If you're searching for an "electronic signature app," you probably want something you can open on your phone or laptop to sign a document or get one signed, quickly and without much setup. Most of what people call an "e-signature app" is a web tool that also happens to offer a download, and the app doesn't do anything the browser version can't. GSD has no native mobile app at all. It runs in any mobile or desktop browser, and the people you send documents to never need to install anything or create an account either. That's a deliberate trade-off. This page walks through what it means in practice, and what to check in any electronic signature or digital signature app before you commit to one.
Do you actually need a native app?
Before comparing tools, ask what a native app would get you that a browser doesn't. For most small businesses signing and sending contracts, not much.
A native app can add offline signing when you have zero connectivity, a home-screen icon, and sometimes quicker camera access for scanning a paper document into a PDF. A browser-based tool works the same on iPhone, Android, and desktop. Nobody needs a download or an app-store account, you or your signers. It's always up to date because there's no app to update, and there's nothing to uninstall if you switch tools.
If you really do need to sign offline in a dead zone, that's a fair reason to want a native app. It's the one thing a browser can't do. For nearly everyone else, a browser-based tool removes a step instead of adding one.
How GSD handles this
GSD does not have a native mobile app, and it doesn't have a Word or Google Docs add-in either. It's a browser-based product. You open gsdhere.com on any phone or desktop browser and upload a PDF or Word document, and GSD's AI places signature, date, and text fields on it for you to review before sending. That field-placement step happens on every plan, including Free. Your signers get an email link, open it in their own browser, and sign. They don't need an account, an app, or a download, on phone or desktop. If your document is a Google Doc, export it first with File > Download > PDF, then upload the PDF.
What you give up: there's no offline signing mode, and GSD won't show up as an icon in the App Store or Play Store. What you get: nothing to install, nothing to update, and nothing that only works if the other side has the same app you do. For most contracts, waivers, and agreements, that favors the browser. Once a signature request depends on the recipient downloading something first, some of them will stall out.
Two free tools if you want to try the browser approach without signing up for anything: sign a PDF yourself, or draw or type a signature and download it as an image.
What to look for in any electronic signature app
Whether you end up on GSD or something else, these are the things that decide whether a tool works for your business:
- Audit trail quality. When a document is signed, does the tool capture who signed, when, and from where, and does it detect if the file is altered afterward? Look for a hash-based tamper-evidence method (like SHA-256) and a Certificate of Completion you can hand to a client or keep for your own records. See what makes an audit trail hold up.
- Signer experience without an account. If your signers have to create an account or download an app before they can sign, expect drop-off. The best version is clicking the email link and signing in whatever browser they already have open.
- Document retention. How long does the tool keep your completed, signed documents, and does that match your recordkeeping needs? Retention windows vary a lot by plan, so check this before you rely on a tool for anything you'll need to look at a year or more later.
- Pricing model that matches your volume. Some tools charge per envelope, some per seat, some a flat unlimited rate. If you send one contract a month, a per-document or credit-based plan can cost far less than a seat-based subscription. If you send dozens a week, unlimited-document pricing usually wins.
- Compliance claims you can verify. "Bank-level security" and similar phrases aren't certifications. If SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA compliance matters for your business, ask the vendor directly and read their own security page instead of taking marketing copy at face value. Our security page lists exactly what GSD does and doesn't have.
- Legal grounding. The tool should be built around ESIGN Act and UETA compliance, with "legally binding" backed by something more than a slogan. See what actually makes a signature valid.
GSD's retention and pricing, specifically
Retention and pricing are two of the biggest differences between e-signature tools, so here are GSD's. Completed documents are kept for 30 days on the Free plan, 1 year on Pro, and 7 years on Business. Pick the plan by how long you need to pull up a signed document, as well as by how many you send. Signing and receiving documents is always free and unlimited, no matter who sent them to you.
On the sending side, Free is $0/month for 5 documents a month with no credit card required. If you go over, you buy pay-as-you-go credits: $0.05 per page for the first 10 pages of a document, $0.01 per page after that, and credits never expire. Pro is $12/month for unlimited documents, 3 seats, 5 templates, and custom branding. Business is $49/month for 5 seats, 25 templates, bulk CSV sending, payment collection, and document bundles. Full details are on the pricing page.
Digital signature app vs. electronic signature app
If you searched for a "digital signature app" or "digital signature application," the terms aren't interchangeable, even though search engines and vendors blur them all the time. A digital signature, strictly speaking, is a certificate-based cryptographic signature that uses public-key infrastructure to bind a signature to a verified identity. An electronic signature is the broader legal category: any sound, symbol, or process executed with intent to sign. That covers typed names, drawn signatures, and click-to-sign checkboxes. GSD is an electronic signature tool. It provides a tamper-evident, hash-based audit trail rather than certificate-based PKI signatures, and it isn't a notary or an eIDAS qualified/advanced signature provider. If you specifically need certificate-based signing, read electronic vs. digital signature before choosing a tool.
API and automation, if you need it
If you want to trigger signature requests from your own software instead of clicking through a web UI each time, look at the vendor's developer options as well as their consumer app. GSD offers a REST API, webhooks, and an MCP server for AI assistants for this. See the developer docs. That's a different need from "an app on my phone," so check for it separately if your workflow is more automated than manual.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free electronic signature app?
Yes. GSD's Free plan covers 5 documents a month with no credit card required, and signing documents sent to you is always free and unlimited. It runs in your browser rather than as a downloadable app. See free electronic signature options for more.
Does GSD have a mobile app?
No. GSD has no native iOS or Android app. It works in any mobile or desktop browser, for both the person sending a document and the person signing it, so neither side installs anything.
Can I sign a document on my phone without an app?
Yes. Open the signing link from your email in your phone's browser, tap through the fields, sign with your finger, and submit. No account or download is required.
What's the difference between an electronic signature app and a digital signature app?
"Electronic signature" is the broad legal term for any signing method executed with intent to sign, including typed and drawn signatures. "Digital signature" specifically means a certificate-based cryptographic signature. Most apps sold for everyday business signing, GSD included, provide electronic signatures rather than certificate-based digital signatures.
What should I check before trusting an e-signature app with contracts?
Check that completed documents get a tamper-evident audit trail and Certificate of Completion, confirm the retention period matches how long you need records, and verify any compliance claims (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA) on the vendor's security page instead of assuming from marketing language.