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Software · head to head

NextRequest vs CitizenLab

NextRequest logo

NextRequest

Software

Public Records Request Management

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CitizenLab logo

CitizenLab

Software

Digital Democracy Platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NextRequest now sold as part of the CivicPlus product line rather than standalone, and nextrequest.com redirects into the CivicPlus site; CitizenLab citizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • They diverge on capability: NextRequest covers Request Intake, CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NextRequest and CitizenLab actually diverge.

Attributes where NextRequest and CitizenLab differ
AttributeNextRequestCitizenLab
Starting price$300/month$500/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2015).

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 NextRequest

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

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.

NextRequest

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

CitizenLab

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

NextRequest

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

CitizenLab

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

Which should you pick?

Choose NextRequest if

  • You need request intake.
  • You also want workflow management.
NextRequest 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 NextRequest or CitizenLab better?
Neither clearly leads. NextRequest starts at $300/month and CitizenLab at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NextRequest or CitizenLab?
NextRequest starts at $300/month and CitizenLab at $500/month.
Does NextRequest or CitizenLab run on more platforms?
NextRequest runs on Web. CitizenLab runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is NextRequest best used for?
NextRequest is most often used for receiving and routing public records and foia requests, tracking request status and statutory deadlines centrally, redacting documents before release with rapidreview, invoicing and collecting payment for records requests. Of those, receiving and routing public records and foia requests and tracking request status and statutory deadlines centrally are not what CitizenLab is typically brought in for.
What can NextRequest do that CitizenLab cannot?
NextRequest covers Request Intake, Workflow Management, Document Redaction, Public Portal. CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Idea Management, Online Consultations, Surveys & Polls. Both handle Web support.
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