Free E-Signature API: No Credit Card, No Setup, 5 Documents Per Month

The problem with most e-signature free tiers

Most e-signature APIs either don't have a free tier, hide it behind a sales call, or require so much setup that "free" costs you half a day of engineering time.

DocuSign gives you a developer sandbox — but production access requires a paid plan and hours of OAuth configuration. PandaDoc offers a 14-day trial — then it's $49/month per user just for API access. Even open-source alternatives like DocuSeal charge $20/month for cloud API access.

What if you could send a document for signing with one HTTP request, right now, without creating an account?

Send your first document — no API key needed

Signbee's API works without authentication. The sender verifies via a one-time email code instead:

curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "content": "# Mutual NDA\n\nThis agreement...",
    "senderName": "Alice Chen",
    "senderEmail": "alice@startup.com",
    "recipientName": "Bob Smith",
    "recipientEmail": "bob@acme.com"
  }'

That's it. No SDK, no OAuth, no templates, no webhook configuration. The sender gets an email verification code, confirms it, and the recipient receives the document to sign.

With an API key: zero friction

Register at signb.ee to get an API key. The free plan gives you 5 documents per month with no credit card:

curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "content": "# Service Agreement\n\nThis agreement is between **Acme Corp** and **Jane Doe** for consulting services at $150/hour.\n\n## Scope\n- UI/UX design review\n- Frontend code audit\n\n## Terms\n- Net 30 payment\n- Valid for 6 months",
    "senderName": "Alice Chen",
    "senderEmail": "alice@startup.com",
    "recipientName": "Jane Doe",
    "recipientEmail": "jane@studio.com"
  }'

With the API key, the sender is pre-verified. The recipient gets the signing email immediately — no OTP step.

What you get on the free plan

Every feature is available on every plan. The free tier isn't limited — it's just capped at 5 documents per month. Same API, same SHA-256 certificates, same legal validity.

How it compares to other free options

Use it with AI agents — also free

The free tier includes MCP server access. Connect Signbee to Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "signbee": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "signbee-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SIGNBEE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Then just tell your agent: "Send an NDA to bob@acme.com." It handles the rest. Read more about AI agents and document signing.

JavaScript example: send a document in 8 lines

const res = await fetch('https://signb.ee/api/send', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    content: '# NDA\n\nThis mutual non-disclosure agreement...',
    senderName: 'Alice',
    senderEmail: 'alice@company.com',
    recipientName: 'Bob',
    recipientEmail: 'bob@partner.com',
  }),
});

const { id, status } = await res.json();
// id: "doc_abc123", status: "pending"

Python example

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://signb.ee/api/send',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'},
    json={
        'content': '# NDA\n\nThis mutual non-disclosure agreement...',
        'senderName': 'Alice',
        'senderEmail': 'alice@company.com',
        'recipientName': 'Bob',
        'recipientEmail': 'bob@partner.com',
    }
)

doc = response.json()
print(f"Document {doc['id']} is {doc['status']}")

What happens after you send

1. Signbee converts your markdown to a clean PDF (or uses your existing PDF via pdf_url)
2. Sender signs first — chooses from four handwriting-style signatures
3. Recipient gets an email with a "Review & Sign" button
4. Recipient reviews the document and adds their signature
5. Both parties receive the signed PDF with a SHA-256 signing certificate

The certificate page includes timestamps, IP addresses, and a tamper-proof hash — making it legally binding under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS (EU), and ECA (UK).

FAQs