Skribble

Skribble is a Swiss e-signature platform founded in 2018 in Zurich that has quickly established itself as one of the leading European solutions for legally valid electronic signatures. What sets Skribble apart from most competitors is its support for all three levels of electronic signatures defined by the eIDAS regulation and Swiss law: Simple Electronic Signatures (SES), Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES), and Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). This comprehensive coverage means that businesses can use a single platform for everything from low-risk internal approvals to high-stakes contracts that require the legal equivalent of a handwritten signature.

The Swiss foundation of Skribble is a significant differentiator. Switzerland, while not an EU member state, has one of the world's strongest data protection frameworks and recognizes electronic signatures through its own Federal Act on Electronic Signatures (ZertES), which is harmonized with the EU's eIDAS regulation. Data processed by Skribble is hosted exclusively in Switzerland, benefiting from the country's legendary neutrality and privacy protections. For European businesses that want the highest assurance of data sovereignty combined with legally robust signatures, Skribble occupies a unique position in the market.

Understanding Signature Levels: SES, AES, and QES

Skribble's most distinctive feature is its support for all three signature standards. Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) are the fastest to apply and do not require formal identity verification, making them suitable for documents with low legal risk such as internal approvals or NDAs. Advanced Electronic Signatures (AES) carry higher evidential weight because they are uniquely linked to the signer and can detect any subsequent modification of the signed data. AES is appropriate for employment contracts, board resolutions, and most business agreements. Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) have the same legal validity as a handwritten signature and are required by law for certain document types in Switzerland and the EU, such as consumer credit agreements and certain real estate documents.

The ability to choose the appropriate signature level for each document type is a major advantage for organizations that handle different categories of agreements. Most US-based e-signature platforms like DocuSign offer only SES by default, with AES and QES requiring additional configurations or third-party integrations. Skribble makes it straightforward to select the right level for each document, with clear guidance on which level is legally required for different use cases in Swiss and EU law.

Identity Verification and Trust Services

To enable AES and QES signatures, Skribble partners with certified Trust Service Providers (TSPs) that verify signer identity in accordance with eIDAS and ZertES requirements. For QES, signers must undergo a one-time identity verification process, which can be completed through various methods including video identification, in-person identification at authorized locations, or through existing electronic identity (eID) schemes recognized in European countries. Once verified, signers can apply QES signatures to any number of documents without repeating the identification process, making the workflow efficient even for the highest-security signature level.

Skribble's partnership with Swisscom Trust Services, one of Europe's leading trust service providers, ensures that QES signatures issued through the platform are recognized across the European Union and Switzerland. This cross-border legal validity is essential for businesses that operate across multiple European jurisdictions and need their signed documents to be enforceable in different legal systems.

User Experience and Interface

Skribble's interface is designed for simplicity despite the legal complexity underlying its signature levels. Users can upload documents via drag-and-drop, add signature fields and other form elements, invite signers via email, and track the status of all documents from a clean dashboard. The signing experience for recipients is equally streamlined: they receive an invitation, click through to the document, and can sign using their browser without downloading software. The platform provides clear visual indicators of which signature level is being used and what legal weight it carries, helping both senders and signers understand the implications of each signature.

The platform supports batch signing, which allows users to sign multiple documents at once. This is particularly valuable for professionals like lawyers, accountants, or HR managers who need to process large volumes of documents. Combined with template functionality for recurring document types, Skribble can significantly reduce the time spent on routine signing tasks.

API and Developer Integration

Skribble provides a modern REST API that allows developers to integrate e-signature functionality into their own applications and business processes. The API supports all signature levels (SES, AES, QES), document creation, signer invitation, status tracking, and document retrieval. This makes it possible to build fully automated signing workflows where documents are generated, sent for signature, and archived without manual intervention. The API documentation is comprehensive and includes code examples, sandbox environments, and client libraries for popular programming languages.

For businesses that use common enterprise tools, Skribble offers pre-built integrations with platforms like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and various document management systems. These integrations allow users to initiate signing workflows directly from their existing tools, reducing friction and improving adoption. The combination of API access and pre-built integrations makes Skribble suitable for both developer-led implementations and business-user-focused deployments.

Swiss Data Hosting and Security

All data processed by Skribble is hosted in Switzerland, which is widely regarded as one of the safest jurisdictions for data storage in the world. Swiss data protection law, combined with the country's constitutional protections for privacy, provides a legal framework that in many respects exceeds the protections offered by GDPR. Switzerland has been recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection, meaning that data transfers between the EU and Switzerland are legally straightforward. For businesses concerned about data sovereignty, Skribble's Swiss hosting provides the highest level of assurance.

Skribble implements end-to-end encryption for documents in transit and at rest, and the platform undergoes regular security audits. Access controls ensure that only authorized users can view and manage documents, and the comprehensive audit trail records every action taken on each document with timestamps and IP addresses. For organizations in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, or legal services, these security measures provide the foundation needed for compliance with industry-specific requirements.

Legal Validity and Compliance

Skribble's e-signatures are legally valid under both the EU's eIDAS regulation and Switzerland's ZertES law. The platform provides clear guidance on which signature level is legally required for different types of documents across various European jurisdictions. For example, while most business contracts in Germany and France are valid with SES or AES, certain document types like consumer credit agreements require QES. Skribble's built-in legal guidance helps businesses navigate these requirements without needing to consult a lawyer for every signing decision.

The platform also supports visual signatures and handwritten-style signature images, which provide a familiar signing experience even though the legal validity comes from the underlying cryptographic certificate rather than the visual representation. This attention to both legal substance and user perception helps drive adoption among signers who are more comfortable with traditional signing processes.

Pricing and Plans

Skribble offers a free tier that allows users to experience the platform and sign a limited number of documents with SES. Paid plans start at approximately 12 CHF per month for individual users, with business plans offering additional features like team management, API access, and higher QES quotas. QES signatures carry an additional per-signature fee, starting from approximately 2.50 EUR or CHF per signature, reflecting the cost of the underlying trust service provider infrastructure. While QES is more expensive than SES or AES, the legal weight it provides can be essential for certain document types. Enterprise pricing is available for organizations with high-volume needs or specific compliance requirements.

Limitations and Considerations

While Skribble excels at legally valid signatures with its QES capability, the platform has some limitations compared to larger e-signature providers. The free tier is more restrictive than SignRequest's or DocuSign's free offerings, and the per-signature cost for QES can add up for organizations that use it heavily. The platform's focus on the European and Swiss market means that it may not have the same level of global coverage as DocuSign or Adobe Sign for businesses that operate primarily outside of Europe. Some users have noted that the identity verification process for QES, while necessary for legal compliance, adds friction compared to the instant signing experience of SES-only platforms.

Additionally, Skribble's feature set for document preparation and editing is more limited than some competitors. The platform focuses on the signing workflow rather than comprehensive document management, so organizations that need extensive editing, annotation, or collaboration features may need to pair Skribble with a separate document management tool. However, for its core use case of legally valid European e-signatures, Skribble delivers exceptional capability.

Who Should Use Skribble?

Skribble is the ideal choice for European businesses that need legally binding e-signatures, particularly those that require Qualified Electronic Signatures for certain document types. Legal departments, HR teams, financial institutions, and any organization that operates across multiple European jurisdictions will benefit from Skribble's comprehensive signature level support and cross-border legal validity. Swiss businesses, in particular, will appreciate the platform's deep integration with Swiss law and ZertES compliance. For any organization that values Swiss data hosting, maximum legal validity, and a clean European alternative to DocuSign, Skribble represents one of the strongest options available.