Pactivo vs Signable
Signable is a Bristol-based e-signature company with unlimited users, UK data storage and advanced signatures through SMS two-factor checks. Pactivo is also per-envelope and UK-hosted, and costs less per envelope, but offers simple signatures only today.
In short
Both charge per envelope with unlimited users, not per seat. Signable's Pay As You Go starts from £2.60 an envelope, and its Essentials plan is £480 plus VAT a year for 300 envelopes (£1.60 each). Pactivo is £0.69 an envelope excluding VAT on Starter, with monthly billing and no annual commitment.
Signable offers advanced electronic signatures (AES) on every plan: you turn on its SMS two-factor check for signers (UK mobile numbers only), and every document gets its eSeal. Pactivo provides simple electronic signatures, with an email passcode for every signer; advanced signatures are on its roadmap.
Both store data in the UK: Signable on AWS in London, Pactivo on Rajoka-operated servers in the UK. Signable's API is on its Business and Enterprise plans (through sales); Pactivo's API is on its self-serve Growth and Scale plans.
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.
Signable: Per envelope, with unlimited users: Pay As You Go from £2.60 an envelope; Essentials £480 plus VAT a year for 300 envelopes; Business (from 1,200 envelopes) and Enterprise (from 5,000) are annual plans through sales.
Free option
Pactivo: No free plan. You can sign up and send your first envelope without a credit card.
Signable: 14-day free trial.
Checking the signer
Pactivo: Every signer enters a one-time passcode sent to their email before the document opens, on every plan.
Signable: Optional two-factor check: a one-time code sent by SMS to the signer's mobile (UK only), on every plan. Optional password protection for documents.
Signature levels
Pactivo: UK eIDAS Simple Electronic Signature (SES). Advanced and Qualified signatures are on the roadmap.
Signable: Advanced electronic signatures (AES) when the SMS two-factor check is on, available in the UK only; qualified signatures listed as coming soon.
Evidence
Pactivo: Hash-chained audit trail, and a signed PDF sealed with a PAdES digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp, on every plan.
Signable: An eSeal on every document so later changes are detectable, and an audit trail with a document fingerprint, signer details, IP addresses and timestamped events, issued as a tamper-evident certificate attached to the final PDF.
Independent verification
Pactivo: Anyone with the verification code can check a completed document on a public page, without an account.
Signable: Not covered on the pages we checked.
Data residency
Pactivo: UK, on every plan.
Signable: UK: stored and processed in AWS's London data centre.
API
Pactivo: REST API and signed webhooks on Growth and Scale.
Signable: API access on Business and Enterprise plans (through sales).
Certifications
Pactivo: None yet. Our trust centre sets out how the service is secured.
Signable: ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certified.
| Pactivo | Signable | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per envelope, no per-user fees: £0.69 an envelope on Starter (monthly billing), down to £0.36 on Scale (annual billing), excluding VAT. | Per envelope, with unlimited users: Pay As You Go from £2.60 an envelope; Essentials £480 plus VAT a year for 300 envelopes; Business (from 1,200 envelopes) and Enterprise (from 5,000) are annual plans through sales. |
| Free option | No free plan. You can sign up and send your first envelope without a credit card. | 14-day free trial. |
| Checking the signer | Every signer enters a one-time passcode sent to their email before the document opens, on every plan. | Optional two-factor check: a one-time code sent by SMS to the signer's mobile (UK only), on every plan. Optional password protection for documents. |
| Signature levels | UK eIDAS Simple Electronic Signature (SES). Advanced and Qualified signatures are on the roadmap. | Advanced electronic signatures (AES) when the SMS two-factor check is on, available in the UK only; qualified signatures listed as coming soon. |
| Evidence | Hash-chained audit trail, and a signed PDF sealed with a PAdES digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp, on every plan. | An eSeal on every document so later changes are detectable, and an audit trail with a document fingerprint, signer details, IP addresses and timestamped events, issued as a tamper-evident certificate attached to the final PDF. |
| Independent verification | Anyone with the verification code can check a completed document on a public page, without an account. | Not covered on the pages we checked. |
| Data residency | UK, on every plan. | UK: stored and processed in AWS's London data centre. |
| API | REST API and signed webhooks on Growth and Scale. | API access on Business and Enterprise plans (through sales). |
| Certifications | None yet. Our trust centre sets out how the service is secured. | ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certified. |
When Signable is the better choice
- You need advanced electronic signatures (AES) today, with SMS checks for UK signers.
- Your clients or your regulator expect ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials certification.
- You want phone support and onboarding help from an established UK company.
- You need SSO, IP allowlisting or bulk send, which Signable offers on its higher plans.
When Pactivo is the better choice
- You want a lower price per envelope: £0.69 excluding VAT on Starter against Signable's £2.60 Pay As You Go or £1.60 on Essentials.
- You want monthly billing without an annual envelope allowance.
- You want the API on a self-serve plan rather than through sales.
- You want clients and counterparties to be able to verify a signed document themselves, without an account.
How we checked
We took every statement about Signable from Signable’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.
Signable is a trademark of Signable Ltd. Pactivo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Signable Ltd.