Contracts are essential for business, but approvals often drag on longer than they should. According to WeShare, the average time to get a contract approved is 3.4 weeks—and that’s just the approval stage. When you factor in drafting, negotiations, and revisions, the entire process can take even longer.

This is why more businesses are turning to contract management software. These tools automate approvals, route contracts to the right people, and send reminders when things stall.

Instead of chasing signatures or waiting weeks for approvals, teams can finalize contracts faster with fewer headaches.

In this guide, we’ll cover how contract management software speeds up approvals, the best tools available, and why AI-powered platforms like Aline are transforming the process.

How Can Contract Management Software Speed Up Approvals?

You don’t hear the term contract approval software that often. It’s usually part of contract management software, which covers everything from contract drafting to signing and tracking contracts. But as every business would know—the approval stage is where things often slow down.

Ever had a contract sit in someone’s inbox for days (or weeks) because they got busy or forgot to sign it? That’s where contract management software makes a difference. Here’s how it speeds things up:

Automating the Approval Process

Getting a contract approved can be a hassle when multiple stakeholders are involved. Without a structured system, approvals can get lost in email threads, sit in someone’s inbox for days, or stall because no one knows who’s supposed to sign next.

Contract management software fixes this by automatically routing contracts to the right people in the right order. Each person gets notified when it’s their turn to review or approve so the process moves forward without delays. Some tools even allow for conditional approvals, meaning contracts only go to certain approvers based on the contract type or value.

Essentially, this removes bottlenecks, keeps workflows running smoothly, and eliminates the need to chase people down for signatures.

Giving Everyone Visibility

One of the biggest frustrations in contract approvals is not knowing where things stand.

Who has reviewed it? Who still needs to sign? Without a clear system, you’re left sending follow-up emails, waiting for responses, or searching through endless email threads.

Contract management software provides real-time status updates, so you always know where a contract is in the approval process. You can see who has signed, who’s next in line, and if there are any delays.

Some platforms even offer dashboards with visual progress indicators, so there’s no guessing involved.

Sending Friendly Reminders

Approvals often get delayed simply because people forget. With busy schedules, it’s easy for a contract to slip through the cracks. Manually following up can be a headache, especially when multiple people are involved.

Contract management software solves this by sending automated reminders to approvers. If someone hasn’t signed or reviewed a contract within a set timeframe, they get a gentle nudge—no manual chasing required.

Some tools even allow you to customize reminder frequency so you can balance persistence without being annoying. This keeps contracts from sitting idle and helps businesses finalize agreements faster without awkward follow-ups.

Making E-Signatures Easy

Printing, signing, scanning, and emailing contracts back and forth feels outdated. It’s time-consuming, and if someone’s out of the office, it can stall the whole approval process. That’s why most contract management software integrates with e-signature platforms like DocuSign and Adobe Sign.

With e-signatures, approvals happen in just a few clicks—no need for physical paperwork. Approvers can sign from anywhere, whether they’re on a laptop or a phone.

Keeping Everything Organized

Contract approvals can quickly turn into a mess if changes aren’t tracked properly. When multiple people review a contract, it’s easy to lose track of who made what edits, which version is the latest, or whether approval was actually given.

Contract management software keeps everything in one place. Every approval, comment, and edit is logged, creating a clear audit trail. If there’s ever a dispute or compliance check, you don’t have to scramble for old emails or dig through shared folders—you have a full history at your fingertips.

5 Best Contract Approval Tools (Reviewed List)

Contract approvals don’t have to be a slow, frustrating process. The right contract management software can automate workflows, improve collaboration, and reduce approval times. With many options available, you need a tool that fits your workflow while ensuring compliance and security.

Below, we explore some of the best contract approval tools available today, highlighting their features, pros, and cons.

1. Aline

Aline is an AI-powered contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform designed to help businesses—especially startups and B2B companies—automate and simplify their contract processes.

It replaces siloed tools like Word and DocuSign by offering automated contract generation, AI-assisted drafting, and dynamic templates in a single platform.

With AI-powered contract insights, built-in e-signatures, and customizable workflows, Aline helps businesses close deals faster, speed up employee onboarding and scale their legal operations without the usual bottlenecks.

Best Features

• Automated contract management: Handles contract creation, approval, and signing in one platform, reducing manual work.
• AI-powered analysis and drafting: Reviews contracts, suggests edits, flags risks, and automates redlining for faster negotiations.
• Smart approval workflows: Automatically routes contracts to the right stakeholders with real-time tracking and automated reminders.
• Custom templates and document editing: Offers a no-code template builder, dynamic input fields, and Microsoft Word integration for easy customization.
• Built-in e-signatures and multi-party signing: Eliminates the need for third-party tools while making sure contracts follow the correct signing order.
• Compliance and security: Provides audit trails, role-based access, encryption, and GDPR compliance to protect contract data.
• Advanced reporting and tracking: Extracts key contract details, tracks expirations and renewals, and offers custom reporting for better insights.
• Collaboration tools: Allows teams to assign tasks, add comments, and store contracts in a centralized, searchable repository.

Pros

• Speeds up contract approvals with AI automation
• Reduces manual work for legal, sales, and finance teams
• Eliminates the need for separate tools like Word and DocuSign
• Keeps contracts organized in a single platform
• Provides real-time tracking for better visibility
• Sends automated reminders to prevent approval delays
• Ensures compliance with built-in regulatory checks
• Offers a no-code template builder for easy contract creation
• Supports multi-party signing without extra steps
• Integrates with Microsoft Word for seamless editing
• Stores contracts securely with encryption and role-based access
• Helps maintain business relationships

Want to see the full scope of Aline's features? Start your trial today!

2. Coupa

Coupa is a cloud-based contract management software solution designed to help businesses manage approvals, track contract performance, and maintain compliance. It’s widely used by procurement and finance teams looking for an organized way to handle vendor agreements and business contracts.

Best Features

• End-to-end contract management: Automates contract creation, approvals, and renewals, reducing manual work.
• AI-driven contract insights: Identifies risks, suggests improvements, and flags potential compliance issues.
• Automated approval workflows: Routes contracts to the right stakeholders and tracks progress in real time.
• Vendor and procurement integration: Syncs contracts with supplier management and procurement tools for better visibility.
• E-signature support: Works with third-party e-signature tools to speed up contract execution.
• Advanced analytics and reporting: Provides insights on contract performance, compliance, and renewal deadlines.
• Audit trails and compliance tracking: Keeps a record of contract changes, approvals, and key milestones.

Pros

• Works well for procurement and finance teams
• Automates contract approvals to reduce delays
• Strong integration with other business systems
• Helps maintain compliance with built-in tracking

Cons

• Can be complex to set up for smaller businesses
• Some advanced features require additional configuration

3. Icertis

Icertis is a contract lifecycle management platform built for businesses that need full visibility and control over their contracts. It’s popular among enterprises dealing with complex agreements across multiple departments.

With AI-driven contract intelligence, automated workflows, and compliance tracking, Icertis helps organizations reduce risks and speed up approvals while maintaining contract integrity.

Best Features

• AI-powered contract insights: Scans contracts to detect risks, suggest improvements and ensure compliance.
• Automated approval workflows: Routes contracts based on rules, tracks progress and sends reminders to prevent delays.
• Lifecycle management: Covers the entire contract process, from creation to renewal, with real-time tracking.
• Customizable compliance tools: Helps businesses meet industry regulations and internal policies.
• E-signature integration: Works with major e-signature platforms to simplify contract execution.
• Analytics and reporting: Offers performance tracking and contract risk assessment tools for better decision-making.
• Centralized contract repository: Keeps all contracts in one place with advanced search and version control.

Pros

• AI-driven contract analysis helps identify risks early
• Scales well for large enterprises with complex contracts
• Strong compliance tracking and reporting tools
• Automates contract approvals for better efficiency

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for smaller teams
• Customization requires some initial setup

4. Juro

Juro is a contract automation platform designed for legal and business teams that want a faster, more collaborative way to handle contracts.

Unlike traditional CLM tools, Juro focuses on simplicity, automation, and a user-friendly interface that makes contract approval easy. It’s a good option for companies looking to move away from manual business processes and email-based approvals.

Best Features

• Automated contract workflows: Sends contracts to the right stakeholders and tracks approvals in real time.
• Collaborative contract editing: Allows teams to review, edit, and approve contracts in a single workspace.
• No-code contract templates: Lets users create reusable templates to speed up contract creation.
• Integrated e-signatures: Eliminates the need for third-party signing tools.
• Approval tracking and notifications: Keeps teams updated on contract status and pending approvals.
• Data-driven insights: Provides analytics on contract performance and approval timelines.
• Secure document storage: Centralizes contracts with search and version control features.

Pros

• Easy to use, even for non-legal teams
• Automates contract approvals and reduces manual work
• Supports real-time collaboration on contracts
• Offers built-in e-signatures for easier execution

Cons

• Lacks some advanced customization options
• Limited integrations compared to larger CLM platforms

5. DocuSign CLM

DocuSign is best known for its electronic signature technology, but its contract lifecycle management platform goes beyond e-signatures to help businesses automate approvals, track contract progress, and maintain compliance.

DocuSign CLM is built for teams that handle a high volume of contracts and need a structured approval process with automation features for the entire contract lifecycle.

Best Features

• Automated contract approvals: Routes contracts through a structured workflow for timely sign-offs.
• AI-powered contract analysis: Identifies risks, suggests changes, and helps maintain compliance.
• Centralized contract repository: Stores all contracts in one place with advanced search and version control.
• E-signature integration: Works seamlessly with DocuSign’s electronic signature tools.
• Audit trails and compliance tracking: Maintains a record of all changes, approvals, and actions taken.
• Customizable contract templates: Helps businesses standardize agreements and speed up contract creation.
• Advanced reporting and analytics: Provides insights into contract performance, risks, and approval timelines.

Pros

• Integrates with DocuSign e-signatures
• Automates contract approvals to reduce delays
• Strong compliance and security features
• Scales well for businesses with high contract volumes

Cons

• Can be expensive for smaller businesses
• Advanced features may require setup and training

Maximize Your Approval Workflows With Aline

Contract approvals shouldn’t be a headache. The back-and-forth emails, missed deadlines, and endless waiting for signatures? That’s all wasted time.

A solid contract management system helps, but Aline takes it further with AI-powered automation, real-time tracking, and built-in collaboration tools—so you can ditch the manual process for good.

With Aline, contracts move smoothly from draft to approval without the usual bottlenecks. No more chasing signatures, losing track of versions, or worrying about compliance. Everything happens in one place, which ultimately makes approvals faster and easier for everyone involved.

If contract delays are slowing down your business, it’s time to make a change.

Try Aline today and see how much faster approvals can be!

FAQs About Contract Approval Software

How much does contract review software cost?

Pricing varies based on features, company size, and the level of automation. Some basic contract review tools start at around $20 to $50 per user per month, while enterprise-level solutions with AI-driven analysis and workflow automation can cost hundreds or even thousands per month, depending on usage and contract volume.

What software is used for contracts?

Businesses use contract lifecycle management (CLM) software to draft, approve, and track contracts. Popular options include Aline, Coupa, Icertis, Juro, and DocuSign CLM, all of which help automate approvals without sacrificing compliance. Some companies also use general document management tools like Adobe Sign and Microsoft Word, but these lack full contract automation features compared to a contract management solution.

How much does CLM cost?

CLM pricing depends on the provider, features, and company size. Small business plans typically start at a few hundred dollars per month, while enterprise-level solutions can cost thousands per month due to AI-driven contract insights, compliance tracking, and workflow automation. Many providers offer custom pricing based on contract volume and required integrations.

How do you approve a contract?

Contract approval usually involves reviewing the document, ensuring compliance, and securing necessary approvals from key stakeholders. By adopting contract management software, approvals are automated through predefined workflows, which route contracts to the right people, negotiate contracts, send reminders, minimize risk, and track progress in real time. Once all approvals are in place, an e-signature finalizes the contract.

What is the best contract management software?

The best contract management software depends on your needs. Aline is a top choice for businesses looking for AI-powered automation, seamless contract workflows, and built-in collaboration tools. If your goal is to speed up approvals, ensure compliance, and keep the entire contract management process organized, choosing a CLM with automation and AI-driven insights is the best approach.

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