TL;DR — Quick Summary
Deploy DocuSeal for self-hosted document signing and e-signatures. Create templates, send for signing, track status, and store documents on your server. Free DocuSign alternative.
DocuSeal — Self-Hosted E-Signatures
DocuSeal lets you send documents for signing from your own server. No per-document fees, no monthly limits.
services:
docuseal:
image: docuseal/docuseal:latest
container_name: docuseal
restart: always
ports:
- "3000:3000"
volumes:
- docuseal-data:/data
volumes:
docuseal-data:Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Template builder | Visual drag-and-drop field placement |
| Field types | Signature, initials, text, date, checkbox, file |
| Multi-signer | Multiple signers with different roles |
| API | Full REST API for automation |
| Audit trail | Timestamps, IP addresses, completion logs |
| SMTP | Send via your own email server |
| Webhooks | Notify your systems on completion |
| Embedding | Embed signing forms in your app |
DocuSeal vs DocuSign vs PandaDoc
| Feature | DocuSeal | DocuSign | PandaDoc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Cost | Free | $10+/user/mo | $19+/user/mo |
| Documents/mo | Unlimited | 5 (free) | Unlimited |
| Templates | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| API | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Audit trail | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Data ownership | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |