PandaDoc gates template features behind $19+ per user every month, and a lawyer charges per document. Contractly is $29 once: the blanks, the form that fills them, and the PDF — on your machine. Sixteen plain-language templates for NDAs, freelance agreements, service contracts, SOWs and releases, with a rich-text clause editor and live preview. Your contracts are not a subscription.
If you've searched for a PandaDoc alternative, Contractly is the pay-once option worth putting at the top of the list: Contractly is $29, one time, and covers the same core job PandaDoc charges $19+/user/mo for.
What makes Contractly the pick for 2026
- 16 bundled templates — NDAs, freelance and consulting agreements, retainers, SOWs, releases and more across 6 categories.
- Fill-in-the-blanks variables — Placeholders become a form panel — type once and the document updates live with a filled/blank progress counter.
- Edit the contract body — A rich-text editor for bold, italic, headings and lists lets you customize clauses and insert your own variables anywhere.
- Save your own templates — Your edited NDA becomes your NDA for every future client.
- Clone for the next client — Reuse a finished contract as the base for the next deal, with fields kept independent.
Contractly vs PandaDoc, at a glance
| Contractly | PandaDoc | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $19+/user/mo |
| Cost after year one | $0 | $228+ per user |
| Template library | 16 bundled + yours | Paid tiers |
| Fill-in-the-blanks variables | Yes | Yes |
| Edit clauses freely | Yes | Yes |
| Clean PDF export | Yes | Yes |
| Works offline, data stays local | Yes | No |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
Turns a $19-a-month subscription into a one-time purchase somewhere around the twentieth NDA.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — Contractly is MIT-licensed at github.com/bensblueprints/contract-templates-mvp. The $29 buys the signed Windows installer; building from source is free.
Does my contract data leave my machine?
No. Contractly is 100% local — everything lives in one human-readable JSON file in your user-data folder, with no account, cloud or telemetry.
Is this legal advice?
No. The templates are general-purpose starting points and laws differ by state and country — have a qualified attorney review anything important. For a funding round or high-stakes deal, pay the lawyer.
The bottom line
Contractly won't out-feature PandaDoc on every axis — no subscription tool with a bigger team and a bigger roadmap loses on everything. But for the core job, $29 once against $19+/user/mo forever is a trade most people should at least look at. Contractly is part of OneTimeSuite, a catalog of pay-once apps that replace subscription SaaS.
Try Contractly — $29, once
Local contract library with fill-in-the-blanks variables, a clause editor and clean PDF export.