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DocuSeal

✓ Verified FOSSAGPL-3.0
Top open-source alternative to DocuSign

Open source DocuSign alternative. Create, fill, and sign digital documents ✍️

Tech StackRuby on Rails, PostgreSQL
Self-Host DifficultyEasy
License ModelAGPL-3.0
GitHub Repositorydocusealco/docuseal

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean)
Min RAM:1 GB
Rec RAM:2 GB
Compute:1 vCPU
Disk Space:10 GB SSD

DocuSeal vs DocuSign Comparison Matrix

Evaluation CriteriaDocuSeal (Open Source)DocuSign (Proprietary)
Envelopes / SubmissionsUnlimited document envelopes forever$10-$40/mo per user for limited envelopes
Legal ComplianceGenerates cryptographically verified audit PDFsDocuSign proprietary audit log storage
INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $33/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from DocuSign to Self-Hosted DocuSeal

Detailed Stack Calculator →
5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)
DocuSign (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax
$9,900per year ($825/mo)
3-Year Spend:$29,700

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

DocuSeal (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee
$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)
3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$29,340Net savings across 36 months (99% reduction)
Annual Free Cash:+$9,780/yr
Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

Core Capabilities & Features

✓Mobile-Optimized PDF Form Signing
✓Multiple Signers & Custom Signature Fields
✓Automated Email Reminders & Audit Trails
✓Embeddable Signature iFrame for Web Apps

Self-Host DocuSeal with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

DocuSealAGPL-3.0

Open source document signing infrastructure

Difficulty: Easy18,698 ⭐
Configure Parameters
docker-compose.docuseal.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  docuseal:
    image: docuseal/docuseal:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-3000}:3000"
    volumes:
      - docuseal_data:/data
    environment:
      - HOST=http://localhost:${PORT:-3000}
      - SECRET_KEY_BASE=${SECRET_KEY:-docuseal_secret_key_change_me_now_2026}

volumes:
  docuseal_data:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting DocuSeal

How do I self-host DocuSeal using Docker Compose?

You can deploy DocuSeal (docusealco/docuseal) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does DocuSeal compare to DocuSign?

DocuSeal is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to DocuSign built with Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL. Unlike DocuSign ($25 - $40 / user / month), DocuSeal has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for DocuSeal?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Is DocuSeal free for commercial business use under the AGPL-3.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the AGPL-3.0 license, DocuSeal can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

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SIMILAR REPOSITORIES // PEER COMPARISON

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