Is a Cachety signature legally valid?

It is what is commonly called a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature on the page. It counts if nobody disputes it, and it is usually accepted for everyday documents. If it is disputed, it carries little weight on its own. When a contract really matters, or the other party asks for it, use a service that offers advanced or qualified signatures, such as DocuSign. This is not legal advice.

Do I need an account?

Not with Cachety. With DocuSign, you need an account to send documents for signature, but not to sign a document that someone sends you.

Can I send the document to someone else to sign?

Not through Cachety. It has one signer: you. You download the signed PDF and send it yourself. The other person can sign their copy the same way, but nothing records who signed or when. If you need that, DocuSign is the right tool.

Does DocuSign keep my documents?

Documents are stored in DocuSign's cloud, in one of five regions, including Europe. The customer decides how long they are kept and can delete them at any time. Cachety stores nothing, because the document never leaves your device.

Cachety vs DocuSign: which should you use to sign a document?

Updated 17 October 2026

DocuSign is one of the best-known e-signature platforms. It is built to send a document to other people for signature and to keep a record of who signed and when. Cachety does a smaller job: it lets you sign a document yourself, in your browser, without uploading it or creating an account.

In short

These tools do different jobs. For a contract with several signers, an audit trail, identity checks or an advanced or qualified signature, DocuSign is the better choice, and Cachety cannot do any of that. If you only need to put your own signature on a PDF and send it back, Cachety does it for free, with no account, and the document never leaves your device.

Side by side

Criterion	Cachety	DocuSign
Where the document is processed	CachetyIn your browser, on your own device. Nothing is uploaded.Advantage Cachety	DocuSignIn DocuSign's cloud. The document is uploaded and stored in one of five data-centre regions: the US, Canada, Europe, Australia or Japan.
Account and free use	CachetyFree, with no account and no paid tier.Advantage Cachety	DocuSignSenders need an account: a 30-day free trial, then a paid plan. People you send a document to can sign for free, without an account.
Signature level	CachetyWhat is commonly called a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature placed on the page.	DocuSignElectronic signatures sealed with a digital certificate. Advanced signatures are offered, and qualified signatures as an add-on: DocuSign is a qualified trust service provider in Europe.Advantage DocuSign
Audit trail and certificate	CachetyNone: no certificate, no audit trail, no timestamp.	DocuSignA certificate of completion and an audit log with every signed document, on all plans.Advantage DocuSign
Sending to other signers	CachetyNo. One signer: you. You send the signed file yourself.	DocuSignYes, in serial, parallel or mixed order, with automatic reminders, templates and bulk sending.Advantage DocuSign
Identity checks	CachetyNone.	DocuSignSMS one-time passcode, phone check or government ID verification.Advantage DocuSign
How long documents are kept	CachetyNothing is stored. Your signature only exists in the tab's memory.	DocuSignSet by the customer, who can delete documents at any time.
Signature styles and apps	CachetyDraw, type or upload a photo of your signature. Date, place and a note underneath, initials on every page, all optional. Works in a phone browser. Nothing to install.	DocuSignA style generated from your name, a drawn signature or an uploaded image. Apps for iOS and Android.
What you get	CachetyA flattened PDF: pages are rebuilt from pixels, and hidden text, metadata and attachments are removed. A SHA-256 fingerprint is shown after download.	DocuSignA document digitally sealed with public key infrastructure (PKI), with its certificate of completion.

Two tools for two different jobs

DocuSign eSignature is a platform for sending documents. You upload a contract, add fields such as signatures, initials, checkboxes or dropdowns, choose who signs and in what order, and DocuSign emails each person, sends reminders and collects the signatures. At the end, the document is digitally sealed and comes with a certificate of completion that records the process. DocuSign offers signing in 44 languages and more than 1,100 integrations.

Cachety does not send anything to anyone. It is for the moment when someone has emailed you a PDF and asked you to sign it and send it back. You open the page, sign, download the signed copy and reply to the email. There is no account, no envelope and no record kept anywhere.

Where DocuSign is better

Several signers, in a set order, with reminders and tracking.
A certificate of completion and an audit log that show who signed and when.
Identity checks, such as an SMS code or a government ID document.
Advanced and qualified electronic signatures, which carry far more weight if a signature is ever disputed.
Templates, bulk sending, APIs and integrations with business software.

Where Cachety is better

Your document is never uploaded. Signing happens in your browser, and it still works in aeroplane mode once the page has loaded.
No account and no trial: it is free and open source, with no ads and no trackers.
The signed PDF is flattened, and hidden text, metadata and attachments are removed, so you do not send more than you mean to.
A photo of a paper document works too. You can sign several documents in one go.

What a Cachety signature is worth

A signature you draw, type or upload and place on the page is what is commonly called a simple electronic signature. It counts if nobody disputes it, and it is usually accepted for everyday documents. But an image of a signature, like a scanned one, is easy to dispute, and then it carries little weight on its own: whoever relies on the document must prove who signed it. Only a qualified signature, made with a certificate from a qualified provider, is presumed reliable. This is not legal advice.

Cachety is not the right tool when an advanced or qualified signature is required, when you need an audit trail or several signers, for a will or a deed, or when the other party insists on a specific signing platform. In those cases, use what they ask for.

How to sign a document with Cachety

1Open cachety.com/en/sign in your browser, on a computer or a phone. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
2Add your PDF, or a photo of a paper document (JPG, PNG or HEIC). A photo becomes a page that fits an A4 sheet. You can add several documents at once.
3Draw your signature with a finger or the mouse, type your name, or upload a photo of your signature on white paper. Add the date, the place or a short note underneath if you wish.
4Drag the signature onto the line and resize it. Tick ‘Also initial every page’ if you are asked to.
5Check the preview and download the signed PDF. Keep the fingerprint shown after the download with your records.

When DocuSign is the better choice

You need to send a contract to one or more people and track who has signed.
You need an audit trail, an identity check, or an advanced or qualified signature.
Someone has sent you a document through DocuSign: you can sign it there for free, without an account.
Your business wants templates, bulk sending or integrations with its other software.

When Cachety is the better choice

You only need to sign a PDF yourself and send it back by email.
You would rather the document never left your device, and you do not want an account or a trial.
You want the signed copy cleaned of hidden data, such as metadata and hidden text.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Cachety signature legally valid?: It is what is commonly called a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature on the page. It counts if nobody disputes it, and it is usually accepted for everyday documents. If it is disputed, it carries little weight on its own. When a contract really matters, or the other party asks for it, use a service that offers advanced or qualified signatures, such as DocuSign. This is not legal advice.
Do I need an account?: Not with Cachety. With DocuSign, you need an account to send documents for signature, but not to sign a document that someone sends you.
Can I send the document to someone else to sign?: Not through Cachety. It has one signer: you. You download the signed PDF and send it yourself. The other person can sign their copy the same way, but nothing records who signed or when. If you need that, DocuSign is the right tool.
Does DocuSign keep my documents?: Documents are stored in DocuSign's cloud, in one of five regions, including Europe. The customer decides how long they are kept and can delete them at any time. Cachety stores nothing, because the document never leaves your device.

Sources

Facts checked on 17 October 2026 on each publisher's public pages. Services change: if something here is out of date, tell us on GitHub and we will fix it.

Written by the author of Cachety. We aim to be factual and fair: every claim about another tool links to its source.