Below is a compact, vendor-by-vendor pricing comparison and practical buying guidance for contract lifecycle management (CLM) / contract management software. I focused on widely used products and on how each vendor prices (public list price vs. custom quote), typical ballpark cost ranges, who it tends to fit, and important “gotchas.” All the most load-bearing claims are sourced to vendor pages or market analyses (links cited after each item).

Summary (quick take)

• Many CLM vendors do not publish firm list prices for full CLM — they use bespoke quotes, especially for enterprise needs. Expect headline eSignature tools (PandaDoc, DocuSign eSignature) to have published per-seat plans; full CLM (DocuSign CLM, Ironclad, Icertis, Agiloft, Conga, LinkSquares) is usually quoted. (docusign.com)

Vendor snapshots

• PandaDoc

  • Pricing model: Published per-seat plans (monthly or annual). Launch/Starter/Business tiers with an Enterprise tier by contact.
  • Typical/list price (examples): Launch $9/mo (pay-as-you-go), Starter $19/user/mo, Business $49/user/mo; Enterprise = custom.
  • Best for: SMBs and revenue teams that need document creation, eSign, and some workflow automation.
  • Notes: Business tier adds CRM integrations and approval workflows; Enterprise includes advanced automation and APIs. (pandadoc.com)

• ContractWorks

  • Pricing model: Tiered plans (Standard / Professional / Premium) with all‑user seats included; often billed annually. Some public summaries show fixed monthly prices for tiers.
  • Typical/list price: Market sources show entry plans in the low‑to‑mid hundreds per month (e.g., $600–$800/mo for common tiers when billed annually in some comparisons). Implementation/onboarding may be included for some tiers.
  • Best for: Legal teams and SMBs looking for a straightforward repository + obligations tracking with transparent tiers. (contractworks.com)

• LinkSquares

  • Pricing model: Quote-based enterprise pricing (request demo). Vendor positions as enterprise analytics + AI for contracts.
  • Typical/list price (market ballpark): Market writeups indicate LinkSquares deployments commonly start in the ~low five‑figures per year (e.g., ~$10k+/yr) and grow with volume/features.
  • Best for: Legal/finance teams that need analytics and post‑sign contract intelligence at scale. (linksquares.com)

• Agiloft

  • Pricing model: Enterprise / quote-based (the vendor promotes a single comprehensive platform and asks buyers to request pricing).
  • Typical/list price: Custom, but Agiloft targets mid‑market to enterprise — expect TCO (license + professional services) to be material vs. simple eSignature tools.
  • Best for: Highly configurable CLM workflows and organizations that need heavy customization without endless add‑ons. (agiloft.com)

• DocuSign CLM (full CLM product)

  • Pricing model: Bespoke/quote-based for CLM (DocuSign publishes eSignature plans publicly, but CLM pricing is provided after consultation).
  • Typical/list price: Enterprise CLM deals commonly run from mid‑four‑figures/month to much higher depending on users, integrations and SLAs; DocuSign markets CLM as enterprise-grade and uses tailored quotes.
  • Best for: Enterprises that already use DocuSign and want deep integrations (Salesforce, SAP, etc.) and a proven Gartner‑recognized CLM product. (docusign.com)

• Ironclad

  • Pricing model: Custom quoting (no public flat list). Pricing commonly depends on number of users, contract volume, modules, and integrations.
  • Typical/list price (market reports): Vendor/market analyses and buyer‑guide sites report many mid‑market/enterprise deals in the $25k–$75k+/year range (and larger enterprise TCOs higher); smaller‑scale deals are less common because Ironclad positions as a higher‑end CLM.
  • Best for: Legal teams at mid‑market and enterprise companies that need robust workflow automation and negotiation features. (vendr.com)

• Icertis

  • Pricing model: Enterprise, quote‑based. Icertis focuses on very large enterprises and offers modular/usage-based add‑ons.
  • Typical/list price: Generally enterprise‑level (many buyers and analysts show annual license + implementation in the hundreds of thousands for larger deployments). Expect significant professional services & integrations costs for complex deployments.
  • Best for: Global enterprises with complex, high‑volume contract portfolios and sophisticated compliance requirements. (icertis.com)

• Conga (Conga CLM / formerly Apttus)

  • Pricing model: Custom pricing; some channel listings/AWS Marketplace entries show per‑user edition options (Business vs Enterprise). Vendor prefers tailored quotes for full CLM implementations.
  • Typical/list price: AWS Marketplace entries show per‑user edition pricing in marketplace listings (example: $900/user for a 12‑month CLM business edition listing) — but direct vendor pricing is typically negotiated.
  • Best for: Organizations with heavy Salesforce/CPQ needs that want integrated CPQ + CLM. (conga.com)

Market pattern & ballpark ranges (what to expect)

• Published per‑seat eSignature/document tools (PandaDoc, DocuSign eSignature): $9–$50+/user/month depending on features. (pandadoc.com)
• Mid‑market CLM quotes: many vendors and market analyses show starting annual spends often in the low five‑figures (e.g., $10k–$50k/year) for smaller deployments; enterprise CLM TCOs commonly run $30k–$200k+/year once licenses, integrations, and services are included. Expect big variation by scope. (concord.app)
• Many enterprise CLM deals include professional services, data migration and custom integrations that equal or exceed software license fees during year‑1. (business-software.com)

Key “gotchas” to watch for

• Implementation / services: vendors often quote low license fees but add heavy implementation costs. Always ask for a total first‑year cost (software + services + integrations + migration). (concord.app)
• Minimums & seat models: some vendors require minimum seat counts or minimum contract values for mid‑market/enterprise tiers. (vendr.com)
• Add‑ons: advanced AI, analytics, SSO, APIs, or high‑volume eSignatures are frequently extra. Confirm which modules are included vs. add‑ons. (pandadoc.com)

How to compare and get the best price (practical steps)

1. Define requirements clearly: number of creators vs. viewers, expected contract volume per year, integrations required (Salesforce, ERP, eSign), and must‑have workflow/CLAUSE features. (No citation needed — buying best practice.)
2. Ask vendors for (and compare) 3 things in writing: (a) annual license fees; (b) one‑time implementation/migration fees; (c) recurring extras (support, SSO, per‑signature fees). Use an apples‑to‑apples template. (concord.app)
3. Request a TCO (3‑ to 5‑year) including professional services and estimated savings from process automation — not just sticker price. (business-software.com)
4. Negotiate: ask for multi‑year discounts, references in your vertical, and to cap professional services. Many buyers get sizable discounts vs list. (vendr.com)
5. Pilot or proof‑of‑value: run a short pilot with your actual contracts to validate data extraction and workflows before signing a large deal. (Best practice.)

Recommended next step (quick)

• If you’re evaluating for a small/medium team and want transparent pricing quickly: start with PandaDoc (public plans) and ContractWorks (straightforward tiers) to benchmark features vs price. (pandadoc.com)
• If you’re mid‑market/enterprise and need deep automation or integrations: shortlist 3 vendors (e.g., Ironclad, DocuSign CLM, Agiloft or Icertis/LinkSquares depending on volume/AI needs), prepare a short RFP with the items above, and request comparable 12‑ and 36‑month TCO