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Some of the best Litera alternatives you must try are Macro, Donna Legal, Thomson Reuters Drafting Assistant, Contract tools, Definitely, DraftWise, Word, Draftable, VersionStory, Kofax, Nuance, and Adobe Acrobat Pro.

This article will walk you through their respective features, and pricing, along with each tool’s pros and cons, to help you decide which one is best for your business.

Why do you need a Litera alternative?

Litera is one of the most popular document drafting tools for legal professionals.

It gets the job done when it comes to drafting, managing, and comparing documents. 

Why do you need a Litera alternative if it gets the job done?

Here are a few reasons 👇

Reason #1. Poor user experience

If you plan to switch from some PDF editor to Litera, the transition won't be easy. That's because of Litera's poor user experience. 

For starters, the platform has no free trial for you to try the tool before you buy. All you can do is request a demo. 

It has a clunky interface that requires A LOT of change management. Change management can cause bottlenecks for legal teams, especially when parts of a group are in one software, and the other in Litera. Getting acclimated to Litera takes weeks if not months.

Reason #2: Expensive and lacks transparency 

Let’s have a look at Litera’s pricing.

To compare documents on Litera, prices start at $425 per user per year.

Want to analyze documents for errors? Litera can help you do it with AI. A single license starts at $624 per year, minimum.

And finally, pdfDocs – Litera’s PDF editor starts at  $250 per user per year.

With these three tools, your total cart value comes to: 🥁

$1299 per user per year 🤯. Imagine having a team of 100 people and deciding to buy Litera’s subscription. Quite the invoice! 

But the worst part comes from the abovementioned word “starting.” Litera’s licenses can go up in the tens of thousands. For the same products. The company is secretive about pricing and lacks transparency, with some clients paying 10x more than others. 

Reason #3: Missing key features

pdfDocs, Litera’s editor, doesn't handle PDFs well. It provides basic functionalities and lacks many parts needed for complex editing. 

For example, Litera Compare doesn’t let you compare more than 2 documents simultaneously. This could pose a big problem when working on large deals with multiple stakeholders.

PDF editors like Macro offer advanced review and drafting document capabilities at a fraction of the cost. It’s why 25% of the AmLaw 100 uses Macro daily. 

Top 12 Litera alternatives

Litera has a suite of products, all geared for various legal use cases. Therefore, we need to split the alternatives into categories that align with the intended use, such as: 

✍️ Document drafting

🔍 Document comparison

📎 PDF documents

✍️ Document drafting 

Desired outcome: Help legal professionals draft, analyze, and proofread documents. 

#1. Macro

Macro is an all-in-one Word and PDF editor that legal professionals use to draft, review, edit, and compare legal documents.

Its modern and simple interface makes using the software game-changing for legal teams.

Capabilities like – defined terms interlinking, error detection, and AI-enhanced writing are where Macro stands out from the crowd in the drafting process. 

Macro features

Feature #1. Definition pop-ups

Lawyers spend their days reviewing long documents.

One problem they face is reading and understanding PDFs, which involves scrolling through hundreds of pages and manually bookmarking important information.

Macro comes with automated interlinking and bookmarks. Simply click on terms to read their definitions or navigate sections with auto-generated bookmarks. 

Feature #2. Error detection

You might’ve heard the saying – Too many cooks spoil the broth. 

The same happens when too many people work on the same PDF, especially long contracts. 

There's a limit to monitoring every team member's activity in documents. You can try your best, but the final PDF version will have errors, some of which can negatively impact transactions. 

Macro’s Error Detection tool finds them for you. As soon as you upload a PDF, Macro will scan it for material errors like undefined terms, duplicate clauses, or misuse of annexes. 

Other Macro features worth exploring ⬇️

• Automate document productions from templates
• ChatGPT-enable copilot trained on legal documents
• Switch from different document modes like Editing, Track Changes, and PDF.
• Entities and AI-assisted search. 
• Advanced revision capabilities. 

And much more…

Pros and cons

✅ Comes with a secured desktop version.

✅ Very easy to use and get accustomed to the platform.

✅ Helps you with errors in your legal documents.

✅ Makes the document review process 5x faster with enhanced navigation capabilities.

✅ Has built-in AI out of the box.

❌ Doesn’t have an online version.

Pricing

Macro has a 14-day free trial for both Windows and Mac. 

If you need more advanced features and support, upgrade to Macro's Professional version for $49/user per month or contact Macro’s sales team for a custom Enterprise plan.

#2. Donna Legal

Donna is an AI-powered plugin for Microsoft Word. It’s custom-built to help lawyers draft contracts faster. It’s a great Litera alternative for legal professionals who swear by Word for legal document drafting.

Donna legal features

• Spots undefined terms and other definition issues that are easy to miss when copying and pasting contract clauses.
• Identifies cross-reference issues for you to fix before they invalidate clauses or even the entire contract.
• Add placeholder highlights throughout your entire document in just one click.
• Save, add, and reuse favorite clauses as and when you need them.
• Look up definitions by highlighting them in documents.
• Quickly review all key money amounts or dates using overviews.

Pros and Cons

✅ Can be used directly in Microsoft Word. 

✅ Donna’s price makes it accessible to anyone. 

❌ There can be instances where Donna cannot recognize and review a contract.

❌ Slows down Microsoft Word and most computers. 

❌ Slow and inefficient customer support. 

Pricing 

Donna’s Solo plan is at $25 per user per month. The Team plan is at $35 per user per month. Both plans offer the same functionalities, with administrative capabilities in the Team plan, like usage analytics and pricing adjusted based on active users.

#3. Thomson Reuters Drafting Assistant

Thomson Reuters’s Drafting Assistant is similar to Donna Legal. It’s a downloadable plug-in that can be installed in Microsoft Word, focusing on detecting errors and helping attorneys review transactional and litigation documents. 

Thompson Reuters Drafting Assistant features

• Run the other side’s documents through the analyzer to expose and exploit their drafting flaws.
• Access hundreds of Practical Law standard documents and clauses to include in your documents. 
• Use the Build Document feature to produce drafts in minutes from your own automated templates. 
• Deal proof lets you quickly find errors and missing information or identify potential issues in transactional documents. 
• Search Westlaw for supporting case authority and click to insert citations, or use West km to find relevant work products in your firm.

Pros and cons

✅ Integrated directly into Microsoft Word. 

✅ Can look up internal documentation. 

❌ Hyperlinks to clauses and definitions have to be added manually. 

❌ Slows down Word. 

❌ Can run into issues analyzing documents that aren’t in standard formats. 

❌ A Thompson Reuters subscription is required.

Pricing

Unfortunately, Thomson Reuters isn’t transparent regarding pricing for their products. Therefore, you must contact sales to get a quote and purchase Drafting Assistant. We’ve heard from attorneys that prices can widely vary based on your firm’s size, getting to 6 figures in some cases.

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#4. Contract Tools by Paper Software

Contract Tools has less sophisticated features than the alternatives mentioned above. However, the Word plug-in is widely used by in-house corporate counsels.  

Contract Tools features

• Defined terms and clauses are highlighted in Contract Tools. As you scroll, read their definition from Contract Tools’ sidepanel. 
• Double-click a defined term to go where it’s defined, and double-click a cross-reference to go to what it references.
• Analyze any kind of file type, from Word to PDFs, HTML, text you copy and paste, and more.
• Finds common contract drafting problems: words and phrases that look like defined terms but aren’t, terms that are defined more than once, and more.

Pros and Cons

✅ Integration with Microsoft Word. 

✅ It quickly proofreads documents, links cross-references and defined terms, and updates analysis instantly as you type​​.

✅ Capable of analyzing a wide range of contracts and file types, including PDFs and HTML​​.

❌ Only compatible with Windows 7 or later and Word 2007 or later, which may limit its accessibility for users with different systems​​.

❌ While it offers a 7-day free trial, ongoing use requires a subscription at prices that fluctuate.

❌ The software is not the easiest to use. It requires multiple clicks to get to definitions and clauses, whereas tools like Macro and Donna provide them in one click. 

❌ You need to contact sales for more than one license. 

Pricing

Contract Tools costs $24 per month and $240 per year for one license. To purchase more than one license for your organization, you need to contact Paper Software’s sales team.

#5. Definely

‍

Definely aims to liberate legal professionals from tedious and repetitive tasks with its Word plugin. It does so by providing relevant definitions as lawyers draft, enabling tracked changes in Word, and automating non-billable tasks like generating clauses.  

Definely Features

• AI-powered drafting assistant to create and edit clauses and definitions. 
• Find definitions and references as you draft, and add them to your documents in one click.
• Proofread legal documents to check for errors, undefined terms and material conflicts between contracts.
• Provides a clear understanding of definitions and references in PDF contracts, both scanned and digital​​​​​​​​.

Pros and Cons

✅ Designed specifically for legal documents.

✅ Works directly in Microsoft Word. 

✅ The PDF reader function simplifies the process of working with digital and scanned contracts.

❌ The extent of integration with other legal software platforms is limited.

❌ May require a learning curve for lawyers to fully utilize all its AI-powered features.

❌ Limited information about customization options for different legal specializations.

❌ Doesn’t have a free trial without talking to sales. 

Pricing

Definely offers a 14-day free trial without needing credit card details, allowing potential users to explore its features before committing to a subscription. However, you will need to book a 30-minute sales call with one of their team members to access the free trial. 

#6. Draftwise

DraftWise is an AI-powered drafting and negotiating solution. It stands out as a robust alternative to Litera by offering a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline the contract drafting and negotiation process for lawyers.

DraftWise Features

• Enhances search precision using firm-collected data, integrated directly with your Document Management System (DMS).
• Facilitates the refinement of legal drafting, leveraging AI for accuracy and efficiency.
• Provides tools to rectify and mark-up unused or missed definitions in legal documents.
• Maintains ethical boundaries while allowing access to firm-wide knowledge and data within Microsoft Word.
• Integrates with various data sources like DMS, CRM, and deal databases, promoting clause banks and know-how precedents for enhanced knowledge management​​​​​​.

Pros and Cons

✅ AI-driven approach enhances efficiency and accuracy in legal document drafting and review.

✅ Direct integration with Microsoft Word for ease of use.

✅ Advanced search and knowledge management tools streamline legal processes.

✅ Secure platform that respects ethical boundaries in law firms.

❌ Might require initial training for optimal use.

❌ Integration with existing firm systems could be complex.

❌ The full capabilities may not be utilized by smaller law firms or solo practitioners.

❌ You need to talk to sales to try Draftwise and get their pricing information. 

Pricing

DraftWise's website does not provide specific pricing details. It suggests contacting their team for a personalized demo and to discuss the specific needs of your firm, which implies that pricing may vary based on the size of the law firm and the scope of usage.

🔍 Document comparison

Desired outcome: Help legal professionals compare and consolidate versions of a document. 

#1. Macro

Macro is the first platform to compare multiple document versions simultaneously and provide individual backlines and a consolidated version. 

Not surprising that it’s the fastest-growing compare tool, used by 25% of the AmLaw 50. 

Macro features

Feature #1. Compare 

Remember the last time you tried to find the most up-to-date version of a document in your email inbox? 

Painful, right? 

Macro solves this issue with the most advanced document comparison tool. With Macro's Compare feature, you can upload as many document versions as you like and color code redlines from each party involved in the editing process. 

Once you hit “Compare,” Macro will return a consolidated version of the documents, along with all redactions, edits, and text movement. You can then approve or reject amendments, prepare the document’s final version, and export it to DOCX or PDF for execution. 

Feature #2. Accept or reject changes

Litera asks attorneys to export backlines into Word to consolidate edits. 

With Macro, you can accept or reject changes directly within the document. If you need colleagues to act, you can add comments and turn on “track changes” mode so they can see what you’ve done. 

Pros and cons

✅ The only solution that enables more than 2 documents to be compared. 

✅ Very easy to use and get accustomed to the platform.

✅ Works with PDFs and DOCX files.

✅ Makes consolidation steps faster with enhanced navigation and accept/reject actions.

❌ Doesn’t have an online version.

❌Doesn’t have a free forever plan. 

Pricing

Macro has a 14-day free trial for both Windows and Mac. 

If you need more advanced features and support, upgrade to Macro's Professional version for $49/user per month or contact Macro’s sales team for a custom Enterprise plan.

#2. Draftable

Draftable is a specialized document comparison software that offers a suite of tools for lawyers and other professionals to compare and manage various document types. Its capabilities make it a cheap and viable alternative to Litera.

Draftable Features

• View documents side by side, with synchronous scrolling for easy comparison.
• Provides a redline view of all changes in a single-page format, favored by lawyers for efficiency.
• Compiles all changes in a single list, with the ability to click on a change to jump to that part of the document.
• Detect not only content changes but also alterations in text styles like font, font size, bold, and italics.
• Compare between file types: Supports comparisons across various file formats, including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel​​​​​​.

Pros and Cons

✅ Versatile file type support allows comparison across multiple document formats.

✅ Tracks both content and stylistic changes, offering a comprehensive comparison experience.

✅You can try Draftable directly from their website.

❌ Can’t compare multiple versions at the same time. 

❌ The software is primarily Windows-based, which may limit accessibility for users on other platforms.

❌ The focus on document comparison means it may not offer broader document management features found in some competitors.

❌ The interface and functionalities are hard to use and may require a learning curve for new users.

Pricing

Draftable offers different pricing plans to cater to various needs:

• Free trial: A fully-featured 5-day free trial is available for the desktop version, with no credit card requirement and no limits on usage during the trial period​​.
• Standard: Priced at $129 USD per year, offering unlimited comparisons, offline functionality, and support for multiple document types.
• Legal: Tailored for lawyers at $199 USD per year, providing features like PDF Redline output, Word Tracked Changes output, OCR support for scanned documents, integration with Outlook, Word, and iManage, and comprehensive side-by-side comparison capabilities.

#3. Version Story

Version Story is a new document comparison and version control platform for legal professionals and researchers to facilitate document management and collaboration. This tool is a promising alternative to Litera but hasn’t yet proved itself in the market. 

Version Story Features

• Helps in managing and tracking different versions of documents, making it easier to see how documents evolve over time.
• Enables the storage of older versions of documents for reference and compliance purposes.
• Assists in creating documents by compiling various parts and versions into a final draft​​.

Pros and Cons

✅ Cloud-hosted solution, ensuring easy access and scalability.

✅ Streamlines the process of managing multiple document revisions.

✅ Suitable for collaboration, allowing teams to collaborate on document drafting and revision.

❌ Limited customization options might not suit all legal firms' specific needs.

❌ Customer support is only available online via tickets, which may not be ideal for urgent issues.

❌ Isn’t used by many firms, putting the product's capabilities in question. 

❌ You must talk to sales to try Version Strory and get their pricing information. 

Pricing

You must request a demo to get Vision Story’s pricing information. 

#4. Microsoft Word (Compare)

Microsoft Word, a widely used word processing software, includes a document comparison feature called "Microsoft Word Compare." This functionality is handy for professionals who need to track changes and differences between simple documents.

Microsoft Word Compare Features

• Detects and highlights changes in text, including additions, deletions, and modifications between two document versions.
• Enables users to include and view comments from both document versions in the comparison.
• Offers the ability to merge changes from different documents into a single file.
• Seamlessly integrates with the 'Track Changes' feature, making managing and reviewing edits easier.
• Provides options to customize the level of detail shown in the comparison, such as formatting, headers/footers, and even spacing changes.

Pros and Cons

✅ Integrated within Microsoft Word, offering a familiar interface for users.

✅ Does not require additional software or subscription beyond the Microsoft Office suite.

✅ Useful for simple comparisons and basic editing needs.

❌ Comparatively less advanced than dedicated document comparison software in terms of features and efficiency.

❌ May not handle large documents or complex formatting as effectively as specialized tools.

❌ Limited functionality in terms of merging sophisticated legal or technical documents.

Pricing

The Microsoft Word Compare feature is included in the Microsoft Office suite. Therefore, its use is tied to the licensing of Microsoft Office. Various licensing options are available, including individual, business, and enterprise plans, with costs varying based on the specific plan and subscription model chosen.

📎 PDF Documents

Desired outcome: Help legal professionals create, edit, and execute PDF documents. 

#1. Macro

Legal professionals switch from Litera and Adobe Acrobat Pro to Macro for its modern, AI-assisted editing capabilities and the ability to switch between Editor, Track Changes, and PDF modes in the same document.

Macro features

Feature #1. PDF Pro features

Macro has all the Pro PDF features you need – for free. You can add text, move images, make complex annotations, merge files, redact, and more.

You can switch to Editor mode to make more complex edits or write new document sections. 

Feature #2. MacroAI

Macro’s AI has been trained with thousands of documents to support attorneys in contract drafting and reviewing. It can search documents to answer specific questions or generate clauses and definitions. 

Pros and cons

✅ Comes with built-in AI capabilities out of the box.

✅ Very easy to use and get accustomed to the platform.

✅ Helps you find errors in your legal documents.

✅ Makes the document review process 5x faster with enhanced navigation capabilities.

❌ Doesn’t have an online version.

Pricing

Macro has a free downloadable app for both Windows and Mac. 

If you need more advanced features and support, upgrade to Macro's Professional version for $49/user per month or contact Macro’s sales team for a custom Enterprise plan.

#2. Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a popular document management tool that helps you read, edit, and annotate PDFs. It’s a great Litera alternative that overcomes Litera’s OCR issues. 

Adobe Acrobat pro features

• Acrobat’s powerful PDF creation and editing tools allow you to modify text, change design, and add annotations.
• Lets you protect PDFs with password management and enabling encryption.
• Convert Word documents, PPTs, Excel files, and images into PDFs. 
• Comes with a document comparison feature that helps you detect differences between two PDF versions.
• Has an OCR functionality to convert images into a PDF file.

Pros and cons 

✅ Adobe Acrobat Pro's OCR is among the best for legal teams and professionals.

✅ It’s a one-tool-for-all that can satisfy anyone’s document management needs.

❌ The tool's free version doesn't have impactful features, and its paid plans are expensive.

❌ Lacks workflow and collaboration features that Litera has.

Pricing 

The standard Adobe Acrobat plan starts at $12.99 per month. If you want the Pro plan, it costs $19.99 per month. This makes the tool a little too expensive for some professionals. 

#3. Kofax Power PDF

Kofax Power PDF is a comprehensive and versatile PDF editor catering to individual and business needs. It's designed to be user-friendly, secure, and cost-effective, offering various features suitable for editing documents.

Kofax Power PDF Features

• Allows for creating, editing, and converting PDF files to and from various formats like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, and HTML​​.
• Creates and applies digital signatures and integrates with SignDoc for extended eSignature features​​.
• Includes industry-leading optical character recognition for scanning paper forms and converting them into interactive PDF elements​​.
• Highlights or redacts sensitive information and strikes text for maximum security​​.
• Real-time document editing and review across platforms, with local and remote collaboration​​ capabilities.
• Includes fuzzy search, PDF/A-4 support, Chrome extension, and a mobile app for enhanced document management​​​​​​​​​​.

Pros and Cons

✅ Comprehensive feature set.

✅ Enhanced security and compliance capabilities.

✅ Supports a wide range of file formats for conversion to and from PDF.

✅ Mobile app and Chrome extension enhance accessibility and usability.

❌Has issues handling large files. 

❌Complicated interface. 

❌ May have a learning curve for new users.

❌ The cost might be a consideration for individuals or small businesses.

❌ Over-reliance on third-party integrations for some features like advanced eSignatures.

Pricing

Kofax Power PDF offers different versions to suit various needs:

• Power PDF Advanced: Designed for business users, this version costs $175 per one-time license.  
• Power PDF Advanced Volume (for Enterprise): Provides advanced security, OCR technology, seamless integrations, and scalability for enterprise use​​.

The receive pricing specifics for Advanced Volume, contact Kofax directly for the most accurate pricing information.

Next steps: Read and edit documents faster

Efficiency in drafting, managing, and comparing documents is crucial for legal professionals. 

Why? 

Legal teams spend most of their time on documents. The more productive they are, the more time they can spend on high-value tasks that deliver excellent client service.

All the Litera alternatives mentioned above are excellent choices (You can sign up and try them out), but Macro stands out as the leader.

If you’re ready to start, sign up for Macro today.