When it comes to tech companies, contract lifecycle management (CLM) software needs to keep up with the fast-paced, ever-changing environment. Tech companies deal with a wide range of contracts—from software licenses and vendor agreements to partnership contracts and customer agreements. The right CLM solution should automate repetitive tasks, ensure compliance, and integrate seamlessly with your existing tools, like CRMs, project management platforms, or collaboration tools.
Here’s a rundown of the best CLM software for tech companies based on my experience and research:
Best CLM Software for Tech Companies
1. Ironclad
Ironclad is a modern, intuitive CLM tool designed specifically for companies in dynamic industries like tech. It’s widely regarded for its ease of use, legal-friendly features, and powerful automation capabilities, making it ideal for fast-growing tech startups and enterprises alike.
Why Ironclad Works for Tech Companies:
- User-Friendly Interface: Ironclad is known for its simple, intuitive design, which makes it easy for both legal and non-legal teams to manage contracts.
- Automation: You can automate workflows, approval processes, and renewal reminders, helping teams focus on innovation rather than paperwork.
- Collaboration: Ironclad enables real-time collaboration across teams (legal, sales, operations) during contract drafting and negotiation, which is crucial for tech companies that often work across departments.
- Integration: It integrates well with other tools tech companies use, like Salesforce, Slack, and DocuSign, allowing for smooth transitions between systems.
- Analytics & Reporting: Provides powerful analytics that help companies track contract performance and identify bottlenecks, making it easier to streamline operations.
Downsides:
- Limited Deep Customization: While its ease of use is great, it may lack the advanced customization features that highly specialized teams might need.
- Price: Ironclad is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, which could be a limiting factor for smaller tech startups.
Best For: Fast-growing tech companies that value a user-friendly experience and need quick implementation, automation, and collaboration across teams.
2. Concord
Concord is a versatile CLM platform focused on simplifying contract management while offering key automation and collaboration features. It’s popular among tech companies because of its ability to scale and handle high volumes of contracts.
Why Concord Fits Tech Companies:
- Unlimited E-Signatures: Concord offers unlimited electronic signatures at no additional cost, making it ideal for tech companies that need to handle a large number of contracts quickly.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Teams can collaborate directly on contracts in real-time, reducing email back-and-forth and speeding up the approval process.
- Automation and Workflows: Automate approval workflows based on contract types or deal size, reducing time-to-signature and avoiding bottlenecks.
- Audit Trails: Concord keeps a complete audit trail of every action taken in a contract, ensuring compliance and making contract management more secure.
- Ease of Use: Concord is simple to implement and intuitive to use, which helps fast-paced tech teams adapt quickly.
Downsides:
- Less Customization: Concord’s workflows are more basic compared to enterprise-level solutions, which may limit how deeply you can tailor it to your unique needs.
- Limited Advanced Features: While it has great collaboration and signing features, it may not have the deep analytics or complex contract management capabilities of higher-end tools.
Best For: Small to mid-sized tech companies that need a cost-effective, scalable solution with strong collaboration and e-signature capabilities.
3. DocuSign CLM
DocuSign CLM is a trusted name in contract management, particularly for tech companies already using DocuSign eSignature. DocuSign CLM helps streamline the entire contract process, from creation and negotiation to approval and storage.
Why DocuSign CLM is Ideal for Tech:
- Tight Integration with eSignature: Since DocuSign is the leader in electronic signatures, integrating the CLM with eSignature is seamless and smooth, allowing for faster contract execution.
- Automation and Templates: Automate repetitive contract tasks and create reusable templates for software licenses, partnership agreements, and other tech-specific contracts.
- Compliance and Security: DocuSign CLM offers industry-leading security, including encryption, audit trails, and compliance with regulations like GDPR and SOC 2.
- Global Capabilities: For tech companies that operate internationally, DocuSign CLM supports multi-language contracts, cross-border agreements, and global compliance standards.
- Customizable Workflows: The platform offers flexible workflows for contract approvals and renewals, tailored to fit your tech company’s needs.
Downsides:
- Complex Setup for Advanced Features: While it’s user-friendly for basic tasks, more complex automation and workflows may require additional setup time.
- Price: Pricing can escalate quickly with advanced features and integrations, making it more suitable for larger or scaling tech firms.
Best For: Tech companies that already use DocuSign eSignature and need to expand into a full contract management system with advanced security and automation.
4. Agiloft
Agiloft is a highly customizable, no-code CLM platform designed for businesses that need flexibility. Tech companies often appreciate its adaptability, allowing for extensive customization of workflows and integrations without the need for IT support.
Why Agiloft is Great for Tech Companies:
- No-Code Customization: Agiloft allows users to create custom workflows, templates, and approval chains without coding, making it easy to tailor the system to specific contract needs (e.g., NDAs, software agreements).
- AI-Powered Contract Insights: Agiloft uses AI to help identify risks, optimize contract language, and provide data-driven contract management insights, helping tech companies mitigate risks.
- Scalability: It’s built to handle the needs of both startups and large enterprises, scaling as your business grows.
- Automation and Workflow Management: Automates key contract management functions, from drafting to approvals, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
- Integration Capabilities: Integrates with a wide variety of software tools (Salesforce, Slack, Google Workspace), allowing tech companies to create a seamless workflow across different departments.
Downsides:
- Complex Setup: Its deep customization can lead to longer setup times, which might slow things down for teams looking for a quick solution.
- Overwhelming for Small Teams: Agiloft’s extensive feature set can feel like overkill for smaller tech companies that don’t need such a robust system.
Best For: Larger tech companies or enterprises with complex contract needs that require extensive customization and automation.
5. Conga Contracts (Formerly Apttus)
Conga Contracts is another powerful CLM tool, especially for tech companies already using Salesforce. Conga is deeply integrated into Salesforce, which makes it ideal for sales-driven tech companies managing large volumes of client agreements, software licensing, or partnership contracts.
Why Conga Contracts Fits Tech Companies:
- Salesforce Integration: Conga is a native Salesforce application, making it perfect for tech companies that rely on Salesforce CRM to manage client relationships and sales contracts.
- Advanced Workflow Automation: Automates complex contract approval workflows, which is useful for tech companies negotiating software licensing deals or partnership agreements.
- Templates for Speed: Use pre-approved contract templates for rapid generation of software licensing agreements, vendor contracts, and customer agreements.
- AI-Driven Analytics: Conga uses AI to track contract performance and identify areas for improvement, helping tech companies optimize their contract management process.
- Contract Risk Management: Automatically flags risky clauses and terms, ensuring compliance with industry standards and reducing legal exposure.
Downsides:
- Steep Learning Curve: Due to its robust feature set, Conga can take time to fully implement and optimize, especially for teams unfamiliar with Salesforce integrations.
- Cost: Conga’s advanced features come with a high price tag, making it a better fit for larger tech companies with more substantial contract volumes.
Best For: Salesforce-heavy tech companies or those needing deep contract workflow automation, AI-driven insights, and seamless integration with their CRM.
6. Icertis
Icertis is a heavyweight in the CLM space, built for handling highly complex contracts, compliance, and risk management. For tech companies that manage large portfolios of vendor agreements, IP licenses, and customer contracts, Icertis delivers the automation and security you need.
Why Icertis is Ideal for Tech Companies:
- Compliance and Risk Management: Icertis is particularly strong at handling regulatory compliance, IP protection, and other legal risks that tech companies face.
- AI-Powered Insights: The platform uses AI to analyze contract data, flag risky clauses, and suggest improvements to contract language, helping tech companies reduce legal exposure.
- Advanced Automation: Automates the entire contract lifecycle, from drafting and negotiation to renewal and archiving, which is key for managing large volumes of contracts.
- Global Scalability: Icertis supports multi-language contracts and can handle complex cross-border agreements, ideal for tech companies with international operations.
- Secure Document Storage: Icertis offers secure, centralized contract storage with audit trails, ensuring compliance with industry regulations like GDPR or SOC 2.
Downsides:
- High Price: Icertis is an enterprise-grade solution, and its price reflects that. It’s best suited for large or fast-scaling tech companies.
- Longer Implementation Time: Due to its advanced features and complexity, it can take a significant amount of time to implement and customize.
Best For: Large tech enterprises with complex global operations, regulatory needs, and a high volume of contracts requiring advanced automation and compliance features.
Factors to Consider for Tech Companies Choosing a CLM
1. Automation Needs
Tech companies often need to manage large volumes of contracts quickly and efficiently. Look for CLM software that automates repetitive tasks like contract drafting, approvals, and renewals, saving time and reducing manual errors.
2. Integration Capabilities
Tech firms often work across multiple platforms like CRMs (Salesforce), project management tools, and collaboration software. A CLM system with strong integration capabilities will make it easier to connect your contract management workflows with existing systems.
3. Compliance and Security
Tech companies deal with sensitive intellectual property, data privacy, and security concerns. Make sure the CLM tool you choose offers robust security features, including encryption, secure document storage, and compliance with relevant regulations (GDPR, SOC 2).
4. Scalability
As your tech company grows, your CLM system should grow with you. Ensure that the platform can handle increasing contract volumes, more users, and expanding workflows without a dip in performance.
5. User-Friendliness
Tech teams move fast, so you’ll want a CLM that’s intuitive and easy to use, ensuring quick onboarding and minimizing disruption to your operations.
Final Word
For smaller tech companies, Concord and Ironclad are fantastic choices, offering user-friendly, scalable solutions that can handle growing contract volumes. DocuSign CLM is perfect for companies already leveraging eSignature capabilities and needing a more comprehensive CLM system. For larger enterprises, Agiloft, Conga Contracts, and Icertis offer robust features, deep customizations, and advanced automation that can manage complex contract portfolios across global operations.
Choose the one that fits your size, contract complexity, and budget. Each of these tools will help your tech company manage contracts more effectively, reduce risk, and free up time to focus on growth and innovation.