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Software · head to head

MuckRock vs CitizenLab

MuckRock logo

MuckRock

Software

FOIA Filing and Research Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CitizenLab logo

CitizenLab

Software

Digital Democracy Platform

From
$500/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; CitizenLab citizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • They diverge on capability: MuckRock covers FOIA Filing, CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MuckRock and CitizenLab actually diverge.

Attributes where MuckRock and CitizenLab differ
AttributeMuckRockCitizenLab
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20102015

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 MuckRock

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

Only in CitizenLab

  • Participatory Budgeting
  • Idea Management
  • Online Consultations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • AI-powered Analysis
  • Single Sign-On
  • Open Data Portals
  • GIS Systems

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

MuckRock

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

CitizenLab

  • Running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a citynot MuckRock
  • Collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and votingnot MuckRock
  • Centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departmentsnot MuckRock

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

CitizenLab

  • CitizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • No prices are published on the plans page; every tier requires scheduling a demo
  • The Essential plan allows only 1 active project and 1 admin seat, with no project manager seats
  • Standard is limited to 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, and Premium to 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats
  • Standard restricts Sensemaking to Light, capped at 30 inputs; auto-insights require Premium
  • The integrated Konveio document annotation and Echo blended engagement methods are excluded from Standard and require Premium
  • Auto-translation on Premium is limited to 3 languages
  • Custom fonts and other premium styling options are Premium only
  • Priority support is Premium only
  • Plans are split by population band, with separate ladders for cities under and over 100K population

Pricing, plan by plan

MuckRock

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

CitizenLab

$500/month
  • Government$500/month
    • Participatory Budgeting
    • Idea Collection
    • Surveys

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 CitizenLab if

  • You need participatory budgeting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want idea management.
CitizenLab review

Questions people ask

Is MuckRock or CitizenLab better?
Neither clearly leads. MuckRock starts at Free and CitizenLab at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MuckRock or CitizenLab?
MuckRock has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MuckRock and $500/month for CitizenLab.
Does MuckRock or CitizenLab run on more platforms?
MuckRock runs on Web. CitizenLab runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use MuckRock for free?
Yes. MuckRock has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CitizenLab starts at $500/month.
What is MuckRock best used for?
MuckRock is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what CitizenLab is typically brought in for.
What can MuckRock do that CitizenLab cannot?
MuckRock covers FOIA Filing, Request Tracking, Document Archive, Collaboration. CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Idea Management, Online Consultations, Surveys & Polls. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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