Key takeaways
- The top contract creation software include Docupilot, Ironclad, Documint, ContractNow, Juro, Agiloft, and PandaDoc
- To choose a suitable contract creation tool, look for contract drafting, automation, collaboration, e-signature, and storage features
- Simplify your search, choose Docupilot for flexible contract creation and automation of repetitive contracts
According to a Thompson Reuters, respondents who use document automation for lease agreements (22%) report that they have time to Leverage workflows to develop new business models with clients and Win new clients with better business development.
In 2024, countless tools claim to make contract creation easier. From robust, highly technical platforms to simple, intuitive solutions, there’s a tool for every need.
Smart businesses don’t settle for just any tool—they choose one built precisely for their goals. For example, a legal business will prioritize contract creation software that offers flexibility in adding conditions, contingencies, and trade-offs, while requiring minimal technical know-how to implement automation.
Finding the right contract creation software means choosing a tool that reduces busywork and helps users spend more time on client relationships, sales, etc. It should save you time, reduce data risk, integrate seamlessly with incumbent systems, and grow with your contract needs.
In this article, we’ll analyze the best options based on core features, usability, security, and integration so you can confidently make the right choice for your business.
What is Contract Creation Software?
Contract creation software helps businesses and legal professionals create, manage, and distribute contracts. With this software, you can draft legally binding agreements and save them as templates for recurring use, saving time and increasing consistency and accuracy.
Features to Look For in a Contract Creation Software
There are numerous features associated with each contract phase. The key ones to prioritize include:
Drafting
Drafting shouldn’t always require you to start from scratch every time. Your contract drafting software should offer templates and allow you to import legacy contracts, with ease.
To ensure you’re producing high-quality contracts every time, your contract drafting tool should provide all the essential features for efficient, professional drafting.
Identify a tool with deep automations for rich formatting including images, links, and tables, allowing you to create clear, readable, and customizable templates - at scale.
Contract generation and workflow automation
If you frequently create bulk contracts with minor tweaks, filling templates manually wastes time and increases errors. Opt for automation features like merge fields, conditional logic, and integrations with your data sources (like Sheets, Hubspot, and Airtable) to auto-populate fields and dynamically adjust template sections, resulting in customized contracts.
Customizing user privileges
This feature lets you invite other users in your company external parties to contribute, manage, and QC contracts in real time for faster finalization. Prioritize contract generation tools that allow multiple users with role-based access control to ensure only authorized individuals can view, edit, or suggest changes.
E-signing
Your contract creation tool should offer native e-signature features or integrations to bake signing into the contract workflow. That said, e-signature tools should comply with legal standards such as Electronic Signature in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act) and Electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust Services (eIDAS), like DocuSign and Adobe Sign do.
Contract repository
Repository features ensure contracts remain organized and easily accessible. Your contract creation tool should offer a central hub for organizing contracts using folders, statuses, tags, dates, and authors. Robust search features and version history enable easy filtering and allow you to view or revert to previous versions as needed.
Top 7 Contract Creation Software to Close Deals Faster
1. Docupilot
Docupilot is the tool that does it all—from drafting to automation, collaboration, signing, and storage. With dynamic field options and powerful integrations, Docupilot is particularly suited for automating repetitive contracts.
Unlike some contract drafting tools that are tricky to implement, Docupilot is user-friendly and easy to set up, even for first-time users of a contract generation tool as this user testified:
“...no other tool is available to accomplish the tasks this tool completes! All alternatives really want to make things as difficult as possible versus being as simple as 'upload a PDF' and 'upload a CSV.' There is no easier tool to use or implement than this. It took maybe 30 seconds to integrate my Google Drive and upload my PDF and CSV.”
Getting started is simple: just create or upload your template, add merge fields, integrate with your data sources, and let Docupilot generate contracts while you focus on other tasks. And, if you need assistance, our responsive support team is just a click away through the chatbot.
What about security? Docupilot offers two-factor authentication, HIPAA compliance, and end-to-end encryption to keep your documents safe 24/7.
Key Docupilot Features
Merge Fields: These are the placeholders you add to your templates to make them customizable. For example, when creating a sales contract, you can use merge fields like {{Client Name}}, {{Contract Date}}, or {{Service Type}}, which will be replaced with real data from your data sources. In Docupilot, merge fields types include tokens, conditions, and tables. Here’s how to use them:
Integration: Contract automation is only as effective as the integrations your tool supports. Docupilot removes this limitation by integrating natively with Zapier, connecting you to over 7,000 tools, and Make, which links to over 1,900, significantly expanding integration options.
This flexibility enables you to create approval workflows and collaborate using your preferred communication tools. Plus, setup is a breeze.
Various Template Creation Options: With Docupilot, you can easily import your existing contracts in various formats, including Word, PDF, PTS, and XLSX, simply by dragging and dropping them.
You can also create new templates using our AI-powered contract drafting tool or choose from our extensive template library.
Using our advanced formatting toolset, you can edit your documents as you desire.
Invite and Manage Users: Docupilot enables collaboration among multiple users, allowing team members to work on different parts of the contract simultaneously. You can invite users through the settings and assign roles such as owner, admin, manager, billing manager, and member. Each user role includes specific privileges, ensuring you can provide informed access.
Additionally, you and your editors can add comments to specific sections of the contract to aid discussions and keep everyone aligned.
E-signature: Docupilot natively integrates with popular e-signature tools such as Yousign, Signable, SignNow, DocuSign, Xodo Sign, and DropboxSign. Setting up these integrations is straightforward and only takes a few clicks, as seen with this SignNow integration.
Folders and Search Functionality: Create custom folders to sort your documents by client, project, or contract type. Plus, Docupilot offers a powerful search functionality to help you quickly find and retrieve contracts in seconds. No more wasting time scrolling through endless files!
Pros
- User-friendly interface that reduces the learning curve
- Affordable and flexible pricing
- Robust contract creation and automation features
Cons
- While it’s suitable for various functions, it excels more as an automation tool
Pricing
You can take Docupilot for a free 30-day test drive, after which you can choose from our six pricing plans. Each plan provides access to all features and includes generous credits to generate contracts. The plans include:
2. Ironclad
Ironclad is a no-code platform with robust collaboration features. It allows you to set up conditional logic to route contracts to the appropriate team member or client for review and sign-off while providing insights into review duration to identify workflow bottlenecks.
Using Ironclad Connect, you can invite stakeholders to comment and suggest real-time changes. Even if you choose not to invite external parties to the platform, you can share documents with them via email, and any changes made in Word will sync automatically in Ironclad.
Features
- Smart Import: Bulk import legacy contracts, extract and organize them automatically with AI and OCR capabilities
- Searchable Repository: Centralized storage with organized, searchable contract data
- Pre-approved Clauses: Easily assemble contracts with standardized, approved clauses
- E-signature Integration: Connects with major e-signature platforms, including DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, and Adobe Sign
- Integration: Connects with third-party tools like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, OneDrive, Formstack, and more
Pros
- Excellent for collaboration
- Feature rich and supports extensive integration
Cons
- Search functionality can feel unintuitive
- Limited automation for repetitive document handling
Pricing
Ironclad operates a custom pricing model, tailored to specific organizational needs and scale.
3. Documint
Documint is a straightforward, easy-to-use contract creation software ideal for automating simple contracts. Instead of relying on a word editor, Documint features a drag-and-drop builder that allows you to design templates from scratch, or select from a library of pre-made templates. However, it has limited features and is costlier than alternatives like Docupilot, which offers more features at a lower starting price.
Features
- Looping: Add repeating sections for dynamic items such as lists or tables
- Conditional Logic: Include or exclude sections based on specific conditions
- Integrations: Connects to various business tools including Airtable, Coda, BambooHR, Make, Zapier, etc.
Pros
- Simple, intuitive interface
- Suitable for creating and automating straightforward contracts
Cons
- Offers limited features
- Fewer options for dynamic field types
- Does not support importing existing contracts
- Supports only SignNow e-signatures integration, giving you fewer options to choose from
Pricing
Documint offers a free-forever plan and three tiers of paid monthly plans which include:
4. ContractNow
ContractNow is an enterprise-level document creation tool primarily used by procurement managers. Users praise it for its contract auto-renewal and expiration alerts feature. It allows you to import bulk contacts via CSV while providing a template library to kick off your drafts.
ContractNow offers a customizable repository that supports table and list views. With OCR, you can quickly search for phrases and clauses within contracts.
Features
- AI Data Extraction: Import existing PDF contracts and extract key information, such as dates, entities, amounts, and clauses
- Automated Renewal and Expiration Alerts: Built-in alerts and tracking help avoid missed renewals and unwanted contract lapses
- Native E-signature Tool: Built-in digital e-signature, compliant with ESIGN, UETA, and eIDAS regulations
- Global Search: Search contracts by document type and context
Pros
- Ideal for comprehensive contract management
- Supports unlimited users for cross-team accessibility
Con
- Lacks pricing flexibility
- Lacks automation features
- Few customer reviews are available to assess satisfaction accurately
Pricing
ContractNow offers only one paid pricing plan.
5. Juro
Juro is a powerful contract creation tool, supporting over two million contracts across legal, sales, HR, finance, and operations. It’s SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and offers European Economic Area (EEA) hosting, ensuring that contracts and data remain private and are not used to train AI. Juro allows users to draft contracts from scratch and provides internal commenting, suggestion, and approval workflows that work seamlessly across devices.
Features
- Native E-Signature Tool: Built-in e-signature capability, allowing users to send contracts for signature directly within the platform
- Integration: Connects with various business tools, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier, Slack, and Greenhouse
- Template Library: Offers pre-approved templates, making contract creation easy
- AI Assist: Uses AI to draft, summarize, review, and extract data from contracts, accelerating contract management
Pros
- Users praise its responsive customer support
- Offers robots feature set
Cons
- Some users report bugs, glitches, and unintuitive UI
- Limited pricing transparency
Pricing
Juro offers custom pricing based on need.
6. Agiloft
Agiloft is a highly customizable contract management software. Known for its flexibility, it offers a white-label interface to create a branded and personalized interface.
Agiloft allows you to edit templates directly within the platform while providing Microsoft Word and Google Docs add-ons. Approval workflows are easy, allowing for email approvals and Microsoft Teams notifications. It also features a repository table that shows stages of the contract lifecycle and alerts you of the next step.
Features
- E-signature: Integrates with Adobe Sign and DocuSign for secure, compliant signing
- AI Core: Automatically extract key terms and clauses from legacy contracts for reuse
- Integration: Connects with over 1,000 applications, including popular ERP, CRM, and collaboration tools like Salesforce and Microsoft Teams
- Alerts: Automated alerts for key contract dates, helping teams stay on top of renewals and deadlines
- Advanced Search: Provides detailed filters to search contracts by specific parameters, with an option to save searches for future use
Pros
- No-code and extensive customization options
- Extensive feature set for comprehensive contract management
Cons
- Cluttered and cumbersome UI
- Setup can be complex, potentially requiring IT assistance
- Not suitable for automating repetitive contracts
Pricing
Agiloft offers three-tiered custom pricing based on feature needs.
7. PandaDoc
PandaDoc is a document creation tool that’s also useful for creating contracts. It includes a drag-and-drop editor that makes creating contracts from scratch easy. PandaDoc also offers over 1,000 templates, which are handy if you’d rather not start from a blank page.
With PandaDoc, you can invite external collaborators who can temporarily access and modify shared documents, even without a PandaDoc account.
PandaDoc ensures security with AES encryption, role-based access, two-factor authentication, and compliance with standards like ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and eIDAS.
Features
- Native Signature Tool: Legally binding e-signatures, enabling recipients to sign documents digitally without third-party tools
- Panda AI: Assists in drafting contracts and offers contextual suggestions to improve document language and structure
- Full-Text Search: Allows users to search broadly across titles and text within documents
- Smart Content: An add-on that enables users to add conditional logic and dynamic fields to documents, creating a more personalized experience
Pros
- Easy to use with an appealing, intuitive interface
- Integrates with over 1,100 apps, including popular CRMs and connectors like Zapier
Cons
- While PandaDoc appears budget-friendly, some of its best features are reserved for higher-tier plans, leaving users with no choice but to upgrade
Pricing
PandaDoc offers a free plan and a 14-day free trial. Its paid plans include:
Choosing a Suitable Contract Creation Software
There you have it—seven tools to simplify contract creation. While each tool offers essential contract drafting capabilities, they vary in approach. Some let you create contracts from scratch, others support imports and templates. and one, like Docupilot, combines all these methods including AI creation.
That said, basic contract creation features are often not enough when challenges go beyond drafting. High contract volumes demand advanced search and centralized storage to prevent wasting time on document retrieval. For seamless collaboration, tools with strong negotiation and contribution features are essential. And if repetitive contracts are slowing you down, automation can save time and reduce errors by eliminating manual template entry.
While some tools try to do it all, each has its strengths and trade-offs. Docupilot, however, is the solution to choose if you desire flexible creation options and automation to streamline recurring contracts.
Ready to experience the efficiency of Docupilot for yourself? Sign up for a 30 days free trial and discover a faster, smarter way to create contracts.