Head-to-head
CloudSign vs GMO Sign: which should you choose?
Both are Japanese e-contract tools with the same pricing shape — flat monthly fee plus per-send, unlimited users — so this comes down to brand versus economics. GMO Sign is cheaper on every published axis: ¥8,800/month entry against ¥11,000, and ¥100 per witness-type send against ¥220, plus a wider free tier — 5 sends a month against CloudSign's 2. CloudSign's counter-argument is recognition: it is the domestic default, and when a counterparty's legal team has to accept your signing method, familiarity converts. Note one asymmetry in the sourced data — GMO Sign states witness-type and party-type support and their separate prices explicitly, while CloudSign's pricing page does not break signature types out, so confirm that directly if party-type matters to you.
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| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Unlimited users | Per-send fee | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| www.cloudsign.jp | Japanese companies that want the domestic default, unlimited seats, and cost that scales with contract volume rather than headcount. | A free plan covers 1 user and 2 sends a month. Light is ¥11,000/mo and Corporate ¥28,000/mo (excl. tax), plus ¥220 per send; both are also sold annually (¥145,200 and ¥369,600 incl. tax). Users and send volume are unlimited on every paid plan; Business/Enterprise by quote, with volume discounts on the per-send fee. source | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| www.gmosign.com | Japanese companies that want to start free, or that specifically need party-type (registered-seal) signatures for higher-stakes contracts. | Free tier (5 sends/mo, 1 user); Light ¥8,800/mo and Standard ¥24,000/mo on annual terms (excl. tax), users and sends unlimited. Per send: ¥100 witness-type, ¥300 party-type. Above Standard, Business and Enterprise are quote-only. source | ○ | ○ | ○ |
When to choose CloudSign
Choose CloudSign when counterparty acceptance matters most. It is the name Japanese companies recognise, which is a real operational advantage the first time you ask a client's legal team to sign electronically rather than affix a seal. Users and sends are unlimited, and free import of up to 10,000 documents makes moving an existing archive painless.
When to choose GMO Sign
Choose GMO Sign when you want to prove the workflow before paying, or when contract types demand party-type signatures. The free tier (5 sends/month) lets you test with real counterparties at zero cost, witness-type sends are ¥100 against CloudSign's ¥220, and the paid entry tier is ¥8,800/month versus ¥11,000.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper for 50 contracts a month?
- On witness-type sends, GMO Sign: ¥8,800 + 50×¥100 = ¥13,800/month. CloudSign Light: ¥11,000 + 50×¥220 = ¥22,000/month. Both figures exclude tax and assume the entry tier suffices — check whether you need CloudSign's Corporate or GMO Sign's Standard tier for the features you actually use, since that changes the base fee substantially.
- Does the cheaper option risk counterparties refusing to sign?
- Both are established Japanese services, so outright refusal is unlikely. The practical difference is explanation effort: a counterparty who has signed via CloudSign before needs no briefing. Weigh that against a price gap that is material at volume.
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