In short: E-signature software lets you send documents for signature by email, guides signers through where to sign, and records an audit trail of who signed and when. Electronic signatures are legally recognised in the UK under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and UK eIDAS. Products such as airSlate SignNow and Nitro Sign are licensed per sender.
What is e-signature software?
E-signature software replaces printing, signing, scanning and posting. You upload a document, place signature, date and form fields, add the signers, and send. Signers receive an email, open the document in a browser on any device, and sign. Once everyone has signed, all parties receive the completed document and a certificate or audit trail recording identities, timestamps and IP addresses.
In the UK, electronic signatures are legally recognised under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and the UK version of the eIDAS regulation. The Law Commission concluded in 2019 that an electronic signature can be used to execute a document, including a deed, provided the person intends to authenticate it and any formalities are met. Some documents, such as certain property and court documents and wills, have specific requirements, so take legal advice for anything unusual.
Examples include airSlate SignNow and Nitro Sign, which is included in Nitro's PDF Pro+ bundle.
The main benefit is time. Contracts, new starter paperwork, supplier agreements and customer consents can be completed in minutes rather than days, and you can see exactly who is holding things up. Completed documents are stored centrally with their audit trail, rather than scattered across inboxes and scanned files.
E-signature: vendors and products we supply
- airSlate: pdfFiller online PDF editing and signNow e-signatures, licensed per user.
- airSlate signNow: E-signatures with templates, bulk sending and payments, licensed per sender.
- Foxit: PDF Editor, eSign and AI Assistant, licensed per user, monthly.
- Foxit eSign: Unlimited envelopes, templates and bulk sending, licensed per user.
- Nitro: PDF editing, e-signature and AI redaction, licensed per user.
- Nitro PDF Pro+: PDF editing, Nitro Sign, Smart Redact and Automate under one per-user licence.
- Nitro Sign: E-signature with templates, bulk send, SSO, passcodes and audit trails.
What to look for
- Templates for documents you send often, such as employment contracts and terms
- Signing order, reminders and expiry controls
- Signer authentication: email, access code or SMS verification for higher-risk documents
- Audit trail and tamper-evident sealing of the completed document
- Integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, CRM and HR systems
- Bulk send and web forms for high-volume or self-service signing
- Data location and retention that suit UK GDPR
- Branding: your logo and colours on signing emails and pages, so recipients trust the request
- Mobile signing that works well on phones, since many signers will open the email there
- Team management: shared templates, folders and the ability to reassign documents when someone is away
How e-signature is licensed
E-signature is usually licensed per sender (the people who prepare and send documents); signers do not need a licence. Plans differ in features such as templates, bulk sending, payments, API access and advanced authentication, and some limit the number of envelopes per user. Some PDF bundles include e-signature, so check before buying separately. See PDF software.
If you send high volumes, such as customer agreements, check any envelope limits and whether API or bulk send features are included in the plan you are considering.
How to choose
- Identify who sends documents for signature and roughly how many each month.
- Decide whether you need templates, bulk send, payments or API integration.
- Check how signers are authenticated for sensitive documents.
- Confirm how completed documents are stored and for how long.
- Consider combining PDF editing and e-signature if many staff need both.
- Review legal requirements for any document types with special formalities, such as deeds that need a witness, and check how the product supports them.
How we help
We help you choose the right plan for your senders, supply the licences on your Forever Systems account and set up templates and integrations. Contact us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Are electronic signatures legally binding in the UK?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally recognised under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and UK eIDAS, and the Law Commission confirmed in 2019 that they can be used to execute most documents. Some document types have specific rules, so take advice where needed.
Do signers need an account or licence?
No. Signers open the document from an email link and sign in a browser. Only senders need a licence.
What is an e-signature audit trail?
A record attached to the completed document showing who signed, when, from which IP address and how they were authenticated, used as evidence if the signature is ever challenged.