How often have you wanted to generate a document from your CRM with fields automatically populated, ready to send for review and signature? Whether that document is a letter, email, brochure, proposal, or contract, Zoho has you covered.

With the Zoho Writer, you can craft well-written documents with ease, collaborate in real-time, and seamlessly integrate with popular platforms. When creating legally binding documents, Zoho Contracts provides valuable tools such as compliance tracking, digital signature, and more.

At their very core, Zoho Writer and Zoho Contracts are both word-processing applications.  While Zoho Writer is a good choice for basic document needs, Zoho Contracts provides advanced functionality for more complex contract processes. Here’s how to know which is best suited for your projects and workflow.

What is Zoho Writer?

Zoho Writer is a powerful cloud based word processor for all devices. Users can collaborate with teammates in real-time to create accurate, elegant documents. In addition to producing native documents, the application can open and edit documents created in other word-processing applications and save files in many popular file formats.

Who is Zoho Writer for?

If you do a lot of writing and content creation – personally or professionally – Zoho Writer is for you. Use of Zoho Writer’s desktop, tablet, mobile, or extension app is free of charge. 

To gain storage space, the ability to upload documents, share with multiple users, etc., plans start at $2.50/user per month (minimum 3 users). Automation features can be accessed in exchange for credits, which range in price from $0.01 to $0.05 per credit.

When Should I Use Zoho Writer?

With its powerful word processing, AI, collaboration, and automation capabilities, Zoho Writer enables you to create well-written business correspondence, resumes, business forms and reports, charts and graphs, simple agreements, brochures and flyers, posters and invitations, emails, labels, personal documents, and more.

However, unlike Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Grammarly, and similar applications, Zoho Writer lets you take things a step further. This application has the power to generate proposals and other documents merging in information from the Zoho CRM using templates. If you’re a small business looking to streamline your front office efforts, these additional features are key. 

Why Zoho Writer?

• Collaboration
• Customization 
• Versatility 
• Integration with CRM, WordPress, Blogger, and more

Where Zoho Writer Shines

1. Creative and general writing tasks

Zia is Zoho Writer’s AI-powered assistant, trained to help you write better. As you write, Zia constantly monitors readability and sentence structure, alerting for common issues such as run-on sentences, polysyllabic words, sentence length, wordy phrases, passive sentences, cliches, and overuse of adverbs.

2. Collaboration

Rather than trying to incorporate changes into a document based on discussions held elsewhere, Zoho Writer lets you engage right inside the document. Make and respond to comments, track changes, hide sensitive content from specific collaborators, and lock text blocks that you don’t want anyone to alter.

3. Managing, tracking, and auditing documents

Pre-built, ready-to-use workflows route your documents through parallel and sequential review and approval processes. Collect feedback from peers and in-house SMEs and get documents approved by managers and process owners. See who changed what and when with Zoho Writer’s comprehensive workflow history and detailed audit trails.

Features:

• Zia writing assistant

Zia makes suggestions to improve grammar, punctuation, spelling, and writing style and knows English, Spanish, and French. You can also add Zia as a browser extension for proofing anywhere you’re writing on the internet.

• Collaborative review & approval

Zoho writer’s review and collaboration features were created with both authors and editors in mind. You can receive and manage feedback while keeping a document’s essence intact. In addition to inserting comments and tracking changes, you can lock sections of a document to prevent editing or pause collaboration altogether to lock the entire document. 

• Document workflows

Choose from four ready-to-use workflows with due-date options that trigger an email reminder to reviewers to act before the deadline.

• Offline use

Although web-based, Zoho Writer lets you create and edit documents offline. Once you’re back online everything is automatically saved and synced to your account.

• Merge documents

Zoho Writer lets users create a template, select a data source, choose the desired output, and track merges. Users can also specify merge conditions and add personalized attachments per recipient.

• Sign documents

Built-in e-signing options allow documents to remain digital (paperless) from creation through signature. Set deadlines and reminders,  track progress, and automate what happens after signatures are collected.

• Fillable documents

Whether creating a new document or using an existing one scanned in, Zoho Writer lets you create fillable documents and then manage, embed, and handle responses. Auto-populate field values from selected data sources without having to create macros.

• Fillable PDFs

Any static PDF document can be converted into a fillable form online using Zoho Writer’s interactive PDF creator. 

• Workflow automation

Create integrated experiences using Zoho Writer’s merge APIs, such as automatically generating custom documents for new leads added to Zoho CRM, and pulling information from any product in the Zoho CRM database. 

• WordPress Integration

Automatically publish content directly from Zoho Writer to a WordPress blogging site or publish manually with just a few clicks. Properties such as the blog title, category, and tags can be set in Zoho Writer before publishing. 

What is Zoho Contracts?

Zoho Contracts is a cloud-based, contract lifecycle management (CLM) app that helps individuals and businesses streamline their contract processes at scale. Users can conquer common challenges such as long contract cycle times, high operational costs, missed renewal opportunities, and poor compliance. 

Who is Zoho Contracts for?

Zoho Contracts is for individuals and businesses seeking to manage the entire contract lifecycle and automate contract workflows all in one place.

Here are a few of the benefits you can expect with this kind of contract life management (CLM):

• Quickly generate compliant contract agreements and have standard clauses that can be inserted into agreements
• Redline and keep track of document changes quickly and easily
• Accurately tracking term durations keeping your business protected once agreements are reached. 

Subscription-based pricing ranges from $50 to $60 per user per month for the Standard plan, which applies to customers who process up to 25 contracts per user per month and do not need the CRM integration, obligations management, and audit log functionality.

For the Professional plan, which includes unlimited contracts, counterparties, and workflows each month, along with CRM integration, obligations management, and audit log functionality, pricing ranges from $65 to $78 per user per month.

There is also a Free plan for up to 3 users at the same entity. This plan allows up to 10 contracts, 5 counterparties, 1 approval workflow, and 2 built-in contract templates per month.

When Should I Use Zoho Contracts?

Common types of contracts and agreements that Zoho Contracts are used with include, but are not limited to:

• Product sales agreements
• E-commerce vendor agreements
• Reseller agreements
• Data sharing agreements
• Master services agreements
• Investor rights agreements
• Employee stock purchase plans
• Executive employment agreements
• Independent contractor agreements
• Severance agreements
• Non-disclosure agreements
• Licensing agreements
• Catering service agreements
• Subscription agreements
  

Why Zoho Contracts?

• Comprehensive contract lifecycle management
• Security
• Compliance
• Integration

Where Zoho Contracts Shines

1. Contract creation and management

Zoho Contracts provides a built-in document editor (Zoho Writer) and industry-standard, time-tested contract templates and clause language that significantly accelerate the contract lifecycle. In addition to faster authoring, templates provide language consistency across all contracts, easy incorporation of organization-wide policy changes, accelerated revision, and approval, improved compliance, reduced legal dependence and costs, and reduced incidence of human error.

2. Tracking and reporting of compliance

With the fast-growing emphasis on risk mitigation and improved compliance, the contract approval process is crucial. Manual processes are too slow, hard to keep up with, and challenging to audit. Zoho Contracts allows for complete control over approval while promoting informed decision-making and internal transparency. 

3. E-signature feature

Legally recognized and enforceable globally for most situations, digital signatures empower effortless contract signing from anywhere at any time. In addition to reducing contract execution costs and turnaround times, they enhance security through data integrity.

Features:

• Predefined templates

Pre-approved templates allow all users (even those with no legal background) to provide relevant information quickly, tweak clauses to suit the engagement or counterparty, and roll out the contract for speedy execution.

• Instant content creation

Add the contract and counterparty information in a form for generating contracts with all the right details in place. Templates empower all team members to create contracts that include consistent language regardless of the creator.

• Built-in document editor

The document editor built into Zoho Contracts features many of the same powerful features found in Zoho Writer.

• Digital signatures

Not to be confused with an electronic signature, digital signatures include protective features which make them legally valid worldwide.

• Zoho CRM integration

When a new sale is imminent, salespeople without an integrated system must email, call, or directly message Legal to request the contract be drafted. Zoho Contracts integrates with Zoho CRM to hasten the contract lifestyle.

• Leegality integration

Leegality is a digital stamping, e-signing, and document workflow platform. After paying Indian stamp duty, you receive stamp paper that must be affixed to the contract document to be legally valid. With Zoho Contracts, this process can now be done online, digitizing stamp papers in a legally-compliant manner. 

• Contract templates and authoring

Zoho Contracts automatically generates a contract document based on the contract template and the other details entered in the New Contract form.  Existing contract drafts can be imported and manipulated using the built-in document editor. Changes by collaborators are tracked, and older versions can be restored if desired.

• Approval workflows

Zoho Contracts allows for complete control over approval while promoting informed decision-making and internal transparency. Approval workflows are customizable, with effortless collaboration, granular visibility, and analytical insights.

• Negotiation and review

Negotiation strategy and process set the tone for business relationships. Seamlessly negotiate entirely online, improve the quality of your negotiations, and reduce operational costs with Zoho Contracts.

• Obligation management

Zoho Contracts streamlines obligation management and helps you avoid oversights, improve compliance, mitigate business risks, and enhance performance.

• Change management

Evolving technologies, uncertain geopolitical environments, and regulatory changes keep the business landscape in flux. Using clause-based reports from Zoho Contracts, companies can effectively assess the impact of changes across all of their business deals.

• Analytics and reporting

Zoho Contracts offers advanced analytical capabilities and over 30 standard reports, transforming contracts into strategic assets which help companies increase revenue, improve governance, and mitigate risks. 

• Data protection

To achieve data security, Zoho has built robust internal mechanisms into all of its software, many of which are incorporated in Zoho Contracts. PII information and contract data remain encrypted at rest. 

• iOS mobile app

The Zoho Contracts iOS app gives users a high-level overview of business contracts, enabling them to make informed decisions on a daily basis.

Zoho Writer vs. Zoho Contracts: Which Should I Use?

Zoho Writer is a powerful word processor that goes far beyond just creating documents. It is commonly used for proposals and mail merges directly from CRM while also offering simple and easy integration with other apps in the Zoho system and other common digital signature platforms. On top of that, it boasts great collaboration features that make it appropriate for all individuals and businesses that want to be able to create well-written, effective documents that work well with other applications. 

Most companies that currently use Zoho Writer instead of Zoho Contracts are classified as Small-to-Medium Businesses (SMBs) with 50 employees or less. Their legal obligations are comparatively easy to pinpoint and manage, with little need for day-to-day variability in their legal documents or widespread collaboration across multiple locations.

On the other hand, Zoho Contracts is for businesses whose operations include frequent or complex legal agreements, especially when multiple parties or locations are involved in document creation and approval. Most companies that currently use Zoho Contracts have up to 250 employees. 

These companies typically have an internal legal team to ensure compliance. The complexity of their operations and legal agreements require extensive monitoring, and failure to maintain compliance can result in substantial monetary, relationship, and/or reputational damages.

Conclusion

Zoho Writer can create all types of business documents and includes templates for simple legal agreements such as basic human resource documents, non-disclosure agreements, and credit memos. Pricing is very low, making it affordable for practically anyone.

Larger entities with more complex operations and multiple collaborators and approval processes will find Zoho Contracts a powerful tool for saving time and money. From basic requirements like  document creation and processing to more complex and technical needs like reducing risk from inconsistent document preparation and non-compliance with deadlines and other legal obligations.

Still need help deciding which one is right for you? Ready to begin integrating Zoho Writer or Zoho Contracts with your current systems? Contact our team for guidance and support.