Softwr

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs SignWell

HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SignWell logo

SignWell

Productivity

Electronic signature service priced per sender, with unlimited documents on paid plans

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SignWell has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; SignWell the free plan stops at three documents a month, which makes it a trial rather than a tier, so any genuine use converts to a paid seat within weeks.
  • They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, SignWell covers Per-sender pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and SignWell actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and SignWell differ
AttributeHEYSignWell
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMac, Windows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

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 HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

Only in SignWell

  • Per-sender pricing
  • Free signers
  • Free plan
  • Templates
  • Audit trail
  • Automatic reminders
  • In-person signing
  • Bulk send and template links

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot SignWell
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot SignWell
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot SignWell
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot SignWell

SignWell

  • A small business sending a steady flow of contracts from one or two people, where per-envelope pricing elsewhere adds up faster than a seat would.not HEY
  • Replacing print, sign and scan for client agreements, offers of employment and consent forms.not HEY
  • Embedding signing into your own product through the API without committing to enterprise pricing first.not HEY
  • Repeated onboarding paperwork sent from a template with automatic chasing rather than manual reminders.not HEY

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

SignWell

  • The free plan stops at three documents a month, which makes it a trial rather than a tier, so any genuine use converts to a paid seat within weeks.
  • Pricing is per sender, so an organisation where many people occasionally need to send something either buys seats for staff who send a handful of documents a year or funnels everything through one person and creates a bottleneck.
  • Templates are rationed by tier, at one on free and five per sender on the entry plan, and templates are what makes the tool worth using at all, so the practical entry point is a tier above the headline price.
  • It is a smaller vendor in a category where signed agreements must be retrievable years later, so the safe practice is downloading every signed document and its audit certificate into your own storage rather than relying on the account still existing.
  • It provides standard electronic signatures rather than acting as a qualified trust service provider, so any transaction requiring a qualified electronic signature under European rules needs a different supplier alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

SignWell

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 sender
    • 1 template
    • 3 documents per month
  • Light$10/month
    • Annual pricing: $10/month (monthly: $12/month)
    • 1 sender
    • 5 templates per sender
  • Business$30/month
    • Annual pricing: $30/month (monthly: $36/month)
    • 3 senders
    • Unlimited templates and documents
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing for teams of 50+
    • High volume support
    • Advanced compliance needs

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Choose SignWell if

  • You need per-sender pricing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want free signers.
SignWell review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or SignWell better?
Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and SignWell at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or SignWell?
SignWell has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for SignWell.
Does HEY or SignWell run on more platforms?
HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. SignWell runs on Web.
Can I use SignWell for free?
Yes. SignWell has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is HEY best used for?
HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what SignWell is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that SignWell cannot?
HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. SignWell covers Per-sender pricing, Free signers, Free plan, Templates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

SignWell: Do signers need an account or a licence?

No. Recipients open a link, sign and are done, with no account and no cost. You pay only for the people who send documents.

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

SignWell: What does the free plan actually allow?

Three documents a month, one sender and one template, along with a small monthly allowance of API documents. It does not include custom branding or bulk send.

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

SignWell: Is an electronic signature legally binding?

Electronic signatures are recognised for most commercial agreements under the relevant American and European frameworks, and SignWell records an audit trail. Certain instruments are excluded by statute, and anything requiring a qualified signature needs a qualified provider.

SignWell: How hard is it to leave?

The signed documents are ordinary PDFs you can download with their certificates, so the records move easily. Your templates and the workflows built around them do not.

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