Guide

Electronic signature vs digital signature: what’s the difference?

People use the terms interchangeably, but they mean different things. An electronic signature is a legal concept — any electronic indication of intent to sign. A digital signature is a specific technology — a cryptographic method used to secure a signature. Here’s the distinction in plain English.

The short answer

“Electronic signature” is the umbrella term. It covers any electronic way of showing you agreed to something — drawing your signature, ticking a box, or typing your name — as long as you intended to sign. Its meaning comes from law (eIDAS in the EU, ESIGN/UETA in the US, and similar laws worldwide).

A “digital signature” is one technical method of securing a signature, using public-key cryptography (a certificate and a pair of keys) to bind a signer’s identity to a document and detect tampering. Every digital signature can be used as an electronic signature — but most electronic signatures are not digital signatures in this technical sense.

In one line: electronic signature = the legal concept; digital signature = a cryptographic technique that can power one. The umbrella vs one of the tools under it.

Side by side

Electronic signature

  • A legal concept defined by statute
  • Any electronic mark made with intent to sign
  • Includes drawn signatures, tick-to-agree, typed names
  • Enforceability rests on intent, consent and a reliable audit trail
  • Sufficient for the vast majority of commercial agreements

Digital signature

  • A technology, not a legal category
  • Uses public-key cryptography (PKI) and a certificate
  • Binds signer identity and makes tampering detectable
  • Underpins higher-assurance signatures (e.g. eIDAS AES/QES)
  • Often issued via a trust service provider

Which does SignLab use?

SignLab produces Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) — the signer draws or confirms a signature and agrees, and every event is recorded in an audit trail. SignLab does not issue certificate-based digital signatures (the PKI kind used for eIDAS AES/QES).

What SignLab does add is cryptographic tamper-evidence: every signed PDF is sealed with a SHA-256 hash, so if a single byte changes later, verification fails. That gives you integrity protection and a verifiable record — without the overhead of issuing certificates to every signer.

SES, AES & QES under eIDAS How the audit trail works Legal validity

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