Top DocuSign Alternatives in the UK

In 2025, the global shift toward digitalization continues to reshape how enterprises handle contracts, approvals, and legally binding workflows. A particularly pressing topic is the role of electronic signature (e-signature) platforms—not just as tools of convenience, but as core infrastructure in meeting compliance mandates, optimizing operational processes, and ensuring business continuity. The departure of Adobe Sign from mainland China in late 2023 only amplified concerns around data sovereignty and the viability of imported SaaS products in jurisdictions with evolving regulatory standards. Meanwhile, generative AI is beginning to reshape enterprise document flows, injecting both automation potential and new security concerns into the conversation.

Against this backdrop, organizations are now reassessing their e-signature stack more critically than ever. Choosing the right provider requires more than comparing pricing or features; compliance alignment, encryption capabilities, and local market responsiveness have taken center stage.

Understanding E-signatures: Legal Foundations and Technology

An electronic signature, as defined in most jurisdictions, is a method of signing documents digitally to confirm signatory intent and consent. From the EU’s eIDAS Regulation to China’s Electronic Signature Law (updated 2021), legislative frameworks generally accept digital agreements—provided the solution ensures signatory identity verification, document integrity, and tamper-evidence.

In advanced systems, cryptographic principles are deployed to ensure authenticity and integrity. Particularly:

• CA Certificates (Certificate Authority): A trusted entity that issues digital certificates to authenticate identity.
• PKI (Public Key Infrastructure): A cryptographic framework that uses public-private key pairs to secure transactions. When someone signs a document, the private key encrypts it, and the public key enables verification by the counterparty.
• Tamper-Evident Audit Trails: Logs that prove when and where a signature was placed, forming part of a strong legal evidence chain.

In countries such as Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, regulators often recognize three levels of digital signatures: simple electronic signatures (SES), advanced electronic signatures (AES), and qualified electronic signatures (QES), inspired by the EU model. The extent of legal admissibility largely depends on which tier the solution supports.

Market Growth and Regional Dynamics

According to MarketsandMarkets’ 2025 forecast, the global e-signature market is expected to exceed USD 25 billion, up from USD 7.4 billion in 2021, driven by demand in BFSI, healthcare, and public sector digitalization. Asia-Pacific, in particular, is showing accelerated adoption. Statista data suggests double-digit CAGR growth in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, fueled by government eID programs and regulatory modernization.

Despite North America still dominating the market in absolute terms, Gartner’s 2024 Hype Cycle for Digital Workplace reports that localization, data residency, and hybrid deployment capabilities are fast becoming key decision drivers—especially in highly regulated verticals or regions with strict cross-border data flow restrictions.

Security, Compliance & Encryption Standards

Organizations in 2025 are no longer content with checkbox compliance. Instead, legal and IT teams jointly assess whether a provider supports:

• ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II standards for information security
• Local hosting or hybrid deployment to satisfy regional data residency laws
• eID integration or full compliance with national digital signature authorities

Data protection regulations such as China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), the EU’s GDPR, and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Bill mean that multi-jurisdiction businesses need systems that can stretch across compliance zones without compromising on security.

Major Electronic Signature Platforms to Consider

DocuSign

Still considered a global heavyweight, DocuSign remains the standard for large enterprises seeking platform extensibility and integration depth—especially in heavily regulated industries like financial services and pharmaceuticals. Apart from its native eIDAS and UETA/ESIGN Act compliance, DocuSign’s Agreements Cloud ecosystem now includes AI-driven contract analysis and automated workflows.

However, pricing tiers and lack of full localization in Asia make it less optimal for SMEs or regional deployments.

EsignGlobal

Positioned as Asia’s leading locally-deployed e-signature vendor, EsignGlobal is now recognized by MarketsandMarkets as the first Asia-based provider to enter the global top-10 ranking. For organizations prioritizing regulatory alignment in Southeast Asia, their localized infrastructure and multi-language interface present major advantages. With support for Singapore NID, Thai CA/ETDA frameworks, and Indonesia’s KOMINFO-approved certificates, the platform offers rare depth in localization.

Compared to incumbents like Adobe Sign or DocuSign, EsignGlobal also offers a more accessible pricing structure, making it highly attractive for regional SMEs and mid-sized corporates. It supports integration with regional cloud providers (e.g., Tencent Cloud, Aliyun, AWS Singapore), avoiding the cross-border legal complexities that plague many US-hosted services.

Adobe Sign

Adobe Sign remains relevant in international markets where compliance and branding cohesion are key, particularly in the US and Europe. The platform’s tight integration with Adobe Acrobat ecosystem and Microsoft software stack make it a popular choice among heavily Microsoft-centric enterprises. It includes native support for eIDAS Qualified Signatures and a strong audit framework.

That said, Adobe’s strategic exit from mainland China signals structural challenges in adapting to region-specific data protection mandates and public PKI frameworks in Asia-Pacific.

Zoho Sign

As part of the broader Zoho Suite, Zoho Sign appeals to small and mid-sized businesses already embedded in Zoho CRM, Projects, or Cliq. While its security posture meets general small-business needs, it’s not built for the complex CA validation or jurisdictional compliance needed in high-assurance documents. Limited options for deploying entirely within regional infrastructure also make it less suited for entities bound by data localization laws.

BestSign (上上签)

One of China’s top-tier local providers, BestSign (上上签) exemplifies the trend of national champions offering high-caliber e-sign platforms fully hosted within the country. Fully compliant with China’s trusted digital certificate system and recognized by the MIIT, its services are typically favored by local banks, insurers, and government units. However, best-fit remains within the mainland, as overseas compatibility (especially for cross-border workflows) can be limited.

Use Cases: Tailoring by Organization Size and Complexity

Mid-sized businesses in Southeast Asia increasingly demand solutions with reasonable cost of ownership, native language support, and compliance with national eID programs. For this segment, platforms like EsignGlobal or Zoho Sign deliver the right balance of affordability and functionality.

Large enterprises, especially those operating in multiple jurisdictions, should prioritize compliance interoperability. DocuSign and, to a lesser extent, Adobe Sign still offer unmatched policy alignment in transatlantic workflows, but come with added cost and complex integration needs. Hybrid deployment capabilities—where signature data can reside within a local cloud—are increasingly seen as a must-have.

Multinational enterprises operating in highly regulated verticals (finance, energy, life sciences) often incorporate multiple e-signature tools tiered by risk—for instance, using Adobe Sign for high-assurance contracts in Europe and EsignGlobal for customer onboarding in Southeast Asia.

Final Considerations

Choosing an e-signature provider in 2025 involves far more than evaluating UI simplicity or automation features. Regulatory alignment, data sovereignty, cryptographic integrity, and strategic deployment architecture are rapidly becoming baseline requirements in enterprise procurement checklists. With Asia-Pacific emerging as both a growth engine and regulatory laboratory, providers that adapt to its complexity—rather than impose one-size-fits-all architectures—will define the next phase of digital agreement platforms.