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Government & Public Sector · head to head

MuckRock vs American Legal Publishing

MuckRock logo

MuckRock

Government & Public Sector

FOIA Filing and Research Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
A

American Legal Publishing

Government & Public Sector

Municipal Code Solutions

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MuckRock has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MuckRock muckRock's core platform, Squarelet identity service, and DocumentCloud are licensed AGPL-3.0, which requires anyone running a modified version as a network service to release their source code; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: MuckRock covers FOIA Filing, American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where MuckRock and American Legal Publishing differ
AttributeMuckRockAmerican Legal Publishing
Starting priceFree$150/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20101912

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government & Public Sector).

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 MuckRock

  • FOIA Filing
  • Request Tracking
  • Document Archive
  • Collaboration
  • Agency Directory
  • DocumentCloud
  • News Organizations
  • Research Tools

Only in American Legal Publishing

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

MuckRock

  • Citizen Services
  • Records Management
  • Public Safety
  • Civic Engagement

American Legal Publishing

  • Citizen Services
  • Records Management
  • Public Safety
  • Civic Engagement

Both are used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

MuckRock

  • MuckRock's core platform, Squarelet identity service, and DocumentCloud are licensed AGPL-3.0, which requires anyone running a modified version as a network service to release their source code

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.

Pricing, plan by plan

MuckRock

Free
  • BasicFree
    • FOIA Filing
    • Request Tracking
    • Document Archive

American Legal Publishing

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

Which should you pick?

Choose MuckRock if

  • You need foia filing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want request tracking.
MuckRock review

Choose American Legal Publishing if

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

Questions people ask

Is MuckRock or American Legal Publishing better?
Neither clearly leads. MuckRock starts at Free and American Legal Publishing at $150/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MuckRock or American Legal Publishing?
MuckRock has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MuckRock and $150/month for American Legal Publishing.
Does MuckRock or American Legal Publishing run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use MuckRock for free?
Yes. MuckRock has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. American Legal Publishing starts at $150/month.
What is MuckRock best used for?
MuckRock is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement.
What can MuckRock do that American Legal Publishing cannot?
MuckRock covers FOIA Filing, Request Tracking, Document Archive, Collaboration. American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification, Online Publishing, Print Services, Editorial Support. Both handle Web support.
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