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Government · head to head

American Legal Publishing vs Bonfire

A

American Legal Publishing

Government

Municipal Code Solutions

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bonfire logo

Bonfire

Government

Public sector sourcing and bid evaluation software with scored, auditable award decisions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: American Legal Publishing a 2019 recodification contract between American Legal Publishing Corporation and the City of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, publicly posted by a separate Kentucky municipality as a model agreement, sets a base codification cost of $9,485 (USD) plus per-page increase rates of $18 (single column) and $21 (dual column) once the code exceeds the estimated page count, a one-time $550 setup fee to put the code in a searchable online format, $495 per year to host the code online after that, and a five-year supplement plan billed at $18-21 per reprinted page plus $200 per annual statutory update. This is one specific signed municipal contract, not a general price list, and actual costs for other municipalities will scale with code length.; Bonfire it is a sourcing and evaluation tool rather than full procure to pay, so requisitions, purchase orders and invoicing stay in the finance system and the join between them is the agency's problem.
  • They diverge on capability: American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification, Bonfire covers Solicitation posting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which American Legal Publishing and Bonfire actually diverge.

Attributes where American Legal Publishing and Bonfire differ
AttributeAmerican Legal PublishingBonfire
Starting price$150/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded1912Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in American Legal Publishing

  • Code Codification
  • Online Publishing
  • Print Services
  • Editorial Support
  • Code Search
  • Legislative Systems
  • Document Management
  • Public Portals

Only in Bonfire

  • Solicitation posting
  • Sealed submission intake
  • Scored evaluation workspace
  • Audit trail
  • Supplier portal
  • Requirement matrices

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

American Legal Publishing

  • Citizen Servicesnot Bonfire
  • Records Managementnot Bonfire
  • Public Safetynot Bonfire
  • Civic Engagementnot Bonfire

Bonfire

  • An agency that has lost or nearly lost a bid protest and needs a defensible evaluation recordnot American Legal Publishing
  • A procurement team running scoring committees currently held together by spreadsheets and emailnot American Legal Publishing
  • A university or health system applying public procurement rules without a public procurement systemnot American Legal Publishing
  • An agency wanting suppliers to self register and receive addenda automatically rather than by mailing listnot American Legal Publishing

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

American Legal Publishing

  • A 2019 recodification contract between American Legal Publishing Corporation and the City of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, publicly posted by a separate Kentucky municipality as a model agreement, sets a base codification cost of $9,485 (USD) plus per-page increase rates of $18 (single column) and $21 (dual column) once the code exceeds the estimated page count, a one-time $550 setup fee to put the code in a searchable online format, $495 per year to host the code online after that, and a five-year supplement plan billed at $18-21 per reprinted page plus $200 per annual statutory update. This is one specific signed municipal contract, not a general price list, and actual costs for other municipalities will scale with code length.

Bonfire

  • It is a sourcing and evaluation tool rather than full procure to pay, so requisitions, purchase orders and invoicing stay in the finance system and the join between them is the agency's problem.
  • Since the acquisition path from GTY to GI Partners to Euna Solutions, Bonfire sits in a portfolio alongside products it once competed with, which narrows a shortlist that appears independent.
  • Suppliers must register on the portal to bid, and small local vendors reliably complain about the extra account, which can reduce responses on low value solicitations.
  • Pricing is quoted rather than published and scales with solicitation volume, so an agency with a few very large procurements pays a model designed around throughput.
  • Contract management after award is thin compared with dedicated contract lifecycle products, so agencies often buy a second system for the obligations the award created.

Pricing, plan by plan

American Legal Publishing

$150/month
  • Online Code$150/month
    • Online Publishing
    • Code Updates
    • Search

Bonfire

On request
  • Bonfire$undefined/year
    • Quoted by agency size and annual solicitation volume
    • Supplier side registration is free, which is how the vendor network grows
    • Implementation and training quoted separately from subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose American Legal Publishing if

  • You need code codification.
  • You also want online publishing.
American Legal Publishing review

Choose Bonfire if

  • You need solicitation posting.
  • You also want sealed submission intake.
Bonfire review

Questions people ask

Is American Legal Publishing or Bonfire better?
Neither clearly leads. American Legal Publishing starts at $150/month and Bonfire at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, American Legal Publishing or Bonfire?
American Legal Publishing starts at $150/month and Bonfire at On request.
Does American Legal Publishing or Bonfire run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is American Legal Publishing best used for?
American Legal Publishing is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Bonfire is typically brought in for.
What can American Legal Publishing do that Bonfire cannot?
American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification, Online Publishing, Print Services, Editorial Support. Bonfire covers Solicitation posting, Sealed submission intake, Scored evaluation workspace, Audit trail.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bonfire: Who owns Bonfire?

Euna Solutions. Bonfire was acquired by GTY Technology in 2019, GTY was taken private by GI Partners in 2022, and the portfolio was rebranded Euna Solutions in 2023.

Bonfire: Is it full procure to pay?

No. It covers sourcing and evaluation through award. Purchase orders and invoicing remain in the finance system.

Bonfire: What is the real value?

A defensible, time stamped evaluation record when an award is protested, which is the expensive failure mode in public procurement.

Bonfire: Can we see what other agencies pay?

Yes. These contracts are public records. Read several comparable awards before negotiating.

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