How to sign a PDF electronically for free

A contract lands in your inbox with "please sign and return." The old way — print, sign with a pen, scan, email back — is slow and produces a worse-looking document every time. The common online way — upload the contract to a signing service, make an account, sometimes hit a paywall — means handing a private agreement to a third party. There's a better option: sign the PDF right in your browser, and download it, with nothing uploaded.

What "electronically signing" a PDF actually means

For everyday agreements, an electronic signature is simply a visible mark you place on the document — a drawn signature, typed name, or uploaded image — showing your intent to agree. This is different from a digital signature, which is a cryptographic certificate that also proves who signed and that the file wasn't altered afterwards. Most day-to-day signing (NDAs, quotes, consent forms, internal approvals) only needs the former.

Is an electronic signature legally valid?

In most places, yes — for the majority of documents. Frameworks like the U.S. ESIGN Act and the EU's eIDAS regulation give electronic signatures legal standing, provided both parties intend to sign and agree to do so electronically. Some specific documents (certain wills, property deeds, notarised papers) may require more. This is general information, not legal advice — if a document is high-stakes, confirm the requirement for your jurisdiction.

How to sign a PDF without uploading it

KeepItLocally's Sign PDF tool runs entirely on your device — no account, no watermark, no upload:

• Open Sign PDF and add your document.
• Create your signature — draw it with a mouse or trackpad, or upload an image of your signature.
• Place it on the right page and position, and resize it to fit the signature line.
• Download the signed PDF. The original never left your computer.

Because it's a multi-signer-aware tool, it also handles agreements that need more than one person's signature — useful for contracts between several parties.

Why signing locally matters

The documents you sign are, almost by definition, the sensitive ones — offers, agreements, forms with personal details. Uploading them to a signing platform means trusting that company's storage, retention, and access policies. Signing in your browser sidesteps all of it: open DevTools → Network while you sign and you'll see nothing transmitted, and it works with your internet off.

After signing

Need to lock the signed file so only the recipient can open it? Add a password with Protect PDF. Need to email it but the scan is too large? Shrink it first — see how to compress a PDF without losing quality.