Legal teams deal with contracts every single day, but keeping them organized is another story. Between tracking deadlines, chasing approvals, and making sure everything is airtight, contract management can quickly turn into a headache.

That’s why contract management software exists. It keeps everything in one place, automates the boring stuff, and helps legal teams move faster without missing key details. And legal teams are catching on—67% are actively investing in contract management tools, according to a recent joint study.

This shift shows that more legal departments are making contract management a priority, recognizing how the right tools can reduce risk, save time, and improve efficiency.

So, how do you pick the right one? This guide breaks down the best contract management tools for legal departments so you can find a solution that actually makes your job easier.

What Is Contract Management Software?

Contract management software helps legal teams stay organized, track deadlines, and manage approvals without the usual chaos.

Contracts pile up fast—vendor agreements, client deals, NDAs, and employment contracts all need attention. Without a system in place, it’s easy to miss deadlines or lose track of important details.

This type of software keeps everything in one place, which makes it easier to find documents, monitor changes, and make sure agreements follow legal guidelines. Essentially, it saves time, reduces risks, and cuts down on back-and-forth emails so legal teams can focus on more important work.

Common Features in Contract Management Tools

Most contract management tools help legal teams stay organized and avoid contract headaches. Some focus on simple storage, while others handle everything from drafting to approval. Here are some key features legal teams rely on:

  • Centralized storage: Keeps all contracts in one place, so no one has to dig through emails
  • Automated reminders: Sends alerts for renewals, expirations, and key deadlines
  • Version control: Tracks edits and updates so everyone’s on the same page
  • E-signature support: Makes it easy to sign and approve contracts without printing anything
  • Collaboration tools: Lets teams review, comment, and approve contracts without long email threads
  • Template management: Speeds up contract creation with pre-approved templates
  • Compliance tracking: Helps legal teams stay in line with regulations and company policies
  • AI-powered contract review: Flags risks, missing terms, and key clauses automatically

Some tools just store and track contracts, while others handle the whole contract process from start to finish. Picking the right one depends on what your team needs most.

The Best Contract Management Tools for Legal Departments

The best contract management tools help with drafting, reviewing, tracking, and approvals, making the whole process faster and more reliable. Some focus on automation, while others offer advanced AI analysis or collaborative features to keep everyone on the same page.

But choosing contract management software is easier said than done. To narrow down your choice, below are some of the top contract management solutions available today.

1. Percipient

Most contract management tools are purely software-based, but Percipient goes beyond that by combining AI with human legal expertise.

Percipient

It’s not a self-service platform where users just sign up and start using it on their own. Instead of relying entirely on automation, Percipient pairs AI-powered contract redlining with professional legal review.

This approach helps legal teams process contracts more efficiently, reduce risk, and improve accuracy without losing the human touch that software alone can’t provide.

Best Features

  • AI-powered contract redlining with human expertise: AI flags key clauses, risks, and inconsistencies while legal experts verify and refine the results.
  • Customizable AI review: The system adapts to a legal team’s specific contract playbook and industry standards.
  • Collaborative workflow: Optimized contract review process with integrated feedback loops for faster approvals.
  • Integration with existing tools: Connects with contract management, communication, and collaboration platforms for smoother workflows.
  • End-to-end contract processing: AI scans contracts, experts validate findings, and teams receive clear redlines with explanations.

Pros

  • AI makes contract review faster, while human experts ensure accuracy and context
  • Reduces legal risks by combining automation with expert validation
  • Great for high-volume contract review, improving efficiency without sacrificing quality
  • Fully customized onboarding to match a legal team’s standards, preferred clauses, and compliance needs
  • Doesn’t replace legal teams but supports them with AI and expert-backed insights
  • Integrates with existing legal tools for a smooth workflow
  • Helps legal teams meet deadlines without rushing reviews or missing key details

Get in touch today and see just how much Percipient offers!

2. DocuSign

DocuSign is best known for its e-signature solution, but it also offers contract lifecycle management (CLM) for legal teams that need more than just signing capabilities.

Docusign

Source: G2

It helps draft, negotiate, approve, and store contracts in one place, which helps reduce manual work and speed up the entire process.

Best Features

  • Legally binding e-signatures: Secure, digital signatures that comply with global regulations.
  • Contract management system: Automates contract creation, approvals, and renewals.
  • Real-time collaboration: Lets multiple stakeholders review and edit contracts in a shared space.
  • AI-powered contract analysis: Identifies risks, key clauses, and compliance gaps.
  • Centralized contract repository: Keeps all agreements organized and searchable.

Pros

  • Makes contract signing quick and legally compliant
  • Automates contract workflows, reducing delays and manual tracking
  • Integrates with popular business tools, including CRM and document management platforms
  • Helps in-house legal teams enforce compliance with built-in risk analysis
  • Scales for businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprise-level legal teams

3. ContractWorks

ContractWorks is a simple yet powerful contract management solution that helps legal teams store, track, and manage contracts without unnecessary complexity.

Contractworks

Source: G2

It’s designed for fast implementation and ease of use, which makes it a good option for teams that need secure storage, automated tracking, and quick access to contracts without dealing with overly complicated software.

Best Features

  • Secure contract repository: Centralized storage with advanced search and tagging for easy retrieval.
  • Automated reminders: Alerts for contract renewals, expirations, and key deadlines.
  • E-signature integration: Legally binding electronic signatures built into the platform.
  • User-friendly interface: Simple setup and navigation with a minimal learning curve.
  • Role-based access controls: Custom permissions to restrict access and protect sensitive information.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use, even for teams without IT support
  • Affordable pricing compared to more complex CLM solutions
  • Strong security features, including encryption and role-based access
  • Fast contract search and organization with smart tagging
  • Ideal for legal teams that want contract tracking without unnecessary extras
  • Best suited for small to mid-sized legal teams rather than large enterprises

4. Juro

Juro is built for legal teams that want a faster, more collaborative way to manage contracts. It replaces scattered emails and manual edits with an all-in-one contract workflow, making it easier to create, review, approve, and store agreements without switching between tools.

Juro

Source: G2

Best Features

  • Contract automation: Draft contracts quickly using customizable templates.
  • Real-time collaboration: Teams can edit, comment, and approve contracts in one place.
  • E-signatures: Built-in legally binding electronic signatures for faster approvals.
  • AI-powered contract analysis: Identifies risks, key clauses, and missing terms.
  • Centralized contract repository: Organizes contracts with search and tracking features.

Pros

  • Simplifies contract creation and approval with automation
  • User-friendly interface that’s easy for legal and business teams to navigate
  • Keeps everything in one platform, reducing reliance on emails and manual edits
  • Great for fast-growing legal teams that need scalable contract management
  • Integrates with CRM, HR, and document storage tools for a smoother workflow

5. Outlaw

Outlaw is a contract management platform that focuses on real-time collaboration and contract automation. It helps legal teams draft, negotiate, approve, and store contracts in a single system, which helps reduce bottlenecks and manual work.

Outlaw

Source: G2

With AI-powered insights and built-in e-signatures, it’s designed for teams that need a faster, more structured way to manage contracts from start to finish.

Best Features

  • Contract automation: Custom templates for quick and consistent contract creation.
  • AI-powered insights: Flags key clauses, potential risks, and missing terms.
  • Real-time collaboration: Teams can edit, comment, and negotiate in one shared space.
  • E-signatures: Built-in, legally binding signatures for a seamless approval process.
  • Secure cloud storage: Keeps contracts organized and easily searchable.

Pros

  • Makes contract negotiation faster with live collaboration tools
  • AI helps identify risks and key clauses before finalizing contracts
  • Reduces back-and-forth emails by keeping everything on one platform
  • Works well for high-volume contract workflows
  • Offers strong security features for legal compliance

6. DocJuris

DocJuris helps legal teams speed up contract review and redlining by combining AI with customizable legal playbooks. Instead of manually scanning for risks, inconsistencies, and key clauses, teams can automate much of the process while keeping control over final decisions.

Docjuris

Source: DocJuris.com

Generally, it is mostly meant for organizations that handle a high volume of contracts and need a more efficient way to analyze and negotiate terms.

Best Features

  • AI-powered contract redlining: Automatically flags risks, inconsistencies, and key clauses.
  • Bulk contract review: Processes multiple contracts at once for faster analysis.
  • Customizable legal playbooks: Helps make sure contract reviews follow internal guidelines.
  • Collaboration tools: Legal teams can review, edit, and finalize contracts in one platform.
  • Contract metadata extraction: Captures key contract details for tracking and reporting.

Pros

  • AI speeds up contract redlining without missing critical details
  • Custom legal playbooks ensure contracts align with company policies
  • Helps legal teams manage large contract volumes more efficiently
  • Reduces the time spent on manual contract review
  • Integrates with contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools for a smoother workflow

7. ContractSafe

ContractSafe is a simple and secure contract management tool designed for legal teams that need an easy way to store, search, and track contracts. Unlike complex CLM platforms, ContractSafe focuses on keeping contracts organized and making them easy to find.

ContractSafe

Source: G2

ContractSafe is a suitable option for teams that don’t need advanced automation but want a reliable system to manage contract deadlines and access documents quickly.

Best Features

  • Smart search: Find contracts instantly with full-text search and tagging.
  • Automated reminders: Get alerts for contract renewals, expirations, and key deadlines.
  • Role-based permissions: Control who can view, edit, or manage contracts.
  • Secure cloud storage: Keeps contracts organized and protected with encryption.
  • Simple interface: No complex setup or steep learning curve.

Pros

  • Easy to use, even for teams without technical expertise
  • Strong search capabilities make finding contracts quick and simple
  • Automated reminders help legal teams stay on top of key dates
  • Affordable pricing compared to full-scale CLM solutions
  • Focuses on storage and tracking without unnecessary complexity

8. Cobblestone

CobbleStone is a feature-rich contract lifecycle management platform built for legal teams that need a structured, automated approach to handling contracts from start to finish.

Cobblestone

Source: G2

It covers everything from drafting and negotiation to approvals and compliance tracking, making it a solid choice for organizations that manage a high volume of contracts and need advanced automation, AI insights, and easy integrations.

Best Features

  • Contract automation: Create, edit, and manage contracts with customizable templates.
  • AI-powered contract review: Identifies key clauses, risks, and missing terms.
  • Workflow automation: Speeds up approvals, routing, contract execution, and other parts of the contract management process.
  • E-signature integration: Supports legally binding digital signatures.
  • Compliance tracking: Ensures contracts meet legal and regulatory standards.
  • Centralized contract repository: Organizes documents with smart search and metadata tagging.

Pros

  • Covers the full contract lifecycle, from drafting to renewal
  • AI-powered insights help legal teams analyze risks more effectively
  • Customizable workflows improve efficiency for contract approvals
  • Strong compliance tracking for highly regulated industries
  • Integrates with CRM, ERP, and other enterprise tools

9. Conga

Conga is a contract lifecycle management platform designed for legal teams that need automation, AI-driven insights, and integrations to manage contracts efficiently. It helps draft, negotiate, approve, and store contracts in a structured workflow to minimize manual tasks while improving compliance.

Conga

Source: G2

Best Features

  • Contract automation: Speeds up contract creation with pre-approved templates.
  • AI-powered contract analysis: Identifies risks, key clauses, and missing terms.
  • Workflow automation: Streamlines approvals, negotiations, and contract execution.
  • E-signatures: Supports legally binding digital signatures for faster approvals.
  • Compliance tracking: Helps make sure contracts meet legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Salesforce integration: Connects directly with CRM and other enterprise systems.

Pros

  • Automates contract workflows, reducing time spent on manual reviews
  • AI-powered insights help legal teams assess contract risks more effectively
  • Strong integration with Salesforce makes it a great fit for CRM-driven teams
  • Scalable solution that works for both small teams and large enterprises
  • Customizable workflows enable legal teams to tailor processes to their needs

Percipient Offers the Best of Both Worlds: AI and Human Expertise

Contracts pile up fast, and legal teams don’t have time to waste on slow, manual reviews. Most contract management tools promise efficiency, but software alone can’t catch everything. AI might flag risks, but without human insight, important details can slip through.

Percipient

That’s why Percipient takes a different approach. It combines AI-powered contract analysis with expert legal review, so you get speed without sacrificing accuracy.

The AI does the heavy lifting—spotting key clauses, inconsistencies, and risks—while legal professionals review and refine the results. No guesswork, no missed red flags, just a smarter contract review process.

If your team is drowning in contracts and tired of juggling reviews, Percipient can help. Get in touch today and see how AI + human expertise can make contract management a whole lot easier.

FAQs About Contract Management Software For Legal Departments

What is matter management software for legal departments?

Matter management software helps legal teams track, organize, and manage all legal matters in one place. This includes business contracts, disputes, compliance issues, litigation, and internal legal requests. Unlike contract management software, which focuses specifically on handling agreements, matter management covers a broader range of legal work to help teams optimize the process and drive business growth.

What is CLM in legal?

CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management) in legal refers to the process of managing contracts from creation to execution and renewal. It includes drafting, negotiating, approving, storing, and tracking contracts to ensure compliance and efficiency. The right contract management solution helps legal teams automate approvals, reduce risks, and keep contracts organized, making the entire contract process faster and more reliable.

What are the four 4 blocks of good contract management?

Good contract management relies on four key building blocks:

  1. Contract creation – Drafting agreements with clear terms and standardized templates.
  2. Contract execution – Getting approvals and signatures and ensuring compliance with legal requirements.
  3. Contract monitoring – Tracking deadlines, renewals, and legal obligations to prevent issues.
  4. Contract optimization – Reviewing contract performance and making improvements for better efficiency and risk management.

A strong contract management process reduces legal risks, improves efficiency, and keeps agreements running smoothly.

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