5 contract creation and management software solutions

Managing contracts can often feel like a never-ending task. From drafting, revising, and finalizing contracts to securely storing them and ensuring timely renewals, the entire process is full of administrative burdens. 

This is where contract management software steps in. By automating contract creation, storage, e-signatures, and renewals, businesses can improve cycle times by 60%, enhance invoicing accuracy by 56%, and reduce costs by 42%.

But how do you choose the best tool for your agency?

Below, we’ll discuss seven of the top contract creation and management platforms designed to help agencies simplify their workflows and reduce unnecessary manual tasks. We’ll also cover some tips to help you pick the best contract management software for your agency.  

Ignition is designed to streamline the entire client engagement process, including contract creation, invoicing, and payment collection. 

While many contract management tools focus only on contract drafting and e-signatures, Ignition offers marketing agencies, bookkeepers, and other professional services providers holistic solutions that integrate these features with billing and revenue management, all in one place. 

Ignition automates creating and managing business contracts or engagement letters with fully customizable and industry-vetted templates. With these templates, you can tailor your contracts to fit your services, business terms, and branding.

One of Ignition's key differentiators is that it doesn't just stop at contract management—it's a fully integrated platform that helps businesses manage their entire client engagement process. 

From capturing leads to automating billing and managing cash flow, Ignition is designed to support every phase of client engagement. 

The platform's contract features are a core part of this process, but it also includes the ability to send customizable proposals, collect payments, and kick off projects all within the same platform. 

Features:

• Customizable, industry-vetted templates for contracts and engagement letters
• Secure digital signatures for fast and reliable contract finalization
• Automated payment collection before contracts are signed
• Built-in invoicing and payment management features
• Quick sales cycle with integrations to existing systems

contract creation, approval, and management. It offers predefined and customizable templates, a contract creation wizard, and an advanced document editor for quick and efficient contract drafting. 

With built-in collaboration tools, redlining, version control, and Zoho Sign for secure e-signatures, Zoho Contracts accelerates the contract lifecycle from negotiation to signing. The platform streamlines contract renewals, amendments, and terminations, while ensuring compliance with audit trails and complete visibility into contract management activities.

Features:

• Central contract repository with search and audit trail
• Robust obligation management to track and fulfill contractual commitments
• Advanced document editor with Zoho Writer
• Counterparty review for efficient collaboration and edit suggestions

DocuSign CLM is for businesses seeking to automate contract creation, negotiation, and execution. 

Known for its user-friendly e-signature capabilities, DocuSign also offers a suite of contract management tools that enable businesses to collaborate on contracts efficiently, track them through every stage, and ensure compliance. Additionally, DocuSign CLM leverages AI and analytics to uncover opportunities, mitigate risks, and drive smarter contract cycles.

Features:

• Template-based contract creation with clause library and auto-population from Salesforce
• AI-assisted contract negotiation, summarization, and version control
• Automated workflows and drag-and-drop editor for custom contract processes
• Central contract repository with permission controls and search capabilities

Conga is designed for large sales, procurement, and legal teams looking for a highly customizable solution. It automates contract generation using pre-approved templates and a clause library, enforcing custom guidelines to increase control and compliance. 

The platform provides a centralized, secure repository for storing all contracts and related documents, offering advanced Smart Search for quick access to key information. It also optimizes workflows with AI-powered contract review, approval, and routing processes, ensuring contracts move smoothly from creation to execution. 

Features:

• Alerts for milestones and approvals that help you stay on top of critical deadlines
• Real-time editing and commenting in MS Word or Google Docs to track edits, comments, and audit history.
• Conga Sign (included with Conga CLM) for quick and secure contract execution
• Custom reporting and analytics to track obligations, compliance, and contract volume and type

Agiloft is a flexible contract management system that offers powerful customization without the need for technical expertise. Its no-code user interface allows stakeholders and sales teams to modify workflows and optimize contract processes without relying on IT support. 

With real-time dashboards and reporting tools, Agiloft supports data-driven contract management, providing insights to identify risks and opportunities. The platform’s advanced search capabilities allow for quick access to critical contract information, ensuring you stay on top of obligations and compliance metrics.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop integrations connect Agiloft with over 1,000 existing systems
• AI-powered analytics to scan contracts, tag data points automatically, and compare contract language to identify missing clauses
• Centralized contract management that reduces silos and promotes collaboration

The right contract management software depends on your business size, industry, and the volume of contracts you manage. Here are key areas to consider when evaluating different platforms.

When choosing a contract management solution, it’s important to evaluate its core capabilities. Prioritize features like:

• Contract repository: A centralized, secure location to store all contracts and related documents enables more efficient contract management.
• Contract drafting and templates: Pre-approved templates and clause libraries save time, ensure consistency, and reduce errors in contract language.
• Approval workflows: Automated processes (with role-based permissions for contract review, approval, and routing) streamline the contract lifecycle and reduce manual effort.
• E-signatures: Electronic signature functionality enables fast and secure contract execution, eliminating the need for printing, signing, and scanning.
• Renewal reminders: Automated alerts ensure you never miss a critical deadline or renewal date.

Ignition ticks all these boxes, offering customizable templates, approval workflows, automated e-signature collection, and automated reminders. 

Additionally, its invoicing and billing capabilities help agencies manage revenue and cash flow seamlessly, while data analytics and insights help you uncover sales pipeline bottlenecks and forecast future revenue.

Your business likely relies on a variety of software tools for different functions. When choosing a contract management solution, it’s essential to ensure that it integrates seamlessly with these existing systems. Why? Because it reduces manual effort, ensures data consistency across all platforms, and streamlines processes. 

Among the key integrations to consider are:

• Accounting software: Integrating your contract management solution with accounting tools, such as Quickbooks, FreshBooks, or Xero, allows for seamless invoicing and payment tracking. You get a holistic view of your revenue and cash flow, making financial management easier.
• CRM:  Integration with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, fuels smoother contract execution. You can easily access contracts and related documents stored in your contract management platform directly from the CRM, saving time and improving efficiency.
• Email marketing tools: For businesses that heavily rely on email marketing, having integration with tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact is crucial. You can automatically populate contract fields with customer data from your email list, reducing manual data entry and improving accuracy.

Ignition integrates with QuickBooks Online, Gusto, Slack, Zapier, and more, enabling you to create custom workflows that align with your business needs.

Whether you’re familiar with contract management software or new to it, having reliable and accessible support can make or break your experience. Look for platforms that offer:

• Multiple support channels, such as email, live chat, and phone support
• Resources like tutorials and webinars
• Extensive knowledge base that you can refer to for answers

Ignition offers 24/7 support via email and live chat, as well as personalized onboarding and training options to help you get up and running quickly and efficiently.

Contract creation and management software helps businesses automate and streamline their contract processes, reducing administrative burdens, minimizing errors, and ensuring compliance. These tools simplify tasks like contract drafting, approval, e-signatures, and renewals, allowing teams to focus on more strategic aspects of their operations.

But Ignition isn’t just a contract management platform—it’s an all-in-one solution that helps businesses streamline their entire client engagement process. With powerful features like customizable contract templates, secure e-signatures, automated payment collection, and billing, Ignition helps agencies create contracts, manage their client relationships, and get paid on time.