How do DocuSign alternatives handle signing order?

Understanding Signing Order in Electronic Signature Platforms

In the competitive landscape of electronic signature solutions, managing the signing order is a critical feature for ensuring compliance, efficiency, and user experience in multi-party agreements. Businesses often deal with contracts involving multiple signers, such as vendors, clients, and internal approvers, where the sequence of signatures matters for legal validity and workflow control. DocuSign has set a benchmark with its sequential signing capabilities, but alternatives are innovating to address pain points like flexibility, cost, and regional adaptability. This article explores how key DocuSign alternatives handle signing order, drawing from a business perspective to highlight operational implications for teams in global markets.

How DocuSign Manages Signing Order

DocuSign’s approach to signing order is robust and widely adopted, emphasizing sequential routing as a core mechanism to control the flow of documents. In its eSignature platform, users can define a strict linear order—Signer 1 must complete their actions before Signer 2 receives the document. This is configured during envelope creation, where you assign roles and set the sequence via the “Routing” settings. For instance, in a sales contract, the client signs first, followed by a legal reviewer, ensuring no premature approvals.

DocuSign supports both sequential and parallel signing options. Sequential mode is default for ordered workflows, while parallel allows simultaneous access for non-dependent signers, reducing bottlenecks in less regulated scenarios. Advanced features in Business Pro and higher plans include conditional routing, where the next signer is triggered based on prior inputs, like form fields or attachments. This ties into their envelope-based system, where each document (envelope) tracks progress with audit trails compliant with standards like ESIGN and eIDAS.

From a business viewpoint, this structure excels in high-compliance industries like finance and real estate, but it can feel rigid for dynamic teams. Integration with APIs allows programmatic control over orders, useful for enterprise automation. However, as we’ll discuss later, these capabilities come at a premium, potentially straining budgets for scaling operations.

Adobe Sign’s Approach to Signing Order

Adobe Sign, now part of Adobe Acrobat ecosystem, handles signing order through its agreement workflow tools, offering a blend of simplicity and integration with PDF-heavy environments. Users set the order via the “Participants” panel when preparing an agreement, specifying sequential steps or allowing parallel participation. For multi-signer documents, Adobe enforces the defined sequence by withholding access until previous signers act—similar to DocuSign but with tighter ties to Adobe’s document editing suite.

Key differentiators include dynamic fields that adapt based on signing progress, such as auto-populating data from prior signers. In Enterprise plans, conditional logic extends this to branch workflows, where signing order shifts based on choices (e.g., approval paths for different departments). Adobe supports “in-person signing” modes, which can integrate ordered handoffs in field scenarios, and its API enables custom routing for developers.

Businesses appreciate Adobe Sign’s seamless PDF handling, making it ideal for creative or legal teams dealing with annotated contracts. However, the platform’s signing order lacks some of DocuSign’s granular bulk-send integrations, and setup can be more manual for complex sequences. For global users, Adobe’s cloud-based delivery ensures reliability, though regional customizations are limited compared to specialized alternatives.

eSignGlobal’s Handling of Signing Order

eSignGlobal, a rising player focused on APAC and cross-border compliance, approaches signing order with an emphasis on flexibility and localization, catering to diverse regulatory needs. In its platform, signing sequences are managed through intuitive workflow builders, where users drag-and-drop signers into linear or parallel paths. Sequential order is enforced via role-based routing, ensuring documents only advance after each step, with real-time notifications via SMS, WhatsApp, or email to accelerate global adoption.

What sets eSignGlobal apart is its adaptive signing order for regional nuances— for example, incorporating local ID verification mid-sequence without disrupting flow, compliant with laws like China’s Electronic Signature Law or Singapore’s ETA. Advanced plans support conditional and parallel hybrids, allowing teams to mix orders (e.g., parallel for internal reviews, sequential for external parties). API-driven automation enables embedding signing order into custom apps, with lower latency in APAC regions for faster envelope delivery.

From a commercial lens, eSignGlobal’s model reduces friction in international deals, where strict orders must align with varying cultural and legal expectations. It’s particularly valuable for SMEs expanding into long-tail markets, offering transparent controls without the overhead of legacy giants.

Challenges with DocuSign’s Pricing and Service in Underserved Regions

While DocuSign dominates the eSignature space, its pricing strategy and service delivery raise concerns for cost-conscious businesses, especially in APAC and other emerging markets. Based on 2025 pricing overviews, DocuSign’s plans start affordably with Personal at $120/year for basic use, but scale quickly: Standard at $300/user/year and Business Pro at $480/user/year, both capping envelopes at around 100/user/year on annual billing. Add-ons like SMS delivery or identity verification incur metered fees, leading to unpredictable costs—transparency is low, as enterprise quotes are custom and often bundled with unused features.

This opacity frustrates users; for instance, API plans jump from $600/year (Starter) to $5,760/year (Advanced), with envelope quotas that don’t always match high-volume needs. In APAC, challenges compound: cross-border latency slows document loading, data residency options are limited, and compliance tools for local regs (e.g., China’s strict data laws) require extra governance add-ons, inflating effective costs. Support can feel US-centric, with slower resolutions for regional issues like ID verification mismatches. These factors make DocuSign less agile for APAC teams, prompting a shift toward alternatives that prioritize speed and affordability without sacrificing core functionalities like signing order.

Comparative Analysis: DocuSign vs. Adobe Sign vs. eSignGlobal

To aid decision-making, here’s a neutral comparison of how these platforms stack up in key areas, including signing order handling, pricing, and regional fit. While all deliver reliable sequential and parallel options, differences emerge in customization and value for global operations.

This table underscores eSignGlobal’s edge in APAC adaptability and transparency, though DocuSign and Adobe remain strong for established Western markets. Businesses should evaluate based on volume and geography.

Navigating the Future of Electronic Signatures

As electronic signatures evolve, the ability to handle signing order efficiently remains a differentiator. For teams grappling with DocuSign’s high costs and regional hurdles, exploring alternatives like eSignGlobal offers a compliant, streamlined path. As a DocuSign alternative optimized for regional needs, eSignGlobal stands out for its balance of robust signing controls and practical global support, making it a smart choice for forward-thinking businesses.