Best Electronic Signature App for iPad and iPhone

First, decide which kind of app you need

"Electronic signature app" covers two different products. Sending platforms — DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign, Signeasy — let you send documents to others and track signatures. Signing apps let you sign a PDF you already have.

If you send, stop here and compare sending platforms. If someone emailed you a PDF and you need to sign it and send it back, the checklist below is for you. For head-to-head picks by document, see the best app to sign a PDF on iPhone.

Signers and senders value different things. A sender cares about reminders, audit records and team seats. A signer cares about getting one file signed correctly and sent back without creating an account. Most app roundups rank on the sender's list, which is why they rarely help someone holding a lease in Mail.

Leaving a sending tool? See the DocuSign alternative for people who sign, not send and PDF signing apps without a subscription.

ESIGN PDF · ON IPHONE
On iPad or iPhone: draw with a finger or Apple Pencil, type, or import.
Open your PDF. Add your signature. Send it back.

Five things to check before you pay

✓Flattened export. The signature should become part of the page, not a layer on top. Otherwise people on Windows or Android may see a blank line.
✓No account. You shouldn't have to create a login to sign one PDF.
✓On-device processing. Leases, W-9s and offer letters carry personal data. The file shouldn't need to leave your iPhone.
✓Real form fields. Dates, initials, checkboxes and text — not just a drawn signature you drag around.
✓A pricing model that fits. If you sign a few documents a year, a monthly plan or an envelope count is the wrong shape.

How the common options stack up

Against the five checks, for someone who signs PDFs they received.

Feature	Apple Markup	Adobe Fill & Sign	DocuSign	eSign PDF
Flattened export	No, annotation	Depends how you save	Completed file from service	Yes, every export
No account	Yes	For basics	Account to send	Yes
On-device	Yes	Device or Adobe cloud	Cloud	Yes
Dates, checkboxes, initials	Text boxes only	Yes	Sender places fields	Yes
Pricing model	Free	Free basics, paid upgrades	$11 a month billed annually (Personal)	$59.99 once
Sends for others	No	No	Yes	No

DocuSign pricing checked 2026-09-26. The App Store shows other eSign PDF plans and local prices.

Signing on iPad: same checks, more room

An iPad is often the easier place to sign. The page is bigger, so you can see the whole form, and you can sign with Apple Pencil or a finger. The same five checks apply. A signature that looks right on your iPad still needs flattening, or it may be blank on a Windows laptop.

eSign PDF runs on both iPhone and iPad. Buy once, then use Restore Purchases on your other device with the same Apple Account.

Why flattening matters more than features

The most common failure isn't a missing feature. It's a signature that looks fine on your iPhone and is missing on the other person's screen. Apple's own community forum has threads about Markup edits not showing on non-Apple devices. PDF users on forums recommend flattening so signatures show in Acrobat.

Any app you pick should either flatten automatically or make it obvious how. This is also the fix when you can't sign a PDF on iPhone the way the recipient expects.

Red flags when you only need to sign

✕A sign-up screen before you can open your PDF.
✕A paywall that appears halfway through signing, after you've placed every field.
✕Only weekly or monthly plans, with no one-time option, for something you do a few times a year.
✕No way to tell whether the app flattens the export.
✕Uploading your document to a website or cloud service just to add a signature.
✕An envelope or document limit on signing your own files.

Short picks by situation

Permission slip to a teacher on an iPad: Apple Markup. Free.

Twelve-page lease with initials on every page: eSign PDF. Fields, flattened export, $59.99 once.

You want free and already use Acrobat: Adobe Fill & Sign.

You send contracts to clients: DocuSign or another sending platform.

You're on Android: not eSign PDF — it's iPhone and iPad only.

Verdict

Choose a sending platform if you send

DocuSign is well rated and does it well. DocuSign Personal: $11 a month billed yearly ($132 a year), 5 envelopes a month.

Choose Apple Markup if it's simple

One signature, Apple recipient, no cost.

Choose eSign PDF if you sign what you receive

Flattened, no account, on-device, real fields, $59.99 one-time (US).

FAQ

What is the best electronic signature app for iPad?+

If you sign PDFs other people send you, pick one that flattens the export. It should also need no account. It should keep the file on the device. eSign PDF does all three on iPad and iPhone for $59.99 one-time (US). If you send documents for others to sign, use a sending platform like DocuSign.

Can I sign with Apple Pencil?+

Yes. In eSign PDF you can draw your signature with Apple Pencil or your finger on iPad, or type it.

What should I look for in an iPhone signature app?+

Flattened export, no account, on-device processing, date and checkbox fields, and a price model that fits how often you sign.

Is an electronic signature made on iPhone valid?+

In the US, the ESIGN Act says no one can deny a signature legal effect just because it's electronic. Some documents have their own rules, and a sender may require a specific platform.

Do I need a subscription to sign PDFs on iPhone?+

No. Apple Markup is free, and eSign PDF is $59.99 one-time (US). The App Store shows other plans and local prices.

Is Apple Markup good enough?+

For one signature going to someone on an iPhone or Mac, yes. For long forms, dates and checkboxes, or recipients on Windows and Android, use an app that flattens the file.

Which app should I use to send a document for someone else to sign?+

A sending platform such as DocuSign. eSign PDF does not send documents for signature.

Best electronic signature app for iPad and iPhone (if you sign, not send)