When the legal task is commissioned notarization, use DocuSign. When the legal task is tamper-evident proof of a date — and that's most of the time — use StampRight. Here's how to tell the difference.
| If you need… | StampRight | DocuSign Notary |
|---|---|---|
| Proof a document existed on a specific date | ✓ Built for this | Overkill |
| Proof of authorship for IP / creations | ✓ Built for this | ✗ Not the use case |
| Settling a deposit dispute | ✓ Built for this | Overkill + slow |
| Real estate closing (notarized deed) | ✗ Not a notary | ✓ Built for this |
| Affidavit requiring commissioned notarization | ✗ Not a notary | ✓ Built for this |
| Time to get proof | ~30 seconds | Schedule a session |
| Cost per proof | $0.05–$0.10 | $10–$25 / session |
| Recipient needs an account | No | Sometimes |
The confusion between these two is the most common mistake we see new customers make. The legal system treats them very differently.
The law specifically requires a commissioned notarial act. That's a relatively narrow list: real estate deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney, certain affidavits, healthcare directives, and a handful of jurisdiction-specific documents. For these, DocuSign Notary is excellent. It connects you with a commissioned notary in your state, runs the session over video, and produces a notarized PDF.
You don't need a notary, but you do need to be able to prove later that a specific document, photograph, or claim existed on a specific date — without anyone being able to credibly claim you fabricated or altered it after the fact. This covers the vast majority of business and creator scenarios:
For these, you don't need a $25 notary session. You need a $0.05 timestamp that anyone can independently verify. That's StampRight.
Imagine a property manager who wants to prove a move-out walkthrough was conducted on May 12. DocuSign Notary would require scheduling a session with a commissioned notary, video-calling them, presenting ID, and having the notary attach a notarial certificate. Time: 30+ minutes. Cost: ~$25.
StampRight: open the app, fill in the move-out walkthrough template, attach the photos, click "Stamp." Get back a verifier URL. Time: ~30 seconds. Cost: pennies. The proof is just as defensible — because for this use case, you don't need a notary, you need a tamper-evident timestamp.
They're complementary. A modern operations stack typically looks like:
If you're using DocuSign Notary for everything, you're paying $25 × N for what should cost $0.05 × N.
StampRight