# BriefAuthority vs BriefMark: TOA from PDF or Word (2026)

> BriefMark vs BriefAuthority: both mark Word .docx files in the browser; BriefAuthority adds a TOA from the final PDF. Pricing, status, fit as published.

*Updated: 2026-09-24*

**The short answer:** If you draft in Microsoft Word and need a Table of Authorities today, BriefMark is the better choice right now: it is live, it runs in your browser without uploading the brief, it works with Word for Mac, and it is free up to 8 authorities, then $99 one-time (as published on its site, accessed 2026-09-24). BriefAuthority is pre-launch. It is being built to do the same .docx job (write Word's own TA field codes so Word builds the table) and to add a second path BriefMark does not offer: a finished TOA from the **final PDF**, with page numbers taken from the pages you will file, and no Word needed. Put simply: BriefMark automates Word's marking. BriefAuthority is designed to also build the table from the filing itself. If your brief lives in Word, start with BriefMark. If your final brief is a PDF, or you draft in Pages or Google Docs, that is the gap BriefAuthority is built for.

**Fast facts**

- BriefMark is made by Oddwell, a small software studio in Albany, New York. Its site says it “reads your brief, finds every case, statute, rule and regulation — short cites, Id. and supra included — and writes Word's own TA field codes back into the same .docx. Word builds the table.”
- BriefMark's published pricing: Free for “briefs with up to 8 authorities” with “every feature, nothing withheld”; Pro “$99 once, not per year,” with a 14-day refund. Licenses are checked through Gumroad.
- BriefMark says: “There is no server. … your .docx is opened, rewritten and handed back inside the browser tab, and the file never crosses the network.”
- BriefMark's site describes .docx input; it does not mention PDF input.
- BriefMark is listed on Legaltech Hub and in the University of Hawaiʻi law library's guide to Word Tables of Authorities.
- BriefAuthority is in development, early access only. Planned pricing: free for a brief with up to 8 authorities, $19 per brief, $149 per year, firm plans from $129 per month. No checkout yet.
- BriefAuthority is designed to accept either the final PDF (exports a formatted .docx TOA, no Word needed) or the Word .docx (writes Word TA fields). Both paths are built to run locally in the browser. Specification as designed; confirmed at launch.

## BriefMark and BriefAuthority side by side

|  | BriefMark | BriefAuthority (pre-launch) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Input file | Word .docx only (as published) | Final PDF or Word .docx (as designed) |
| Output | The same .docx with hidden TA fields and TOA fields; Word builds and paginates the table | From PDF: a formatted .docx TOA with headings, dot leaders and page references. From .docx: Word TA fields so Word builds the table |
| Where processing happens / uploads? | In the browser tab; the site says the file never crosses the network | Built to run in the browser on your computer; the brief is not uploaded |
| Mac | Yes; BriefMark says it is verified in Word for Mac on Microsoft 365 | Yes, by design, in any modern browser; the PDF path needs no Word at all |
| Word required? | Yes; Word (2016 or later, per its FAQ) updates the fields and builds the table | PDF path: no. .docx path: yes, Word builds the table from the fields |
| Short cites, Id., supra | Resolved back to the parent authority automatically, with a review table and flags before anything is written (as published) | Review screen where you merge short forms and link Id. and supra references before export (as designed) |
| Pricing (as published / planned) | Free up to 8 authorities; Pro $99 one-time | Planned: free up to 8 authorities; $19 per brief; $149 per year; firm from $129/month |
| Status | Live | Pre-launch; early access sign-up only |
| Best for | Anyone drafting in Word (Mac or Windows) who wants a native, updatable Word TOA today | Briefs whose final form is a PDF, drafts in Pages or Google Docs, co-counsel PDFs, or Mac users who want a finished table without Word's TOA feature |

BriefMark details were checked on briefmark.oddwell.tech on 2026-09-24; plans change, so confirm before you buy. BriefAuthority details are the product specification as designed and will be confirmed at launch. We do not state any competitor's accuracy. How BriefAuthority is built to keep the file local is documented on [security & privacy](/security-and-privacy).

## The real difference: where the page numbers come from

Both tools solve the same pain: marking citations one at a time with Word's [Mark Citation](/table-of-authorities-in-word) dialog. They differ in what they treat as the source of truth. BriefMark works inside the Word document: it writes the same TA field codes Word's own dialog would write, and Word calculates the [page numbers](/table-of-authorities-page-numbers) when you update the table. That is a strength when the brief is still changing, because you can re-run it after edits and Word re-paginates. BriefMark's own notes point out that you finish the job in Word (accept the update prompt) and should keep hidden text off when printing or exporting so pagination does not shift.

BriefAuthority's PDF path starts from the other end: the PDF you will actually file. Page references come from those pages, including roman-numeral front matter offsets, and the output is a formatted .docx table you can drop in. That matters when the Word file is not the final word: a brief exported from Pages or [Google Docs](/table-of-authorities-google-docs-pages), a PDF assembled or re-paginated after export, or co-counsel's PDF with no Word file at all. For a Word-native brief that stays in Word until filing, the two approaches arrive at the same place, and BriefMark is available now.

## When to pick BriefMark

- **You need a TOA this week.** BriefMark is live; BriefAuthority is not yet available.
- **Your brief is a Word .docx and will stay in Word until filing.** A native Word TOA that updates with the document is exactly what BriefMark produces.
- **You file often and prefer to pay once.** $99 one-time is less than BriefAuthority's planned $149 per year, and less than six briefs at the planned $19 each.
- **You want to hand a normal .docx to a Windows colleague.** BriefMark says its fields behave identically on Mac and Windows.
- **You want to check the no-upload claim yourself.** BriefMark invites IT teams to watch the browser's network tab while marking a brief.

## When to pick BriefAuthority (at launch)

- **Your final brief is a PDF.** You want page numbers from the filed pages, not recalculated from a Word layout.
- **You draft in Pages or Google Docs.** Neither has a TOA feature, and the PDF path does not need Word.
- **You were sent a PDF.** Co-counsel's draft or an exported filing, with no .docx to mark.
- **You want a finished table, not fields.** The PDF path exports a formatted .docx TOA with category headings and [dot leaders](/table-of-authorities-format).
- **You want both paths in one tool.** The same [review screen](/how-it-works) serves the PDF and the .docx workflows.
- **You file one long brief a year.** A planned $19 per brief may cost less than a one-time license.

> **Common assumption:** “Any browser TOA tool can read my PDF.” **More precise:** BriefMark's published workflow starts from a Word .docx and writes Word field codes; its site does not describe PDF input. A tool that builds the table from the PDF has to read page numbers from the PDF itself, which is the path BriefAuthority is designed around. Neither tool checks whether a citation is good law.

> **Where BriefAuthority fits:** BriefAuthority is pre-launch. It is being built to build a TOA from your **[final PDF](/table-of-authorities-from-pdf)** or your **.docx**, in your browser, [without uploading](/table-of-authorities-without-uploading) the brief. Planned: free up to 8 authorities, $19 per brief. Formatting and indexing only; verify every citation. Specification as designed; confirmed at launch. [Join early access](/early-access).

## Frequently asked

**Is BriefMark free?**

Partly. BriefMark publishes a free tier for briefs with up to 8 authorities, with every feature included and no account. Longer briefs need Pro, published at $99 one-time with a 14-day refund. Prices as published on its site, accessed 2026-09-24.

**Does BriefMark work with PDFs?**

Its site describes a Word .docx workflow: it reads the .docx and writes Word's TA field codes back into it. We found no mention of PDF input on its site. If your only file is a PDF, you would need a tool that reads PDFs, such as BriefAuthority's planned PDF path.

**Is BriefAuthority available now?**

No. BriefAuthority is in development and offers early access sign-up only; there is no checkout yet. If you need a Word TOA today, BriefMark is live.

**Do BriefMark and BriefAuthority upload my brief?**

BriefMark says there is no server and the file never crosses the network; the only request is a Gumroad license check that does not include your document. BriefAuthority is designed the same way: the PDF or .docx is processed in your browser and not uploaded.

**Which is cheaper?**

It depends on volume. For one brief with more than 8 authorities, BriefAuthority's planned $19 per brief is less than BriefMark's $99. If you file six or more briefs, BriefMark's one-time $99 is less than six briefs at $19 and less than BriefAuthority's planned $149 per year.

**Do either of these check my citations?**

No. BriefMark states it is a marking tool, not a cite-checker, and does not tell you whether a case was overruled. BriefAuthority formats and indexes only. Shepardize or KeyCite as usual and review the table before filing.

**Keep reading**

- [Compare Table of Authorities tools](/compare) — Every option side by side, with published pricing.
- [Best Authority alternatives](/best-authority-alternative) — Word add-ins, upload tools, services and from-PDF options.
- [Table of Authorities generator](/table-of-authorities-generator) — From your final PDF or your Word file.
- [Table of Authorities from a PDF](/table-of-authorities-from-pdf) — Why page numbers from the filed pages matter.
- [How BriefAuthority works](/how-it-works) — Upload-free review screen to formatted .docx.

**Sources**

- [BriefMark by Oddwell — product page, accessed 2026-09-24](https://briefmark.oddwell.tech/)
- [Legaltech Hub — BriefMark by Oddwell, accessed 2026-09-24](https://www.legaltechnologyhub.com/vendors/briefmark-by-oddwell/)
- [University of Hawaiʻi Law Library — MS Word for Lawyers: Table of Authorities](https://law-hawaii.libguides.com/TLC_Research_Writing/WordTOA)
- [Microsoft Support — Create a table of authorities](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/create-a-table-of-authorities)