"Electronic signature" and "digital signature" sound like synonyms, and in casual conversation people use them that way. But they describe two different things — and understanding the difference tells you a lot about whether a signed document will actually hold up.

Electronic signature: the act of signing

An electronic signature (e-signature) is the legal concept: any electronic indication that a person intends to sign a record. Typing your name, drawing a signature with your finger, or clicking "I agree" can all be electronic signatures. It's about intent and consent, and it's what the ESIGN Act and UETA make legally binding.

E-signatures are a legal category, not a specific technology.

Digital signature: the cryptography underneath

A digital signature is a technical mechanism — a cryptographic technique used to protect a document's integrity and authenticity. Using public-key cryptography (typically a PKCS#7 signature embedded in the PDF), a digital signature lets any PDF reader detect whether the file has been altered since it was signed.

In other words: an electronic signature captures that you meant to sign; a digital signature proves the document hasn't changed since.

Why the best tools use both

The strongest signed documents combine them:

  • The electronic signature provides the legally binding act — intent, consent, attribution.
  • The digital signature (plus a hash like SHA-256) makes the result tamper-evident — court-ready evidence that nothing was altered.

This is exactly how ToroDocs seals every completed document. On top of the e-signature and consent record, ToroDocs applies a PKCS#7 digital signature and a SHA-256 fingerprint, appends a Certificate of Completion, and publishes a verification page at /verify. Any PDF reader can validate the digital signature independently, and anyone can confirm the file's authenticity by hash or verification code.

The quick takeaway

  • Electronic signature = the legal act of signing (what makes it binding).
  • Digital signature = the cryptography that protects the file (what makes it tamper-evident).

You want a tool that does both — otherwise you have a signature that's either legally weak or technically unprotected. (For more on enforceability, read Are electronic signatures legally binding?)

See how ToroDocs seals documents, or start signing for free.