Pactivo
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Pactivo vs Dropbox Sign

Dropbox Sign, formerly HelloSign, is a simple e-signature tool with a free tier and a popular API. Pactivo is built for UK regulated firms: per-envelope pricing, an email passcode for every signer, and UK data storage on every plan.

By the Pactivo team · Updated

In short

Dropbox Sign charges per user, with unlimited signature requests on its paid app plans, and has a free plan of up to three signature requests a month. Its API is sold separately by monthly request volume. Pactivo charges per envelope with no per-user fees, and its API comes with the Growth and Scale plans.

Dropbox Sign stores documents in the US by default. Choosing the UK (or the EU, Australia, Japan or Canada) is available on its Premium plans, and documents are copied to US servers temporarily while they are processed. Pactivo stores data in the UK on every plan.

Dropbox Sign offers advanced and qualified signatures through an eID add-on on its Premium API plan, with mostly European identity providers. Pactivo provides Simple Electronic Signatures today, with Advanced and Qualified on the roadmap.

Side by side

How you pay

Pactivo: Per envelope, no per-user fees: £0.69 an envelope on Starter (monthly billing), down to £0.36 on Scale (annual billing), excluding VAT.

Dropbox Sign: Per user: Essentials (1 user), Standard (2+ users) and Premium (by quote), with unlimited signature requests. Prices are shown in US dollars. The API is priced separately by monthly request volume.

Free option

Pactivo: No free plan. You can sign up and send your first envelope without a credit card.

Dropbox Sign: A free plan (its pricing FAQ says up to three signature requests a month) and a 30-day free trial of paid features. API test mode is free.

Checking the signer

Pactivo: Every signer enters a one-time passcode sent to their email before the document opens, on every plan.

Dropbox Sign: SMS authentication is listed on its pricing page; the plans that include it are not covered on the pages we checked.

ID verification

Pactivo: Not yet. Identity verification is on the roadmap.

Dropbox Sign: eID add-on at extra cost on the Premium API plan: national eID schemes and document-plus-liveness checks.

Signature levels

Pactivo: UK eIDAS Simple Electronic Signature (SES). Advanced and Qualified signatures are on the roadmap.

Dropbox Sign: Advanced and qualified signatures through the eID add-on, with providers listed by country (mostly EU and Nordic).

Evidence

Pactivo: Hash-chained audit trail, and a signed PDF sealed with a PAdES digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp, on every plan.

Dropbox Sign: Audit trail listed as a feature. Whether the PDF carries a digital seal or trusted timestamp is not covered on the pages we checked.

Independent verification

Pactivo: Anyone with the verification code can check a completed document on a public page, without an account.

Dropbox Sign: Not covered on the pages we checked.

Data residency

Pactivo: UK, on every plan.

Dropbox Sign: US by default. UK, EU, Australia, Japan or Canada on Premium plans; documents are temporarily copied to US servers while being processed.

API

Pactivo: REST API and signed webhooks on Growth and Scale.

Dropbox Sign: Separate API plans by monthly request volume; embedded signing from the Standard API plan.

When Dropbox Sign is the better choice

  • You send only a few documents a month and a free plan covers it.
  • One or two people send a lot, so unlimited requests per user works out cheaper.
  • You already use Dropbox and want signing in the same place.
  • You need qualified signatures or national eID checks for European signers today.

When Pactivo is the better choice

  • You need documents stored in the UK without a Premium plan.
  • You want every signer behind a passcode, and a sealed PDF with a trusted timestamp, on every plan.
  • Many people in your firm send now and then, and you would rather pay per envelope than per user.
  • You want the API included in the plan rather than priced separately.

How we checked

We took every statement about Dropbox Sign from Dropbox Sign’s own public web pages on 15 October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check the current position on their site before you decide. If something here is out of date or wrong, email hello@pactivo.com and we will correct it.

Dropbox and Dropbox Sign are trademarks of Dropbox, Inc. Pactivo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dropbox, Inc..

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is Dropbox Sign the same as HelloSign?

Yes. HelloSign was renamed Dropbox Sign after Dropbox acquired it. It is still sold as a standalone product.

Does Dropbox Sign store data in the UK?

Only if you choose it. According to Dropbox's help centre, documents are stored in the US by default; teams on Premium plans can choose the UK or another region, and documents are temporarily copied to US servers while they are processed. Pactivo stores data in the UK on every plan.

Can I move from Dropbox Sign to Pactivo?

Yes. Upload the same PDFs, place the fields again and save them as templates. Keep your completed Dropbox Sign documents and audit trails; they remain your evidence for those agreements.

Related

Pactivo vs DocuSign

Pactivo vs DocuSign for UK firms: per-envelope vs per-user pricing, signer passcodes, ID checks, sealed evidence and UK data residency, from DocuSign's own UK pages.

Pactivo vs Adobe Acrobat Sign

Pactivo vs Adobe Acrobat Sign for UK firms: per-envelope pricing vs Acrobat licences, signer checks, sealed evidence and UK data residency, from Adobe's own UK pages.

SES, AES and QES: the three types of electronic signature

Simple, Advanced and Qualified electronic signatures under UK eIDAS: what each one requires, what each proves, and which one a document needs.

Signatures you can prove were not touched.

Every envelope is sealed with a hash-chained audit trail and a digitally signed PDF.

Start signingSee pricing