Electronic vs Digital Signature: The Difference
· 5 min read
An electronic signature is any mark showing intent to agree — a typed name, a drawn squiggle, a ticked box — and is legally recognised under ESIGN and eIDAS for most agreements. A digital signature is a cryptographic seal tied to a verified identity that also detects later tampering. Most documents need the first.
The two terms get used interchangeably and mean quite different things. The distinction occasionally matters a great deal.
On this page
Electronic signature
An electronic signature is any electronic mark indicating intent to agree. A typed name, a drawn squiggle, an image of your handwriting pasted onto a page, even clicking a box marked I agree.
It is legally recognised for most agreements in most jurisdictions — the ESIGN Act in the US and eIDAS in the EU both cover it. What it does not do is prove who made the mark.
Digital signature
A digital signature is a specific cryptographic mechanism. It uses a certificate issued to a verified identity to produce a mathematical seal over the document's contents.
That seal does two things an electronic signature cannot: it ties the signature to a verified identity, and it breaks visibly if a single byte of the document changes afterwards.
| Electronic signature | Digital signature | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A mark showing intent | A cryptographic seal |
| Proves identity | No | Yes, via certificate |
| Detects tampering | No | Yes |
| Needs a certificate | No | Yes |
| Typical use | Forms, contracts, consent | Deeds, filings, regulated documents |
Which you need
For the overwhelming majority of documents — a rental agreement, an NDA, a school form, an invoice approval — an electronic signature is what is being asked for and is legally sufficient.
You need a digital signature when a regulator, a court filing system or a specific contract clause requires one. If nobody has told you that you need a certificate, you almost certainly do not.
The three tiers under eIDAS
European law splits the category further, and the vocabulary is worth knowing because contracts sometimes name a specific tier rather than saying 'signature'.
| Tier | What it requires | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Simple (SES) | Any mark showing intent | Everyday forms and agreements |
| Advanced (AES) | Uniquely linked to the signer, tamper-evident | Employment and commercial contracts |
| Qualified (QES) | AES plus a qualified certificate and secure device | Deeds, filings, regulated documents |
Why the distinction usually does not bite
In practice, the party asking for a signature tells you which kind they need. A bank or a land registry will specify a qualified certificate and provide the mechanism. A landlord, an employer or a school will not, because a simple signature is all their process expects.
The failure mode worth avoiding is the reverse of what people fear: not signing with too weak a mark, but paying for and wrestling with certificate infrastructure for a document that never needed it.
Both can appear on the same document
The two are not mutually exclusive. A digitally signed PDF usually also carries a visible signature image, because a cryptographic seal is invisible and people expect to see a signature on a page.
That is worth remembering when looking at a signed document: the drawn squiggle you can see tells you nothing about whether a certificate is attached. Checking the signature panel in a PDF reader is the only way to know.
What FileCrisp does
FileCrisp's Sign PDF tool places an electronic signature: a visible mark on the page. It does not issue certificates and makes no claim to.
Being clear about that matters, because believing a document is cryptographically sealed when it is not is a worse position than knowing it is not.
It is also why compressing or merging a digitally signed PDF breaks the seal. The cryptographic signature covers the file's exact bytes, and any tool that rewrites the file — including this one — invalidates it.
Common questions
What is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature is any digital method of indicating agreement or intent to sign — a scanned handwritten signature image, a typed name, clicking 'I agree', or an image overlay on a document. It's the broad category that most online signing tools use.
What is a digital signature?
A digital signature is a specific type of electronic signature that uses public-key cryptography. It creates a mathematical fingerprint of the document tied to the signer's private key. Any change to the document after signing invalidates the signature — providing tamper-evidence and non-repudiation.
Which one do I actually need?
For most everyday documents — contracts, NDAs, offer letters, rental agreements, invoices, consent forms — a simple electronic signature (image overlay) is legally sufficient in most jurisdictions. Digital signatures are required for government filings, financial instruments, and documents requiring audit trails with cryptographic proof.
Is a scanned handwritten signature an electronic signature?
Yes. A scanned or photographed handwritten signature that's overlaid on a document qualifies as an electronic signature in most legal definitions, including the EU's eIDAS regulation and the US ESIGN Act.
How does FileCrisp's signature tool work?
You draw or type a signature and place it on the page, entirely inside your browser. That is an electronic signature — sufficient for most everyday documents. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.
Can you tell by looking whether a PDF is digitally signed?
No. A cryptographic seal is invisible, and digitally signed documents usually carry a drawn signature image as well because people expect to see one. Only the signature panel in a PDF reader shows whether a certificate is attached.
Does compressing or merging a PDF break its digital signature?
Yes. The seal validates the file's exact bytes, so any tool that rewrites the file invalidates it — including compression, merging and page reordering. A drawn signature is just an image and survives all of those.
What are the eIDAS signature tiers?
Simple, advanced and qualified. Simple is any mark showing intent. Advanced is uniquely linked to the signer and tamper-evident. Qualified adds a certificate from a qualified provider on a secure device, and is what regulated filings usually require.