Finding the correct contract database program may make your life a lot easier and reduce administrative hassles. Yet, finding the right software is not easy.
So, what is contract management software? Contract management software (CMS) is a tool that helps organizations manage their contracts and negotiate better deals. By unifying all parties, contracts, and versions participating in contract negotiation and contract creation, a CMS provides a trusted medium that allows all parties to see changes and track contract timelines, from inception to signing.
If you’re looking for the best contracts database software for your job or if you’re simply searching for an easy-to-use job contract management system, this article is for you.
Top 8 Best Contract Database Software
- Bonsai – Best For Keeping Your Data Safe
- PandaDoc – Best software for most
- DocuSign – Best for contract automation
- Zoho Contracts – Best free plan
- Outlaw – Best contract reporting
- HoneyBook – Best client portals
- Pipedrive – Best CRM
- ContractWorks – Best for enterprises
1 Bonsai – Best For Keeping Your Data Safe
PRICING: Free basic templates are available. The starting price of Bonsai is $17 per month on an annual plan.
Signing contracts with your clients is a breeze with Bonsai. The platform offers hundreds of templates for different purposes, such as social media management, non-disclosure agreements, online contracts, and much more. Some of them are available for free, while you can access other templates through the Starter plan.
Another great thing about Bonsai is that it keeps all your contracts in a safe place with all the relevant details. For example, you can check your notifications to see whether a contract has been signed. It will also tell you whether the deposit for the agreement has been paid.
Your data will remain safe on Bonsai due to multiple backups. This is why you can rely on the software and use it for signing various contracts.
KEY FEATURES
- Set automatic email reminders for clients that take too long to sign the sent document
- Use Bonsai or generate a secure automatic link for sending the contract
- Allow your clients and vendors to sign the agreement using an electronic signature
- Save time by using templates for various contracts
REASONS TO BUY
- It allows you to accelerate the onboarding process for new clients
- You can also automate Bonsai to send a contract when a customer or vendor accepts your proposal
- Easy to edit
- The platform lets you add company logos to the document too
REASONS TO AVOID
- The number of free contracts is limited
2. PandaDoc – Best for most users
PRICING: Free basic plan available. Between $19 to $49 for businesses.
PandaDoc is a popular multi-functional contract management platform that provides a complete solution for secure collaboration, document management, and e-signatures for more than 20,000 customers. The platform is flexible and can support almost any business process by making it easy to handle contract creation and approval, signature, and payment. Its contract lifecycle management solution is perfect if you need to manage contracts from start to finish.
KEY FEATURES:
- Unlimited proposals, quotes, and contracts
- Template library
- Collaboration tools
- Unlimited payment collection
- Security and compliance features
- Document status monitoring
REASONS TO BUY:
- User-friendly
- Able to upload any type of document
- Many integrations including 15 CRMs, accounting programs, and payment services
- Drag and drop document editor
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Learning curve
3. DocuSign – Best for contract automation
PRICING: 30-day free trial, then call for quote
Docusign is a document signing and management platform that helps streamline business processes and improve efficiency. The platform enables users to electronically sign documents, track the progress of document approvals, and manage document workflows. Additionally, Docusign offers features such as contract management, e-signature capture, and digital signatures. By automating these processes, Docusign can help businesses save time and improve productivity.
KEY FEATURES:
- Multi-language support
- Custom contract agreement workflows
- Auto-populating document templates
- Clause library
- Reminders and notifications
REASONS TO BUY:
- 30-day free trial
- Advanced security standards
- Offline sending and signing supported
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Additional fee for customer support
- Learning curve to set up workflows
4. Zoho Contracts – Best free plan
PRICING: 15-day free trial. Plans range from free to $65/month.
Zoho Contracts is a web-based contract management software that helps businesses automate their contract processes. It offers a wide range of features including contract creation, negotiation, and approvals. Zoho Contracts also provides templates for common contracts such as employment agreements, NDAs, and more. Businesses can use Zoho Contracts to streamline their contract management process and save time and money.
KEY FEATURES:
- Negotiation tools: Editing and commenting
- Document Editor
- Reminders and notifications
- Zoho CRM integration
REASONS TO BUY:
- 30-day free trial
- Advanced security standards
- Offline sending and signing supported
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Less security and privacy in lower tier plans
- Lowest paid plan is still expensive
- Zoho CRM integration is only available in the top tier plan
5. Outlaw – Best contract reporting
PRICING: Call for a quote.
Outlaw is a powerful and comprehensive tool that helps businesses streamline their contract management processes. It offers a central repository for all contracts, robust search capabilities, and workflow automation to help organizations keep track of their contractual obligations. Outlaw also provides customizable reports and analytics to give businesses visibility into their contract portfolios. With its easy-to-use interface and flexible deployment options, Outlaw’s contract management software is an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes.
KEY FEATURES:
- Negotiation tools: Editing and commenting
- Clause library
- Advanced security
- CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive
REASONS TO BUY:
- Highest quality security
- Easy to set up and use
- Many features to choose from
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Poor pricing transparency
- No free trial
6. HoneyBook – Best Client Portals
PRICING: 7-day free trial. Price ranges from $9 to $32.50/month.
HoneyBook is a CMS designed to help users organize their clients and contracts. It offers a variety of features that make it easy to keep track of important information, including a client management system, contract templates, and document storage. HoneyBook also makes it easy to collaborate with team members and clients and provides a variety of tools for managing projects.
KEY FEATURES:
- Reminders and notifications
- Branded client portal
- Custom templates
- Internal invoice system
- Smart fields that allow you to autofill the contract with your company’s information
REASONS TO BUY:
- Impressive client portal
- Very affordable Starter plan
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Not very customizable
- Teams can’t use Starter plan
7. Pipedrive – Best CRM
PRICING: 14-day free trial. Price ranges from $45 to $99/month.
Pipedrive is a contract management CRM that includes a Smart Docs add-on to help salespeople manage their deals. It’s designed to help sales teams close more deals by giving them a clear overview of their sales pipeline and automating repetitive tasks. With Pipedrive, you can see at a glance where each deal is in the sales process and easily track progress. Smart Docs helps you automate the creation and management of contracts, so you can close deals faster.
KEY FEATURES:
- Reminders and notifications
- Branded client portal
- Custom templates
- Internal invoice system
- Smart fields that allow you to autofill the contract with your company’s information
REASONS TO BUY:
- Import contract data from CRM
- Easy to use
- Contracts included in the top tiers
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Contracts will cost extra if you’re in lower tier plans
- Many features, some of which might not be useful if you just want simple contract management software
- Contract reporting is almost nonexistent
8. ContractWorks – Best for enterprises
PRICING: Price ranges from $600 to $1000/month.
ContractWorks is a cloud-based contract management software that helps businesses manage, organize, and track their contracts. The software provides a centralized repository for all contract-related documents, making it easy to find and track important information. ContractWorks also includes features such as contract templates, e-signatures, and workflow automation to help streamline the contract management process.
KEY FEATURES:
- Unlimited users
- Smart AI tools: document tagging and contract outlining
- Branding
- Customizable reposting
- Alerts and notifications
- OCR and advanced search
- Salesforce integration at higher tiers
REASONS TO BUY:
- Unlimited users with every pricing tier
- Around-the-clock customer support
- Easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Extremely high price for non-enterprise users.
- Revisions are not possible. Must restart the entire process if needed.
- One-time Salesforce integration fee of $500