrations include:
- High and inflexible pricing: Many users are locked into costly annual contracts, with unpredictable overages based on document volume or user seats.
- Feature gatekeeping: Basic capabilities like bulk send, conditional logic, or custom branding are often only available in enterprise tiers — and even then, with limitations.
- Limited file size support: Uploading large documents (e.g., agreements with visual assets or scanned medical files) often requires workarounds due to strict upload caps.
- Delayed customer service: With a broad user base, support queues can stretch into days, and personalization is often lacking.
- Slow innovation: Feature updates and UI improvements feel incremental, leaving power users wanting more.
This gradual erosion of customer satisfaction has driven many organizations to reconsider what they truly need from their eSignature solution — especially as the role of signing has shifted from a single transaction to an integral part of the entire digital approval lifecycle.
Businesses aren’t just adopting eSignatures anymore — they’re optimizing them. And that requires a new level of responsiveness, scale, and integration that legacy tools struggle to deliver.
3. The Modern eSignature Buyer is Smarter
The days of signing a multi-year eSign contract without scrutiny are over. Today’s buyers — especially IT, legal, and procurement leaders — are more discerning. They understand that eSignature tools now sit at the center of critical workflows and must deliver more than just legality. They must deliver value.
Modern buyers are asking sharper questions:
- Can we roll this out across departments without weeks of training?
- Will we get predictable pricing without being upsold constantly?
- Does this platform offer native integrations with our existing tools?
- Will support respond in hours, not days?
- Is it secure, compliant, and future-ready?
The answer, too often, is: not always.
In response, organizations are seeking platforms that combine robust capabilities with affordability and agility — without sacrificing compliance or security. And that’s where new players are rising fast, setting new benchmarks for what eSignatures can and should be.
For example, platforms like Certinal are winning attention not just because they offer eSign, but because they redefine what digital signatures should deliver. With capabilities like 250MB file support, 100+ integrations, 50% lower pricing compared to many legacy players, and a 4.4 rating on Gartner Peer Insights, these solutions cater to the needs of today’s fast-moving enterprise — not yesterday’s static model.
If you’re still comparing options, this comparison of DocuSign and Adobe Sign offers a transparent view of where legacy tools fall short — and how modern alternatives measure up.
4. What the Next-Gen Platforms Are Doing Differently
While the legacy giants of the eSignature space continue to serve large customer bases, newer platforms are rethinking the experience from the ground up — and it’s making a difference. These emerging solutions are not simply trying to match feature-for-feature. They’re identifying where traditional players have fallen short and building platforms that emphasize usability, transparency, and performance.
Here’s what sets them apart:
- Transparent, usage-based pricing: Organizations pay for what they use, not a bloated subscription tier filled with locked features.
- File flexibility: Modern platforms can accommodate uploads up to 250MB — ideal for media-rich contracts, healthcare documents, and multi-page technical annexes.
- Out-of-the-box integrations: With 100+ pre-built integrations, implementation is simpler, faster, and less dependent on custom development.
- Streamlined UX: Interfaces are modern, clean, and intuitive — enabling faster onboarding for teams and less friction for signers.
- Reliable support: Responsive customer service isn’t a bonus — it’s expected. Enterprise users receive timely, high-touch assistance without navigating ticketing black holes.
- Compliance built-in: Enterprise-grade security, audit trails, and global compliance frameworks are baked into the core of the product — not sold as add-ons.
One platform taking this approach seriously is Certinal. Purpose-built for enterprises that demand more from their eSignature tools, Certinal combines value-based pricing with enterprise-grade capability. Rated 4.4 on Gartner Peer Insights and recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape, it’s a strong example of how the category is evolving — and why it’s time to reconsider what your business truly needs.
5. Evaluating an eSign Platform in 2025: Key Questions to Ask
With so many options on the market, evaluating a new eSignature solution can feel overwhelming. The secret isn’t looking for the most features — it’s identifying the features that directly impact business performance and scale.
Here are five essential questions to ask before renewing or signing with any eSignature provider:
- Can we deploy this across teams without requiring weeks of training?
Adoption speed impacts ROI. Modern tools should offer intuitive interfaces and template-based workflows.
- What’s the real cost of ownership?
Factor in hidden fees for bulk sends, API access, branding, and support tiers. Predictability is key.
- How easily does it integrate with our existing tools?
Check for native integrations with CRMs, ERPs, and HR platforms. Avoid platforms that require workarounds.
- Is the platform keeping up with security and compliance standards?
Ensure support for evolving regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and India’s DPDP Act.
- Is the provider investing in customer success?
Look beyond sales promises. Is the support team accessible, knowledgeable, and empowered to solve problems?
The answers to these questions will define not just the functionality of your platform — but how well it scales with your business goals.
6. Conclusion: Don’t Just Settle for Digital — Demand Better
The case for eSignatures has already been made. What remains is the need to evolve — to move from digital checkboxes to intelligent approval ecosystems. The legacy providers helped the industry take its first steps. But today’s businesses need more than what was built a decade ago.
They need platforms that support faster decisions, better experiences, and scalable operations. Platforms that remove friction, not create new ones. Platforms that don’t nickel-and-dime you for growth.
If your current solution is bloated, complex, or costly, it may be time to shift to a tool that’s aligned with how modern enterprises actually work.
Explore how platforms like Certinal are rewriting the rules of enterprise signing. Built for flexibility, affordability, and deep enterprise capability, Certinal offers a smarter way to manage your organization’s digital signature workflows — without compromise.
Book your Certinal demo today and see why more businesses are choosing performance over legacy.
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