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PandaDoc vs. DocuSign: Document Management Solutions for Real Estate

Document management is a challenge for most industries. Those issues often end up amplified for those working in sales. PandaDoc and DocuSign are two popular tools used to collect electronic signatures needed on vital transaction documents. Both make promises of simplifying the process of creating digital forms and sending them out for e-signatures. Let’s look at the benefits of each solution for companies with salespeople in close contact with customers.

PandaDoc vs. DocuSign — A Quick Comparison

Integrated Security SOC II Type II ISO 27001 and SSAE 16
Custom Signatures
Document Tagging
Secure Backup Amazon Web Services with AES-256 encryption
Multilanguage Support
Multiple Pricing Tiers 3
Support Type Email, Live Chat Email, Phone
Contract Required
Integration With Other Business Applications
API Available
Average Review Rating
4.4 4.6

PandaDoc vs. DocuSign

E-Signature solutions have become essential to SMB’s looking to cut costs by reducing the amount of paper used in the document signing process. PandaDoc and DocuSign are two well-known solutions relied upon by organizations of all sizes. Both offer some excellent features designed to make the process of obtaining digital signatures easier.

In the following roundup, you’ll learn about the differences between PandaDoc and DocuSign and ApproveMe as an alternative document signing solution.

What is PandaDoc?

PandaDoc is a document automation software geared toward streamlining the process of collecting electronic signatures for sales professionals. Their focus is on making the software user-friendly as a way of encouraging businesses to move away from paper documents. The main customer base for the software is sellers and marketers looking for an easy way to connect with clients and customers.

What is DocuSign?

DocuSign is a more generalized document creation platform. It lacks some of the sales-specific features offered by PandaDoc. The platform offers a variety of robust features that let any business professional or company create automated workflows for tracking documents and collecting signatures.

About PandaDoc & Their Features

PandaDoc Homepage

PandaDoc allows sellers to create custom proposals, contracts, and quotes. They can also save time by using the pre-built templates provided by the PandaDoc platform. Information can be pulled into documents by integrating PandaDoc with company systems. A user can perform all necessary document creation tasks without having to leave their preferred CRM or sales tool.

The platform comes with drag-and-drop capabilities, allowing users to pull videos, case studies, and other supporting content into forms from a document library. The templates available include accounting proposals, distribution agreements, and marketing proposals. PandaDoc allows users to add branding to create customized, reusable document templates.

One of the features that makes it so popular among sales professionals is the amount of dynamic content available. It is possible for users to automatically build quotes using dynamic pricing tables and information from company product catalogs. Salespeople can allow customers to pick the options and related prices that are most appealing.

Another nice feature of the PandaDoc platform is the collaborative tool provided for teams. Contracts can be reviewed with legal and revised as needed to remain compliant. A user can track all document versions, add comments, and redline potential issues. A customer can sign documents in person or have them sent to a device of their choice.

About DocuSign & Their Features

docusign homepage

There is a reason that DocuSign remains a popular tool for individuals and enterprises. Their centerpiece tool, the Spring CM contract management system, offers sales professionals the ability to upload and modify documents required for client and customer signature. They can pull information directly from company source systems into important forms, and then send them out for an e-signature.

The SpringCM also allows for collaboration among sales and marketing teams. It is possible to assign tasks to individuals required before a document is ready for signature. Post-sales actions can also be recorded and saved in the platform. DocuSign makes it possible for salespeople to reuse templates that include custom fields and the ability to use bulk email lists.

DocuSign supports a variety of file formats, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The software automatically recognizes PDF documents and automatically tags relevant fields that must have a signature. It is a nifty feature that reduces the amount of time needed to massage a PDF form into shape.

Users have access to over 20 standard and custom forms and tag fields for documents. It is possible to tie them to specific lines of text to automatically populate relevant information. DocuSign provides native apps in Android, iOS, and Windows to collect document signatures.

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PandaDoc vs Docusign Security

PandaDoc Security

PandaDoc has SOC II Type II certification and states a willingness to provide an SSAE 16 SOC 2 report to organizations upon request. The services are hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), who use state-of-the-art data centers optimized to remain up during the heaviest periods of company usage or in the case of an outage.

The company highlights its compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) European privacy law. PandaDoc encrypts its data at rest with AES-256 and through other encryption keys management, then stores it in a Level 1 cloud compliant with SOC, FISMA, and PCI DSS.

It put processes in place to ensure that the employees allowed to access personal information are those with a critical business need for the information. PandaDoc keeps its production networks logically isolated from other corporate, QA, and development functions.

DocuSign Security

DocuSign continues to provide some of the best security features offered by any DTM. They adhere to the most rigorous security protocols. The company has both ISO 27001 and SSAE 16 certifications and store information in data centers built with the same security standard. DocuSign remains the only DTM compliant with the ESIGN Act.

  • They verify the identity of a signer through multiple forms of
  • They confirm a recipient’s intent to use an electronic signature
  • They link signatures to signers and documents
  • They record all essential signature and document actions
  • They provide secure and continuous access to DocuSign documents
  • They use tamper-seals to protect documents
document-security

PandaDoc vs Docusign Customer Support

PandaDoc customers receive access to 24-7 email and live chat support. They can also browse help documents on the site and a FAQ page that goes over the most common issues with the PandaDoc platform.

DocuSign provides clients with extensive documentation via their Support center. It provides answers on working with some of the more complex aspects of the software.  There is also a DocuSign community encouraging users to learn for each other. Businesses also have the option of having employees receive training on navigating DocuSign tools.

Clients can request support by submitting an online request, talking with representatives using chat on the DocuSign website, or contacting support by phone. Enterprise customers receive prioritized support for their issues.

compare-pricing

PandaDoc Pricing

PandaDoc provides three static service tiers for individuals, SMBs (small to mid-sized businesses), and enterprises. Customers receive up to a 30% discount when they purchase a year’s subscription versus paying month-to-month.

The Individual tier costs $9 per month and is limited to licenses for two users. They receive access to the following standard PandaDoc features.

  • Signatures compliant with UETA and the Federal ESIGN Act
  • Access to unlimited templates
  • Ability to sign documents in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, or Polish
  • Integration with Google Drive, DropBox, and Microsoft OneDrive
  • Real-tracking of document activities
  • Payment collection
  • Access to free mobile app

Additional capabilities at the Individual plan level include:

  • The ability to create 60 documents per year
  • Access to a document editor

PandaDoc’s eSignature tier costs $25 per month and can be used by up to five users. It includes all standard features, along with:

  • The ability to create an unlimited number of documents
  • Access to a document converter
  • Signers can add attachments

The Business tier is aimed at growing businesses that need more robust tools. It costs $49 per month and opens up the following capabilities in addition to the standard features:

  • The ability to create an unlimited number of documents
  • Access to a document converter
  • Creation of approval workflows
  • Standard integrations
  • Can build a content library

Enterprise users needing more complex workflows can contact the sales team. They can arrange the creation of a custom package that incorporates the following items into the PandaDoc platform.

  • Conditional approval of documents
  • Reporting to teams
  • Premium-level integrations
  • Locking of content
  • Creation of unlimited workspaces
  • Creation of custom roles and SSO
  • Embedded signing
  • Sending documents in bulk
  • In-person signing
e-signature-compare

DocuSign Pricing

DocuSign maintains a similar pricing structure, with three tiers aimed at different business user types and offering a discount for purchasing yearly access versus paying month to month.

The DocuSign Personal tier is $15 per month ($10 when paid annually). It provides a license to one business user and the following capabilities:

  • Send a maximum of five documents to recipients each month
  • Access basic text fields (name, date, signature, company title)
  • Access reusable templates
  • Route documents to multiple recipients in one shot, or have them signed in a designated order
  • See a real-time audit trail.

DocuSign’s Standard tier is $40 per month ($25 when paid annually). Up to three business users receive access to everything in the Personal tier along with additional features.

  • Send unlimited documents each month
  • Set automatic reminders
  • Integrate with over 300 business tools (including Dropbox, Salesforce, and Google Drive)
  • Send documents in 13 languages
  • Receive signatures in 43 languages

The Business Pro tier costs $60 per month ($40 when paid annually). Users can use all the features listed in the Standard and Professional levels along with the following upgrades.

  • Receive payments
  • Create smart fields
  • Use two-factor authentication

Sales companies can contact a DocuSign representative to create a more customized package. They can incorporate features like REST or SOAAP APIs, integrating with other CRMs, and using embedded signing on a business website or mobile app.

user-reviews

How do they rate?

PandaDoc User Reviews

PandaDoc appears to be popular for use in industries like service, retail, and marketing. That makes sense as they are geared towards direct interactions with customers and clients. The customer base appears to work in larger organizations that appear impressed by the enterprise tier of services, as evidenced by the 4.4 rating average given to them on Gartner.

The mobile application seems to be problematic for some, with complaints about its slowness. Others felt the online billing capabilities of PandaDoc were too limited. Some users stated a desire for the company to make more sales training available.

DocuSign User Reviews

DocuSign continues to maintain a good reputation among users with an average rating of 4.6 among verified users on Gartner and G2. More recent reviews continue to tout the intuitiveness and speed of the software. The clean interface and convenient document history are also popular considerations.

The biggest drawback seems to be confusion among users on effectively leveraging the software. One user reported problems trying to change signers after initiating a document workflow. That should be taken into consideration by sales professionals, given the fluid nature of their customer transactions.

Picking an E-Signature Solution

The customer-centric focus of the PandaDoc may be especially attractive to a sales professional. The ability to use pricing tables and the ability to create more dynamic content gives them access to something more than a document signing platform. DocuSign’s outstanding security can be of comfort to companies concerned about the privacy of information collected from their customers. It looks to be a great option for sales companies who already have a CRM they love that can integrate with DocuSign.

Looking for an alternative to PandaDoc or DocuSign?

ApproveMe: Document Workflow Automation for your Third-party Apps

ApproveMe.com

Document signing built into your website, forms, store and CRM.

Integrate with your pre-existing website forms, e-commerce stores, CRM’s and popular storage services with ApproveMe to deliver a document signing experience that celebrates the transaction.

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Parties other than ApproveMe may provide products, services, recommendations, or views on ApproveMe’s site (“Third-Party Materials”). Third-Party Materials available through ApproveMe’s site may contain links to other websites, which are completely independent of ApproveMe. ApproveMe is not responsible for examining or evaluating such Third-Party Materials and does not provide any warranties relating to the Third-Party Materials. Links to such Third-Party Materials are for your convenience and does not constitute an endorsement of such Third-Party Materials.

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