Executive Summary of Best CLM Tools
The modern business landscape is drowning in data, creating both golden opportunities and daunting challenges for legal departments struggling with an ever-growing mountain of complex contracts. Recognizing this critical need, this guide serves as your compass to navigate the options, identifying the best CLM tools in 2025.
Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) emerges as the essential technological lifeline to navigate today’s legal document complexities, transforming contract management from a reactive administrative burden into a proactive strategic advantage.
The explosion of CLM solutions highlights the growing recognition that contracts aren’t just formalities but critical data assets capable of driving revenue, streamlining processes, and breaking down departmental silos.
Yet this abundance of choice creates a maze for organizations trying to identify the right CLM platform. This in-depth review cuts through the confusion by providing:
- Historical Context: Charting CLM’s origins and its transformation in response to the mounting pressures on legal teams.
- The Modern Imperative: Revealing the vast untapped potential of contract data and how CLM unlocks this hidden value.
- A Curated Overview: Delivering detailed analysis of 25 the leading best CLM tools, outlining their core features, key strengths, and potential limitations.
- Strategic Evaluation Criteria: Offering a practical framework for assessing CLM solutions based on business needs, budget considerations, implementation realities, scalability requirements, and essential functionalities.
- A Differentiated Solution: Spotlighting Zeal as a CLM provider that stands apart through its laser focus on industry-specific platforms and commitment to tailored partnerships within sectors including Staffing, Nonprofit, Entertainment, Hospitality, Banking, and Healthcare.
This guide serves as your essential compass for navigating the CLM landscape, empowering legal and business leaders to make confident decisions when implementing solutions aligned with their unique organizational needs and strategic goals. With the best CLM tools, contract management transforms from a potential bottleneck into a powerful engine driving growth and success.
Once known as strictly enterprise-level solutions, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools have become a necessity for any legal department in the age of AI. Technological advances have made this technology available to organizations of any size, which can be transformative. However, to properly outline how innovative it is for an organization of any size to adopt a contract management tool, we have to backtrack a little bit in history.
How the best CLM tools came to be
This need for new management tools stems from the transformation that legal teams have undergone in the past few decades and continue to undergo today. What was simply known as the “legal department” in large and midsize enterprises evolved into a complex set of interconnected teams supported by particular roles. The change began when the intense responsibilities that traditional legal teams had to manage became too evident. Legal professionals were expected to handle tasks like contract management, compliance monitoring, spending, negotiations, risk overview, third-party relationships, and so on.
New and specialized security, research, and management tools started to emerge, slowly providing solutions to everyone inside the legal team, from general counsel to paralegals. The need for specialized platforms that complement legal professionals’ expertise kept growing. CLMs were one of these tools, but they were initially available only to a select few.
The proliferation of modern CLMs
Modern legal departments manage and store more data than they know what to do with. Sadly, this leads to lost opportunities as contracts, for example, are not yet widely seen as what they truly are: gold mines that technology allows us to leverage to create and recapture value.
In today’s organizational landscape, legal documents are still seen as mere formalities, and contracts are often get pushed aside. They are stored in the depths of digital repositories in PDF form or even worse – Word documents. In truth, these documents are the key to more streams of revenue, optimized processes, improved lines of communication, and the transformation of legal professionals into change agents.
This precise conundrum gave birth to legal operation teams as we know them today, professionals with backgrounds in legal, data management, finance, marketing, machine learning, etc., turning legal departments into revenue centers. Subsequently, CLMs became the tool of choice for these professionals to drive this value forward.
Contracts touch just about any aspect of a company’s operation. They are the blueprint and source of truth, a bible of sorts, one might say. Their terms provide performance indicators for different internal and third-party relationships, as well as their expectations and values. They are, in essence, a vast vault of information key to the generation (and recapturing) of value.
Technological needs couldn’t meet the demand for such a tool before. There simply was nothing that could match the efficiency and holistic features that the best CLM tools out there provide. But now a sort of ironic challenge arises for companies that wish to adopt a contract management platform: there are too many options.
This in-depth guide offers an overview of the top CLM options and what an organization can expect of them. Depending on your needs and focus, choosing a CLM could either help you or complicate your process.
This abundance of choice, however, presents a new hurdle for organizations seeking to leverage the power of CLM. A general counsel in the pharmaceutical industry, for instance, might find it challenging to adapt to and operate within a CLM primarily designed for an e-commerce environment.
Ultimately, the specific criteria for selecting the best CLM tools will be uniquely tailored to your industry and its particular needs and focus. With this historical context established, let’s now delve into an overview of some of the most popular CLM platforms available today.
Choosing The Best CLM Tool for you: A Comprehensive Review
Conga CLM
Born from the merger of Conga and Apttus, Conga CLM delivers enterprise-grade contract management across the entire lifecycle. Conga CLM truly shines in its Salesforce integration, allowing teams to manage contracts directly within their familiar CRM environment. The platform excels at automating complex workflows, reducing manual intervention, and accelerating contract turnaround times. Its standardized templates and clause libraries significantly decrease legal risks while enhancing compliance across industries including technology, finance, healthcare, and life sciences.
Before implementing, organizations should understand that Conga CLM requires significant investment, both financially and in implementation time. The system demands specialized expertise, often requiring external consultants, particularly for companies without in-house Salesforce knowledge. Non-technical users face a steep learning curve navigating its extensive customization options. While powerful, the platform’s price point may challenge smaller organizations, especially considering potential additional costs for customization, consulting, or Salesforce licensing requirements.
Key Features:
- Direct Salesforce contract generation
- Built-in e-signature functionality (with DocuSign/Adobe Sign integration)
- Automated workflow routing
- Centralized contract repository
- Template and clause library
- Comprehensive versioning and auditing
- AI-powered risk analysis
- Bulk importing with data extraction
- In-depth analytics
Strengths:
- Deep Salesforce integration
- Powerful process automation
- Effective template standardization
- Strong compliance controls
- Complete e-signature support
- Scalability across business sizes
Limitations:
- Complex implementation timeline
- Technical expertise requirement
- Substantial investment required
- Performance issues with volume
- Limited value outside Salesforce
Summary: Conga CLM delivers exceptional contract management for Salesforce-centric enterprises willing to invest in implementation. Its automation capabilities and compliance features make it ideal for organizations with complex contract requirements, despite its technical demands and cost considerations.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc takes a refreshingly straightforward approach to document automation while incorporating essential contract management capabilities. Since 2013, this user-friendly platform has focused on simplifying document creation, distribution, and e-signing processes for businesses of all sizes. While primarily addressing the initial contract stages, PandaDoc also offers basic post-signature management tools, making it accessible to diverse industries prioritizing ease of use and rapid deployment.
What makes PandaDoc stand out is its intuitive document journey, from designing professional contracts using customizable templates and drag-and-drop editing to secure online delivery and legally binding e-signatures. The platform emphasizes enhancing sales workflows and document efficiency with remarkable ease of use. Its strengths include an exceptionally intuitive interface, powerful document customization tools, integrated e-signature capabilities, budget-conscious pricing tiers, and integrations with popular business applications.
PandaDoc’s limitations become apparent when compared to the best CLM tools. It lacks the sophisticated legal features needed by organizations with complex requirements; you won’t find advanced clause libraries, comprehensive obligation tracking, or in-depth risk assessment tools. While scalable, it best serves small to mid-sized businesses rather than enterprises requiring intricate workflows or rigorous compliance tracking. Its version control, audit capabilities, and automation features are noticeably simpler than specialized platforms like Conga.
Key Features:
- User-friendly document builder with template library
- Built-in legally binding e-signatures
- Real-time document tracking and analytics
- Quote and proposal generation
- Popular CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Real-time collaboration and commenting
- Payment processing (Stripe, PayPal integration)
Advantages:
- Remarkably intuitive interface
- Quick, hassle-free implementation
- Integrated e-signature solution
- Extensive template selection
- Broad business application integrations
- Effective team collaboration tools
- Valuable document analytics
- Accessible pricing structure
Drawbacks:
- Limited advanced legal capabilities
- Enterprise scalability challenges
- Basic version control and auditing
- Simple workflow automation
- Format limitations for complex documents
Bottom Line: PandaDoc is an accessible, user-centric document platform with essential CLM and e-signature capabilities, perfect for SMBs and sales teams prioritizing efficient document creation and signing. While lacking the legal sophistication needed by large organizations with complex requirements, its ease of use and affordability make it compelling for streamlining document workflows.
DocuSign CLM
DocuSign CLM extends the company’s signature expertise into a comprehensive contract management ecosystem. Building on DocuSign’s renowned e-signature foundation, this solution delivers end-to-end contract oversight from initial drafting through execution, making it particularly valuable for enterprises in regulated industries seeking to transform legal and procurement operations.
What distinguishes DocuSign CLM is its holistic approach to agreement management. Its native integration with DocuSign’s industry-leading e-signature solution ensures authentication reliability, complemented by sophisticated workflow tools that automate approvals, redlining, and routing processes. However, the system requires substantial setup investment, typically involving certified partners or systems integrators rather than offering quick deployment. Users encounter a significant learning curve, with formal training essential to maximize its capabilities. The premium pricing model presents a substantial barrier, particularly for smaller organizations, encompassing licensing, implementation, and ongoing support. Despite its powerful e-signature component, the broader CLM interface appears less modern than emerging alternatives.
Key Capabilities:
- Seamless DocuSign e-signature integration
- Advanced workflow automation
- Centralized clause and template repository
- AI-enhanced contract analytics
- Comprehensive compliance tracking
- Obligation and renewal management
- Extensive integration ecosystem
- Enterprise security framework
Advantages:
- E-signature integration
- Advanced process automation
- Sophisticated clause management
- Powerful AI contract intelligence
- Robust compliance framework
- Comprehensive obligation tracking
- Broad integration capabilities
- Enterprise-grade security
Challenges:
- Extended implementation timeline
- Substantial user training requirements
- Enterprise-level pricing structure
- Less modern interface design
- Performance limitations with scale
- Customization service dependencies
Summary: DocuSign CLM provides a mature, comprehensive solution particularly beneficial for organizations already invested in DocuSign’s e-signature platform who require sophisticated workflow automation and obligation management. However it’s important to consider its implementation complexity and high cost.
LinkSquares
Since 2015, LinkSquares has carved a distinctive position in contract management by focusing on AI-powered analytics that transform traditional approaches to contract oversight and risk assessment. The platform has built a strong reputation for its post-execution analysis capabilities, giving legal and finance departments powerful tools to extract actionable insights and manage obligations. While providing full lifecycle functionality.
LinkSquares automatically analyzes contract language to identify key terms and highlight critical risks and opportunities within agreements. This helps organizations anticipate compliance issues, mitigate risks, and optimize contract performance throughout their lifecycle. Another significant advantage is its rapid deployment model, requiring minimal IT support and enabling organizations to become operational in weeks rather than months.
Potential users should recognize certain functionality gaps. Unlike sales-focused platforms, LinkSquares doesn’t primarily address quote-to-cash processes or sales document automation, limiting its value for sales teams managing customer contracts within CRM environments. The platform lacks native e-signature capabilities, relying instead on DocuSign and Adobe Sign integrations, adding potential complexity compared to all-in-one solutions. Its workflow automation and document management tools also lack the sophistication of systems built specifically for intensive legal drafting.
Distinctive Features:
- AI-powered contract analysis and extraction
- Rapid implementation methodology
- Intelligent contract repository with advanced search
- Customizable analytics and visualization
- Evolving pre-signature capabilities
- Codeless workflow development
- Comprehensive security framework
- User-centered support and design philosophy
Key Strengths:
- Industry-leading AI contract analysis
- Accelerated deployment timeline
- Superior contract searchability
- Flexible reporting capabilities
- Accessible technical requirements
- Robust security architecture
- Exceptional support experience
Primary Limitations:
- Limited sales process integration
- Third-party e-signature dependency
- Developing pre-signature capabilities
- Basic workflow automation
- Fundamental document management
- Limited mobile experience
Summary: LinkSquares delivers an exceptional solution for legal departments prioritizing AI-driven analytics and efficient deployment for contract analysis and risk management. While its pre-signature and workflow capabilities continue to evolve, its strengths in artificial intelligence and usability make it an excellent fit for organizations focused on contract visibility, compliance, and data-driven insights.
Lexion
Lexion has established itself as a contract management solution built specifically around artificial intelligence capabilities for legal professionals. Lexion deploys AI to transform how in-house counsel interact with their contract portfolios. The platform primarily serves North American legal departments seeking to modernize their contract workflows.
At its foundation, Lexion delivers a complete contract management ecosystem spanning document creation, negotiation, signature collection, centralized storage, and obligation tracking. Lexion’s design philosophy prioritizes intuitive user experience, making powerful legal technology accessible to teams regardless of their technical sophistication.
The platform has been architected primarily around legal team requirements, with less emphasis on deep CRM system integration or quote-to-cash workflows that sales-oriented organizations might prioritize. Although it connects with industry-standard e-signature providers, Lexion doesn’t offer proprietary signature capabilities within its ecosystem. As a more recent option competing against best CLM tools, some aspects of the platform, particularly its integration breadth and certain feature areas, continue to mature and evolve.
Key Capabilities:
- AI-enhanced contract analysis and information extraction
- Smart contract repository with sophisticated search functionality
- Automated approval and task workflow orchestration
- Collaborative drafting and negotiation environment
- Third-party e-signature platform integration
- Proactive deadline and obligation monitoring
- Flexible analytics and reporting engine
- Team-based collaboration framework
Advantages:
- Exceptional AI-powered contract intelligence
- Legal-centric interface design
- Significant automation of administrative tasks
- Highly effective document searchability
- Legal productivity optimization
- Insightful performance analytics
Challenges:
- Limited sales process workflow integration
- External e-signature dependencies
- Developing integration ecosystem
- Evolving feature maturity in some areas
Summary: Lexion strengths in automated analysis and usability make it particularly attractive for legal teams prioritizing efficiency and insights, though organizations requiring deep sales system integration may find its specialized legal focus less aligned with their primary requirements.
Ironclad CLM
Ironclad stands out in the CLM landscape as a platform built for today’s digital workflows. Launched in 2014, this AI-enhanced system has quickly captured attention from many organizations, particularly in technology, finance, and healthcare sectors, propelling it to widespread popularity.
What sets Ironclad apart is its clean, intuitive interface that reduces adoption barriers for both legal professionals and business stakeholders. Its standout feature is a no-code workflow designer that empowers legal teams to create complex approval sequences and routing logic without technical assistance. Ironclad’s artificial intelligence capabilities automatically extract and categorize key contract elements, significantly accelerating review processes and enabling analytical insights.
Before implementing, organizations should weigh certain considerations. While the platform’s core functionality is immediately accessible, extracting maximum value from advanced workflows and AI capabilities requires investment in training and configuration. Ironclad positions itself as a premium solution with enterprise-level pricing that may challenge smaller organizations with limited legal resources. Being cloud-native, the platform lacks robust offline functionality for disconnected environments. While implementation timelines typically outpace traditional CLM systems, complex deployments with multiple integrations can still extend from weeks to months.
Distinctive Features:
- Contemporary, streamlined user experience
- Advanced no-code workflow automation
- AI-enhanced metadata and risk identification
- Dynamic collaboration tools
- Comprehensive searchable repository
- Extensive business application connectivity
- Unified contract management environment
- Legal-centric design philosophy
Key Strengths:
- Refreshingly intuitive user experience
- Flexible process automation
- Sophisticated AI analysis capabilities
- Efficient negotiation environment
- Highly organized document management
- Comprehensive integration framework
- Consistent user experience
- Legal-oriented functionality
Notable Limitations:
- Complexity barrier for advanced functionality
- Enterprise-level investment required
- Connectivity-dependent operation
- Extended deployment for complex environments
- Some formatting constraints
- Less sales-oriented workflow focus
Summary: Ironclad delivers a distinctively modern contract management experience with sophisticated workflow automation and intelligent analytics, ideally positioned for mid-market and enterprise organizations with complex legal requirements. While its advanced capabilities demand investment in both resources and training, its exceptional usability and collaboration tools make it particularly compelling for organizations prioritizing stakeholder adoption and legal-business alignment in contract processes.
Other Platforms:
- ContractPodAi: Powered by Leah (Agentic AI architecture)
- SAP Ariba: Strong in procurement and supply chain integration
- SpotDraft: Focuses on fast-growing companies with integrations for popular SaaS tools
- Contract Logix: Provides data-driven contract management with visual workflows
- Contractbook: Centralizes contracts with AI-powered insights
- Icertis: Analyst-validated platform with multi-language support
- Contractzy: Modern enterprise solution (formerly The Legal Capsule)
- Precisely: Focuses on legal departments with complex automation tools
- SimpliContract: Claims 40% reduction in contract authoring time
Key Criteria for Choosing the Best CLM Tools
The journey of adopting a Contract Lifecycle Management solution is not easy. The process of selecting the right CLM demands careful consideration of several key criteria. As we’ve discussed, the transformative potential of these tools is undeniable, but unlocking that potential hinges on aligning the chosen platform with your organization’s unique needs and aspirations.
To effectively navigate this selection maze, it’s crucial to evaluate the best CLM tools you come across through several critical lenses:
How to Select The Best CLM Tools:
- Business Needs and Goals: This forms the bedrock of your selection process. Begin by clearly defining your current pain points in contract management. Are you struggling with version control? Losing track of critical dates and obligations? Spending excessive time on manual tasks? Identify your specific objectives. Do you aim to accelerate contract cycles, improve compliance, mitigate risks, or gain deeper insights from your contract data? Understanding your business needs and overarching strategic goals will serve as your compass, guiding you toward a solution that directly addresses your challenges and propels you toward your desired outcomes.
- Budget and ROI: While the long-term benefits of a CLM can be substantial, budgetary constraints are a practical reality for every organization. Carefully assess the total cost of ownership, including subscription fees, implementation costs, training expenses, and potential integration costs. Don’t solely focus on the initial price tag; consider the potential Return on Investment (ROI). How will the tool streamline operations, reduce errors, minimize risks, and free up valuable employee time? A well-chosen platform should ultimately deliver tangible financial benefits that outweigh its cost.
- Implementation and Adoption: A powerful CLM is only effective if it’s successfully implemented and readily adopted by your team. Evaluate the vendor’s implementation process, including the level of support and resources they provide. Consider the user-friendliness of the platform. Is the interface intuitive and easy to navigate? Will your team require extensive training? A tool with a complex interface or a cumbersome implementation process can lead to frustration and low adoption rates, negating its potential benefits. Look for solutions that offer a smooth transition and ongoing support to ensure successful integration into your existing workflows.
- Long-Term Scalability: As your organization evolves, your contract management needs may also change. Consider the long-term scalability of the best CLM tools. Can it adapt to accommodate increasing contract volumes and evolving business requirements? Does the vendor offer different pricing tiers or modules that can be added as your needs grow? Choosing a scalable platform ensures that your investment remains valuable and relevant as your company expands.
The Best CLM Tools Features and Functionalities:
Beyond these overarching considerations, a thorough evaluation of specific CLM features and functionalities is paramount. These are the tools that will directly impact your day-to-day contract management processes:
Contract Authoring and Templates: Look for features that streamline the contract creation process. Robust template libraries with pre-approved clauses, automated data merging, and version control capabilities can significantly reduce drafting time and ensure consistency.
Workflow Automation (Approvals, Notifications): Automating contract workflows, such as routing for internal approvals and sending timely notifications for key dates and milestones, eliminates manual bottlenecks, improves efficiency, and reduces the risk of missed deadlines.
Contract Repository and Search: A centralized and secure contract repository is fundamental. The ability to easily search and retrieve contracts based on various criteria (keywords, dates, parties, etc.) is crucial for quick access to information and effective contract management.
Collaboration and Redlining: Features that facilitate seamless collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, including redlining and version tracking, are essential for efficient negotiation processes.
E-signatures: The integration of secure and legally binding e-signature capabilities accelerates the execution process, eliminating the need for physical signatures and streamlining workflows.
Obligation Tracking and Reminders: The ability to track contractual obligations and set up automated reminders for critical dates (renewals, expirations, deliverables) helps ensure compliance and prevents missed opportunities or potential penalties.
Reporting and Analytics: Powerful reporting and analytics dashboards provide valuable insights into your contract data, enabling you to identify trends, assess risks, and optimize your contract management strategies.
Why Choose Zeal Among The Best CLM Tools?
Today’s legal departments are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of contract-related data, struggling to transform this information into actionable insights and strategic advantages. Amidst a sea of CLM options it’s important to choose specificity over a generalist tool. Zeal is built upon a foundation of deep industry specialization and a commitment to client success.
Zeal delivers highly specialized solutions developed from the ground up, taking into account the distinct operational differences, regulatory landscapes, and strategic priorities of the sectors we serve.
Our clients aren’t forced to adapt their established processes to a rigid system. Zeal molds itself to their existing workflows, with custom features and extensive support. We proudly serve a diverse range of industries, each benefiting from our tailored approach:
- Staffing: In the fast-paced nature of the staffing industry, contracts govern relationships with both clients and candidates. Our platform streamlines the creation and management of placement agreements, contractor agreements, and compliance documentation, ensuring adherence to labor laws and facilitating swift onboarding processes.
We empower sales teams to close deals faster, effectively tackling contract challenges in both aspects of the staffing industry where revenue lies.
Nonprofit: For nonprofit organizations, managing grants, donor agreements, and service contracts with transparency and accountability is non-negotiable. By providing tools designed to track funding obligations, manage compliance requirements, and facilitate clear communication with stakeholders, nonprofits maximize their impact by minimizing administrative burdens. - Entertainment: The entertainment industry thrives on intricate networks of talent agreements, production contracts, licensing deals, and intellectual property rights. Zeal’s specialized legal ops toolbox provides entertainment-specific contract management tools that generalist solutions simply can’t match.
We empower teams to mitigate risks associated with complex rights management, increase efficiency in negotiation processes, and recapture potential revenue streams often lost due to inefficient tracking. Recognizing that most generic CLM platforms lack the specific features required by entertainment law professionals, Zeal fills this critical gap. - Hospitality: Balancing cost control, quality assurance, and intricate supplier relationships is a constant challenge in the hospitality sector. Our AI-powered platform centralizes contract management, providing a single source of truth for vendor agreements, service contracts, and event bookings, leading to enhanced efficiency and reduced administrative overhead.
Zeal alleviates the burden of cumbersome paperwork, automating contract workflows to free up valuable time for teams to focus on operations, guest experiences, and service excellence.
- Banking: Contracts serve as the bedrock of business partnerships, and with Zeal, financial institutions can proactively manage risk across their entire network, from vendors and subcontractors to parent companies and international affiliates. We provide a secure and customizable platform to consolidate vendor contracts and risk management protocols, ensuring adherence to complex regulatory frameworks across the entire organization and third party vendors.
- Healthcare: Our analytical tools empower healthcare providers to negotiate payment terms more effectively, automate payment processing, and proactively manage payer information, ultimately contributing to improved financial outcomes and resource conservation by addressing systematic billing errors and reducing denied claims.
The healthcare industry navigates a complex web of payer agreements, compliance mandates, and patient contracts. Our platform has a proven track record of helping clients achieve significant success in resolving contract-related challenges, such as billing discrepancies, leading to accelerated claim resolution.
By choosing Zeal, you’re making a strategic decision to prioritize a CLM solution that not only understands the universal principles of contract management but also positions itself among the best CLM tools for organizations seeking a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within your specific industry.
We offer more than just software with a partnership built on expertise, tailored solutions, and a commitment to your long-term success in navigating the complexities of the contract lifecycle.
