The 5 Most Efficient Alternatives to MS Word for Contracts

As it turns out, most are following the same approach has been used for decades. Even today, MS Word is the most commonly used tool for drafting and negotiating contracts.

Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor used by lawyers and businesses all over the world, and we understand why: There is nothing easier when it comes to creating a contract!

Here are a few reasons why Microsoft Word isn't the best tool for contracts.

• You won't know whether your contract templates are still up to date and legally binding.
• During negotiations, the number of versions multiplies dramatically. As a result, communication and collaboration are entangled in never-ending email loops.
• Word documents don't support real-time collaboration to make teamwork easier.
• All negotiation data is lost when a contract is created in Word and saved as a PDF file.
• The signed contract is a PDF document without any metadata. As a result, post-signature monitoring is not possible.

‍Read this article to learn more about why creating contracts in Word is a bad idea.

The Best Alternatives to MS Word for Contracts

MS Word is reliable software. But if you look into alternative programs, you'll undoubtedly find new ways to streamline your work and improve customer service.

1. top.legal

top.legal is a end-to-end platform for collaboration and management of contracts, which enables companies to close contracts faster while gaining deep insights into contract data. The AI-supported system creates, negotiates, signs and analyses contracts and saves companies up to 96% of their contract time.

Key benefits of using top.legal:

• All of your contract templates are up to date in a centralized, secure database and not just stored locally on your computer.
• Automate the ideal workflow and alerts for your team to get internal and external approvals faster.
• Collaborate effectively by sharing and editing documents for internal and external users in real time.
• You don't miss any contractual obligations thanks to automatic reminders about contract deadlines.
• Access to unlimited electronic signatures at no additional cost
• Anytime and mobile access to all current contracts throughout their entire contract life cycle

2. Documate

At its core, Documate is a tool that helps companies automate documents. This includes, for example, creating interview questions to collect information, filling out customer data in forms, uploading documents to be accompanied by interview questions, and sharing these documents with employees and customers.

Key benefits of using Documate:

• Documate is a mobile-friendly solution that allows companies to publish their offering online so customers can view and rate it.
• Sensitive customer data is securely stored thanks to multiple levels of encryption and bank-level security.
• Lawyers can use the automated bot provided by the solution to avoid manually filling out similar fields in numerous documents.
• With a single click, lawyers can add relevant clauses to the pre-prepared contracts and share the drafts with their clients.

3. Revv

A modern eSignature solution that pushes the limits of workflow and document automation. Revv allows you to upload and send external Word/PDF documents for electronic signatures or to create documents from the extensive template library. To meet every conceivable eSignature scenario, it also offers a variety of signature types.

Key benefits of using Revv:

• Establishing document control with a full audit trail for every transaction.
• Create dynamic fields as form fields in the template to speed up the creation of your documents.
• Use the bulk mail feature to automatically send a document to multiple recipients.
• You can send, edit, and upload your PDF or DOCX files for electronic signatures.

4. Zoho Docs

Zoho Docs is a simple and secure document management system that allows you to create, share, and collaborate on documents within your organization or with external partners, clients, and customers.

‍Key benefits of using Zoho Docs:

• Use the included templates, or import an existing document from your desktop and start editing.
• Create and edit documents on any device with Writer's desktop and mobile apps.
• A range of sharing and collaboration features.
• Administrative control and management to meet the needs of large organizations.

5. DocsCloud

DocsCloud is a web-based software platform that allows you to create web forms, generate completed documents from templates, manage and digitally sign documents, host documents, and extract text from documents and images.

Key benefits of using DocsCloud:

• With the DocTemplate module, users can generate completed business documents by either mapping them with the Form Builder or using third-party integration.
• Use DocSignature to send, track, and manage (along with the audit trail) documents for e-signatures.
• With the help of the automatically generated form or the PDF file, you can pick up the completed PDF file directly from your customers.