There are a lot of contract management solutions out there. And their differences aren’t always clear. However, ContractSafe stands out as a top choice for its ease of use and affordability.
How do you choose the best contract management software for your business?
In this contract management software buyer’s guide, we'll walk you through some of the top contract management solutions and highlight their key features, pros, cons, and price points. Read on to find the best option for your team.
Effective contract management is crucial for any business, regardless of size or industry.
With so many different contract management software options on the market, deciding which one is right for your business and its unique contract management challenges can be tough.
Here are some of the top contract management software options and what makes them unique:
| Company | Price (Basic Plan) | Integrations | Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ContractSafe | $$ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Affordable and easy to use |
| ContractWorks | $$$ | ⭐⭐ | Customizable templates |
| Ironclad | Price not listed | ⭐⭐⭐ | Advanced AI |
| Agiloft | Price not listed | ⭐⭐⭐ | Complex offerings |
| CobbleStone | Price not listed | ⭐⭐ | Customizable workflows |
| LinkSquares | Price not listed | ⭐⭐ | AI-powered analysis |
| Concord | $17/month per user | ⭐⭐⭐ | Template-based contract creation |
| Contractbook | Price not listed | ⭐⭐ | Easy onboarding |
| ContractZen | $9.50/month per user | ⭐ | All-in-one governance |
| SpotDraft | Price not listed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Natural language processing features |
| Evisort | Price not listed | ⭐⭐⭐ | Automated contract reviews |
| DocuSign CLM | $25/month per user | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Electronic signature features |
| Outlaw | Price not listed | ⭐⭐⭐ | “Deal room” collaboration features |
| Gatekeeper | $995/month (Unlimited users) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Integrations with CRM and ERP systems |
| Price | Key Differentiator | |
| ContractSafe | $$ | Affordable, easy to use, and quick to implement with the core features teams actually use and none of the bloat |
| ContractWorks | $$$ | Feature-rich with a price tag to match |
| CobbleStone | $$$$ | Procurement-focused tool with a steep learning curve and limited reporting and repository features |
| Concord | $$$ | An array of contract generation and editing features but lacking in post-signature tools |
| Contractbook | $$$$ | Focus on contract generation but falls short on reporting tools |
| Ironclad | $$$$$ | Comprehensive end-to-end solution at a high price point |
| Agiloft | $$$ $$ | Robust but complex solution with extensive features that can be difficult for less tech-savvy users |
| LinkSquares | $$$$$ | AI-focused software with an opaque pricing structure and longer-than-expected setup time |
| ContractZen | $ | Competitively priced but limited in features |
| SpotDraft | $$$$$ | Template-based contract creation with complex, rigid interface |
| Evisort | $$$$$ | Complex, enterprise-grade AI with unclear pricing |
| DocuSign CLM | $$$ | Well-known e-signature solution with lackluster contract management, and notoriously bad repository features |
| Outlaw | $$$$ | “Deal Room” collaboration features with limited customization |
| Gatekeeper | $$$$ | Procurement-focused solution that integrates with CRM and ERP systems |
Choosing the right contract management software for your business can be tough. With so many options, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are a few things you should consider:
Keeping these features in mind, let’s dive into the top contact management solutions.
Price range: S tarting at $375/mo with pricing based on the features you need and the number of contracts in your database. The cherry on top? Archives, attachments, and amendments are all unlimited and ContractSafe offers unlimited users on every plan.
With AI functionality, templates, approvals, e-signatures, and customizable intake forms. It's like a Swiss Army knife of contract management!
ContractSafe at a glance: ContractSafe is a hassle-free contract management solution with flexible, transparent pricing, quick implementation, and fast access to information with powerful search and organization features. And with no user limits, ContractSafe is designed to seamlessly scale with you — unlike some competitors with a per-user limit that hikes up the price as your business grows.
With ContractSafe, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
" ContractSafe was the best platform we didn't know we needed! It is so user friendly, and a very viable option to manage all your contracts and related info. My team is thrilled with the roll out of ContractSafe and happy to be modernized in our contract management."
Price range: Starts from $700/mo for the basic package and goes up to $2,000/mo for enterprise
ContractWorks at a glance: ContractWorks is built for businesses that want more contract drafting capabilities, but it comes with a steep learning curve and relatively higher pricing.
With ContractWorks, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“I felt like this software created a foundation for us to go from a paper process to an electronic process. It created a centralized database for our contracts and we had to reorganize our processes for that. However, some users wanted the next level functions or automated processes.”
- Craig S., IT Project Manager 1
Check out our full comparison of ContractSafe vs. ContractWorks to find the best contract management solution for your needs.
Price range: CobbleStone does not openly share pricing information on its website.
CobbleStone at a glance: CobbleStone is a robust contract management solution designed with a deep focus on procurement. While its advanced features, such as AI-based contract authoring and OCR data extraction, are impressive, the platform's complex interface and steep learning curve may prove a hurdle for some users.
With CobbleStone, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
"One of the main difficulties is the interface, which can initially be difficult to use. It can take some time to get used to all the features and functions, and the learning curve for new users can be steep. Additionally, the software can be slow to load, especially when working with larger contract databases, which can hurt productivity. As it can be challenging to derive useful insights from the data, the reporting and analytics features could also use some improvement."
- Brizl P., Marketing and Advertising 2
Check out our full comparison of ContractSafe vs. Cobblestone to find the best contract management solution for your needs.
Price range: $49/mo per user for "Essentials"; $79/mo per user for "Business"; custom pricing available for enterprises
Concord at a glance: Concord is a contract management solution with a strong focus on contract generation, editing, and electronic signature capabilities. While it has an array of features, the software's functionality can feel overwhelming, unintuitive, and at times glitchy.
With Concord, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“I've found it to be a bit confusing at times and it's slowed down my work. We have a lot of options when it comes to customizing our platform. However, setting it up can take some time. I'm worried that the platform can be slow sometimes. This has made it difficult for me to use it smoothly and efficiently.“
- Brizl P., IT Marketing and Advertising 3
Price range: Contractbook does not openly share pricing information on its website.
Contractbook at a glance: Contractbook is a contract management software with a primary focus on contract generation. Its sustainability initiative "Save the Trees" and integration with numerous other business tools help it stand out from the crowd. However, it struggles with limited reporting tools, opaque pricing, and challenges associated with third-party contracts.
With Contractbook, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“Bugs and stuff that requires manual/extra work, e.g. having to refresh contracts before sending them, pop-ups about using same email twice (even while not doing that), overall lagginess of the page, customers having trouble signing (sometimes requests signing into CB to sign etc.)”
Check out our full comparison of ContractSafe vs. Contractbook to find the best contract management solution for your needs.
Price range: Ironclad does not openly share pricing information on its website.
Ironclad at a glance: Ironclad offers a ton of features like automated workflows, AI, negotiation features, and a dedicated customer success team, but comes with a steep learning curve and a very high price point.
With Ironclad, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“Downsides of the product tend to be primarily the price — Ironclad is one of the leading platforms in contract management and as Ironclad delivers many premium features no one else offers, their pricing model tends to be on the premium end, which might not be ideal for smaller businesses.”
Check out our full comparison of ContractSafe vs. Ironclad to find the best contract management solution for your needs.
Price range: Agiloft does not openly share pricing information on its website.
Agiloft at a glance: Agiloft has been around for a while, offering an end-to-end contract management solution with high customizability. However, its grid structure and somewhat dated user interface have been described as bulky and complex, with a G2 score of 8.4 for ease of use and 6.9 for ease of setup.
With Agiloft, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“Unless you have a proficient dedicated IT in-house support who can set up the system, you will have to invest in some time at the start along with Agiloft to customise to your liking. I think most companies do not use even 50% of Agiloft's capabilities.”
- Damian C., Consultant 6
Price range: LinkSquares does not openly share pricing information on its website.
LinkSquares at a glance: LinkSquares is an AI-powered contract management system with three product types: Finalize , focusing on contract creation; Sign , enabling e-signatures; and Analyze , utilizing AI to extract data and offering insights from contracts. However, its costly implementation, a longer-than-expected setup process, and the lack of contract editing capabilities could be potential drawbacks for some businesses.
With LinkSquares, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“The contract template creation functionality is a little cumbersome, which is fairly inevitable for a system of this nature. On occasion the system can be slightly slow to load or to run particular reports, but in general we're delighted with the system.”
Price range: $9.50/mo per user for basic; $27/mo per user for advanced; with custom options for more than 50 users
ContractZen at a glance: ContractZen is a European-based contract management solution, deploying a cloud-based platform and offering an assortment of tools tailored to help businesses proficiently manage their contracts. While it lacks certain features found in other platforms, like AI capabilities, it compensates with robust security, a competitive price point, and useful collaboration tools. However, e-signature integration bugs and the inability to customize fields might be potential drawbacks for some businesses.
With ContractZen, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“All our documents are in a single location, and it's easy to find information…Some times the UI could be more streamlined, there are a lot of features always visible.”
Price range: SpotDraft does not openly share pricing information on its website.
SpotDraft at a glance: SpotDraft is a contract management tool that focuses on contract generation and template management, making it a fitting choice for businesses dealing with large volumes of standard contracts. It prides itself on its natural language processing capabilities and integration with select CRMs, though its interface is complex and laggy, and some of its processes are rigid.
With SpotDraft, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
"The user interface is very simple, however, because the product overall requires data and information to be input, sometimes it can be frustrating to have to go through multiple screens (and remember to go through multiple screens) to make sure everything needed has been captured.”
- Priscilla C., Contracts Supervisor 9
Price range: Evisort does not openly share pricing information on its website.
Evisort at a glance: Evisort's clientele boasts big names like Microsoft, Western Union, and Workday, hinting that the platform might be best suited for larger corporations with ample resources. If you're a smaller business or startup, Evisort's intricacies and lack of pricing transparency might make it a less-than-ideal fit.
With Evisort, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“Evisort is great for finding your contracts and automating the contract review process. It is also super helpful at finding key aspects of your contract such as effective date and term provisions. Evisort can seem a bit complicated if you aren't familiar with the platform, especially when building workflows.”
Price range: $25/mo per user for standard; $40/mo per user for enterprise
DocuSign at a glance: DocuSign, a well-known name in the e-signature space, also offers a contract lifecycle management solution. It aims for accessibility and is designed to be easy for non-technical users. Despite this, DocuSign might not be the most robust option when it comes to contract management. Its difficulty with contract edits, lack of advanced features for legal teams, and an arguably long implementation timeline are potential pain points for businesses.
With DocuSign, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“The Dashboard UI can be improved and need more customization option to add widgets.
The reports take a lot of time to generate.
The time it takes to view merge preview can be reduced.”
Price range: Outlaw does not openly share pricing information on its website.
Outlaw at a glance: Outlaw is a contract management solution with robust features, such as batch contract generation and advanced templates. It is specifically designed for in-house legal teams and has a unique "Deal Room" feature for negotiating contracts. Despite its strengths, the platform has its drawbacks in the form of rigid editing abilities and limited customization, which can hamper contract tracking and auditing. It lets you create a lot of contracts in a hurry, but lacks the nuance and customization to manage ongoing contracts effectively.
With Outlaw, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“Overall it is great, though the sharing functionality can sometimes be confusing for counterparties who don't have any experience using the software.”
- Evan S., Vice President 12
Price range: $1,125/mo for basic; $4,815/mo for enterprise
Gatekeeper at a glance: Gatekeeper is a contract management solution that primarily caters to procurement teams, offering integration with CRM and ERP systems for streamlined procurement processes. While it has some notable advantages in the procurement space, it is cost-prohibitive.
With Gatekeeper, you’ll get:
What customers are saying:
“There is an abundance of data in Gatekeeper but at times, it can be difficult to extract or visualise data sets to compare data. This is more problematic on the spend module but overall, we've found the reporting capabilities and real time use of the product to far outweigh this.”
- Daniel B., Supplier Contracts Lead 13
ContractSafe’s intuitive platform has helped countless organizations streamline their contract management processes to save time and improve efficiency.
With an easy-to-navigate interface and robust organizational features, you can quickly and easily find any contract, track key information, and stay on top of important deadlines.
And with unlimited users, ContractSafe is the go-to solution for businesses of all sizes.
Ready to see what ContractSafe can do for you?
Schedule a demo today and let our team show you how ContractSafe can revolutionize the way you manage your contracts.
Disclaimer: Prices are accurate as of May 1, 2024.
Sources:
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