Esup-Signature

Overview

Esup-Signature is open-source software for sending documents through signing workflows and checking their completion. It is best suited to institutions that need varied signature processes and can operate software on their own servers. Its workflow and verification options are broad, but the local-installation requirement makes it a poor fit for organizations seeking a hosted service.

Key features

Administrators can define who signs, which signature type each step uses, and whether every signer at a step must complete it. Users can launch predefined processes, fill documents online, and delegate signing or data entry; pending and future requests can also be transferred to someone else. This gives institutions room to model internal approvals and external requests, though mixed-level workflows have a strict sequence: simple signatures must come before advanced or qualified signatures.

Supported signature types include verification, visa, and simple, advanced, and qualified electronic signatures. With Esup-DSS-Client, signers can use certificates held on physical keys or cards without moving the certificate from the device. Any document format can be signed, but only PDFs support a visible signature; other formats use XAdES. That distinction matters when recipients need to see a signature mark on the page.

The software can check the integrity of simply signed documents and display their proof file, while DSS Signature verifies certificate-based signatures. Its DSS integration supports eIDAS signatures. PDF forms can be converted into web forms and prefilled from institutional LDAP or custom data sources, which can reduce repeat data entry. Documents can also be exchanged with systems such as Nuxeo or Alfresco through CMIS, network shares, local storage, or web services.

Authentication options include CAS and Shibboleth for internal users, and ProConnect, FranceConnect, or SMS for invited external users. Audit trails, templates, bulk sending, and API access round out the feature set, though institutions must fit these capabilities into their own deployment and operating environment.

Pricing

Esup-Signature (open source): free. The plan uses the Apache 2.0 license and must be installed on the institution’s own server. There is no paid hosted tier described; the zero-price license therefore does not remove the cost of providing and maintaining the infrastructure and technical expertise needed to run it.

The consortium’s minimum project support covers identifying project actors and applying security patches and fixes for defects that prevent normal operation. Implementation calls for knowledge of Java, Maven, Git, and PostgreSQL; Spring, CAS, Shibboleth, Apache, Tomcat, and LDAP knowledge is useful for full operation. This makes the free plan most practical for institutions with an established technical team.

Platforms

Esup-Signature is available for web use and is listed for Linux, macOS, Windows, API, and self-hosted environments. The local-server requirement is decisive: organizations need to manage deployment rather than sign up for a hosted service.

Who it's for

The software addresses internal agents, staff, and students, as well as external partners, citizens, and consultants. It is a strong fit for institutions with varied signing paths, document-management integrations, or online forms tied to institutional data. Small teams without server-administration capacity, or anyone who wants a ready-hosted service, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Multiple signature types, configurable steps, delegation, and transfers support complex institutional workflows.
• Pro: Certificate verification, proof-file checks, and physical-key signing provide options for evidence and hardware-backed certificates.
• Pro: Web forms, LDAP prefill, API access, bulk sending, and document-management exchanges support broader institutional processes.
• Con: Institutions must install and operate the software on their own server, with meaningful technical requirements.
• Con: Simple signatures cannot follow advanced or qualified signatures in a mixed-level workflow.
• Con: Non-PDF documents lack a visual signature, which may not suit workflows that require a visible mark on the document.

Alternatives

OpenSign is worth considering for teams seeking a free plan with unlimited digital signatures, unlimited templates, completion certificates, sequential signing, and OpenSign Drive. Sign.Plus may suit readers who prefer a freemium option with Android and iOS apps; its free plan allows three signature requests total and one template. Signaturely offers a free plan capped at one document or signature request per month, alongside audit trail and history.

BoldSign is another option for users who want a free plan with 25 envelopes per month, two templates, and one user. Certinal may be a better match for clinical and data-processing consent workflows, with multi-channel capture and EMR-native integration. Dropbox Sign offers a free plan capped at three signature requests per month. eSignly provides a lifetime free plan with five signing requests per month and a 5 MB PDF limit. Jotform may suit teams prioritizing forms, with a free Starter plan that includes five forms and 100 monthly submissions. Browse more options in E-Signature Software.

Verdict

Choose Esup-Signature if your institution needs configurable signing, verification, and form workflows and has the technical capacity to host them. Its open-source license and broad signature support are compelling for that audience; the need to run a local server is the main reason to choose a hosted alternative instead.