ClauseryGavel alternative that keeps client data on your computer
Gavel is a well-regarded cloud platform for legal document automation and client workflows. Clausery does the core job, turning Word templates into guided questionnaires, without sending client data to a vendor.
| Clausery | Gavel | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your documents are processed | Your browser only; nothing is uploaded | Vendor cloud |
| Account needed | No | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Uses your own Word templates | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional clauses and repeating lists | Yes | Yes |
| Calculations | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| Client questionnaires | Offline intake file you email to the client | Hosted, branded client portal |
| Integrations with practice management | None: files in, files out | Yes, including Clio |
| Price | Free library templates, plus 3 of your own; Pro $19 per user per month | Lite from about $83 to $99 per month; higher tiers about $250 to $417 per month |
Based on public information as of 2026. Products change; check with the vendor.
Choose Gavel if
- You want a hosted client portal with payments and online workflows
- You rely on its integrations with your practice management system
- Your firm is comfortable with cloud processing of client data
Choose Clausery if
- Client confidentiality rules or client instructions make uploads hard to justify
- You want to start in minutes with the Word files you already have
- You want a free tier with unlimited documents, or a flat low price per user
Moving a template from Gavel
- Start from the original Word version of the document, before it was converted for Gavel.
- Replace each detail that changes with a tag such as
{client_name}, and wrap optional clauses in{#has_retainer}…{/has_retainer}. Lists of parties or line items use a repeating section. - Check the file with the free template tag checker, then drop it into the app.
- Recreate any rules you built in Gavel's own editor as show-when conditions or calculations in the Clausery designer. Allow about an hour for a complex template.
What Clausery deliberately leaves out
Because nothing leaves your computer, Clausery has no hosted client portal, no built-in e-signature, no practice management integration and no cloud AI drafting. If you need those, Gavel or a similar platform may suit you better, and the two can run side by side.
Questions
Can I use Clausery and Gavel together?
Yes. Many firms keep a platform like Gavel for the workflows it does best and use Clausery for documents whose details should not leave the office. Clausery needs no integration to run alongside it.
How much does Clausery cost compared with Gavel?
Every Clausery library template is free, you can automate up to three of your own templates free with unlimited documents, and Pro is $19 per user per month. The table above summarises Gavel's published pricing as of 2026; check the vendor for current prices.
Does Clausery need IT to set up?
No. It runs in any modern browser with nothing to install, and firms that prefer can host the files on their own server.
What happens to my templates if I stop using Clausery?
They are ordinary Word files with tags, and your data exports as plain JSON. Nothing is locked into Clausery.
Try it with your own template
Open the app, drop in a Word document with tags like {client_name}, and you have a questionnaire. Or start from one of the free templates.