Compare
Docustay and DocuSeal
As of 6 October 2026. Written from each product's public pages; details change, so check theirs.
DocuSeal
Open-source document signing with a hosted cloud, an on-premises edition, an API and a template and form builder.
Docustay
Hosted, with a free self-host option. The API, embedding and webhooks come with the plans. Signed copies carry a certificate page, and anyone can check the seal on the Verify page.
Side by side
| Topic | DocuSeal | Docustay |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted free plan | Basic: $0 per user per month, with 10 request emails per month | Free: 15 documents a month |
| Hosted paid plan | Pro: $20 per user per month, or $200 per user per year | Pro: $39 a month for the whole workspace with unlimited users; founders who subscribe by the cut-off date shown on the Pricing page pay $25 a month for as long as the subscription stays active |
| API and embedding | Listed under Pro at $0.20 per completion; the sandbox is $0 per document | Included in every plan; test mode is free and never billed |
| Run it yourself | Free to run yourself; an on-premises Pro plan is $20 per user per month or $240 per user per year | Free and unlimited; a licence key at $160 a year per install unlocks the Pro items, for your own business |
| Source licence | AGPLv3 with additional terms, as shown on its GitHub page | AGPL-3.0 for the server and app, MIT for the SDKs and signing element; a commercial licence is available |
| Extras listed on its plans | SSO and SAML, identity checks by SMS, bulk send from a spreadsheet, user roles and teams | No SSO and no SMS identity checks today; see Pricing for what Pro adds |
Source for DocuSeal: www.docuseal.com/pricing,github.com/docusealco/docuseal. Read on 6 October 2026. Docustay's own numbers come from its Pricing page.
Where they differ
- DocuSeal charges by user, so the price of a team grows with the team. Docustay's pricing page shows one flat price for the workspace.
- DocuSeal's API and embedding are priced per completed document. Docustay includes them and lets you rehearse in test mode.
- DocuSeal lists SSO, SAML and SMS identity checks. Docustay does not offer those today, so a company that needs them should choose DocuSeal.
- Both can be run on your own server. Read each licence before you build a product on top of it.
Who should choose DocuSeal
Choose DocuSeal if your company needs single sign-on, SAML or identity checks by text message today; its plans list them and Docustay does not offer them. Choose it too if you want a long-established open-source project with a large community and you are comfortable with its licence terms. A team that already runs it and is happy has little reason to move.
Who should choose Docustay
Choose Docustay if you want the same shape of product with a flat price for the workspace, an API and embedding that are part of every plan, and a free test mode so a developer can rehearse the whole flow without sending anything real. It also suits people who want to hand a signer one plain page with no account, and to give everyone a sealed PDF whose seal they can check in their own browser.
How the money works
DocuSeal's hosted plans are priced per user, and its API and embedding are priced per completed document, with a free sandbox. For a two-person office that is small. For a team of twenty, or a product that completes thousands of documents, the arithmetic changes, so work it out with your own numbers. Docustay's pricing page lists a free plan with 15 documents a month and one paid plan for the workspace.
Running it yourself
Both products can be run on your own server. DocuSeal's source is published under the AGPL with additional terms, and it sells an on-premises Pro plan per user. Docustay's self-host edition is free and unlimited, and a yearly licence key unlocks the Pro items on your own machine. Whichever you pick, read the licence before you build something on top of it, and remember that you take on backups and updates.
Questions people ask
Is Docustay cheaper than DocuSeal?
It depends on your team and your volume. On the day this page was read, DocuSeal listed $20 per user per month for its hosted Pro plan and Docustay listed $39 a month for the whole workspace, with unlimited users ($25 a month for founders who subscribe by the cut-off date on the Pricing page). Add up your own users and completed documents on both pricing pages before you decide.
Can I move my templates from DocuSeal?
There is no importer. Docustay reads PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and image files, and it can read text tags written into a file, so a document you already have can be set up again in a few minutes. Keep the signed copies you already hold as they are.
Does Docustay offer single sign-on?
Not today. If your company requires it, DocuSeal's plans list it and are the better fit.
Keep reading
Try it and judge for yourself
Create a workspace, upload a document and send it. No card needed.