Software · head to head
Better Proposals vs DocuSign
The short version
- Only DocuSign has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Better Proposals documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium; DocuSign expensive pricing with difficult-to-predict costs and billing surprises; higher tiers required for useful features
- They diverge on capability: Better Proposals covers Proposal templates, DocuSign covers Electronic signatures.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Better Proposals and DocuSign actually diverge.
| Attribute | Better Proposals | DocuSign |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2016 | 2003 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Better Proposals
- Proposal templates
- Digital signatures
- Analytics
- Payment collection
- Custom branding
- HubSpot
- Stripe
- Zapier
Only in DocuSign
- Electronic signatures
- Templates
- Mobile signing
- Audit trail
- Agreement analytics
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- SAP
Both cover
- Salesforce
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Better Proposals
- Sending branded sales proposals with digital signaturesnot DocuSign
- Taking payment at the point of signaturenot DocuSign
- Tracking when a prospect opens and reads a proposalnot DocuSign
- Reusable content library and templatesnot DocuSign
- Approval workflows before a proposal goes out, on the Enterprise tiernot DocuSign
DocuSign
- Customer Successnot Better Proposals
- Esignaturesnot Better Proposals
- Agreement Cloudnot Better Proposals
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Better Proposals
- Documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium
- The Starter plan at $13 a month is a single user
- Custom domains, CRM integrations and the API all need Premium at $21 per user per month
- Approvals, content locking and advanced permissions are Enterprise only at $42 per user per month
- The Nudge follow-up feature is a $10 per user per month add-on, and custom design starts at $1,495
DocuSign
- Expensive pricing with difficult-to-predict costs and billing surprises; higher tiers required for useful features
- Slow customer support response times for billing and account issues, with difficulty reaching human agents
- Limited PDF editing capabilities despite the high price point
- Difficulties canceling subscriptions and deleting accounts with potential for unauthorized charges
- Uploaded signatures cannot be changed after signing in some cases, contradicting official documentation
Pricing, plan by plan
Better Proposals
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- 10 proposals/month
- Templates
- Analytics
- Premium$29/month
- Unlimited proposals
- Custom domain
- Integrations
DocuSign
Free- Personal$10/month
- 5 envelopes per month
- Basic signing
- Standard$25/month
- 100 envelopes per user per year
- Advanced fields
- Business Pro$40/month
- 100 envelopes per user per year
- Bulk send
- Payment collection
Which should you pick?
Choose Better Proposals if
- You need proposal templates.
- You also want digital signatures.
Choose DocuSign if
- You need electronic signatures.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want templates.
Questions people ask
- Is Better Proposals or DocuSign better?
- Neither clearly leads. Better Proposals starts at $19/month and DocuSign at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Better Proposals or DocuSign?
- DocuSign has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Better Proposals and Free for DocuSign.
- Does Better Proposals or DocuSign run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use DocuSign for free?
- Yes. DocuSign has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Better Proposals starts at $19/month.
- What is Better Proposals best used for?
- Better Proposals is most often used for sending branded sales proposals with digital signatures, taking payment at the point of signature, tracking when a prospect opens and reads a proposal, reusable content library and templates. Of those, sending branded sales proposals with digital signatures and taking payment at the point of signature are not what DocuSign is typically brought in for.
- What can Better Proposals do that DocuSign cannot?
- Better Proposals covers Proposal templates, Digital signatures, Analytics, Payment collection. DocuSign covers Electronic signatures, Templates, Mobile signing, Audit trail. Both handle Salesforce, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
DocuSign: What are the differences between DocuSign's eSignature and Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) plans?
eSignature plans focus on document signing starting at $10/month for personal use. IAM plans bundle AI-powered agreement analysis, no-code workflow automation via Maestro, and a smart document repository at higher pricing, designed for enterprise teams managing high volumes of contracts.
SourceDocuSign: Does DocuSign offer a free trial?
Yes, DocuSign offers a free Personal plan at $10/month (billed annually) or $15/month (billed monthly) with limited features, but no trial period for paid plans.
SourceDocuSign: What platforms does DocuSign support?
DocuSign integrates with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Teams), Salesforce, Workday, and Slack. Documents can be sent and signed through these applications without leaving the platform.
SourceDocuSign: What are the envelope limits on DocuSign's plans?
The Personal plan includes 5 envelopes per month. Standard and Business Pro plans limit to 100 envelopes per user per year. Overages beyond these limits result in additional charges.
SourceDocuSign: Can I cancel my DocuSign subscription?
While DocuSign allows cancellation, users report difficulties reaching support to process cancellations and account deletions, with some experiencing unauthorized charges after attempting to cancel.
SourceRelated pages
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- DocuSign vs Conga
- DocuSign vs Kapta
- DocuSign vs Lessonly
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- DocuSign vs Allego
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- DocuSign vs Bigtincan
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- DocuSign vs DealHub
- DocuSign vs Proposify
- DocuSign vs Qwilr
- DocuSign vs Showpad
- DocuSign vs ZoomInfo
- DocuSign vs DocuSign CLM
- DocuSign vs Gainsight
- DocuSign vs Mindtickle
- DocuSign vs People.ai
- DocuSign vs Salesforce Commerce Cloud
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