Binder Reviews

As a plus sumo-ling who has been collecting TLDs for over 10 years, I was very hesitant at first to opt in for Binder because of tier-5 pricing. But I took a chance, and today I can say:

1. The product is neat
2. The team is extremely fast in execution
3. The people behind the company are honest & extremely trustworthy
4. For critical and time-sensitive blockers, they dont just connect you to their CS, instead you connect directly w/ their CTO.
5. You'll never regret acquiring this tool in your existing digital assets

Looking forward to seeing the updates!

It's elegant in it's simplicity. And it delivers exactly what you'd hope.

The data rooms work perfectly and the signature tracking is what I needed to use. I would like to see fewer restrictions on file types, but this is already a strong product with a great future ahead. Thanks for the lifetime deal!

I've been searching for a simple way to see if and when someone has read or downloaded a document or file I sent. Binder is a simple, cheap and effective solution. It also notifies me by mail when the document is read and keeps an access log.

There are a few minor restrictions: (1) Limited file types, such as no zip or Markdown files (obviously with no page-level statistics), (2) No access to the reader's IP address, and (3) I would like to bind a group to specific authorized email addresses (also to be logged)!

Apart from that (that the authors could easily improve), my experience is extremely positive.

P.S. Adding a viewer for.zip and.md files is nice, but a simpler solution would be to show a generic image for any unsupported file type and let the user download it. In this way you will allow any kind of file. Another important feature, easy to to implement, is displaying the file checksum, such as SHA-256, to ensure document integrity (specially in approval).

So far impressed by the quick support I received; it was 3 AM in Colorado, and I got a reply from Shirin within minutes. The product currently offers basic signature functionality and shows A LOT of promise.

Initially I was a bit confused but I quickly figured it out using their search bot. When uploading a document, you must select "Signable document" instead of the default "File" option if you want to add fields and signatures. Update: once a document is uploaded, you can* make field changes or additions but there's a bug deleting signers when editing at the moment.

I submitted a feature request to allow changes after uploading, but only until the document is signed by any party. Once signed, the document should be "locked" to prevent further modifications.

For a tier 1 account, when you share a link to signable document, you must define email addresses for signers. Only users with specified email can sign, and it appears this cannot be altered without deleting the document and starting over. When someone clicks on the shared link, they are prompted to input their email address. An automated email is then sent containing a unique link to view the document. After clicking the link, they must enter their name before being able to view it.

Shirin let me know that they plan to roll out a signature link feature that will allow anyone with the link to sign, which is essential for contracts that need approval from third parties (like agents) before reaching the intended recipient. This change is very much appreciated and is currently in final testing stages. It'll be live soon!

I also requested enhancements to the automated verification email for better clarity. Specifically, I suggested adding a footer notice, something like: "Attention: The link in this email is not meant to be forwarded to other parties. It is intended solely for verifying your email to enable previewing or signing using this address. If you wish to forward this document for signing or previewing, please use the original link: <sharable link to document>."

I also made a feature request for a more streamlined menu that clearly identifies who is clicking on a shared link:

Currently, signers appear as placeholders. I suggested that it would be nice to edit the names for multiple signers for clarity. When visiting the link initially, there could be a menu such as:
"<Document title name>
Who are you signing as?:
<Signer 1 Name> (link)
<Signer 2 Name> (link) ...etc

Preview: I am only previewing this document (link)"

Then a verification email would be sent clicking on those links :)

These other features have been requested and under consideration:
- A feature that allows fields to dynamically adjust their size based on the first field's dimensions. For example, if I resize a name field, subsequent fields (like a signature field) should automatically match that size for consistency and improved visual layout.
- Ability to adjust the displayed font size of signature fields and other fields for better visibility since signatures are currently displayed in small font after a user signs.
- Support adding an initials field (initials from first and last name of the signer)
- It would be neat if visitors can be redirected to user defined site or have a customizable landing page for default CNAM (brand) link such as being able to add an input box where visitors can enter their email address so that all documents associated with that email could be displayed after they click the verification email link.
- Certificate of completion: embed unique id within every completed document and reference that unique ID in generated Certificate of Completion
- Permanent audit trail of some sort (such as retaining certificate of completed documents or prevent deletion)

Potential improvements:
- Can't update organization name without support (Shirin was so quick to do this so it was not an issue but I think it would be helpful to add this under settings to reduce support ticket volume in the future)
- Unsure if they will support tougher security compliance (ie ISO 27001)

I will update my review over time to keep it current. If they remain committed to implementing positive improvements and maintain excellent customer service then I believe this product has great potential for success.

UPDATE:
-Shirin let me know that they're SOC2 compliant but waiting for certification. GDPR applies globally but its really only useful for users located in EU
- Upgraded to Tier 4 to support development
- Shirin has been amazing and they take all feedback into consideration. Fully in support of this product and strongly recommend that you give it a try! Looking forward to future changes 🌞
- It's possible for email verification to be skipped. This saves a drastic amount of time but needs ability to change name of signers
- In case you're wondering (like I did) yes you can add folders in Files & Data Rooms
- should visit https://help.binder.so/en before divin in