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. This is not legal advice.

Do I need an account?

No, for either tool, when you sign a PDF yourself. Smallpdf says no account or installation is required to sign.

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. Smallpdf offers this through Sign.com, with tracking and a certificate of completion.

Cachety vs Smallpdf: which should you use to sign a PDF?

Updated 17 October 2026

Smallpdf's Sign PDF tool lets you draw, type or upload your signature without creating an account. To ask other people to sign, it points you to Sign.com, its e-signature service. Cachety only lets you sign a document yourself, but without uploading it.

In short

To request signatures from others, track them and get a certificate of completion, Smallpdf with Sign.com is the better choice. To sign a PDF yourself, both work without an account. The difference is where the file goes: Smallpdf processes it on its servers, while Cachety keeps it on your device.

Side by side

Criterion	Cachety	Smallpdf
Where the document is processed	CachetyIn your browser, on your own device. Nothing is uploaded.Advantage Cachety	SmallpdfOn Smallpdf's servers, hosted by Hetzner in the EU, with Cloudflare in the US or Europe. Transfers are encrypted with TLS.
How long the file is kept	CachetyNothing is stored. Your signature only exists in the tab's memory.Advantage Cachety	SmallpdfDeleted automatically after one hour, unless you save it to a Smallpdf account.
Account	CachetyNone.	SmallpdfNot needed to sign a PDF yourself.
Free use	CachetyFree, with no paid tier.	SmallpdfFree with a daily download limit. Sign.com's free plan includes a limited number of documents a month.
Analytics and advertising trackers	CachetyNone.Advantage Cachety	SmallpdfWith your consent: Google Analytics, Google Ads remarketing, Facebook Pixel and LinkedIn, according to its privacy notice.
Seal and certificate	CachetyNone: no certificate, no audit trail, no timestamp.	SmallpdfThrough Sign.com: digital seals and a certificate of completion.Advantage Smallpdf
Sending to other signers	CachetyNo. One signer: you. You send the signed file yourself.	SmallpdfYes, through Sign.com, with tracking.Advantage Smallpdf
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.	SmallpdfDraw, type or upload your signature, and add initials, text and dates. Apps for Android and iOS.

Two services in one

On Smallpdf's Sign PDF page, you can sign a document yourself without an account or anything to install: draw, type or upload your signature, then add initials, text and dates. Requesting signatures from others, tracking them, digital seals and a certificate of completion come from Sign.com, Smallpdf's e-signature service.

In both cases, the document goes to Smallpdf's servers. Its sign page says files are deleted automatically after one hour, unless you save them to your Smallpdf account. Its privacy notice says processing uses Hetzner servers in the EU and Cloudflare in the US or Europe. The company is Smallpdf AG, based in Zürich.

Cachety does not send, track or store anything. You sign in your browser, download the signed PDF and send it yourself.

Legal claims, and what they mean

Smallpdf describes its signatures as legally binding, and adds that you should always check your local laws. Sign.com says its signatures are legally valid and binding according to eIDAS standards, without naming a level. These are their own claims. What matters, if a signature is ever challenged, is its level: simple, advanced or qualified.

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.

Where Smallpdf is better

Requesting signatures from others and tracking them, through Sign.com.
Digital seals and a certificate of completion.
Apps for Android and iOS.

Where Cachety is better

Your document is never uploaded, not even for an hour. It still works in aeroplane mode once the page has loaded.
No analytics or advertising trackers, with or without consent.
The signed PDF is flattened, and hidden text, metadata and attachments are removed.
Free and open source.

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 Smallpdf is the better choice

You need to send a document to other people for signature and track it.
You want a digital seal and a certificate of completion with the signed document.
You already use Smallpdf for other PDF jobs and are comfortable with the upload.

When Cachety is the better choice

You only need to sign a PDF yourself and send it back.
You would rather the document never left your device.
You want a tool with no analytics or advertising trackers.

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. This is not legal advice.
Do I need an account?: No, for either tool, when you sign a PDF yourself. Smallpdf says no account or installation is required to sign.
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. Smallpdf offers this through Sign.com, with tracking and a certificate of completion.
Does Smallpdf upload my document?: Yes. The document is processed on Smallpdf's servers and deleted automatically after one hour, unless you save it to your account. Cachety does everything on 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.