What is Dropbox Sign?
Dropbox Sign lets people prepare a document, place signature, date and text fields on it and send it to one or more signers by email. Recipients sign in a web browser without needing an account, and every completed agreement comes with an audit trail recording who viewed and signed it and when. Signed copies can be saved automatically to Dropbox and to other storage services.
Businesses use templates for documents they send repeatedly, such as offer letters, sales contracts and rental agreements, and team plans add bulk sending, custom branding, an admin console and integrations with Salesforce and other business applications. A separate Dropbox Sign API lets software companies build signing directly into their own websites and apps, and the same product family includes Dropbox Fax, the successor to the HelloFax online fax service. According to Dropbox, signatures created with the service are legally binding in the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.
In May 2024 Dropbox disclosed that attackers had gained unauthorized access to the Dropbox Sign production environment, exposing some customer information, and the company has since faced a consolidated class action lawsuit over the incident. Dropbox positions the service alongside DocSend as part of a workflow that covers storing, sharing and signing documents. Its main competitors include DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat Sign.
Key features of Dropbox Sign
- 01
Signature requests
Senders upload a document, drag signature, initials, date and text fields onto it, set a signing order and send it to signers, who can sign from a browser without creating an account.
- 02
Templates
Reusable templates store field placements and signer roles for common documents such as contracts and onboarding forms, saving time on agreements that are sent again and again.
- 03
Bulk send
Team plans can send the same document to many recipients at once, with each person receiving a separate signature request, which is useful for policy acknowledgments and standard agreements.
- 04
Audit trails and tamper protection
Each signed document includes an audit trail of views, signatures and timestamps, and completed files are protected so that later changes can be detected.
- 05
Dropbox Sign API
Developers use the API to embed signing, templates and status tracking in their own websites and applications, with pricing based on the volume of signature requests.
- 06
Integrations
Connections to Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Word, OneDrive and Salesforce let people send documents for signature from the tools where they already work.
Who uses Dropbox Sign?
- Human resources teams send offer letters, employment contracts and onboarding paperwork to new hires for signature.
- Sales teams send quotes and service agreements from Salesforce and see when prospects have signed.
- Landlords, property managers and small businesses collect signatures on leases, invoices and consent forms remotely.
- Software companies embed signing into their own customer-facing products through the Dropbox Sign API.
History of Dropbox Sign
HelloSign grew out of HelloFax, an online faxing startup from Y Combinator’s winter 2011 batch led by chief executive Joseph Walla. The team launched HelloSign as a free electronic signature service on August 1, 2012, later added an API for developers, and in 2017 introduced HelloWorks, a product for digital forms and workflows, and raised $16 million.
Dropbox announced a deal to acquire HelloSign on January 28, 2019, valued at about $230 million, and completed the purchase on February 8, 2019. HelloSign kept its own brand for several years and was renamed Dropbox Sign in 2022, and the HelloFax service was later renamed Dropbox Fax.
- 2012
HelloFax launches HelloSign, a free electronic signature service, on August 1.
- 2017
HelloSign introduces HelloWorks for digital workflows and raises $16 million.
- 2019
Dropbox completes its acquisition of HelloSign on February 8.
- 2022
HelloSign is renamed Dropbox Sign.
- 2024
Dropbox discloses unauthorized access to the Dropbox Sign production environment.
Dropbox Sign pricing
Pricing modelSubscription
Essentials, Standard and Premium plans are billed monthly or annually, with per-user pricing for teams, a 30-day free trial and separate volume-based API plans.
Prices change often. Check the official Dropbox Sign website for current plans.
Dropbox Sign alternatives
Well-known alternativesDocuSign eSignature, Adobe Acrobat Sign, PandaDoc, SignNow and Zoho Sign
Dropbox Sign: frequently asked questions
Who owns Dropbox Sign?
Dropbox Sign is owned by Dropbox, Inc., the San Francisco cloud storage company. Dropbox bought the service, then called HelloSign, in a deal announced in January 2019 and valued at about $230 million, and renamed it Dropbox Sign in 2022.
What is Dropbox Sign used for?
Dropbox Sign is used to request and collect legally binding electronic signatures. Businesses use it for employment offers, sales contracts, leases, invoices and consent forms, and software companies use its API to add signing to their own apps. Every signed document includes an audit trail.
Is Dropbox Sign free?
Dropbox Sign is mainly a paid service. It offers a 30-day free trial, after which individuals and teams choose Essentials, Standard or Premium plans billed monthly or annually. Developers who embed signing in their own apps pay for separate API plans based on how many signature requests they send.
When was Dropbox Sign released?
The service was released as HelloSign on August 1, 2012, by the team behind the online faxing startup HelloFax. Dropbox acquired it in February 2019 and renamed it Dropbox Sign in 2022.
Is HelloSign the same as Dropbox Sign?
Yes. HelloSign is the original name of Dropbox Sign. Dropbox kept the HelloSign brand for several years after buying the company in 2019 and switched to the Dropbox Sign name in 2022, carrying over the product’s signing features, templates and API.
Sources
- Dropbox Sign sign.dropbox.com
- Dropbox Sign pricing sign.dropbox.com
- HelloFax Creates HelloSign, a Free Digital Signature Service, TechCrunch techcrunch.com
- HelloSign, Y Combinator ycombinator.com
- Dropbox, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2019 sec.gov
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