Three platforms. Three different approaches to the same problem: creating professional contracts without hiring a lawyer.
Contract.diy, LegalZoom, and Rocket Lawyer each take a different approach to pricing, document creation, and legal support. This comparison breaks down exactly what you get from each — so you can pick the one that fits how you actually work.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Contract.diy | LegalZoom | Rocket Lawyer | |---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Pay per contract | Pay per document | Monthly subscription | | Lowest cost per contract | $0.29 (Pro plan) | $39+ | Included in $39.99/mo | | Free signup | Yes, no credit card | No | 7-day free trial | | Contract creation speed | Under 5 minutes | 15–30 minutes | 10–20 minutes | | Jurisdiction awareness | Built-in, automatic | Optional (attorney add-on) | Limited | | Attorney review | Not included | $199+ add-on | Basic consultation included | | Contract types | NDA, Freelance, Service, Lease, Custom | 100+ document types | 500+ document types | | Business formation | No | Yes | Yes | | Estate planning | No | Yes | Yes |
Pricing Deep Dive
Contract.diy
No subscription required. You sign up free and pay only when you finalize a contract.
- Pay as you go: $1.00 per contract
- Starter plan: $9/month, credits at $0.60 each
- Pro plan: $29/month, credits at $0.29 each
Annual cost for 10 contracts: $10–$114
LegalZoom
Pay-per-document model with no subscription option for contracts. Pricing varies by document type.
- Standard documents: $39–$99+
- Attorney review add-on: $199+
- Business formation packages: $0–$299+ (plus state fees)
Annual cost for 10 contracts: $390–$990 (without attorney review)
Rocket Lawyer
Subscription-based model. Monthly fee includes unlimited document creation.
- Monthly subscription: $39.99/month
- Annual subscription: $239.88/year (discounted)
- Pay-per-document (non-members): $49.99+
Annual cost for 10 contracts: $240–$480 (subscription, regardless of usage)
The Math
If you create 3 contracts per year (typical freelancer):
- Contract.diy: $3.00 (pay as you go)
- LegalZoom: $117–$297
- Rocket Lawyer: $240–$480
If you create 10 contracts per year (small business):
- Contract.diy: $10–$114
- LegalZoom: $390–$990
- Rocket Lawyer: $240–$480
If you create 30 contracts per year (growing company):
- Contract.diy: $117–$357
- LegalZoom: $1,170–$2,970
- Rocket Lawyer: $240–$480
Contract.diy is cheaper at every volume. Rocket Lawyer's subscription becomes competitive only at very high volumes (50+ documents/month across all legal categories, not just contracts).
Document Quality
Contract.diy
Generates contracts through guided form input. You answer questions about parties, terms, jurisdiction, and specific requirements — the platform produces a complete document with all essential clauses.
Every contract includes:
- Limitation of liability
- Indemnification provisions
- Governing law (jurisdiction-specific)
- Termination clauses (for cause and convenience)
- Notice requirements
- Intellectual property assignment (where applicable)
- Proper signature blocks with titles and dates
- Dispute resolution mechanisms
The output is a professionally structured contract, not a filled-in template.
LegalZoom
Uses a template-based approach. You select a document category, fill in required fields, and download the completed document. The templates are reviewed by attorneys and cover standard provisions.
Strengths: Wide document selection (100+ types), established reputation, optional attorney review for complex situations.
Limitations: Templates may not include jurisdiction-specific provisions by default. Customization beyond the template fields requires the attorney review add-on ($199+). The fill-in-the-blank approach can miss nuances specific to your situation.
Rocket Lawyer
Offers an interview-based document builder similar to tax preparation software. You answer a series of questions and the platform generates a document based on your responses.
Strengths: Unlimited documents for subscribers, basic attorney consultation included, wide range of legal documents beyond contracts.
Limitations: Document quality varies by category. Some contract types use modern generation while others are essentially static templates with merged fields. Jurisdiction awareness is inconsistent across document types.
Speed Comparison
| Task | Contract.diy | LegalZoom | Rocket Lawyer | |---|---|---|---| | Account creation | 1 minute | 3–5 minutes | 2–3 minutes | | Contract creation | 3–5 minutes | 15–30 minutes | 10–20 minutes | | PDF download | Immediate | Immediate | Immediate | | Attorney review (if needed) | N/A | 3–7 business days | 1–3 business days |
Contract.diy's guided form is designed for speed: three steps (parties, terms, options), and you have a complete contract. LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer's broader platforms require more navigation and setup before you reach the document builder.
What Each Platform Does Best
Choose Contract.diy When:
- You primarily need contracts (NDAs, freelance, service, lease)
- You want pay-per-use pricing without subscriptions
- Speed matters — you need a contract in minutes, not days
- You want jurisdiction-aware documents without paying for attorney review
- You create 1–30 contracts per year
Choose LegalZoom When:
- You need business formation services (LLC, corporation, trademark)
- You want the option of attorney review on complex documents
- You are comfortable paying $39–$99+ per document
- You need document types beyond contracts (wills, power of attorney)
Choose Rocket Lawyer When:
- You create 50+ legal documents per month across all categories
- You want basic attorney consultation included in your subscription
- You need a wide variety of document types on an ongoing basis
- The monthly subscription cost is justified by your volume
The Bottom Line
LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer are broad legal services platforms — they handle everything from LLC formation to estate planning to trademark registration. Contracts are one piece of their offering.
Contract.diy does one thing: creates professional, jurisdiction-aware contracts. It does it faster and cheaper than either alternative.
If contracts are what you need, the choice is straightforward.