# DocuSign vs GMO Sign: which should you choose?

> The structural choice is per-seat versus per-send, and for domestic-only contracts GMO Sign wins on cost at almost any headcount. Five senders: GMO Light is ¥8,800 + 50×¥100 = ¥13,800/month against DocuSign Standard's ¥16,500 — and at 50 sends a month those five seats exceed their 500-envelope annual allowance. Thirty senders: GMO Sign is unchanged at ¥13,800 while DocuSign Standard is ¥99,000, and Standard caps at 50 users. Two things still pull the other way. DocuSign is the international default, so if counterparties are overseas you are buying their familiarity, not just signatures. And GMO Sign is the only one of the two that publishes party-type (registered-seal equivalent) signing, at ¥300 per send — if your higher-stakes contracts need that, it is not a price comparison at all. Note that we have not verified either tool's Electronic Bookkeeping Act or Electronic Signature Act conformance against a primary source; confirm retention requirements with each vendor.

Data retrieved: 2026-09-22

| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Unlimited users | Per-send fee | Free tier | Data retrieved |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DocuSign (www.docusign.com) | Companies that need one e-signature standard across multiple countries, or whose counterparties already expect DocuSign. | Japan storefront (JPY), billed annually: Personal ¥1,333/mo (5 envelopes/mo, 1 user); Standard ¥3,300/user/mo; Business Pro ¥5,300/user/mo — both 100 envelopes per user a year, max 50 users. Billed monthly the same plans are ¥1,990, ¥6,050 and ¥8,700, with Standard and Business Pro allowing 10 envelopes per user a month. The page notes that tax may be added. There is no free plan, but there is a 30-day free trial. 51+ users and SSO require a quoted Enhanced plan. (source: https://ecom.docusign.com/plans-and-pricing/esignature) | × | × | × | 2026-09-22 to 2026-10-28 |
| GMO Sign (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: https://www.gmosign.com/price/) | ○ | ○ | ○ | 2026-09-22 |

## The key differences between DocuSign and GMO Sign

| Axis | DocuSign | GMO Sign |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Per-user seat fee, with a send allowance included in the seat price | Flat monthly fee with unlimited users and sends, plus a fee per send |
| Published price | Japan storefront, billed annually: Personal ¥1,333/mo, Standard ¥3,300/user/mo, Business Pro ¥5,300/user/mo (billed monthly: ¥1,990, ¥6,050, ¥8,700) | Light ¥8,800/mo and Standard ¥24,000/mo on an annual contract (¥9,500 and ¥26,000 month-to-month), tax excluded |
| What the cost scales with | Headcount — every person who sends needs a seat | Contract volume — headcount does not change the bill |
| User limit | Standard and Business Pro cap at 50 users; 51+ users, and SSO, require a quoted Enhanced plan | Unlimited on every paid plan |
| Send allowance | 100 envelopes per user annually on Standard and Business Pro; Personal is 5 per month | Unlimited sends, but every send is billed — ¥100 witness-type, ¥300 party-type |
| Signature types priced separately | Not broken out on the published Japan pricing page (checked 2026-09-22) | Yes — witness-type (contract-seal equivalent) ¥100 per send, party-type (registered-seal equivalent) ¥300 per send |
| Free plan | None on the Japan storefront — the entry tier is Personal at ¥1,333/mo billed annually (1 user, 5 envelopes/mo); a 30-day free trial is offered | お試しフリー — ¥0, 1 user, 5 sends a month, witness-type only |

Data retrieved: 2026-09-22

## When to choose DocuSign

Choose DocuSign when contracts cross borders, or when a small team each sends a lot. Envelopes are included in the seat price, so a heavy month costs nothing extra, and overseas counterparties almost never need an explanation. On the Japan storefront, Standard is ¥3,300/user/month billed annually with 100 envelopes per user a year.

## When to choose GMO Sign

Choose GMO Sign when the contracts are domestic and you want the cheapest route, or when you need party-type (registered-seal equivalent) signatures. Paid plans are ¥8,800/month with unlimited users and sends, witness-type sends are ¥100 each, and the free tier (5 sends/month, one user) lets you test with real counterparties before paying anything.

Data retrieved: 2026-09-22

## Related pages

- [Best electronic contract & e-signature tools](https://agent-door.com/tools/electronic-contract)
- [CloudSign pricing and review](https://agent-door.com/tools/electronic-contract/cloudsign)
- [GMO Sign pricing and review](https://agent-door.com/tools/electronic-contract/gmosign)
- [DocuSign vs CloudSign](https://agent-door.com/compare/cloudsign-vs-docusign)
- [DocuSign alternatives](https://agent-door.com/alternatives/docusign)
- [Electronic Signature Act (Japan)](https://agent-door.com/glossary/denshi-shomei-ho)
- [Best expense management tools](https://agent-door.com/tools/expense-management)
- [DocuSign pricing and review](https://agent-door.com/tools/electronic-contract/docusign)

## Frequently asked questions

### We sign with both domestic and overseas counterparties — can we use both tools?

Yes, and the economics can work: GMO Sign's unlimited users cover broad domestic sending, with a few DocuSign seats for the international team. The cost is process complexity — two archives, two audit trails, and a written rule for which contract goes through which tool. Check that your retention approach covers both before splitting.

### Is GMO Sign's free tier enough to run a small team on?

No — treat it as a trial, not a plan. It is capped at one user, five sends a month, and witness-type signatures only. It is genuinely useful for proving the workflow with a real counterparty before committing budget, but any team sending regularly will need the ¥8,800/month Light tier.

### Is GMO Sign the same as DocuSign?

No — they are two separate electronic-signature services, not two names for one product. DocuSign is the global service and also sells through a Japan storefront in yen; GMO Sign (電子印鑑GMOサイン) is a Japanese domestic service. The clearest practical difference is the pricing model: DocuSign charges per user with a send allowance included in the seat, while GMO Sign charges a flat monthly fee with unlimited users and sends plus a fee for each send.

### Which is cheaper, DocuSign or GMO Sign?

It turns on how many people send, not how many contracts you sign. Take ten sends a month, where GMO Sign Light is ¥9,800 (¥8,800 base plus ¥1,000 in witness-type send fees). One DocuSign sender doing all ten needs 120 envelopes a year, more than the 100 an annual Standard seat includes, so that is the monthly plan at ¥6,050 (10 envelopes a month) — DocuSign still wins. Spread across two senders, annual billing covers it at ¥6,600. The crossover at that volume is around three senders (¥9,900 versus ¥9,800), and above it GMO Sign's flat base pulls further ahead because it does not move with headcount. One caveat before you compare the figures directly: GMO Sign publishes tax-excluded prices (Light is ¥9,680 including tax), while DocuSign's Japan storefront notes only that tax may be added separately.

Data retrieved: 2026-09-22

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