All three tools let you edit and sign PDFs, but they come at the problem from different angles. DocHub is the lightest, browser-only option built around deep…
Best for: Individuals and small teams that live inside Gmail and Google Drive and want a cheap, no-install browser tool for occasional PDF edits and e-signature requests.
Subscription (per-user annual or monthly licensing) · From $10.99/month or $129.99/year per user
Best for: Users and teams that need desktop-grade PDF editing with OCR, conversion, and AI-assisted redaction, and who want the option to add a dedicated, compliance-focused e-signature product without paying Adobe Acrobat's price.
Best for: Teams already using Jotform's forms and tables who want free, template-rich e-signature bundled into their existing account rather than a separate e-signature subscription.
At a Glance
DocHub
Foxit PDF Editor
Jotform Sign
Primary category
Documents & E-signature
Documents & E-signature
Documents & E-signature
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Subscription (per-user annual or monthly licensing)
Freemium
Starting price
Free
$10.99/month or $129.99/year per user
Free
Free plan
Yes
Not documented
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Yes
Standout Differences
DocHub trades editing depth for Google Workspace integration and price
DocHub edits and signs PDF attachments directly from Gmail, Google Drive, Google Classroom, and Dropbox without downloading files, and its per-user pricing on the Basic and Pro tiers is noticeably cheaper than DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign, though it lacks OCR and a native desktop app.
DocHub
Foxit is the only one of the three with OCR and a full desktop suite
Foxit PDF Editor supports optical character recognition for scanned documents, native Windows and macOS desktop apps, and an AI Smart Redact feature for automatically stripping sensitive data, capabilities that DocHub and Jotform Sign do not document.
Foxit PDF Editor
Jotform Sign has no standalone pricing page
Unlike DocHub and Foxit, which sell e-signature as a directly priced product or tier, Jotform Sign is free to use and its document limits scale with whichever Jotform account plan, from free Starter through Enterprise, a user is already on.
Jotform Sign
HIPAA compliance is gated behind the top tier everywhere
All three tools require upgrading to their highest-priced plan to get HIPAA-compliant signing with a signed Business Associate Agreement: DocHub's Site License, Foxit eSign Business, and Jotform's Gold or Enterprise plan.
DocHub, Foxit PDF Editor, Jotform Sign
Foxit splits editing and signing into two separate products
Where DocHub and Jotform Sign build e-signature directly into their core product, Foxit sells PDF editing (PDF Editor / PDF Editor+) and e-signature (Foxit eSign Essentials / Business) as distinct subscriptions with their own separate pricing.
Foxit PDF Editor, DocHub, Jotform Sign
Feature-by-Feature
Core PDF Editing
Feature
DocHub
Foxit PDF Editor
Jotform Sign
In-browser, no-install PDF editing
Available
Available
Not documented
OCR for scanned documents
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Native desktop application
Unavailable
Available
Not documented
E-Signature Workflow
Feature
DocHub
Foxit PDF Editor
Jotform Sign
Multi-signer / sequential signing order
Available
Available
Available
Reusable signable templates
Available
Available
Available
HIPAA compliance with signed BAA
Available
Available
Available
AI and Pricing Structure
Feature
DocHub
Foxit PDF Editor
Jotform Sign
Built-in AI assistant for document analysis
Available
Available
Not documented
Standalone published pricing page for the product
Available
Available
Unavailable
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
DocHub
Free — $0 monthly
Basic — $8/user/month (billed annually) monthly or annual
Pro — $12/user/month (billed annually, ~$16 month-to-month) monthly or annual
Site License — Custom custom
Foxit PDF Editor
PDF Editor — $10.99/month or $129.99/year per user Monthly or annual
PDF Editor+ — $13.99/month or $159.99/year per user Monthly or annual
AI Assistant Add-on — $49.99/year Annual
eSign Essentials — $120/year per user Annual
eSign Business — $300/user/year (5-seat minimum) Annual
Gold / Enterprise — $129/month or custom (Jotform plan) monthly ($99/month billed annually) or custom annual
Pros & Cons
DocHub
Pros
Free plan is genuinely usable for occasional PDF editing and a handful of e-signature requests per month
Deep, native integration with Gmail and Google Drive means files never need to be downloaded and re-uploaded
Simple, uncluttered browser-based editor with a low learning curve compared to desktop PDF suites
Per-user pricing on Basic and Pro is noticeably cheaper than DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign for small teams
Cons
Free and Basic plans cap monthly e-signature requests, which can be limiting for active individual users
HIPAA compliance and Business Associate Agreements are only available on the custom-priced Site License tier
Advanced PDF manipulation, such as heavy OCR workflows or complex conditional form logic, is more limited than dedicated PDF suites like Adobe Acrobat
The experience is primarily browser-based, without the offline-first native desktop apps some competitors offer
Foxit PDF Editor
Pros
Significantly more affordable than Adobe Acrobat while covering most core PDF editing needs
AI Smart Redact automates sensitive-data removal that would otherwise require manual review
Includes a genuinely free standalone PDF reader alongside the paid editing subscriptions
Volume discounts of up to 30% make it cost-effective for larger teams
Cons
Mobile apps and several premium features are gated behind the higher-priced PDF Editor+ tier
Foxit eSign Business requires a 5-seat minimum purchase, adding cost for very small teams
AI Assistant's free tier is limited to 20 credits per month before requiring a paid add-on
Company's origin and dual US/China corporate structure has drawn scrutiny in some government and enterprise security discussions
Jotform Sign
Pros
Free to use, bundled into existing Jotform account plans rather than a separate subscription
Large library of 1,000+ signable document templates
Deep integration with Jotform Tables, Report Builder and forms
Multi-step approval routing for sequential signers
Mobile-friendly signing experience for on-the-go signers
Cons
Less specialized than dedicated e-signature vendors like DocuSign or PandaDoc
No standalone pricing page, so document limits are tied to a Jotform account plan
HIPAA-compliant signing requires upgrading to Jotform's Gold or Enterprise tier
Smaller enterprise contract-management feature set than pure-play competitors
Brand recognition in e-signature is lower than established leaders like DocuSign
Use Cases
Choose DocHub: Individuals and small teams that live inside Gmail and Google Drive and want a cheap, no-install browser tool for occasional PDF edits and e-signature requests.
Choose Foxit PDF Editor: Users and teams that need desktop-grade PDF editing with OCR, conversion, and AI-assisted redaction, and who want the option to add a dedicated, compliance-focused e-signature product without paying Adobe Acrobat's price.
Choose Jotform Sign: Teams already using Jotform's forms and tables who want free, template-rich e-signature bundled into their existing account rather than a separate e-signature subscription.
DocHub
Small Business Contract Signing — Freelancers and small businesses send contracts and invoices for signature and track completion status without paying for enterprise e-signature software.
Google Workspace Document Workflows — Teams already living in Gmail and Google Drive edit and sign PDF attachments in place, avoiding repeated downloads and uploads.
Recurring HR and Real Estate Paperwork — HR teams and real estate agents use saved templates to quickly send the same offer letters, leases, or disclosure forms for repeated signature collection.
Foxit PDF Editor
Affordable PDF editing for students and freelancers — Individuals get core PDF editing, conversion, and OCR capabilities without paying for a full Adobe Acrobat subscription.
Compliance-driven document redaction — Legal and HR teams use AI Smart Redact to quickly remove sensitive personal information before sharing documents externally.
Enterprise document workflows with e-signature — Larger teams standardize on Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit eSign Business for regulated document creation, editing, and signing at volume-discounted pricing.
Jotform Sign
Contract and NDA signing — Businesses send contracts and NDAs built from templates and track signature status through the Sign Inbox.
HR onboarding paperwork — HR teams route offer letters and onboarding documents through multi-step approval flows for sequential signing.
Healthcare consent forms — Healthcare providers use Gold or Enterprise-tier HIPAA-compliant signing for patient consent and intake documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these is genuinely free to use?
Jotform Sign is free within a Jotform Starter account, and DocHub has a Free plan with basic editing and up to 5 e-signature requests per month. Foxit does not offer a free tier for PDF Editor, though it separately offers a free standalone PDF reader.
Which tool has OCR for scanned documents?
Only Foxit PDF Editor documents OCR support, letting it convert scanned paper documents into editable, searchable text.
Which is cheapest for a small team that mainly needs e-signatures?
Jotform Sign is free if bundled into an existing Jotform plan. DocHub Basic runs about $8 per user per month. Foxit eSign Essentials costs $120 per year per user with no seat minimum, while Foxit eSign Business requires a five-seat minimum at $300 per user per year.
Do any of these include AI features?
Yes. DocHub offers DocHub Intelligence for smart edits and document search on Pro and above, and Foxit includes an AI Assistant plus an AI Smart Redact feature for automatically removing sensitive information; Jotform Sign does not document AI capabilities.
Which integrates most closely with Google Workspace?
DocHub, which edits and signs PDF attachments directly from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Classroom without downloading files first.
Can any of these handle HIPAA-regulated documents?
All three can, but only on their most expensive tier: DocHub's Site License, Foxit eSign Business, and Jotform's Gold or Enterprise plan all add HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement.