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Software · head to head

Legistar vs NextRequest

Legistar logo

Legistar

Software

Legislative Management System

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NextRequest logo

NextRequest

Software

Public Records Request Management

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Legistar pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process; 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: Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, NextRequest covers Request Intake.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Legistar and NextRequest actually diverge.

Attributes where Legistar and NextRequest differ
AttributeLegistarNextRequest
Starting priceOn request$300/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Founded19992015

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 Legistar

  • Legislation Tracking
  • Meeting Agendas
  • Voting Records
  • Document Management
  • Video Streaming
  • Microsoft Office
  • Records Systems

Only in NextRequest

  • Request Intake
  • Workflow Management
  • Document Redaction
  • Reporting
  • Document Systems
  • Email
  • Payment Processors

Both cover

  • Public Portal
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Legistar

  • Legislative agenda managementnot NextRequest
  • Meeting management and video processesnot NextRequest
  • Public records managementnot NextRequest
  • Government transparencynot NextRequest

NextRequest

  • Receiving and routing public records and FOIA requestsnot Legistar
  • Tracking request status and statutory deadlines centrallynot Legistar
  • Redacting documents before release with RapidReviewnot Legistar
  • Invoicing and collecting payment for records requestsnot Legistar
  • Publishing a public-facing request portal for residentsnot Legistar

Where each one falls short

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

Legistar

  • Pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process

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

Legistar

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Legistar review.

NextRequest

$300/month
  • Standard$300/month
    • Request Management
    • Document Redaction
    • Public Portal

Which should you pick?

Choose Legistar if

  • You need legislation tracking.
  • You also want meeting agendas.
Legistar review

Choose NextRequest if

  • You need request intake.
  • You also want workflow management.
NextRequest review

Questions people ask

Is Legistar or NextRequest better?
Neither clearly leads. Legistar starts at On request and NextRequest at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Legistar or NextRequest?
Legistar starts at On request and NextRequest at $300/month.
Does Legistar or NextRequest run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Legistar best used for?
Legistar is most often used for legislative agenda management, meeting management and video processes, public records management, government transparency. Of those, legislative agenda management and meeting management and video processes are not what NextRequest is typically brought in for.
What can Legistar do that NextRequest cannot?
Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, Meeting Agendas, Voting Records, Document Management. NextRequest covers Request Intake, Workflow Management, Document Redaction, Reporting. Both handle Public Portal, Web support.
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Related pages

More on Legistar

More on NextRequest

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