Online waiver and digital waiver software: what the tools do and what they cost
Online waiver software sends your customer a waiver as a link to sign on a phone or tablet, then keeps the signed copy. Under federal ESIGN law, an online waiver signature can't be denied legal effect only because it's electronic [1]. It also needs intent to sign [2] and a record that can be kept and reproduced [3].
A digital waiver is a liability waiver signed on a phone, tablet or web form instead of on paper. A contract signed online can't be denied legal effect only because an electronic signature or record was used to form it [6]. This page compares digital waiver software in plain terms. It covers what an online waiver form records, what the tools do for a business, and what 2 vendors charged on 2026-10-27.
A digital waiver depends on 3 things: a real signature, a record you can keep, and a link between the signature and the person. Each one has a short rule behind it.
The signature. Under ESIGN, an electronic signature is a sound, symbol or process attached to a record and adopted by a person with the intent to sign it [2]. When you test a waiver app, look at the exact step where the customer signs. Ask yourself if that step shows the customer meant to sign this waiver.
The record. Where a law calls for a contract in writing, an electronic record of it can be denied legal effect if it can't be retained and accurately reproduced for later reference [3]. So check that each tool lets you download or export a signed waiver. A record you can't open in 3 years doesn't help you.
The person. Under Louisiana's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) enactment, La. R.S. 9:2609, an electronic signature or record is attributable to a person if it was that person's act [4]. That act can be shown in any manner, including by showing a security procedure worked to identify the signer [5]. The effect of the signature is judged from the circumstances when it was made, including any agreement between the parties [7].
In practice, that means the details around the signature count. Before you pick a tool, ask what it records about each signer and each signing.
What online waiver software does for a business
Online waiver software sends each customer a waiver as a link, collects the signature online and keeps the signed copies together. Paper waivers slow down a front desk. Customers fill them in at the counter, staff check them by hand, and the forms go into a box or a filing cabinet. Waiver software moves those steps online.
Okayform's own signing tool is in early access. It isn't open to every business yet. These are the features in that early access build:
- Customers sign before they arrive, from a link they open on their own phone (in early access)
- Signed waivers stored together, so you don't search through paper (in early access)
- No paper forms to print, file or scan (in early access)
- A downloadable copy of each signed waiver for your own records (in early access)
- Your own waiver text, written or pasted into the tool (in early access)
Signing before arrival
The biggest change is timing. With a waiver online form, you send the link when a customer books. They read the terms at home, at their own pace, and sign before they reach you.
That gives your customer time to read the waiver properly. It also gives your staff a shorter queue on busy days. When the customer arrives, you check their name against the signed list and let them start.
Signed waivers stored together
Paper waivers get lost, damaged or misfiled. A waiver app keeps each signed copy in a single list. You can find a customer's waiver by name instead of by box and date.
A single list also helps when you check numbers. You can see how many waivers came in each month. That figure matters when you compare pricing plans, because most plans charge by waiver volume.
Less paper at the desk
Without paper, there is nothing to print, nothing to store and nothing to scan later. You also skip forms that are hard to read, half complete or missing a signature.
A digital form can stop a customer from sending it until each field is filled in. That check happens before the customer reaches you, not after.
Creating your own waiver text
Most businesses start with a template and then change it. The wording that fits a climbing gym won't fit a pottery class or a kayak hire business.
In a waiver tool, you paste or type your own text, then add the fields you need, such as name, date and signature. Keep the text in short, clear sentences so customers can read it on a small screen. Okayform's free waiver templates are a starting point you can edit before you put the text into any tool. Have a lawyer in your state review the final wording.
Online waiver software pricing compared
Online waiver software costs from $22 a month for 100 waivers to $205 a month for 2,500 at Smartwaiver [8], and from a $19, $39 or $129 monthly base plus per-waiver charges at WaiverForever [9] [10]. Both tools are priced by how many waivers you collect each month. The 2 vendors below use 2 different models. Smartwaiver sells fixed monthly volumes. WaiverForever sells a base plan with an included block, then charges per waiver.
Smartwaiver lists 4 plans by monthly waiver volume: Basic at 100 waivers for $22 a month or $210 a year, Starter at 300 for $60 or $575, Business at 1,000 for $160 or $1,580, and Premium at 2,500 for $205 or $2,029 [8].
WaiverForever's base prices are $19, $39 and $129 a month for its Essential, Standard and Scale plans [9]. Each plan includes an initial block of waivers, then charges per waiver from $0.10, falling to $0.05 as volume grows [10].
Prices checked 2026-10-27.
| Vendor | Plan | Waivers a month | Monthly price | Annual price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartwaiver | Basic | 100 | $22 | $210 |
| Smartwaiver | Starter | 300 | $60 | $575 |
| Smartwaiver | Business | 1,000 | $160 | $1,580 |
| Smartwaiver | Premium | 2,500 | $205 | $2,029 |
| WaiverForever | Essential | Included block, then $0.10 to $0.05 each | $19 base | Not listed here |
| WaiverForever | Standard | Included block, then $0.10 to $0.05 each | $39 base | Not listed here |
| WaiverForever | Scale | Included block, then $0.10 to $0.05 each | $129 base | Not listed here |
Base plus usage plans
WaiverForever's model starts lower, with a $19 base on Essential [9]. The total depends on how many waivers you collect beyond the included block, and the per-waiver charge falls from $0.10 to $0.05 as volume grows [10].
Before you compare totals, check the size of the included block on each plan. Then work out your cost for a quiet month and a busy month.
Questions to ask before you pay
Use these questions on any digital waiver software you test:
- How many waivers do you collect in your busiest month and your quietest month?
- Does the plan charge for unused volume, or only for waivers you collect?
- Can you download or export every signed waiver, with the date and time?
- What does the tool record about each signer at the moment of signing?
- Can you edit your own waiver text without help from the vendor?
- Does the price change if you pay a year in advance?
Write your answers down for each vendor. A side by side list makes the cheaper option clear for your volume, not for an average business.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Prices were checked on 2026-10-27 and can change, so confirm them on each vendor's pricing page before you buy an online waiver tool.
Frequently asked questions
How enforceable are liability waivers?
Release terms aren't covered on this page, so have a lawyer in your state review your waiver wording. For the signature itself, federal ESIGN law says a signature, contract or record in a transaction affecting interstate commerce can't be denied legal effect only because it's electronic [1]. A record can still be denied legal effect where a writing is called for and it can't be retained and accurately reproduced [3].
What is the purpose of a waiver?
A liability waiver is the form a customer signs to agree to your terms before an activity. Online waiver software sends that form as a link, so the customer can read and sign it before arriving. Signed copies are stored together, which removes paper forms from the front desk and lets you find a customer's waiver by name.
Is an online waiver form legally binding?
An online waiver form can't be denied legal effect only because an electronic signature or record was used to form it [6]. Under ESIGN, an electronic signature is a sound, symbol or process attached to a record and adopted with the intent to sign it [2]. Where a writing is called for, the record can be denied legal effect if it can't be retained and accurately reproduced [3].
How much does online waiver software cost?
On 2026-10-27, Smartwaiver listed plans from $22 a month for 100 waivers to $205 a month for 2,500 [8]. WaiverForever listed base plans at $19, $39 and $129 a month, with per-waiver charges from $0.10 down to $0.05 after the included block [9] [10]. Prices can change, so confirm them on each vendor's pricing page.
Can customers sign a digital waiver on their phone?
Customers can sign a digital waiver on a phone, tablet or web form, from a link they open on their own device. Under federal ESIGN law, a signature can't be denied legal effect only because it's electronic [1]. Check that your tool keeps a copy of each signed waiver that you can download and reproduce later [3].
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. 7001(a), General rule of validity (ESIGN), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title15/html/USCODE-2023-title15-chap96-subchapI-sec7001.htm, fetched 2026-10-27
- 15 U.S.C. 7006(5), Definition of electronic signature (ESIGN), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title15/html/USCODE-2023-title15-chap96-subchapI-sec7006.htm, fetched 2026-10-27
- 15 U.S.C. 7001(e), Accuracy and ability to retain contracts and other records (ESIGN), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title15/html/USCODE-2023-title15-chap96-subchapI-sec7001.htm, fetched 2026-10-27
- La. R.S. 9:2609, Attribution and effect of electronic record and electronic signature (Louisiana UETA), https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=107135, fetched 2026-10-27
- La. R.S. 9:2609, Showing the signer's act, including by a security procedure (Louisiana UETA), https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=107135, fetched 2026-10-27
- 15 U.S.C. 7001(a)(2), Contracts formed with an electronic signature or record (ESIGN), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title15/html/USCODE-2023-title15-chap96-subchapI-sec7001.htm, fetched 2026-10-27
- La. R.S. 9:2609, Effect judged from the circumstances (Louisiana UETA), https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=107135, fetched 2026-10-27
- Smartwaiver pricing, https://smartwaiver.com/pricing, fetched 2026-10-27
- WaiverForever pricing, base plans, https://waiverforever.com/pricing, fetched 2026-10-27
- WaiverForever pricing, per-waiver charges, https://waiverforever.com/pricing, fetched 2026-10-27
Written by Vinay Koshy. Last updated 2026-10-27.