Microsoft SignTool
If you're building for Windows, this is your starting point and likely your ending point, too. SignTool.exe is the default utility bundled with the Windows SDK. It signs .exe, .dll, .msi, and other PE files using Authenticode. It's not glamorous, but it's what everything else wraps around.
The downside? You'll need to obtain and manage a valid code signing certificate, ideally EV, if you want to avoid SmartScreen warnings and juggle a few arcane PowerShell commands. The learning curve isn't steep, but it's shaped like an old Windows dialogue functional, not forgiving.
Still, if you're targeting Windows desktops or drivers, there's no way around it. Native support and compatibility vs. poor UX and weak automation unless scripted carefully.
AWS Signer
Imagine code signing as an invisible part of your cloud automation. That's what AWS Signer offers. It integrates directly with AWS services like Lambda, EC2, and CodePipeline, and supports signing everything from apps to container images using a fully managed HSM in the background.
You don't worry about key storage, scaling, or even tool updates. It just signs, logs, and enforces policies. But it's also deeply tied to AWS. If your infra is elsewhere, this isn't your tool. Enterprise-scale signing without operational overhead, but full lock-in to the AWS ecosystem.
Apple Codesign / Xcode CLI
Apple doesn't just expect you to sign your iOS apps. They demand it. Codesign is part of a tightly locked-down ecosystem where apps must be signed, notarised, and sandboxed before the Mac or iOS even thinks about trusting them. The upside? Once signed properly, your users get a clean install experience with no security pop-ups.
Apple's codesign and xcodebuild CLI tools integrate with your provisioning profiles and developer certificates. They're powerful, but opinionated. You play by Apple's rules, or you don't play at all.
You'll spend time managing developer accounts, entitlements, and a maze of profiles, but once it's all wired together, the flow is smooth. Deep platform integration vs. zero tolerance for nonconformity or flexibility.
GPG (GNU Privacy Guard)
GPG isn't a code signing tool in the strict sense. It's a general-purpose crypto toolkit. But in the world of open-source, it's often the default way to sign code releases, Git commits, and even software archives like .tar.gz files. It's trust by Web of Trust, not by a central certificate authority.
GPG shines in transparency-first communities. If your users care more about verifiability than vendor backing, GPG signatures carry weight. They're also scriptable, lightweight, and work everywhere from Linux terminals to CI/CD workflows.
The only problem is that Key management is a DIY affair. Lose your private key and you're done. Leak it, and anyone can impersonate you. But for the security-conscious, that's part of the appeal.
JetBrains Space Automation
If you're already living inside the JetBrains world, then IntelliJ, WebStorm, and PyCharm, Space is going to trust me, it kind of feels like the next level, right? It is JetBrains' capability to incorporate DevOps: version control, CI/CD, packages and also code signing. That is its key advantage in terms of integration.
Rather than latching on to code signing at the end of your build process, Space lets you handle it like a compliance citizen. That being said, Space remains immature.
Docs are better, but they will cause you issues if you try to do something non-trivial or run-of-the-mill that falls outside of the JetBrains ecosystem. It allows Seamless Integration for JetBrains users, vs. less flexibility, and platform immaturity.
DigiCert KeyLocker
This is code signing as-a-service, designed for teams who don't want to manage private keys or hardware tokens. DigiCert KeyLocker gives you a cloud-based HSM environment with role-based access, audit trails, and automation APIs.
It's ideal for regulated industries or distributed teams where secure key access matters as much as signing speed. The downside? It's not cheap, and it's very much a managed solution. You're trusting DigiCert with your trust model.
It gives a Strong cloud HSM + managed infrastructure.
Docker Content Trust (DCT)
If you're shipping containers, you should be signing them. Docker Content Trust (DCT) uses Notary to verify that Docker images haven't been tampered with between build and deployment. It's not just a security feature. It's a sanity check in environments where your CI/CD pipeline might touch dozens of registries or environments.
The upside is integrity. The downside? It's opt-in, and enforcing it requires cultural (and tooling) discipline. But once set up, it protects one of the most vulnerable parts of the software supply chain: the container registry. Seamless for Docker-native signing and verification vs. setup friction and limited visibility outside Docker.
Azure SignTool
Signing code is one thing. Signing it securely at scale is another. Azure Key Vault, paired with Azure SignTool, is Microsoft's answer to secure, hardware-backed signing in the cloud. It's aimed at orgs that need to protect keys, enforce access policies, and sign software from a locked-down pipeline.
It's powerful but not plug-and-play. You'll need to configure identity access, integrate with Azure DevOps or GitHub, and understand a few cloud security principles. Once set up, though, it's rock solid.
KSign
When you simply have to sign a few Windows binaries and you are not interested in scripting or CLI parameters, KSign is your way to go. It is an easy GUI-based Authenticode signing wizard that is fantastic to utilise when a developer is doing work in small shops or as an individual (not simply within a broader, automation-centric pipeline).
Such simplicity is also the boundary. KSign has not been designed with DevOps or headless in mind. It is Notepad-level code signing: useful but not efficient. Simple when it comes to occasional manual signing. Automation and CI workflows are not supported.
Electron Builder
Electron Builder is not a luxury in case you develop Electron applications. It is more or less mandatory. It does it all automatically; it can package, sign the code to platforms specifically (macOS and Windows), and even notarize in case you get the whims of Apple. The signature aspect is something that does not take place as a process, but rather as a check box.
Complexity is behind that simplicity. You will still require valid certs, platform-specific setups (such as Apple Developer accounts), and CLI setups need to be configured with caution. However, when dialled in, it allows indie developers and teams to offer a much bigger punch than they could otherwise.
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