Advanced Authentication
Options such as SMS, knowledge-based auth, or corporate SSO improve signer assurance for high-value purchase approvals and supplier agreements.
This comparison helps procurement teams evaluate trade-offs between signNow and Apptivo for managing purchaser contacts, organizational roles, and cost per user or feature when digitizing purchasing approvals and contract flows.
Oversees supplier onboarding, approval chains, and contract execution. Typically needs bulk sending, reusable templates, and granular contact permissions to ensure purchasing requests follow approved workflows and to minimize manual follow-ups.
Manages user provisioning, SSO configuration, and integrations with ERP or CRM systems. Requires API access, audit logging, and account-level retention settings to maintain security and operational continuity.
Smaller teams may prioritize cost and simplicity, while larger organizations focus on admin controls, API access, and enterprise governance.
Options such as SMS, knowledge-based auth, or corporate SSO improve signer assurance for high-value purchase approvals and supplier agreements.
Configurable retention policies and export options support legal hold, audit readiness, and long-term storage compliance for procurement records.
Detailed usage and signature reports help procurement leaders monitor throughput, user activity, and identify bottlenecks in purchasing cycles.
SSO reduces login friction for departmental users, centralizes account control, and helps IT manage access across purchasing and contract teams.
Fine-grained roles enable separation between requesters, approvers, and viewers to meet internal procurement governance standards.
Support for multiple sub-accounts or business units helps large procurement organizations segment access and billing by department or region.
Prebuilt purchase order and contract templates reduce manual entry, ensure consistent fields for procurement workflows, and speed repeat transactions while preserving required legal and compliance fields.
Bulk Send allows sending identical documents to many recipients at once, suitable for supplier onboarding or mass confirmations; it cuts per-document sending time and centralizes tracking for purchasing teams.
Organize suppliers and internal approvers into groups or organizational units so permissions, routing, and notifications are consistently applied across purchasing workflows.
APIs let procurement systems create, send, and track signature requests programmatically, connecting ERP or purchasing systems to signature workflows for automated order processing.
| Workflow Setting Name and Configuration Header | Configuration value example for each setting |
|---|---|
| Reminder Frequency for Signature Requests | 48 hours after request creation |
| Automatic Reminder Cadence and Retry Limits | Every 3 days up to 3 reminders |
| Approval Routing and Sequential Signing Steps | Sequential routing by role, two-step approval |
| Default Signature Authentication and Verification | Email by default; SMS optional for verification |
| Document Retention and Archival Policy Settings | Retain documents seven years; configurable per account |
Ensure corporate devices meet these requirements and that IT whitelists signature service domains for smooth access; consider mobile app use where field signatures and on-site approvals are common.
A procurement team needed to onboard hundreds of suppliers with standardized contracts and approvals quickly.
Resulting in measurable time savings and faster vendor activation for purchasing operations.
A mid-sized company sought to centralize purchase order approvals while maintaining clear departmental roles and auditability.
Leading to improved tracking but additional administrative overhead for large-scale signature tasks.
| Feature and Criteria Comparison Table | signNow | Apptivo |
|---|---|---|
| US eSignature Legal Validity and Support | ||
| HIPAA Compliance Support for Healthcare Workflows | Limited | |
| Bulk Send and Mass Signing Support | Limited | |
| Organization Contact Management Tools Availability | Advanced | Basic |
| Pricing and Plan Comparison | signNow | Apptivo | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | HelloSign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price and Billing Model | Starts at $8/user/month (annual billing) | Starts at $8/user/month (annual billing) | Personal plans around $10/month | Individual plans start around $9.99/month | Essentials around $15/user/month (annual) |
| Free or Trial Availability | Free trial; limited free tier | Free tier available | Free trial only | Free trial available | Free trial available |
| API Access Included in Plans | Included in paid plans and higher tiers | Included in paid plans | Included in paid plans and higher tiers | Included in select paid plans | Included in paid plans |
| Enterprise Features and SSO | Enterprise SSO and admin controls available | Enterprise SSO available on higher plans | Enterprise features and SSO available | Enterprise features and SSO available | Enterprise features available with business plans |
| Bulk Send and Template Support | Bulk Send and templates included | Bulk send limited or add-on | Bulk and templates available | Bulk and templates available | Bulk and templates available |