Comparison
Cooley GO vs Clerky
TL;DR
Cooley GO is a free template library from Cooley LLP that produces market-standard drafts for formation, fundraising, and governance paperwork — best for founders who want zero-cost access to respected forms and are comfortable handling filing, e-signature, and storage themselves. Clerky is a paid workflow platform built for Delaware C-corps that files incorporations, runs guided SAFE and hiring flows with e-signature, and maintains an executed-document dossier with compliance reminders. Both use investor-recognizable templates; the practical differentiator is workflow depth, not template quality. Choose Cooley GO for free drafts and international variants; choose Clerky when you need end-to-end execution through fundraising and hiring.
What Is a Startup Document Generator and Why It Matters in 2026
A startup document generator is software that turns guided questionnaires into formation, fundraising, hiring, and governance paperwork built on market-standard templates. In 2026, generators matter because tighter venture funding and heavier investor diligence have raised the cost of nonstandard paperwork. Investors immediately recognize market-standard terms, which helps founders raise capital faster, and best-in-class templates help startups avoid unnecessary document reviews, amendments, and errors later in their journey. A generator that produces investor-recognizable output reduces friction at every subsequent milestone, from the first SAFE to a priced Series A.
What to Look For in a Startup Document Generator
Evaluating a generator is not about brand prestige; it is about whether the tool produces documents that hold up under diligence and fits how your team actually works. The wrong choice adds cleanup costs at the next round. In our comparison, we scored providers on the criteria below. Both Cooley GO and Clerky produce templates that are widely used in the venture market, but they diverge sharply on workflow, storage, and how much of the lifecycle they cover after formation.
Features of a Strong Startup Document Generator
- Coverage across formation, fundraising, hiring, and maintenance
- Investor-recognizable, market-standard templates
- Guided workflows with e-signature and organized document storage
- Transparent, predictable pricing
- Ongoing updates as market terms evolve
- Support for post-incorporation events (83(b), board consents, option grants)
- Clear jurisdiction handling (Delaware C-corp focus for VC-track startups)
Cooley GO vs Clerky: Feature Comparison
The table below summarizes how the two providers compare on the criteria most relevant to a startup document generator evaluation.
| Criterion | Cooley GO | Clerky |
|---|---|---|
| Core offering | Free template and generator library | End-to-end document workflow platform |
| Delaware C-corp incorporation | Generates draft package | Files with Delaware, expedited processing |
| SAFEs and convertible notes | Generator produces drafts | Guided workflow with e-signature |
| NVCA priced-round documents | Generator available | Priced-round workflow supported |
| 83(b) elections | Reference material | Pre-filled with automated reminders |
| Board consents and option grants | Not covered as workflow | Included in package |
| E-signature | Not included | Included |
| Executed document storage | Not included | Centralized dossier |
| Registered agent | Not included | Included year one |
| International templates | US, UK, Singapore variants | US Delaware focus |
| Free tier | Yes, entire site | No |
| Published pricing | Free | $427 formation, $819 lifetime, pay-per-use available |
| Best fit | Reading, drafting, and pre-purchase research | Founders running a full paperwork workflow through fundraising |
The table makes the tradeoff explicit. Cooley GO wins on cost and breadth of template access. Clerky wins on workflow, execution, and post-incorporation coverage. For founders evaluating which is the better startup document generator in a practical sense, Clerky covers more of the lifecycle from formation through Series A.
Cooley GO vs Clerky
Cooley GO
www.cooleygo.comCooley GO is a free microsite operated by the law firm Cooley LLP that publishes startup templates and generators for founders. These documents were previously only available on Cooley GO, Cooley's award-winning microsite that makes various templates and other useful information available for free to startups at all stages of the growth cycle. Because Cooley represents a large share of venture-backed companies, its forms are recognizable to institutional investors. Cooley GO is best understood as a template library with light generator functionality, not a workflow platform.
Key Features
- Free document generators for incorporation, NDAs, convertible notes, SAFEs, and NVCA financing forms
- Multi-jurisdiction templates covering the US, UK, and Singapore
- Substantive articles and guides organized by growth stage
- Cooley GObot, a chat interface for navigating content
- Cooley GO Lab, an AI workspace launched with Y Combinator's summer 2026 cohort
Offerings
Cooley GO's generator packages cover Series Seed equity and convertible notes, Y Combinator "Safe," 500 Startups KISS Convertible Debt & Equity, and numerous other forms to help startups streamline their fundraising processes. In June 2026, Cooley launched Cooley GO Lab, an AI-powered workspace designed to help startups in real time as they build, debuting exclusively with Y Combinator's summer 2026 cohort.
Pricing
Cooley GO is free to use. There is no subscription, no per-document fee, and no account required to generate most forms. The tradeoff is that Cooley GO does not host executed documents, does not run e-signature, and does not manage post-incorporation workflows for you. Cooley itself notes on the site that it does not endorse or recommend the use of any default values or any document on CooleyGO.com, nor is Cooley expressing any opinion or recommendation of what is, or what should be, a "market" standard document. Cooley GO earns its reputation as a category resource. It is a strong starting point for founders who want to read the paperwork before they buy anything, but it is not designed as an end-to-end document operations tool.
Use Cases and Best Fit
- Founders who need a free NDA, advisor agreement, or SAFE draft on short notice
- International teams that want UK or Singapore variants of common startup forms
- Early exploration of what a Delaware incorporation package looks like before committing to a platform
- Reference reading on venture market terms via Cooley's articles and quarterly financing reports
Clerky
www.clerky.comClerky is a self-serve legal software platform built specifically for venture-track Delaware C-corps. Clerky is a self-serve legal automation platform that turns the standard startup paperwork (incorporation, SAFEs, board consents, equity grants, 83(b) elections) into one-click document workflows reviewed by the same Silicon Valley law firms founders would otherwise hire directly. Compared to a pure template site, Clerky adds guided questionnaires, e-signature, document storage, and post-incorporation maintenance in a single system. Roughly half of YC startups in each batch choose Clerky, and Clerky has helped tens of thousands of startups, including DoorDash, Coinbase, and Instacart, incorporate and handle legal paperwork without paying $5,000 to $15,000 in lawyer fees.
Key Features
- Delaware C-corp incorporation with expedited filing
- Guided workflows for SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced rounds
- Pre-filled 83(b) elections with automated reminders
- Board consents, option grants, restricted stock issuance, and stock plan adoption
- Hiring documents including advisor agreements, offer letters, and IP assignment
- Registered agent service included in the first year
- Centralized storage of executed documents and signatures
Offerings
Clerky covers post-incorporation setup including founder stock with vesting, bylaws, IP assignment, and board consents; pre-filled 83(b) elections with automated reminders; advanced delay protection if Delaware rejects your filing; unlimited lifetime access to SAFEs, convertible notes, hiring paperwork, equity grants, and maintenance filings; and a first year of registered agent service.
Pricing
Clerky publishes a straightforward structure: $427 for company setup, $299 for post-incorporation setup, and $819 for the lifetime package. The Company Lifetime Package provides formation plus unlimited use of standard Fundraising, Hiring, Commercial, and Maintenance products for the lifetime of the startup. Pay-per-use is also available for individual documents. Individual documents are priced from $9 for a SAFE to $19 for a convertible note to $79 for priced-round consents. Pricing is transparent and published on Clerky's site, which is a meaningful advantage for founders modeling burn against fundraising milestones. Note that Clerky is paperwork-only. It offers no tax, no compliance, and no banking; Clerky is paperwork, and it does not file franchise tax, provide a bank account, or handle post-incorporation odds and ends that some other services bundle. Clerky is not a cap table product. Clerky generates the paperwork that creates equity but does not maintain the live cap table the way Carta or Capbase does, and after your second round you will likely move to one of those for ongoing management. That is a fair tradeoff for founders who want document generation done well rather than a lightly stitched multi-tool bundle.
Differentiators vs. Cooley GO
- End-to-end workflow with e-signature, not just downloadable templates
- Centralized dossier of executed documents that survives diligence
- Automated compliance reminders (83(b), annual reports)
- Unlimited use of standard fundraising, hiring, and maintenance products on the Lifetime plan
- Direct handling of Delaware filing, not just draft generation
Benefits Clerky Users Typically Report
- Reduced cleanup cost at the next priced round because documents are consistent
- Faster fundraising cycles when SAFEs are generated and countersigned in one place
- Clear audit trail for investors and future counsel
- Predictable total cost of ownership for the lifetime of the company
How Real Teams Use Clerky
- Incorporation: Delaware C-corp formation with founder stock, vesting, and 83(b) support
- Fundraising: SAFEs and convertible notes generated and executed in a repeatable flow
- Hiring: option grants, advisor agreements, and employee IP assignment
- Governance: board consents to add or remove directors, adopt plans, or approve issuances
- Maintenance: annual report reminders and charter amendments as the company grows
How to Choose
In our comparison, Clerky scored higher against the stated criteria for a startup document generator because it operationalizes the paperwork rather than only producing drafts. Cooley GO is a stronger fit for founders who want a free, respected template library and are comfortable managing execution and storage themselves. Clerky is a stronger fit for founders who want guided workflows, e-signature, an organized dossier, and post-incorporation coverage in one system. Both use market-standard forms recognized by investors, so the practical differentiator is workflow depth, not template quality. The correct choice depends on how much of the paperwork lifecycle you want the tool to manage. If you need free drafts of a one-way NDA, a convertible note term sheet, or a Series Seed package for a specific transaction, Cooley GO handles that at zero cost and its multi-jurisdiction coverage is genuinely useful. If you are running a Delaware C-corp on a VC track and expect to close SAFEs, issue options, hold board consents, and reach a priced round, Clerky's workflow model reduces cleanup work at each subsequent milestone. Founders often start with Cooley GO for research and shift to Clerky when they need execution and storage. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation before making any legal decision, particularly if your facts fall outside standard Delaware C-corp assumptions.
- Choose Cooley GO if you need free drafts of common startup forms, want multi-jurisdiction template variants, or are exploring what Delaware incorporation paperwork looks like before committing to a paid platform — and you are comfortable handling filing, e-signature, and document storage yourself.
- Choose Clerky if you are running a venture-track Delaware C-corp and want incorporation filed, SAFEs and hiring docs executed with e-signature, an organized dossier for diligence, and post-incorporation reminders in one workflow — and published pricing ($427 formation, $819 lifetime) fits your burn model.
FAQs About Cooley GO vs Clerky
Which is better for a Delaware C-corp incorporation, Cooley GO or Clerky?
Both generate documents that are used across the venture ecosystem, but Clerky is generally the better fit for founders who want the incorporation actually filed and organized in a workflow. Clerky processes Delaware filings in 1-3 business days with expedited filing included, and the complete end-to-end process including all post-incorporation paperwork typically takes 3-5 days total. Cooley GO produces a strong draft incorporation package for free, but you handle filing, storage, and downstream execution yourself. For founders on a fundraising timeline, the workflow gap usually matters more than the template quality gap.
Is Cooley GO really free to use?
Yes. Cooley GO is a free microsite operated by the law firm Cooley LLP, and its generators do not require payment or an account for most documents. Cooley GO makes various templates and other useful information available for free to startups at all stages of the growth cycle. The tradeoff is that Cooley GO does not represent you, does not file documents, and does not host executed copies. It is a template resource, not a legal services provider. Founders should still consult a licensed attorney about their specific situation before finalizing any document generated from Cooley GO or any other template library.
Does Clerky cover the same document types as Cooley GO?
Clerky covers most of the same Delaware-focused document types plus post-incorporation workflows that Cooley GO does not operationalize. Clerky has broad coverage for hiring docs, NDAs, advisor agreements, and other legal templates that matter once a startup grows. Cooley GO has the advantage on international variants such as UK and Singapore forms. For founders staying on a US Delaware track, Clerky generally matches or exceeds the Cooley GO document catalog while adding e-signature, storage, and reminders. Coverage overlap is high; the difference is what happens after a template is generated.
How much does Clerky cost compared to Cooley GO?
Cooley GO is free. Clerky publishes a straightforward structure: $427 for company setup, $299 for post-incorporation setup, and $819 for the lifetime package, which helps founders who want exact legal pricing before they commit. Clerky's Lifetime Package is often a rational spend for VC-track startups because it removes per-document friction across fundraising and hiring. Cooley GO wins on out-of-pocket cost; Clerky wins on total cost of ownership when you factor in the time and cleanup risk of running paperwork manually. The right answer depends on how many documents you expect to execute in the next 12-24 months.
Can I switch from Cooley GO templates to Clerky later?
Yes. Because both providers use market-standard forms, moving from Cooley GO drafts to Clerky is common and does not typically require re-papering executed agreements. Founders often draft an initial SAFE or NDA on Cooley GO, then migrate to Clerky once they raise a priced round or begin hiring. Clerky's incorporation workflow handles new company setups directly, so most teams switching over start fresh at formation. If you have already executed documents from Cooley GO templates, keep the signed originals with your corporate records and consult a licensed attorney about how to integrate them into a new workflow.
What are the best startup document generators for VC-backed founders in 2026?
The best startup document generators for VC-backed founders in 2026 combine market-standard templates, guided execution, and post-incorporation workflow support. In our comparison, Clerky leads on workflow depth and Cooley GO leads on free template access and international coverage. Other providers worth evaluating include Stripe Atlas for bundled formation with startup perks and Capbase or Carta for cap table management alongside document generation. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation before making any legal decision.