Setup & Hosting
Free hosted version
Free hosted version
Self-hostable
Self-hostable
Open source
EasyCLA has open source components but requires Linux Foundation infrastructure
Open source
EasyCLA has open source components but requires Linux Foundation infrastructure
GitHub App (no token sharing)
CLA Assistant requests broad OAuth scopes
GitHub App (no token sharing)
CLA Assistant requests broad OAuth scopes
No external dependencies
CLA Assistant stores CLAs as GitHub Gists; EasyCLA requires LF infrastructure
No external dependencies
CLA Assistant stores CLAs as GitHub Gists; EasyCLA requires LF infrastructure
CLA Management
Markdown CLA editor with preview
CLA Assistant uses GitHub Gists for CLA text
Markdown CLA editor with preview
CLA Assistant uses GitHub Gists for CLA text
CLA version tracking (SHA-256)
CLA Bot hashes every CLA version; changes always produce a new trackable version
CLA version tracking (SHA-256)
CLA Bot hashes every CLA version; changes always produce a new trackable version
Automatic re-sign on CLA update
CLA Bot detects outdated signatures and prompts re-signing across all open PRs
Automatic re-sign on CLA update
CLA Bot detects outdated signatures and prompts re-signing across all open PRs
Downloadable CLA records
Both admins and contributors can download signed CLA versions
Downloadable CLA records
Both admins and contributors can download signed CLA versions
PR Enforcement
Automatic PR check runs
Automatic PR check runs
PR comment with signing link
PR comment with signing link
Auto-remove comments after signing
CLA Bot cleans up its own PR comments once the contributor signs
Auto-remove comments after signing
CLA Bot cleans up its own PR comments once the contributor signs
Merge queue support
Auto-passes checks on merge queue commits without re-verification
Merge queue support
Auto-passes checks on merge queue commits without re-verification
/recheck command
Re-trigger CLA checks via PR comment with authorization controls
/recheck command
Re-trigger CLA checks via PR comment with authorization controls
Async PR convergence on changes
CLA or bypass changes automatically propagate to all open PRs
Async PR convergence on changes
CLA or bypass changes automatically propagate to all open PRs
Bypass & Automation
Bot bypass lists
CLA Bot normalizes bot slugs (mybot = mybot[bot]) automatically
Bot bypass lists
CLA Bot normalizes bot slugs (mybot = mybot[bot]) automatically
GitHub App bypass
Exempt specific GitHub Apps from CLA checks
GitHub App bypass
Exempt specific GitHub Apps from CLA checks
Per-org bypass scoping
Per-org bypass scoping
Org member auto-bypass
Organization members are automatically exempt from signing
Org member auto-bypass
Organization members are automatically exempt from signing
Security & Compliance
Append-only audit trail
No delete endpoints exist for signature data
Append-only audit trail
No delete endpoints exist for signature data
IP hash recording (HMAC-SHA256)
Request IP is hashed at signing time for audit without storing raw IPs
IP hash recording (HMAC-SHA256)
Request IP is hashed at signing time for audit without storing raw IPs
Immutable identity binding (GitHub user ID)
Signatures keyed by immutable GitHub user ID, not username
Immutable identity binding (GitHub user ID)
Signatures keyed by immutable GitHub user ID, not username
Email provenance tracking
Captures verified email status at the moment of signing
Email provenance tracking
Captures verified email status at the moment of signing
Stateless JWT sessions
No session storage needed — works in distributed deployments
Stateless JWT sessions
No session storage needed — works in distributed deployments
Contributor Experience
GitHub OAuth (no extra accounts)
EasyCLA requires LF account creation for some flows
GitHub OAuth (no extra accounts)
EasyCLA requires LF account creation for some flows
Contributor dashboard
Contributors can view and track all their signed CLAs
Contributor dashboard
Contributors can view and track all their signed CLAs
Corporate CLA support
EasyCLA supports both individual and corporate contributor agreements
Corporate CLA support
EasyCLA supports both individual and corporate contributor agreements
When to choose what
Every tool has its sweet spot. Here is an honest take.
CLA Bot by fiveonefour
Best for most teams
Best when you want a modern, maintained CLA tool that handles edge cases like merge queues, CLA version changes, and bot bypass out of the box. Free hosted at cla.fiveonefour.com or self-host on your infrastructure.
CLA Assistant
Good for simple setups
A reasonable choice if you have a single-version CLA that rarely changes and don't need audit trails, bot bypass, or merge queue support. Be aware of occasional stability issues with the hosted service.
EasyCLA
Enterprise / Linux Foundation projects
The right pick if you need corporate CLA support with company-level signing workflows. Requires Linux Foundation infrastructure and is heavier to set up, but covers corporate contributor scenarios no other tool does.
cla-bot (FINOS)
Minimal / config-file approach
Works if you want a lightweight bot that reads a .clabot config file and you manage your contributor list manually. No signing UI, no version tracking, no audit trail.
We strive to keep this comparison accurate and fair. If you spot a mistake or something has changed, open an issue or submit a PR to correct it.
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