Spellbook vs Gavel Exec: which Word AI contract reviewer should you choose?
Answer in brief: Both tools review and redline contracts inside Microsoft Word. Spellbook is the broader suite: Review, Draft, Ask, Benchmarks and Playbooks in Word, plus the Associate multi-document agent, intake from email and Slack, and a repository. Gavel Exec is the transparent-price option: 25 free queries per user with no credit card, then $160 per user per month or $1,740 per user per year, with priority-ranked redlines and market benchmarking. Choose Spellbook for breadth and team rollout. Choose Gavel Exec if you are a solo or small firm that wants to start today at a known price.
Top pick: Spellbook. If you want one AI suite that drafts, reviews, benchmarks and handles multi-document matters, Spellbook gives you the most capability per seat. Try it with the 7-day free trial. Visit Spellbook →
Best published price: Gavel Exec. Free to start, then a public per-user price. Visit Gavel Exec →
Independent research from official vendor pages, checked November 9, 2026. Not hands-on testing. Usage figures are vendor claims.
Feature face-off
| Factor | Spellbook | Gavel Exec |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Word add-in, plus Associate | Word add-in (Windows, Mac 2016+, web, Microsoft 365) and the exec.gavel.io web app |
| Review output | Tracked redlines negotiated from your side | Priority-ranked redlines as tracked changes, margin comments and missing-term lists |
| Drafting | Clauses, full agreements and revisions from AI or precedent | Clause and contract drafting with Quick Actions or prompts |
| Playbooks | Saved, reusable review instructions | Built-in playbooks, or rules you write or generate from checklists and signed agreements; pass/fail results |
| Benchmarking | Benchmarks against market language | On-market, off-market or missing, filtered by jurisdiction, industry and company size |
| Multi-document and lifecycle | Associate agent; email and Slack intake; repository | Shared Workspace; focused on the review document |
| Price | Custom, per user | $160/user/month or $1,740/user/year; team pricing for 10+ seats |
| Free start | 7-day free trial | 25 free queries per user, no credit card |
| Usage cap | Not published | 1,000 completions per month on paid plans |
| Security | SOC 2 Type II; zero data retention | SOC 2 Type II; zero data retention with AI providers; documents not used for training |
| Ownership | Independent | Acquired by Relativity (announced June 12, 2026) |
Spellbook's edge: one suite for the whole deal
Spellbook describes itself as an AI system that runs contracts end to end. Inbound contracts come in from email and Slack and get a first-pass review against your standards. Drafting and review happen in Word. Playbooks turn your standards into checklists that are enforced on every review. Signed contracts go into a repository monitored for renewals and new risks. The Associate agent works across multi-document matters. Spellbook says 5,000+ legal teams use it (vendor figure). For a growing firm or in-house team, that breadth means fewer tools to buy later.
Gavel Exec's edge: start in two minutes, at a known price
Gavel Exec is built for transactional attorneys who want a negotiation-ready markup back sooner. It applies your playbooks and precedent, ranks redlines by priority, explains each change, and lists missing terms. Its benchmarking tells you whether each provision is on-market, off-market or missing for your jurisdiction, industry and company size. Gavel says Exec is used by more than 2,000 legal organizations in 28 countries (vendor figure). You can begin without a sales call.
When to pick which
- Solo attorney who wants to try AI review this afternoon: Gavel Exec.
- Law firm rolling out AI to a whole transactional group: Spellbook, which offers group training and dedicated support for teams over 10.
- In-house team that wants intake and a repository too: Spellbook.
- Budget owner who needs a published number for approval: Gavel Exec.
- Very high review volume per lawyer: check whether Gavel's 1,000-completion monthly cap fits, or ask Spellbook for terms.
Pricing model
Gavel Exec publishes its price: $160 per user per month, or $1,740 per user billed annually, after 25 free queries per user, with team pricing for 10+ seats. Spellbook's price depends on the number of team members on your license and is quoted after a demo. It offers a 7-day trial and free access for academic institutions. See our pricing comparison.
What the Relativity deal means
Relativity announced on June 12, 2026 that it had acquired Gavel, describing the deal as an extension of its legal data intelligence platform into Microsoft Word. Gavel Exec is still sold at the same published price. Buyers should ask how the roadmap and contract terms will change under Relativity.
FAQ
Is Gavel Exec cheaper than Spellbook?
Gavel Exec's price is public ($160 per user per month). Spellbook's is not, so you can only compare them by requesting a Spellbook quote for your seat count.
Can I try both for free?
Yes. Gavel Exec gives 25 free queries per user with no credit card, and Spellbook offers a 7-day free trial.
Do they train AI on my contracts?
Both say no. Each cites zero-data-retention agreements with its AI providers, and Gavel states that customer documents are not used to train AI models.
Does Gavel Exec work on a Mac?
Yes. The add-in runs in Word for Mac 2016 or later, Word for Windows, Word on the web and Microsoft 365.
Keep comparing
Back to the ranked list of AI contract review software · Spellbook review · Gavel Exec review · Spellbook vs LegalOn · Spellbook alternatives
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