Best Free Contract Management Software (2026): What Actually Works

The honest truth: Truly free CLM software is rare. Most "free" options are either limited trials, freemium teasers, or manual workarounds. Here's what actually exists.

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The Reality of "Free" Contract Software

Let's be direct: there's no free software that matches paid CLM features. What you'll find instead:

• Free trials - Full features for 7-30 days, then you pay
• Freemium tiers - Basic features free, real functionality locked
• DIY solutions - Google Docs, spreadsheets, manual work
• Open source - Free software, but requires technical setup

If you need professional contract management, you'll eventually pay for it. The question is whether free options work for your current stage.

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Best Free Options Ranked

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1. Google Docs + Sheets - The DIY Approach

Cost: Free (or $12/user/month for Workspace)

This isn't CLM software - it's what most startups use before buying CLM software.

How It Works

1. Create contract templates in Google Docs
2. Duplicate and fill in for each deal
3. Track status in Google Sheets
4. Use comments for collaboration
5. Export to PDF for signing (external tool needed)

What You Get

• Unlimited documents
• Real-time collaboration
• Version history
• Comments and suggestions
• Mobile access

What You're Missing

• E-signatures (need separate tool)
• Automated workflows
• Contract search and analytics
• Expiration tracking
• Audit trails
• Template automation

When It Works

• Under 20 contracts per year
• One person handling all contracts
• No compliance requirements
• You have time to manually track everything

When to Upgrade

• Missing renewal deadlines
• Can't find old contracts
• Spending 30+ minutes per contract
• Multiple people need access
• Any compliance requirements

Verdict: Workable for very early startups. Painful once you scale past 20-30 contracts.

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2. Concord Free Tier

Cost: Free (5 documents/month limit)

Concord offers a genuinely free tier - not just a trial. But the limits are tight.

What You Get Free

• 5 documents per month
• Basic e-signatures
• Simple templates
• Document storage
• Basic search

What's Limited

• 5 documents/month cap
• No custom branding
• Limited integrations
• Basic support only
• No approval workflows

Pricing to Upgrade

• Standard: $17/month - Unlimited documents
• Professional: $49/month - Workflows, integrations

When It Works

• You send 5 or fewer contracts monthly
• Testing if CLM software is right for you
• Very small freelancer or consultant

Verdict: Legitimate free tier, but 5 documents/month is limiting. Good for testing before committing.

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3. Agiloft Free Edition

Cost: Free for up to 5 users

Agiloft is enterprise CLM that offers a free edition. The catch: it requires significant setup.

What You Get Free

• Contract creation and storage
• Basic workflow automation
• Document templates
• Up to 5 users
• Self-hosted option

What's Challenging

• Complex setup (plan for days, not hours)
• Steep learning curve
• Interface feels dated
• Limited support on free tier
• Technical knowledge needed

When It Works

• You have technical resources
• Need customizable workflows
• Willing to invest setup time
• Planning to grow into paid tier

Verdict: Powerful but demanding. Only makes sense if you have IT resources and need enterprise features without paying yet.

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4. PandaDoc Free Plan

Cost: Free (limited features)

PandaDoc's free tier is more about proposals than contracts, but it exists.

What You Get Free

• Unlimited documents (view and send)
• 5 e-signatures per month
• Basic templates
• Mobile app access

What's Limited

• 5 signatures/month
• No custom branding
• Limited template editing
• No CRM integration
• Basic analytics only

Pricing to Upgrade

• Essentials: $35/user/month
• Business: $65/user/month

When It Works

• Sending proposals more than contracts
• Need occasional e-signatures
• Testing before sales team rollout

Verdict: Works for occasional use. The 5-signature limit is the real constraint.

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5. HelloSign Free

Cost: Free (3 signature requests/month)

HelloSign isn't CLM - it's just e-signatures. But many people start here.

What You Get Free

• 3 signature requests/month
• Unlimited signers per document
• Mobile signing
• Basic audit trail

What's Missing

• No document creation
• No templates (on free)
• No storage/repository
• No contract management features
• Just signatures

Pricing to Upgrade

• Essentials: $20/month - 5 documents/month
• Standard: $30/month - Unlimited

When It Works

• You already have contracts in Word/PDF
• Just need the signing part
• Under 3 signatures monthly

Verdict: If you only need signatures, this works. But it's not contract management.

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The Hidden Costs of "Free"

Free software has real costs that don't show up on invoices:

Time Costs

At 10 contracts/month, you're spending 5-10 extra hours on manual work. That's $250-500 in opportunity cost at $50/hour.

Risk Costs

• Missed renewals - Auto-renewing at bad rates
• Lost contracts - Can't find signed versions
• Compliance gaps - No audit trail
• Version confusion - Wrong terms signed

One bad contract incident can cost more than years of CLM software.

Scaling Costs

Free tools don't scale. When you hit 50+ contracts:

• Manual tracking breaks down
• Finding documents becomes painful
• Collaboration gets chaotic
• Compliance becomes impossible

The switch to paid software becomes urgent - and urgent migrations are messy.

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When Free Makes Sense

Free contract management works if:

• You handle fewer than 10 contracts per year
• You're the only person touching contracts
• You have no compliance requirements
• You have time to spare for manual work
• You're testing before committing to paid

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When to Pay for CLM

Consider paid software when:

• Handling 20+ contracts per year
• Multiple people need contract access
• Missing deadlines or renewals
• Can't find contracts when needed
• Any industry compliance requirements
• Time is more valuable than software cost

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Best Value Paid Alternative

If free options don't cut it, here's the most affordable real CLM:

Bind - Starting at $19/month

What makes Bind different from other CLMs:

• Conversational AI interface - Just tell Bind what you need ("Create an NDA with Acme Corp") - no forms or menus
• 300+ ready-to-use templates - NDAs, MSAs, employment agreements, all customizable
• Tabula view - See all contracts in a table with custom columns. Find anything instantly
• Fastest embedded eSigning - Signatures built directly into contracts
• Unlimited documents - No per-contract fees

For $19/month, you get what would take 5-10 hours of manual work with free tools. And unlike free options, you get a real contract management system.

Try Bind free for 3 days →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any truly free CLM software?

Agiloft and Concord have genuinely free tiers (not just trials). But both have significant limitations. Google Docs is free but isn't CLM software.

Can I use free e-signature tools with Google Docs?

Yes. Create contracts in Google Docs, export to PDF, and send via HelloSign or DocuSign free tiers. It's manual but works for low volume.

What's the cheapest real CLM?

Bind at $19/month and Concord at $17/month are the most affordable options with real CLM features.

Should startups use free tools?

For the first 20-30 contracts, free tools work. Beyond that, the manual overhead usually exceeds the cost of budget CLM software.

How do I migrate from free tools to paid CLM?

Most paid CLM tools let you import existing PDFs. The process is usually: export from Google Drive, upload to new CLM, set up templates going forward.

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Related Articles

• 10 Best Contract Management Software for Startups (2026)
• Best Budget Contract Management Software Under $50/Month
• How to Automate NDA Creation (Step-by-Step Guide)