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Online notarization vs a timestamp: which one do you actually need?

Drop a file to timestamp Any file type. Up to 10 files per TimeBind. Opens the TimeBinder app.

Clicking opens the TimeBinder app. Files are hashed locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

Online notarization services such as Proof.com connect you with a commissioned notary over live video. A blockchain timestamp records that a file existed by a certain time. They answer different questions, and for some jobs only a notary will do.

Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. Nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

Is an online notarization proof that a file existed on a date?

Short answer: not really, and that isn’t what it’s for. Online notarization confirms who signed a document and that they signed it in front of a notary on a date. The notary checks your identity, watches you sign and applies a seal. It shows the document existed at the signing, but it doesn’t vouch for when you created the work inside it.

If what you need is a record that a specific file (a manuscript, a design, a recording, source code) existed no later than a certain time, a timestamp is the tool built for that. If someone has asked you for a notarized signature, you need a notary, and a timestamp is not a substitute.

What is TimeBinder? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.

Online notarization vs a blockchain timestamp

	Online notarization (e.g. Proof.com)	TimeBinder timestamp
Main question it answers	Who signed this document, and did they sign before a notary?	Did this exact file exist by this time, and has it changed since?
Identity checks	Yes. Proof uses knowledge-based questions or a selfie and photo ID, then a live video session with a notary	No. It does not show who made or owns the file
What leaves your device	The document is uploaded to the service, and the session is recorded on video	Nothing. Only a SHA-256 fingerprint is sent; the file stays on your computer
File types	Documents to be signed (Proof accepts PDF and DOCX uploads)	Any file: audio, video, images, code, design files, archives
Price (as published)	Proof help centre: $25 for the first seal, $15 per extra seal, plus fees for witnesses and extra signers	Free plan: 1 Token a month. Pooled costs 1 Token, ASAP costs 3
Where it works	Proof restricts documents intended for use outside the US	Anywhere; the record is on the public Bitcoin blockchain
How it is checked later	In Proof’s verification portal, plus the notary’s seal and certificate	Re-check the file in the TimeBinder app (ASAP TimeBinds can also be checked independently)

Proof.com details are from Proof’s help centre, checked on 29 October 2026. Prices and rules change, so check Proof’s own pages before you book.

When each one is the better choice

Choose online notarization when…

A bank, court, government office or the other party has asked for a notarized document
You need an identity-checked signature on an affidavit, declaration, power of attorney or similar
The question is who signed and whether they did it willingly, not when a file was created
You want a notary’s recorded video session as part of the record

Choose a timestamp when…

You want a dated record of creative or technical work: drafts, demos, designs, code, data
You don’t want to upload confidential or unreleased files to anyone
You need to record many versions over time, not a one-off signing
The file is not a document to be signed: audio, video, images, project files or archives

The two can work together. You can sign a notarized declaration that lists your files and their SHA-256 fingerprints, and TimeBind the same files so the fingerprints can be matched to a public record.

What an online notarization doesn’t show

When the work was created. The notary dates the signing, not the creation of what is inside the document.
Anything about files you didn’t upload. A notarized statement saying “I wrote this song in May” is your sworn statement, not an independent record of the recording.
Non-document files. Notarization is built around signing documents. Audio, video, code and design files don’t fit the process.
Privacy for unreleased work. Your document is uploaded to the platform and the session is recorded on video.

How to timestamp a file with TimeBinder

Three steps. Submitting takes a few minutes; a Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity, and ASAP is faster.

Drop your files
Add up to 10 files per TimeBind. Any file type and size works.
manuscript.docx · song-demo.wav
Hashed on your computer
Your browser works out a unique SHA-256 fingerprint for each file. Nothing is uploaded. The files never leave your device and TimeBinder never stores them.
fingerprint 9f2c…41ab · file stays with you
Sealed to Bitcoin
The fingerprints are anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain: ASAP (your own transaction, sent straight away) or Pooled (usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity). You get a Proof of Time Certificate, a PDF with a QR code and the Bitcoin transaction ID.
✓ sealed · certificate ready

Timestamp a file →

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That this exact file existed no later than the time recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
That a file shown later still matches its fingerprint: the same file gives the same fingerprint, and any edit gives a different one
A record kept outside your own systems: an ASAP TimeBind can be checked on the Bitcoin blockchain without relying on TimeBinder, and a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder

What it doesn’t show

Who created, wrote or signed the file
That the contents are true or accurate
Whether AI was used to make it
How a court or other decision-maker will treat it: that depends on the jurisdiction and the rules that apply. It isn’t legal advice

Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder. ASAP TimeBinds can also be verified independently, from the certificate and the public Bitcoin blockchain. Checking is always free.

Online notarization vs timestamp: FAQ

Is online notarization the same as a timestamp?

No. Online notarization verifies the signer’s identity and records a signing in front of a notary over video. A timestamp records that a specific file existed no later than a certain time, without checking who made it.

How much does Proof.com cost?

Proof’s help centre lists $25 for the first notary seal and $15 for each additional seal, with extra charges for an on-demand witness and additional signers. Check Proof’s own pages for current prices.

Can a notary prove I created my work first?

Not directly. A notary confirms who signed a document and when the signing happened. What you say in a notarized statement is still your own account. For a dated record of the work itself, timestamp the files.

Should I use both?

Sometimes. If a recipient needs a sworn statement, notarize a declaration that lists your files and their SHA-256 fingerprints, and TimeBind the same files. Each record then supports the other.

Is my file uploaded to TimeBinder?

No. Your browser calculates the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, and only that fingerprint is anchored to Bitcoin.

What does it cost?

The Free plan is $0 and includes 1 Token a month. A Pooled TimeBind costs 1 Token and an ASAP TimeBind costs 3 Tokens; checking is free. Essential is $20 a month for 5 Tokens ($4 per Token, against $5 pay-as-you-go) and Expert is $50 a month for 15 Tokens (about $3.33 per Token). Paid plans replace the Free plan’s monthly Token, so Essential adds 4 Tokens for $20 and Expert adds 14 for $50.

Related comparisons

Open TimeBinder and timestamp your files

Here’s what you’ll do next:

Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
Add your files. They stay on your computer.
Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.

Open TimeBinder →

Your files stay privateEvery file is hashed locally on your own computer. Your files are never uploaded or stored by TimeBinder; only a fingerprint is sealed to Bitcoin.

Start free: your first Pooled TimeBind each month costs nothing. See pricing