Flagship review · Legal research

Descrybe Review (2026): Primary Law Research for $50, or $25 in Your Own AI

Descrybe is primary-law research for the price of a lunch out: $50 a month for its full platform, or $25 to plug its research tools and citator into the AI assistant you already use. Coverage varies by jurisdiction, so check yours before you rely on it.

By The AI Tools For Law team

How we research: Researched from vendor documentation and pricing pages.

  • 5 min read
  • 11 chapters

Last updated Prices and details checked How we reviewEditorial independence

Verdict at a glance

Recommended for

Budget-conscious solos and small firms, and lawyers who want grounded citations inside the AI assistant they already use.

Bottom line

Pick the $50 Platform if you want Descrybe's own research and brief checking (it includes the Legal Engine); pick the $25 Legal Engine if you only want its tools inside your AI assistant. Never buy both.

One of the cheapest credible ways to get citation-backed primary-law research, and a smart fit for lawyers already working in ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot. Check the coverage page for your jurisdiction, watch the 150-run cap, and verify filing-critical citations.

Not for

Lawyers who need treatises and secondary sources, or who would rely on any citator for filing-critical checks without verifying.

Pricing from

Legal Engine $25/month; Descrybe Platform $50/month (descrybe.com/pricing, vendor claims checked 2026-10-15)

Pros

  • Published low monthly prices, month to month (descrybe.com/pricing)
  • Its own citator, Cytator, plus citation resolution and quote checks (descrybe.com)
  • Legal Engine works inside ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Perplexity (descrybe.com/pricing)
  • Federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, and court rules (descrybe.com/faq)

Cons

  • Platform includes 150 full research runs a month; what happens at the cap isn't stated (descrybe.com/pricing)
  • Coverage and date ranges vary by jurisdiction (descrybe.com/faq)
  • Payments are non-refundable (descrybe.com/pricing)
  • No secondary sources listed

Descrybe directory listing → · Vendor site ↗

Quick answer

Bottom line: Descrybe is for budget-conscious solos and small firms, and for lawyers who want grounded citations inside the AI assistant they already use. Prices are published: $50 a month for the Platform or $25 for the Legal Engine alone (vendor claims checked October 15, 2026). There's no free trial listed, but Descrybe has run a first-month discount. The trap: payments aren't refundable, the Platform caps you at 150 full research runs a month with no stated overage terms (confirm with Descrybe), and coverage varies by jurisdiction. Buy one plan, not both, and start monthly.

The Descrybe Platform ($50 a month) gives you its Deep Research tool for citation-backed analysis, brief checking, direct primary-law search, saved history, and Word output, with 150 full research runs a month. The Legal Engine ($25 a month) plugs Descrybe's search, citation tools, Cytator citator, and quote checks into ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Perplexity. The Platform already includes the Legal Engine. It's month to month and you can cancel anytime; check the coverage page for your jurisdiction first.

In this review (14)
  1. At a glance
  2. What does Descrybe actually do?
  3. Which Descrybe plan do you need?
  4. What are Descrybe's terms?
  5. How hard is Descrybe to set up?
  6. What do users say about Descrybe?
  7. Pros and cons
  8. How does Descrybe compare with Midpage, CourtListener, and CoCounsel?
  9. Who should use Descrybe?
  10. FAQ
  11. Is any of this sponsored?
  12. Sources (all accessed 2026-10-15)
  13. Alternatives
  14. How we reviewed

We built this review from Descrybe's pricing page and FAQ. Prices are vendor claims checked October 15, 2026. Confirm with Descrybe before you buy.

Disclosure: Descrybe hasn't paid for this review, and none of the links in it are paid placements. Nothing here is legal advice.

What does Descrybe actually do?#

Descrybe sells the same research database two ways.

The Descrybe Platform is a standalone research product:

  • DescrybeLM Deep Research: AI analysis with citations to the authority behind each point.
  • Brief checking: run a draft through it to check citations and quotes.
  • Legal Research Toolkit: direct search of primary law.
  • Saved history and Word output for your work product.

The Legal Engine is the research layer without Descrybe's interface. It connects to ChatGPT, Claude (including its desktop and coding apps), Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Perplexity, plus an open connector for internal tools. It provides 13 tools, including search, citation resolution, the Cytator citator, and quote checks. The AI assistant subscription itself is yours to buy separately.

Coverage, per Descrybe's FAQ: federal and state case law, bankruptcy, agency and tribal tribunals, statutes, regulations, constitutions, session laws, and court rules. Date ranges vary by jurisdiction and are listed on its coverage page. We didn't find secondary sources such as treatises.

Descrybe by the published numbers

Which Descrybe plan do you need?#

Descrybe plans

FeatureLegal EngineDescrybe Platform
Monthly price$25$50
Research tools inside ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, PerplexityYesYes
Cytator citator, citation resolution, quote checksYesYes
DescrybeLM Deep ResearchNo150 full runs/month
Brief checking, saved history, Word outputNoYes
Per-search chargesnonenone

Lighter rows are the same for every product; the rest are where they differ.

Source: descrybe.com/pricingDescrybe pricing page, checked 2026-10-15. Month to month; payments non-refundable. Organization plans are priced per named user, by quote.

What this means for you: If you already pay for an AI assistant and want its legal answers grounded in real citations, the $25 Legal Engine is the efficient buy. If you want a research product of its own, take the $50 Platform, which includes the Engine. Descrybe's own page warns against buying both.

Heavy researchers should confirm with Descrybe what happens after the 150th run in a month; the pricing page doesn't say. Organization plans with central billing are priced per named user by quote, and academic access runs through NELLCO, a non-profit law library consortium.

What are Descrybe's terms?#

Month to month, cancel anytime from the subscription settings, and payments aren't refunded. Descrybe also runs an introductory discount on the first month; check the pricing page for the current offer. Because nothing is refundable, start monthly rather than paying ahead.

How hard is Descrybe to set up?#

Minimal. Check out online and start researching on the Platform. The Legal Engine takes one more step: connecting it to your AI assistant, which takes minutes in most of them.

What do users say about Descrybe?#

Independent testing reported in the legal tech press found Descrybe's citator generally correct, with occasional errors in treatment flags and some missing treatment data. Descrybe has also promoted benchmark results it ran itself; we don't repeat those as fact. At $25 to $50 a month, a month of real research on your own matters is the most useful test.

Pros and cons#

Pros

  • Very low published prices, month to month.
  • Its own citator, plus quote and citation checks.
  • Works inside the AI assistant you already use.
  • Broad primary-law coverage, including court rules and tribal tribunals.

Cons

  • 150-run monthly cap on the Platform, with overage terms unstated.
  • Coverage varies by jurisdiction.
  • Non-refundable payments.
  • No secondary sources.

How does Descrybe compare with Midpage, CourtListener, and CoCounsel?#

Midpage costs $100 a seat for AI case law research with a citator and PACER agent. CourtListener is a free non-profit database of opinions and federal filings, without the AI layer. CoCounsel is a full research platform at a full platform price. Descrybe is the budget pick, and the most flexible if your work already runs through a general AI assistant.

Who should use Descrybe?#

FAQ#

How much does Descrybe cost?#

The Descrybe Platform is $50 a month and includes the Legal Engine; the Legal Engine alone is $25 a month (pricing page, checked October 15, 2026).

Does Descrybe work with ChatGPT or Claude?#

Yes. The Legal Engine connects to ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Perplexity. You pay for those assistants separately.

Does Descrybe have a citator?#

Yes, Cytator, included in both plans.

Can I cancel Descrybe?#

Yes, anytime; it's month to month. Payments aren't refundable.

Is any of this sponsored?#

No. If that changes, the listing will be labeled Sponsored.

Sources (all accessed 2026-10-15)#

AI Tools For Law is not a law firm and doesn't provide legal advice. Using this site doesn't create an attorney-client relationship.

Alternatives to Descrybe#

How we reviewed

Researched from vendor documentation, pricing pages and user sentiment. Prices and details were last checked on . Sources are cited inline next to each claim and listed in the Sources section above.

How we review · Editorial independence and disclosure · Corrections: hello@aitoolsforlaw.ai