The best e-signature app for getting a signature face to face
In-person signing means handing your phone, tablet or laptop to the person in front of you so they sign on the spot, with the same audit trail as an emailed signature. It's how contracts close at kitchen tables, front desks and job sites. The feature sounds the same everywhere, but the plan it's on, the number of signers it handles and how you get your device back vary a lot. We compared six apps from their own pages as of November 2026. SignMaster is ours.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
On this page
Four questions to ask about in-person signing
- Which plan is it on? Several apps keep it off their entry plan.
- How many people can sign in one sitting? Some handle only single-signer documents.
- What stops the signer wandering into your account? A locked screen and a passcode to hand back matter when it's your work phone.
- Is it recorded as in person? The certificate should say who hosted the signing, not just who signed.
Six apps compared
| App | On which plan | Signers | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| SignMaster | Every plan, including Free | One per session; start another session for the next signer | iPhone and iPad app, or any browser |
| DocuSign | Standard and up ($25 per user a month billed yearly) | Not limited on the pricing page | iPhone, iPad, Android and web |
| Dropbox Sign | Standard and Premium | Single-signer documents only | iPad or tablet, from a template link |
| signNow | Not stated in its help article or on its pricing page | Pass the device to each signer in turn | iOS and Android apps |
| Signeasy | Business and up ($20 a seat a month) | Not stated | iPhone, iPad and Android apps |
| DocuSeal | Every plan, including the free cloud plan and open source | Not stated | Browser |
Two well-known apps are missing from the table on purpose. Adobe's July 2026 announcement says in-person signing comes with Acrobat Sign Solutions and isn't available with Acrobat Standard or Pro on their own. PandaDoc lists it from its Business plan at $49 a seat a month billed annually.
How each one handles it
SignMaster: locked until you're back
Choose Sign in person on an envelope and hand over the device. The signer accepts the e-signature consent, then fills and signs each field with the screen guiding them. In the iPhone and iPad app, signing mode fills the screen, can't be swiped away, and only your Face ID, Touch ID or passcode ends it; on the web you confirm the handback. The certificate notes that the person signed in person and who hosted. It's on every plan, including Free. One limit: each session is one signer, and there's no offline mode.
DocuSign: solid, from Standard
DocuSign includes in-person signing on Standard, at $25 per user a month billed yearly or $30 on an annual plan paid monthly, but not on Personal. Its app covers iPhone, iPad and Android, so it works for mixed teams. Choose it if your organization already standardizes on DocuSign.
Dropbox Sign: simple intake on a tablet
Dropbox Sign's version runs from a template link opened on an iPad or tablet: the signer enters their email and signs with a finger. It's on Standard and Premium, it's meant for single-signer documents, and it needs an internet connection. That suits a sign-in sheet or a one-person consent form more than a two-party contract.
signNow: pass the phone around
signNow's help center describes hosting in-person signing on an iOS or Android device: open the document, start in-person mode and pass the device to each signer, who taps Start signing. It's a low-cost option: Business is $8 a month billed annually for the whole account, with unlimited users. Neither the help article nor the pricing page says which plans include in-person signing, so confirm during the free trial.
Signeasy: in person, on any phone
Signeasy lists in-person signing among its mobile features, with apps for iPhone, iPad and Android, and offline signing on every plan. In-person signing starts on Business at $20 a seat a month, $240 billed yearly.
DocuSeal: free, in the browser
DocuSeal includes in-person signing even on its free cloud plan and in the open-source edition. DocuSeal has apps for iPhone, iPad and Android, but their store listings describe sending, tracking and scanning, not in-person signing, so plan on using a browser. A good fit for teams that want the feature without paying for a higher tier.
Running a smooth in-person signing
- 1
Prepare everything before you sit down
Fill in the price, dates and names first. A customer watching you type into fields loses confidence fast.
- 2
Walk them through it, then step back
Explain what they're signing, hand over the device and let them read. Hovering over their shoulder is how people sign without reading.
- 3
Send the copy before you stand up
When the envelope completes, every party gets the signed PDF by email. Confirm it arrived while you're still at the table.
Questions? Answers.
Is in-person signing as valid as an emailed signature?
In the US, e-signature laws don't treat them differently. What matters is consent and a good record. SignMaster's certificate shows the time, the IP address, that it was signed in person and who hosted. See are electronic signatures legal.
Can one person sign in person and another by email on the same document?
Yes, in SignMaster. One homeowner signs on your iPad and the other gets their own link at work; both signatures land in the same envelope.
Which free plan includes in-person signing?
Of these, SignMaster Free and DocuSeal's free cloud plan both include it. Most others start it on a paid tier: DocuSign on Standard, Signeasy on Business, Dropbox Sign on Standard.
What if the customer wants to take it home and think it over?
Then don't push the device across the table. In SignMaster the envelope is already sent, so they get their own email link and can sign at home; if they decide on the spot after all, you can still start an in-person session for them.
Can I use in-person signing on an Android phone?
Yes. DocuSign, signNow and Signeasy have Android apps that support it, and SignMaster runs it in the Android browser.
Sources
- DocuSign eSignature pricing · ecom.docusign.com
- DocuSign mobile app · docusign.com
- Dropbox help: in-person signing · help.dropbox.com
- signNow help: in-person signing · helpcenter.signnow.com
- signNow pricing · signnow.com
- Signeasy pricing · signeasy.com
- Signeasy mobile app · signeasy.com
- DocuSeal pricing · docuseal.com
- DocuSeal on the App Store · apps.apple.com
- DocuSeal on Google Play · play.google.com
- Adobe Community announcement: in-person signing (July 30, 2026) · community.adobe.com
- PandaDoc pricing · pandadoc.com