Software · head to head
Citizen vs NextRequest
The short version
- Only Citizen has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Citizen the App Store listing for Citizen: Safety & Live Video (seller sp0n, Inc., matched) states the base app is free but gates police/fire scanner audio, detailed incident archives and multiple alert zones behind a Citizen Premium subscription tier, whose price is not disclosed in the listing.; NextRequest now sold as part of the CivicPlus product line rather than standalone, and nextrequest.com redirects into the CivicPlus site
- They diverge on capability: Citizen covers Real-time Alerts, NextRequest covers Request Intake.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Citizen and NextRequest actually diverge.
| Attribute | Citizen | NextRequest |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $300/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Ios, Android | Web |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Citizen
- Real-time Alerts
- 911 Monitoring
- Live Video
- Safety Map
- Personal Safety
- Emergency Services
- Social Media
- Location Services
Only in NextRequest
- Request Intake
- Workflow Management
- Document Redaction
- Public Portal
- Reporting
- Document Systems
- Payment Processors
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Citizen
- Citizen Servicesnot NextRequest
- Records Managementnot NextRequest
- Public Safetynot NextRequest
- Civic Engagementnot NextRequest
NextRequest
- Receiving and routing public records and FOIA requestsnot Citizen
- Tracking request status and statutory deadlines centrallynot Citizen
- Redacting documents before release with RapidReviewnot Citizen
- Invoicing and collecting payment for records requestsnot Citizen
- Publishing a public-facing request portal for residentsnot Citizen
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Citizen
- The App Store listing for Citizen: Safety & Live Video (seller sp0n, Inc., matched) states the base app is free but gates police/fire scanner audio, detailed incident archives and multiple alert zones behind a Citizen Premium subscription tier, whose price is not disclosed in the listing.
NextRequest
- Now sold as part of the CivicPlus product line rather than standalone, and nextrequest.com redirects into the CivicPlus site
- Pricing is not published
- Aimed at government agencies, so it is not a general purpose request or ticketing tool
Pricing, plan by plan
Citizen
Free- BasicFree
- Real-time Alerts
- Incident Feed
- Safety Map
NextRequest
$300/month- Standard$300/month
- Request Management
- Document Redaction
- Public Portal
Which should you pick?
Choose Citizen if
- You need real-time alerts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want 911 monitoring.
Questions people ask
- Is Citizen or NextRequest better?
- Neither clearly leads. Citizen starts at Free and NextRequest at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Citizen or NextRequest?
- Citizen has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Citizen and $300/month for NextRequest.
- Does Citizen or NextRequest run on more platforms?
- Citizen runs on Ios, Android. NextRequest runs on Web.
- Can I use Citizen for free?
- Yes. Citizen has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NextRequest starts at $300/month.
- What is Citizen best used for?
- Citizen is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what NextRequest is typically brought in for.
- What can Citizen do that NextRequest cannot?
- Citizen covers Real-time Alerts, 911 Monitoring, Live Video, Safety Map. NextRequest covers Request Intake, Workflow Management, Document Redaction, Public Portal.
Related pages
More on NextRequest
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- Citizen vs Accela
- Citizen vs CivicPlus
- Citizen vs Granicus
- Citizen vs DocuWare
- Citizen vs Laserfiche
- Citizen vs Legistar
- Citizen vs OnBase
- Citizen vs CentralSquare
- Citizen vs CityView
- Citizen vs eCode360
- Citizen vs PublicInput
- Citizen vs Socrata
- Citizen vs Tyler Technologies
- Citizen vs American Legal Publishing
- Citizen vs AWS GovCloud
- Citizen vs Axon Records
- Citizen vs Azure Government
- Citizen vs Bang the Table
- NextRequest vs Accela
- NextRequest vs CivicPlus
- NextRequest vs Granicus
- NextRequest vs DocuWare
- NextRequest vs Laserfiche
- NextRequest vs Legistar
- NextRequest vs OnBase
- NextRequest vs CentralSquare
- NextRequest vs CityView
- NextRequest vs eCode360
- NextRequest vs PublicInput
- NextRequest vs Socrata
- NextRequest vs Tyler Technologies
- NextRequest vs American Legal Publishing
- NextRequest vs AWS GovCloud
- NextRequest vs Axon Records
- NextRequest vs Azure Government
- NextRequest vs Bang the Table


