Comparison
Clinch vs sending a PDF over email
Sending a contract as a PDF attachment feels free — no subscription, no new tool. But "free" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Here's the honest comparison, including the costs that don't show up on a pricing page: time, evidence, and cash flow.
Start free — no card required →| Feature | Clinch | email + PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free for 3 contracts/mo | Free (a Word or Google Docs template) |
| Drafting a new contract | AI drafts a full contract from a description in under a minute | Copy an old one, edit by hand, or start from a Google search |
| How the client responds | Draws or types a real signature on their phone, in ~30 seconds | Usually just a reply email: "looks good" or "ok" |
| Proof it wasn't altered afterward | SHA-256 hash of the locked content + a full timestamped audit trail | None — a Word/PDF file can be edited by either side after the fact |
| Chasing the signature | Automatic view/sign tracking, one-click reminders | You manually re-check your inbox and send follow-up emails |
| Getting the deposit | Deposit request appears automatically the moment everyone signs | A separate email or invoice, sent (and chased) on its own |
When email + PDF is the better call
For genuinely informal work — a quick favor for a friend, an internal note, anything where you wouldn't want to be legally bound to specifics anyway — a plain email is fine and a contract tool is overkill. The moment real money or real scope is on the line, though, "they replied ok" is a weak position to be in if the client's memory of the deal changes later.
FAQ
Is a reply email "ok" a valid signature?
It can carry some legal weight as evidence of assent, but it's far weaker than a proper e-signature: no timestamped audit trail, no proof of who actually typed it, no protection against the document being edited afterward. See /legality for what makes a signature actually hold up.
Why not just use a free e-signature tool and keep drafting in Word?
You can — plenty of freelancers do. The gap that opens up is at the seams: you're still writing the contract in one tool, signing in another, and invoicing in a third, re-typing the same names and numbers each time. Clinch keeps the deal — terms, signatures, and deposit — as one connected record.
What actually changes for my client?
Instead of opening an email attachment, printing, signing, and scanning (or replying "ok"), they get a link, read the contract on their phone, and sign with a finger — no account, about 30 seconds start to finish.
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