You find an e-signature platform. The pricing page shows a reasonable monthly fee. You sign up. Six months later, you are paying significantly more than you expected. How does this happen?
This is not about dishonest practices. Most of these costs are disclosed somewhere. The problem is that they are disclosed in ways that are easy to miss during evaluation.
Usage-based billing
Many platforms bill based on usage. The metric varies: documents sent, envelopes used, signatures collected. The concept sounds fair until you encounter the edge cases.
The resend penalty
You send a document. The recipient does not open it. You resend to a different email address. That is two sends, even though only one signature was collected.
You send a contract with a typo. You correct it and send again. That is another send.
These small increments add up. A business that thought it would send 50 documents per month might find itself at 80 sends because of corrections, resends, and failed deliveries.
Envelope ambiguity
Some platforms count envelopes rather than documents. An envelope can contain multiple documents, which sounds generous. But an envelope is also consumed when you void a document or when a recipient declines to sign.
Before signing up
Per-user pricing at scale
Per-user pricing seems straightforward. But consider how your usage might grow. If you start with two users and later want to add a third person who occasionally sends documents, you are adding another full license.
Some platforms require minimum user counts for higher tiers. You might want features available on the Business plan, but that plan requires five users minimum. You pay for five even if only two people use it.
Feature tiers
The base plan gets you signing. Everything else might cost extra:
- ✓Templates and reusable documents
- ✓Bulk sending capabilities
- ✓Custom branding on signature pages
- ✓Advanced authentication methods
- ✓API access for integrations
- ✓Audit trail downloads
The feature you assumed was included might live on a plan that costs twice as much. By the time you discover this, you are already invested in the platform.
Integration costs
Connecting e-signature software to your existing tools can add costs:
API access fees: Some platforms charge separately for API access, even for basic integrations.
Connector subscriptions: Integrations with popular platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot might require separate add-ons or higher plan tiers.
Implementation time: The time your team spends configuring integrations is a real cost, even if the software itself is free.
Storage and retention
Your signed documents need to live somewhere. Questions to ask:
How long are documents stored? Some platforms delete documents after a period unless you pay for extended storage.
What happens if you cancel? Do you lose access immediately? Is there a grace period to export? Exporting years of documents under time pressure is stressful.
Are there storage limits? High-volume users might hit storage caps that trigger additional fees.
Annual billing pressure
Most platforms show annual pricing prominently because it looks lower. The monthly price might be 30-50% higher. Neither price is wrong, but the comparison can be misleading if you are evaluating multiple tools.
Annual billing also locks you in. If the platform does not meet your needs after three months, you have already paid for twelve.
Price increases
Software prices change. The rate you pay today might not be the rate next year. Some platforms have increased prices significantly as they shift focus to enterprise customers.
There is no way to predict future pricing, but you can check whether the platform has a history of increases and how they handle existing customers when prices change.
How to evaluate actual costs
When comparing e-signature platforms, try this exercise:
- ✓Estimate your monthly document volume, including resends and corrections
- ✓Count the number of people who will need to send documents
- ✓List the features you actually need, not might need someday
- ✓Check whether those features are included or require upgrades
- ✓Calculate the total annual cost, not just the monthly rate
- ✓Ask about price increase policies and cancellation terms
The platform that looks cheapest on the pricing page might not be cheapest in practice. The one that looks expensive might include everything you need with no surprises.
Simpler alternatives exist
Some platforms have responded to pricing complexity by going the opposite direction: flat pricing, unlimited usage, all features included. You know what you pay before you sign up, and you know it will not change based on how you use the tool. This shift is part of a broader trend: why businesses are moving to simpler e-signature software.
This model is not right for every business. High-volume enterprise users might find usage-based pricing more economical. But for small businesses that want predictability, flat pricing removes a category of risk entirely. If cost is a priority, explore affordable digital signing options that won't break the bank.
NomaSign uses flat pricing: R99/month for unlimited documents and all features. No per-document fees, no feature tiers, no surprises. See our pricing.