Electronic signatures are a standard part of how modern businesses operate. They allow teams to close deals faster and offer a smoother signing experience while reducing paperwork and manual errors.

However, while many documents require a digital signature, not all electronic signatures provide the same level of protection. Certain industries and cross-border transactions require stricter identity verification and stronger guarantees of authenticity.

When that happens, qualified electronic signatures (QES) are often the best way forward. This type of electronic signature is regulated by the EU under eIDAS and offers stakeholders the highest level of legal assurance.

While the QES process is defined by law and heavily regulated, the price, process, and availability are still determined by the companies offering the service.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at PandaDoc and Docusign, two QES-enabled providers, to compare how QES is deployed and which solution is right for your business.

What is a qualified electronic signature?

A qualified electronic signature (QES) is a regulated form of electronic signature that provides the strongest level of legal validity under EU law. It’s governed by the eIDAS Regulation, which defines how e-signatures are recognized and enforced across the European Union.

Unlike other types of electronic signatures, QES carries the same legal standing as a handwritten (wet) signature in every EU member state. This makes QES a valuable tool for securing ironclad legal certainty and ensuring that critical documents can stand up to regulatory scrutiny.

Due to additional setup requirements and specifications, QES isn’t as common in other regions and jurisdictions. In locations like the United States, where less-involved formats like advanced electronic signatures are considered secure enough for most documents, QES is only employed in very specific use cases.

QES vs other electronic signatures

Under eIDAS, there are three types of electronic signatures: simple electronic signatures (SES), advanced electronic signatures (AES), and qualified (QES).

• A simple electronic signature is the most basic form. Think of typing your name or clicking “I agree” on an online form. A SES offers minimal identity verification or legal assurance.
• An advanced electronic signature adds stronger identity verification and tamper detection, making it more secure and widely accepted in commercial contracts.
• A qualified electronic signature goes a step further: it meets all AES requirements but must also be issued by a Qualified Trust Service Provider and created using a certified device, giving it the highest legal standing and making it equivalent to a handwritten signature under EU law.

How QES works

The QES process is designed to provide a higher level of trust than standard electronic signatures.

To do this, the entire process is broken down into several distinct components.

• Verification. Before a QES can be applied, signers must verify their identity with a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) recognized under eIDAS.
  
• Digital certificates. Once a signer’s identity is verified, a qualified digital certificate is issued and cryptographically linked to the signer. This certificate serves as the foundation for a legally valid QES, as it carries an immutable proof of identity.
  
• Approved devices. The signature itself must be generated using a Qualified Signature Creation Device (QSCD), which protects the signer’s private signing key so that the signature can’t be forged or reused.
  
• Signing the document. Once all the safeguards are in place, users can sign the document. The signature is cryptographically bound to both the signer and the document, making post-signature changes easy to detect.
  
• Creating an audit trail. The e-signing process must produce a secure, auditable record that documents the verification and e-signing process. In legal battles, this record supports non-repudiation and defends the authenticity of both signature and signer.

As an e-signature solution, QES is attractive because every aspect of the signing process can only be handled through authorized channels. When users sign documents with QES, the combination of controlled devices and identity verification makes the authenticity of the signature difficult to challenge.

At the same time, that level of verification is only useful in specific scenarios where other e-signature tools fall short. In many cases, other signing options offer similar functionality and greater ease of use, making them a better choice for non-critical or secondary documents.

Why it matters

The real value of the QES process lies in reducing risk and providing added peace of mind for all parties.

When agreements involve high financial value or long-term obligations, legally binding signatures help assure signers that the agreements are executed in good faith. In those scenarios, QES provides a structured, verifiable signing process that increases confidence in the integrity of both the signer and the document.

QES also plays a role in legal disputes. By following the safeguards required under eIDAS, teams using QES automatically create strong evidence to support dispute resolution. The metadata and real-time validation provided by the process make it easier for companies to demonstrate consent, authenticity, and compliance if an e-signature is challenged.

For companies operating across the EU, providing a uniform, legally recognized standard for signing helps ensure that agreements are valid and enforceable regardless of where the parties are located. Brands operating outside EU borders can also benefit from following QES protocols, both when transacting with EU clients and when securing their own documents against the risk of repudiation or fraud.

Note: Because QES is heavily regulated by the European Union, the process for acquiring one is largely similar across providers. 

The key differences between PandaDoc and Docusign largely come down to where e-signatures sit in the workflow and how teams can gain access to QES through their preferred provider. We’ll cover these differences in greater detail below.

PandaDoc QES overview

PandaDoc supports qualified electronic signatures that fully comply with eIDAS requirements. QES with PandaDoc is available via an add-on to the Business and Enterprise plans. The system uses QES credits, which cost $5 per unique signer.

Like all e-signatures on the platform, QES fits into PandaDoc’s all-in-one workflow and is a natural extension of our existing document creation process. Once e-signature blocks are added to the document (via the drag-and-drop editor), teams can select QES from the list of available signing options on a per-signer basis.

With PandaDoc, all parts of the QES process are administered by third-party identity providers (IdPs) in order to remain compliant with the eIDAS framework. Signers will need to create an account and verify their identity via a third-party app (full list here). During this process, users may need to provide various identity documentation and biometric data in order to fully verify.

When signers access the document inside PandaDoc, they can use a PIN from their IDP account to authenticate and verify their identity. Once this is done, the document is fully signed, and a certificate of signature is issued with QES metadata.

Keep in mind that the security and identity restrictions around QES will also limit what can be done with the document. For example, QES-enabled documents can’t be CC’d, shared via public link, or forwarded to third parties for signature like non-QES documents.

Because this process requires many additional steps, we recommend it only for essential or cross-border documents where ironclad identity authentication is critical. In most other cases, digital signatures — upheld by the UETA and ESIGN Act — will be sufficient for signer accountability.

Key details

• QES is available as an add-on for Business or Enterprise users and is considered an advanced feature with a niche use case. Usage is flexible and should be based on risk and compliance needs.
  
• PandaDoc pricing for QES signatures is $5 per signature and is billed via QES credits. Enterprise plans automatically accrue 1 QES credit per month, up to 10 per year.
  
• Using QES will limit how documents can be shared in order to preserve document integrity and ensure signer authenticity. Other key features in PandaDoc (document creation, collaboration tools, and workflow automation) will continue to function normally.
  
• Verification requires the use of third-party identity providers that are trusted by eIDAS and the EU. This process will require identity documentation, a biometric scan, and account creation with the provider.
  
• QES doesn’t conflict with other privacy and security requirements, such as HIPAA for healthcare, GDPR protections, or PandaDoc’s standard document security and encryption.

Docusign QES overview

Docusign also offers eIDAS-compliant qualified electronic signatures, but its availability varies by region:

• In Europe, DocuSign offers QES as an add-on to any e-sign plan, enabling both large and small businesses to leverage it in their workspaces. In this case, cost is added to the standard Docusign pricing structure.
  
• In North America and other regions, QES is restricted to Docusign’s Enhanced (Enterprise) plans, adding an extra burden for startups and SMBs who need this feature. Here, cost is included in the e-signature software plan you purchase.

Like PandaDoc, Docusign also relies on third-party providers for identity verification and certificate issuance. These workflows are embedded into the Docusign signing experience but are administered externally in order to meet eIDAS requirements.

To use QES with Docusign, users will need to verify with third-party providers and have those results stored in an Identity Wallet. As with PandaDoc, creating this profile requires identification documents, biometrics, and a few other details. Once this process is complete, signers can use their verified credentials to e-sign the document and receive a certificate with all relevant QES details.

That said, Docusign’s process is more limited in scope when compared to what PandaDoc offers. While Docusign is focused on the e-signing process, it offers little in the way of document management, customizable templates, or business tools to manage the contract lifecycle. While users can sign contracts with QES on Docusign, the platform simply doesn’t provide the end-to-end experience seen in PandaDoc and a few other Docusign alternatives.

Key details

• QES availability with Docusign is region-dependent. Users in the EU can purchase QES as an add-on to any e-signing plan (Personal, Standard, Business Pro), but North American users will need an Enhanced plan with QES enabled.
  
• Pricing for QES is hidden outside of the EU. On European plans, QES starts at £9 per recipient. Because the plans are locked behind enterprise solutions in other parts of the world, costs may vary.
  
• Docusign offers a wider selection of verification partners than PandaDoc, including its own in-house verification through Docusign France, which is a trusted service in the EU. Third-party verifications are also available.
  
• Core e-signature features still function normally on QES-enabled envelopes, but sharing and forwarding restrictions may apply to preserve document integrity.
  
• QES-enabled envelopes still count against Docusign’s transaction limits. Because the company doesn’t allow teams to send unlimited documents, QES solutions simply add more to sending costs and aren’t separate from the standard envelope tally.

Which solution is best for your business?

Choosing between QES solutions is less about legal validity and more about how the e-signing process fits into your broader business workflow.

Both Docusign and PandaDoc are subject to the same regulatory requirements that govern QES, but they vary in how the service is accessed, priced, and integrated into your document process. Companies who need QES in more than a small subset of agreements may weigh those factors differently than brands who operate in highly regulated environments.

Because of those factors, one solution isn’t necessarily better than the other.

Here’s how things break down:

PandaDoc vs Docusign QES

Overall, PandaDoc is the better fit for teams looking to consolidate all document processes on a single platform.

If teams want to manage document creation, collaboration, e-signing, and more in one place, PandaDoc is the clear choice. Rather than hopping back and forth between Microsoft Word and a dedicated e-signing platform (Docusign, Dropbox Sign, Adobe Sign, etc.) or using Google Drive for storage, PandaDoc users can do everything in one place.

By consolidating, teams can streamline their user experience and workflows, enabling smoother operations. Combined with an easy learning curve, CRM integrations like Salesforce and HubSpot, custom branding, document automation, and more, teams can build and send nearly any type of document at lightning speed.

QES folds seamlessly into the PandaDoc process and can be applied where teams need it most. That makes PandaDoc a strong fit for sales-led and revenue-focused teams where QES is ideal for closing deals with ironclad assurances of legitimacy.
For organizations that view e-signatures as a standalone but mission-critical function, rather than one step in a broader document lifecycle, Docusign may make more sense.

Consolidate document creation and e-signing in one place with PandaDoc

Qualified electronic signatures can play an important role in regulated and high-risk agreements, but efficiency still matters. Unfortunately, due to EU regulations regarding how QES is administered, brands will slow down deals.

Fortunately, teams can recover some of that time with PandaDoc’s end-to-end workflow. Using PandaDoc, teams can build documents, collaborate with stakeholders, collect e-signatures with QES and other formats, and securely store signed contracts and other collateral without ever leaving the platform.

If your team is looking for fast document creation that still adheres to QES requirements for critical agreements, PandaDoc is the solution you need.
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Disclaimer

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDoc services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.