An NDA is usually the first document two parties sign before they'll talk specifics — a freelancer pitching a client, two founders discussing a partnership, a company bringing on a new contractor. It's a short agreement, but printing it, signing it by hand, scanning it back in, and emailing it around is a disproportionate amount of friction for a one-page form. Most of that process can be skipped entirely.
To fill and e-sign an NDA online for free, start from a ready-made mutual or one-way NDA template, fill in the party names, effective date, and confidentiality term, then sign it with a typed or drawn signature in your browser — no printing, no account required for the person signing. Filly's NDA templates are free to fill and send as a no-login e-sign link.
What's the difference between a mutual and a one-way NDA?
A mutual NDA is for when both sides will share confidential information — two companies exploring a partnership, for example. A one-way (unilateral) NDA is for when only one party is disclosing anything sensitive — a client sharing a business idea with a freelancer, or a company briefing a contractor before a project starts. Picking the wrong one isn't fatal, but a one-way NDA that only protects the discloser is simpler and faster to negotiate when that's really all the situation calls for.
Can I fill out an NDA without Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. A browser-based form filler handles this without either program: Filly's one-way NDA template and mutual NDA template open as fillable forms directly in the browser. Type in the disclosing and receiving party names, the effective date, and the confidentiality term (commonly 1–5 years), and the rest of the document text fills in around those values.
How do I get the other party to sign it if they don't have an account?
Send them a no-login link. They open it in any browser, review the filled-in terms, add a typed or drawn signature, and submit — no software to install and no account to create on their end. You get the completed, signed copy back automatically.
Is a typed or drawn e-signature legally valid on an NDA?
In the US, the ESIGN Act and UETA generally treat electronic signatures — typed, drawn, or clicked — as legally binding as long as both parties intend to sign electronically, which is standard for a contract like an NDA. This isn't legal advice; if an NDA covers something high-stakes (a major acquisition, IP with significant value), have a lawyer review the terms before signing regardless of signature method.
What if I need to send the same NDA to several new hires or vendors?
Save the counterparty's details as a client profile once, and the same NDA fills in for each new signer without retyping your own company details every time — the same pattern used for filling other contracts online like service agreements and offer letters. Each recipient still gets an individual no-login link to review and sign their own copy.
Do I need to customize the NDA template's legal language?
The confidentiality term, party names, and effective date are the fields that actually change per signer — the surrounding clauses (definition of confidential information, obligations, remedies) are standard boilerplate that most one-page NDAs share. If your situation needs non-standard terms (a carve-out for prior knowledge, a longer term than five years, specific jurisdiction language), have an attorney adjust the template before sending it out.
Frequently asked questions
Is filling out an NDA with Filly free?
Yes, up to the free plan's limit of 10 filled documents a month, no credit card required.
Do I need to create an account to sign an NDA someone sent me?
No — the no-login e-sign link lets you review and sign directly in your browser. Only the person who created and sent the document needs a Filly account.
Can I reuse the same NDA template for multiple people?
Yes. Fill it once per signer from a saved client profile, or use batch fill (a paid-plan feature) to generate individual copies for several people from the same template in one run.
What happens to the NDA data after it's signed?
Signed documents and the data used to fill them are encrypted and never used to train AI models — see the security page for details.