0 Feature |
1 AdaStamp |
2 PDF embedded (Adobe) |
Compliant with legal regulations and be accepted by courts | With QES device used | Yes |
Integration with smart contracts | Yes | No |
Signature visible in a document | Yes(M2) | Yes |
Storage of documents | Yes | No |
“Decentralized storage” | Yes | N/A |
Sharing of documents | Yes | File sharing only |
Notifications | Yes | No |
Signing workflow | Yes | No |
Document templates | Yes | No |
Filling forms | Yes | No |
Open-source solution | Yes | No |
Long-term signatures | Yes | Yes |
One of the most widely used solutions is Adobe Acrobat’s built-in functionality to sign PDF documents. It requires a certificate - to be compliant with legal regulations and be accepted by courts, it has to be an Advanced or Qualified Electronic Signature (AES or QES), as defined by eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services) European Union regulation, and United States’ UETA Act and E-Sign Act. One of the nice things is that the signature is stored within the PDF document that is being signed and can be rendered on the document. However, there is no storage of documents nor sharing/transferring between participants. On the contrary, AdaStamp offers storage and sharing of documents but does not allow for visible signatures inside a document.