Best Enterprise Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Software in 2025

Enterprise contract lifecycle management (CLM) software helps streamline contract processes, from initiation to negotiation and approval, execution, and renewal. This buyer’s guide provides a list of essential features to look for and different considerations to make when buying CLM software. Going through this guide can help you make an informed decision on which product to purchase based on your business needs.

Aside from reading about enterprise contract lifecycle management software features, it’s also best to take advantage of free trial offers. Free trials let you test-drive the features of an app and see if it’s a good fit for handling your company’s contract management processes.

To get started, here are some of the top enterprise contract lifecycle management vendors offering a free trial: Juro Contract Automation, Freshservice, PandaDoc, Fill, and Oneflow. Some vendors offer 14-day and 21-day trials while others have a freemium account.

Enterprise contract lifecycle management (CLM) software caters to large companies across industries. Examples of businesses that rely on CLM include:

• SaaS
• FinTech
• Advertising
• Law
• Non-profit

• Juro Contract Automation: Juro enables businesses to manage contracts from end to end—all in one platform. Teams can automate manual steps traditionally involved in contract creation.
• Freshservice: Freshservice is best suited to companies that want to modernize their ITSM. The platform uses automation and powerful no-code workflows to drive service efficiency.
• PandaDoc: PandaDoc is an easy-to-use document automation solution for quotes, proposals, and contract management. Business teams use drag-and-drop features to build and edit documents fast.
• Fill: Fill is a cloud-based solution that lets companies use digital signatures to ensure the security of business documents. Every signature has unique encryption to protect it from tampering during transit.
• Oneflow: Oneflow lets businesses create dynamic and responsive contracts that can be reviewed, forwarded, and edited on-the-fly. Contracts have only one version so users avoid confusion and mistakes.

Enterprise contract lifecycle management (CLM) software is used to create and manage a variety of contract types. These include:

• Sales contracts
• Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
• IT Service agreements
• Purchasing contracts
• Employment agreements
• Vendor contracts

• Compliance enforcement – CLM software allows businesses to track contract milestones and other aspects in accordance with regulations, laws, and performance obligations. Compliance ensures all parties are following through with obligations in a legal manner.
• Contract automation – Users can create new contracts and save them as templates based on the nature of their business. Using pre-defined rules, users can also automate contract creation, approval, and execution.
• Renewal reminders – CLM software helps companies avoid problems with vendors or customers using automated alerts for contract renewals. Users can create alerts for renewal dates, contract expiration, and other important details for negotiation.
• Native eSignature – Using CLM software enables businesses to embed legally binding electronic signatures on contracts. Native eSignature means users don’t need to go to another tool to sign and execute final contracts.
• Web forms – Users can create web forms and use them as self-service tools for marketing surveys, proposal requests, or even payments for ecommerce stores. Web forms can be any customer-facing document like membership applications or company documents like employee evaluations or onboarding.
• Custom branding – With customizable forms, businesses can establish brand consistency throughout their document workflow. They can increase brand awareness and personalize a client’s document signing experience.

Efficient contract management

Since CLM software stores contracts in one place, companies can access them faster. No need to rummage through folders or spend hours wondering which is the updated version of a contract. Users can simply type in file names or use filters to find the specific contract they need.

Better risk management

Dedicated encryption, access controls, and permissions are just a few of the ways that CLM software help companies improve their risk management for contracts. Companies can use automated reminders, reporting, and compliance to track contracts and ensure that parties are meeting their obligations. Automated compliance also checks against industry protocols, regulations, and laws so companies can quickly know if a provision in the contract has been violated.

Increased productivity

CLM software features are designed to automate most manual tasks related to contract processes. Users can create templates and save those for future clients. Also, they can set up automated approval workflows, updates, and reminders so that employees can focus on more high-value tasks.

Business growth

CLM software makes it possible for companies to create secure and scalable contract processes. Bulk approvals and signing means companies can increase the volume of contracts they receive without worrying about delays or missed deadlines. Moreover, companies that serve millions of customers must be able to deliver their service agreements consistently. A cloud-based contract management software that integrates with other business applications can help achieve this goal.

End-to-end automation

Complex document workflows are making it harder for companies to effectively manage a large volume of operational procedures. Manual work, duplicate documents, and inaccurate information are just some of the dilemmas companies face. Since workflows are complex, managers also report difficulty in tracing mistakes and identifying which parts of their processes are problematic.

CLM software vendors are increasingly integrating more end-to-end automation features. Complex workflows can benefit from end-to-end automation since it can standardize processes. Workflows cannot move to the next stage unless certain conditions are met. If there are bottlenecks, managers can quickly see where the problem lies and address them promptly.

Increasing use of AI and ML in contract analysis

As the business world gets more complex, contracts would need to be reassessed and revised more frequently. Ever-evolving regulations, for instance, translate to more workload for contract approvers or legal teams. Using AI and ML makes it possible to analyze large numbers of contracts and documents instantly. Company lawyers can use CLM software with AI-powered analytics and reporting to uncover and optimize outdated language.

Software selection

To make software selection run as smoothly as possible, all stakeholders and decision-makers should be included in the selection process. Managers tasked to research CLM software products should ask stakeholders to attend product demos and discuss the best features that could effectively address their business problems.

Issues with implementation

Though most SaaS-based CLM software can be used instantly upon subscription, there can still be occasional glitches when using the software. To avoid overwhelming users, managers should provide documentation on how to access and use the basic functions of the software. It’s also important to refer users to the vendor knowledge base or support page so users can self-help if they get stuck when using the app.

Customization

Today’s modern CLM software includes the essential features most companies need to streamline their contract management process. However, customizing features might still be necessary based on the nature of a company’s clients or business. For companies without a full IT or developer team, it’s best to work with the vendor for customizing tools and features. This ensures that features work and users get the best experience from their software.

Enterprise contract lifecycle management (CLM) software includes a variety of business tools designed to streamline contract processes.

Drag-and-drop tools, for instance, allow users to easily design the layout of their contract and the different sections that will appear on the document. These tools are also useful for customizing and branding content. Alternatively, companies can use templates included in most CLM software. Using templates can save time and is often all that a company needs to accomplish the bulk of its contract creation.

Electronic signatures are also integrated into modern CLM apps. Companies can have their customers or vendors sign natively on the contract, which means there’s no need to go to another digital tool to have documents signed. eSignatures are legally binding and protected by unique encryptions to detect tampering.

CLM software vendors have also included collaboration tools. Managers or contract approvers from different departments can easily collaborate on drafting contracts in real time. The entire contract creation and signing process can be completed faster when all stakeholders can collaborate online.

Blockchain technology is now being used in smart contracts to add another layer of security. Blockchain is an immutable ledger where transactions are recorded as a “block” of data. The blocks can show the exact time and details of a transaction and are linked together in an irreversible chain. This effectively secures the entire system

Smart contracts are executed on a blockchain. All the information and terms of the contract are stored in the blocks of data and cannot be altered. The use of blockchain technology in contracts reinforces security and transparency between signatories. Also, parties can avoid misunderstandings, alterations, and falsifications.

Moreover, smart contracts are written in a programming language. It can execute automatically based on the programmed parameters. Real-world applications for smart contracts include storage and maintenance of records, supply chains, mortgage, and intellectual property.