Compare / Traditional tools
Unforged Nib vs traditional signature verification tools
Tools differ, and we won’t guess at anyone else’s. Here is what Nib does on each point, and the question worth asking of any tool you are weighing up.
In short Tools differ, so ask each one the same questions. Unforged Nib compares each signature with the person’s own references, gives one of six verdicts with reasons, and publishes its price: $0.50 per check.
- AUTO APPROVE
- APPROVE
- FLAG
- FAILED
- UNREADABLE
- NO SIGNATURE
| Point | What to ask of any tool | Unforged Nib |
|---|---|---|
| What a signature is compared against | Does it compare each signature with that person’s own references, or with a general idea of a genuine signature? | The person's own reference signatures, enrolled once, and how much that person usually varies. |
| How the verdict is explained | Does every answer come with reasons you could show an auditor, or only a score? | One of six verdicts, a calibrated probability from 0 to 1 with a band, and plain-language reasons you can show an auditor. |
| Consistency | Does each result record the settings and version that produced it? | Every document goes through the same steps and your policy’s thresholds. Each result records the policy and version that produced it. |
| Speed | Can it answer one signature as it is signed, as well as in batches? | Each check answers when it finishes: streamed as it runs, or by signed webhook. Batches go in by bucket drop. |
| Audit trail | Is there an append-only log of who changed what, and how long is it kept? | Reasons, probability, policy and version on every result, and an append-only audit log kept 400 days. |
| Unclear cases | What happens to a poor image, a missing signature or a borderline case? Are you charged for them? | FLAG sends it to a person. FAILED always goes to a person, never automatic. UNREADABLE asks for a better image, free. |
| Pricing model | Is the price published, and what exactly counts as one billable unit? | $0.50 per check. A check is one document checked against one person’s references, however many signatures it holds. UNREADABLE and NO SIGNATURE results, and enrolling references, are free. Volume pricing and invoicing on Talk to us plans. |
| Data handling | Where are documents processed and stored, and are they ever used to train the product? | Hosted in London (AWS eu-west-2). Used only to run your checks, never for training. Kept as long as your retention setting says. |
| Integration | Is there a documented API, webhooks, and a way to send batches without writing code? | A REST API described in OpenAPI 3.1, bucket drop (S3), signed webhooks, and a dashboard with check history and exports. |
Whichever tools you compare, test them the same way:
Use your own documents
Your forms, scans and phone photos, not a vendor’s samples.
Include known forgeries
And genuine signatures that vary, so you see both kinds of mistake.
Look at the unclear cases
Where does each tool send them, and what does a reviewer see?
Count the cost per document
Including the ones that come back unreadable or unsigned.
See it on your own documents.
New organisations get $10 of credit, no card needed.