E-signatures for freelancers

Which contracts should a freelancer get signed?

The one that matters most is the contract you send before starting. It sets the scope, the fee, the payment terms (14 days, 30 days, 50 percent upfront) and who owns the work once it is paid for. Without it, a late payer can argue about what was agreed.

Bigger jobs often split into a master agreement and a statement of work for each project. And when a client asks for 'just one more round' of changes, a short change order or signed quote turns that into paid work rather than a favour.

• Freelance contract or terms of engagement
• Statement of work for each project
• Quote approval
• Change order for extra scope
• Client NDA

What freelancers find fiddly about getting signatures

Clients are busy and contracts are boring. Ask a client to print, sign, scan and return a PDF and you may wait a week, during which you either start without cover or lose the slot. A link they can sign on their phone in a minute changes that.

Many freelancers also sign the other way: the client sends you their NDA or supplier agreement. You can upload it, add your own signature, and send it back sealed, rather than printing it.

How to get a freelance contract signed with Sign PDF

Most freelancers keep one contract and change the client name and fee each time.

• Upload your contract from Word, Pages or PDF.
• Check the boxes Sign PDF placed beside Client and Freelancer, and type 'add company and job title under the client signature' if you want them.
• Add yourself as a signer if you want to sign first, so the client sees your signature already there.
• Add the client's name and email and send. They confirm a code and sign in their browser.
• Keep the sealed PDF. Anyone can check a copy at signpdf.ai/verify.

How much does a freelancer pay?

Light is $5 a month for 2 documents with unlimited signers, which suits a freelancer signing one or two new clients a month. A document counts when you send it, not when it is signed, and drafts are free.

If you send a contract, a statement of work and a change order for most jobs, Full at $10 a month gives unlimited documents and lets you save your contract as a template. Both plans are monthly with no annual contract, so you can drop to Light in a quiet month.

When Sign PDF is not what a freelancer needs

We do not send invoices or take payment, and we do not offer proposal pages with pricing tables. If you want a single tool that sends a proposal, collects a deposit and gets the signature in one flow, a proposal tool built for that will suit you better.

There is also no free plan. If you sign one contract a year, a free tool may be enough; our guide to signing a PDF for free covers the options.