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Adobe Fill & Sign free: what the free Acrobat signer includes
Adobe offers two different free things that are easy to mix up: Fill & Sign, for putting your own signature on a PDF, and a small free allowance for asking other people to sign. Knowing which one you need tells you whether the free tier is enough.
A comparison by the maker of DocAISign, based on official product documentation. We have not independently tested every competitor or verified every plan. Product names belong to their owners.
DocAISign paid checkout is not currently enabled. Self-signing is free; check your available sends and the Pricing page before planning a request.
Fill & Sign signs your own copy
Adobe’s online Sign PDF page describes uploading a PDF to Acrobat on the web, filling its fields and adding a signature you type, draw or upload as an image, plus initials, text, check marks and lines. The page presents Fill & Sign as free with no trial or expiry.
Its steps say you sign in to complete the form, and its FAQ describes signing in to download or share the result, so plan on using a free Adobe account. Acrobat Reader also has Fill & Sign on desktop and mobile.
Where the file goes
Adobe’s page says the uploaded file is handled on Adobe’s servers and deleted unless you sign in to save it. It does not state how long that takes. If you would rather the file never leaves your device, a browser-only signer processes it in the tab instead.
- Sign a PDF in your browserNo upload, no account, no watermark. Adds a signature image to your own copy.
Asking others to sign is limited on the free tier
Adobe’s Request e-signatures page says a free Acrobat account includes two signature-request transactions every 30 days on a rolling basis, and that recipients sign without an account or download. More requests need a paid Acrobat plan; Acrobat Sign is aimed at higher-volume and enterprise workflows.
A Fill & Sign mark is not a digital ID
Adobe’s FAQ separates electronic signatures from certificate-based digital signatures, which use a digital ID and are offered for regulated workflows. A typed or drawn Fill & Sign mark is an electronic signature image. If a recipient asked for a certificate-based signature, use the workflow that provides one.
Pick the free option that matches the job
- Only your signature, and you are happy to sign in to Adobe: Fill & Sign.
- Only your signature, and the file should stay on your device: a browser-only signer.
- One or two requests a month to other people: Adobe’s free allowance may be enough.
- Regular one-recipient requests without a subscription: compare per-send options.
- A certificate-based signature is required: confirm which digital ID the recipient accepts.
About this comparison
Published by the maker of DocAISign from Adobe’s official Sign PDF and Request e-signatures pages reviewed on November 6, 2026. Adobe’s mobile app page and help-centre article could not be read for this review. Free allowances change; check Adobe’s current pages.