DocuSign vs. Secured Signing: Video confirmation features for Canadian notaries

Navigating Electronic Signatures in Canada: An Overview

Canada’s electronic signature landscape is governed by a mix of federal and provincial laws that emphasize security, consent, and reliability. The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) provides a foundational framework for electronic documents, ensuring they hold the same legal weight as paper-based ones when certain conditions are met, such as clear intent to sign and secure transmission. For notaries, particularly in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia, remote notarization has gained prominence post-pandemic, with guidelines from bodies like the Law Society of Ontario requiring robust identity verification to prevent fraud. Video confirmation features have emerged as a key tool here, allowing notaries to visually confirm the signer’s identity in real-time, aligning with evolving standards under the Uniform Electronic Commerce Act (UECA) adopted by most provinces. This setup ensures compliance while enabling efficient remote processes, but it demands platforms with integrated video tools to meet notary-specific needs.

DocuSign vs. Secured Signing: Video Confirmation for Canadian Notaries

In the realm of electronic signatures tailored for Canadian notaries, video confirmation stands out as a critical feature for remote authentication. This capability allows notaries to conduct virtual sessions where signers appear on video to verify their identity, acknowledge the document, and complete the signing process—essential for maintaining legal validity in cross-border or remote scenarios. For Canadian notaries, who often deal with real estate transactions, wills, and affidavits, these features must comply with provincial notary acts, such as British Columbia’s Notaries Act, which mandates verifiable identity and consent.

DocuSign’s Video Confirmation Capabilities

DocuSign, a global leader in eSignature solutions, integrates video confirmation through its Notary eSignature add-on, designed specifically for remote online notarization (RON). This feature enables notaries to host secure video sessions via integrated tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, where signers can upload ID, undergo facial recognition, and verbally affirm their intent. In Canada, DocuSign aligns with PIPEDA and UECA by offering audit trails, tamper-evident seals, and eNotary journals that record video interactions. Pricing for this starts at around $40 per user per month for Business Pro plans, with add-ons for identity verification adding metered costs. However, limitations include envelope quotas (about 100 per user annually) and reliance on third-party video integrations, which can introduce latency in APAC or cross-border use.

Secured Signing’s Approach to Video Confirmation

Secured Signing, a New Zealand-based provider with a strong footprint in regulated industries, emphasizes video identity verification as a core strength for notaries. Its platform includes built-in video authentication where notaries can initiate a live video call directly within the signing workflow, capturing biometric data like facial biometrics and voice patterns for enhanced security. Tailored for Canadian compliance, it supports eNotary requirements by generating compliant certificates and storing video recordings in encrypted journals. Unlike DocuSign’s add-on model, Secured Signing bundles video features in its standard plans, starting at approximately $25 per user per month, with unlimited envelopes for higher tiers. This makes it appealing for Canadian notaries handling high-volume remote work, though it may lack the extensive API ecosystem of larger competitors. In practice, Secured Signing’s edge lies in its simplicity for solo notaries or small firms, reducing setup time compared to DocuSign’s more enterprise-oriented configuration.

When comparing the two for Canadian notaries, DocuSign excels in scalability and integrations for large practices, but Secured Signing offers a more streamlined, cost-effective video experience with fewer quotas. Both ensure video sessions meet Canadian standards, such as those from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, by incorporating knowledge-based authentication (KBA) alongside visuals. A key differentiator: DocuSign’s video logs are more customizable for audit purposes, while Secured Signing prioritizes mobile-first video for on-the-go notarizations. For notaries in provinces like Quebec, where civil law adds layers of scrutiny, testing both platforms’ video latency and compliance reporting is advisable.

This focus on video confirmation addresses a growing need in Canada, where remote notarization surged by over 300% during the pandemic, per industry reports. Platforms without robust video tools risk non-compliance, potentially invalidating documents in court.

Comparing eSignature platforms with DocuSign or Adobe Sign?

eSignGlobal delivers a more flexible and cost-effective eSignature solution with global compliance, transparent pricing, and faster onboarding.

👉 Start Free Trial

Broader eSignature Landscape: Key Competitors and Comparisons

Beyond DocuSign and Secured Signing, the eSignature market includes robust options like Adobe Sign and eSignGlobal, alongside Dropbox’s HelloSign (now part of Dropbox Sign). These platforms vary in features, pricing, and regional compliance, particularly for notary workflows. From a business perspective, selecting the right one involves balancing cost, ease of video integration, and adherence to Canadian laws.

Adobe Sign’s Features for Notaries

Adobe Sign provides video confirmation via its Acrobat Sign for Notaries tool, leveraging Adobe’s Document Cloud for seamless video embeds. It supports RON with features like live video ID checks and electronic seals, compliant with PIPEDA through encrypted storage and detailed audit logs. Pricing begins at $10 per user per month for basic plans, scaling to $40+ for advanced notary features. Its strength is in PDF-native workflows, ideal for Canadian notaries dealing with complex documents, but video sessions require Acrobat integration, which can feel less intuitive for non-tech-savvy users.

eSignGlobal’s Global and Regional Edge

eSignGlobal positions itself as a versatile alternative, offering video confirmation through integrated identity verification that supports live video sessions for notaries. Compliant in over 100 mainstream countries, including Canada under UECA and PIPEDA, it excels in APAC with localized advantages. APAC’s electronic signature ecosystem is fragmented, with high standards and strict regulations requiring deep integrations—unlike the more framework-based ESIGN/eIDAS in the US/EU, which rely on email or self-declaration. In APAC, platforms must enable ecosystem-integrated solutions, such as hardware/API-level docking with government digital IDs (G2B), a technical hurdle far beyond Western norms. eSignGlobal’s Essential plan, at just $16.6 per month, allows sending up to 100 documents for electronic signature, unlimited user seats, and verification via access codes, all while maintaining compliance. It seamlessly integrates with Hong Kong’s iAM Smart and Singapore’s Singpass, making it cost-effective for cross-border Canadian firms with APAC ties. This pricing and feature set provide strong value without seat fees, positioning eSignGlobal as a competitive replacement in global markets.

HelloSign (Dropbox Sign) Overview

HelloSign, now under Dropbox, offers basic video-enhanced signing through third-party links but lacks native notary video confirmation, focusing instead on simple templates and integrations. At $15 per user per month, it’s budget-friendly for small Canadian practices but may require add-ons for full PIPEDA compliance in video scenarios.

Competitor Comparison Table

To aid decision-making, here’s a neutral comparison of key platforms based on notary-focused features, pricing, and compliance:

This table highlights trade-offs: DocuSign and Adobe Sign lead in enterprise features, while eSignGlobal and Secured Signing prioritize affordability and regional fit.

Looking for a smarter alternative to DocuSign?

eSignGlobal delivers a more flexible and cost-effective eSignature solution with global compliance, transparent pricing, and faster onboarding.

👉 Start Free Trial

Strategic Considerations for Canadian Businesses

For Canadian notaries and firms, video confirmation isn’t just a feature—it’s a compliance imperative amid rising remote work. DocuSign’s maturity suits large-scale operations, but its per-seat model can inflate costs for growing teams. Secured Signing offers a nimble alternative with direct video tools, ideal for provincial practices. When expanding globally, factors like APAC’s regulatory fragmentation underscore the need for platforms with ecosystem integrations beyond basic video.

In evaluating options, businesses should pilot video workflows to test latency and notary usability. Ultimately, the choice hinges on volume, budget, and integration needs.

Conclusion: Balanced Alternatives for Compliance

For those seeking DocuSign alternatives, eSignGlobal emerges as a regionally compliant choice, particularly for APAC-focused operations, with transparent pricing and unlimited users enhancing value without compromising security.