Comparison
BriefAuthority and the other ways to build a Table of Authorities.
The short answer: most TOA tools are Word add-ins for Windows, cloud platforms, or services you send the brief to. BriefAuthority is the one built to work from the final PDF, on a Mac, without uploading it. BriefAuthority is not Best Authority and is not affiliated with Litera. Competitors are described by what they publish — we don't state anyone's accuracy.
Pricing checked on each vendor's site on 2026-09-24.
Eleven ways, side by side
- Yes
- No
- Partly / connects to a service
- Not stated by the vendor
in your favoragainst, on a Mac with a brief you can't upload
| Tool | How it works | Pricing (as published) | Uploads the brief? | Works on Mac? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litera Best Authority | Word add-in (Windows) | Not published by Litera; ~$65/document reported by LawNext (2019) | No. No — runs inside Word | Not stated by the vendor. Not advertised; positioned as a Word for Windows add-in |
| Benchly ezBriefs | Word add-in, account required | $600/year for solos; firms by quote | Partly — connects to a service. Connects to Benchly's service | Not stated by the vendor. Not stated; confirm with vendor |
| Clearbrief | Word add-in, cloud platform | $300/month per user (Solo) | Partly — connects to a service. Cloud-based | Not stated by the vendor. Not stated; confirm with vendor |
| Lexis Create+ | Add-in in Microsoft 365 Word | Not published | Partly — connects to a service. Connected to LexisNexis | Not stated by the vendor. Not stated; confirm with vendor |
| Thomson Reuters Drafting Assistant | Tied to Westlaw / Practical Law | Not published | Partly — connects to a service. Connected to Thomson Reuters | Not stated by the vendor. Not stated; confirm with vendor |
| BriefMark | Browser tool; reads a Word .docx and writes Word's TA field codes back, so the table is built in Word | Free up to 8 authorities; Pro $99 one-time | No. No — runs in the browser tab | Yes. Yes, with Word for Mac |
| Jurisage TOA builder | Browser app; you upload the document | Not published on its TOA page | Yes. Yes, by design | Yes. Browser-based |
| TypeLaw | Human formatting service | $1,895 per brief | Yes. Yes — you send the brief | Yes. Yes (it's a service) |
| Word for Windows | Mark Citation, then Insert Table of Authorities | Included with Word | No. No | No. No — unsupported in Word for Mac and the web, per Microsoft |
| General chatbot (e.g. ChatGPT) | Paste or upload the brief, ask for a TOA | Free / subscription | Yes. Yes | Yes. Yes |
| BriefAuthorityPre-launch · early access | Reads the final PDF in the browser, review screen, .docx | Planned $39 one-time or $9 per brief | No. No — processed on your computer | Yes. Yes, any modern browser |
Swipe the table sideways; the tool column stays put.
Descriptions and prices are as each vendor publishes them, or as reported where noted. “Not stated” means we couldn't find it on the vendor's site — ask them before you buy. The BriefAuthority row is the specification as designed, confirmed at launch.
Decision list
Which one fits your situation
Find the line that sounds like you, then read across.
Windows firm, heavy appellate volume, existing license
Keep Best Authority.
You already pay for Lexis or Westlaw and want research inside Word
Ask about Lexis Create+ or Drafting Assistant in your plan.
Solo who wants cite checking plus a TOA in Word
Benchly or Clearbrief (subscription).
High-stakes brief you want fully formatted by people
TypeLaw.
Windows, an occasional brief, no budget
Word's built-in Mark Citation.
Mac, Google Docs or Pages; the final brief is a PDF; you can't upload it
BriefAuthority (in development).
Candidly
When BriefAuthority is the wrong choice
- If you need citation checking (is it still good law, is the pin cite right), use a citator or a tool built for it.
- If your firm is on Windows with a Best Authority license, stay with it.
- And BriefAuthority isn't available yet — early access only.