Compare OpenKM and SignNow on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Documents & E-signature tools, Freemium vs Per-user subscription, monthly or…
At a Glance
OpenKM
SignNow
Primary category
Documents & E-signature
Documents & E-signature
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Per-user subscription, monthly or annual billing
Starting price
Free (Community Edition); Professional and Cloud plans are custom-quoted, with third-party estimates starting around $30/user/month
$8/user/month (Business plan, billed annually)
Free plan
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Not documented
Yes
Platforms
Web
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
OpenKM
Community Edition — Free N/A
Professional Edition — Custom (estimated from around $30/user/month) Monthly or annual
Cloud Edition — Custom quote Monthly or annual
SignNow
Business — $8/user/month (annual) or $20/month (monthly) Monthly or annual
Business Premium — $15/user/month (annual) or $30/month (monthly) Monthly or annual
Enterprise — $30/user/month (annual) or $50/month (monthly) Monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
OpenKM
Pros
Free, open-source Community Edition available for self-hosting
Strong workflow and business process automation via jBPM
Purpose-built records management features for compliance-heavy industries
Scales from small teams to large enterprise deployments
International presence with localized support in multiple regions
Cons
Professional and Cloud pricing is not published and requires a sales quote
Community Edition has no official vendor support, only forums
Admin interface feels dated compared to newer cloud-native DMS tools
Workflow configuration has a learning curve for non-technical users
Smaller third-party app marketplace than mainstream competitors like Box
SignNow
Pros
Affordable entry-level pricing compared to some competitors
Strong workflow and automation depth through the broader airSlate ecosystem
Broad third-party integrations with common business apps
Mobile apps for signing documents on the go
Each plan includes an annual allotment of signature invites
Cons
Overage fees apply once a plan's signature invite allotment is exceeded
Advanced automation features require higher-cost tiers
Brand overlap with similarly named e-signature products can cause confusion
Enterprise pricing is not published and requires a sales quote
Interface can feel less modern than some newer e-signature competitors
Use Cases
OpenKM
Legal and compliance document management — Law firms and compliance teams use OpenKM's records management and audit features to manage sensitive documents.
Enterprise records management — Large organizations use OpenKM to enforce retention schedules and regulatory document lifecycles across departments.
Educational institution document control — Universities and schools use OpenKM to manage administrative records, student files, and institutional documents.
SignNow
Sales and HR document signing — Send and collect signatures on contracts, offer letters, and agreements.
Automated approval workflows — Build multi-step signing and approval workflows with role-based order.
Embedded e-signature via API — Add e-signature capability directly inside another application or platform.