Spellbook alternative for UK law firms
Spellbook is a capable AI contract drafting and review add-in for Microsoft Word, with a free trial. Scriptum is the better alternative for a mid-sized UK firm that wants to go beyond drafting: it reviews the other side's markup for partner sign-off, negotiates inside partner-set limits, gives your client and opposing counsel one workspace, and captures a clause library your firm owns. Scriptum also publishes its prices, from £79 per user per month.
Spellbook was one of the first AI tools to put contract drafting inside Microsoft Word, and it is widely used by commercial lawyers. If you are looking at it, you have already decided the right place for legal AI is Word. We agree. The question is how much of the deal you want the tool to cover.
What is Spellbook?
Spellbook is AI contract software for law firms and in-house teams. Its Spellbook Suite includes a Word add-in and an AI associate. Its pricing page says pricing is custom and based on the number of team members on your licence, with a seven-day free trial for lawyers and legal teams. In-house plans include a playbook build service.
How does Scriptum compare with Spellbook?
| Factor | Scriptum | Spellbook |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | The full transactional deal: draft, review, negotiate, collaborate | Contract drafting and review in Word |
| Microsoft Word | Yes, add-in | Yes, add-in |
| Pricing | Published: £79 and £119 per user per month, excluding VAT | Custom, based on team size |
| Free trial | Demo on your own document type | Seven-day free trial |
| Partner sign-off workflow | Built in: agents propose, a named lawyer decides | Not a headline feature on its pricing page |
| Negotiation across rounds | Negotiation agent inside partner-set limits, plus running issues list (Pro) | Review of contracts in Word |
| Client and opposing counsel workspace | Yes, one secure matter workspace | Not a headline feature on its pricing page |
| Firm-owned clause library with negotiation history | Yes, on every plan | Playbooks (build service for in-house teams) |
| Built for | UK and Irish transactional practice | Law firms and in-house teams |
Spellbook details are from Spellbook's pricing page as of November 2026.
Drafting is where a deal starts, not where it ends
On most transactional matters, the first draft is a small share of the work. The rest is reading the other side's markup, deciding what to accept, agreeing positions with the client, getting partner sign-off and doing it all again next round. A drafting add-in helps with the first part. Scriptum is built for all of it.
- The review agent reads incoming markup against your playbook and your client's priorities, and prepares a review plan for partner sign-off.
- The negotiation agent (Pro) answers each round inside the limits your partner has set.
- The collaboration agent (Pro) spots where you need the client's input and drafts the questions for you to approve.
- A running issues list tracks every open point across every turn.
Bring a markup you have just received. Book a 30-minute demo and see the review agent work through it.
Why Scriptum is the better Spellbook alternative for mid-sized UK firms
It covers the negotiation. On most deals, much of the work comes after the first draft goes out. That is where Scriptum does most of its work.
It builds a firm asset. Every clause your lawyers agree is captured with its negotiation history into a library the firm owns, so the next first draft starts from what you actually agreed, not a static template.
The price is public. £79 per user per month for Starter, £119 for Pro, billed monthly. No quote needed.
It is built around UK deal documents. SPAs, subscription and shareholders' agreements, articles, commercial leases and commercial contracts.
When Spellbook may suit you better
- You mainly want drafting help in Word and do not need a shared workspace or negotiation workflow.
- You want to trial a tool on your own before speaking to anyone. Spellbook offers a self-serve seven-day trial.
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Common questions
What is the best Spellbook alternative in the UK?
For mid-sized UK firms that want help through the whole negotiation, Scriptum is the best Spellbook alternative. It drafts in Word like Spellbook, and adds review for partner sign-off, negotiation inside partner-set limits, a client and opposing counsel workspace, and a firm-owned clause library.
How much does Spellbook cost?
Spellbook's pricing page says pricing is custom and based on team size, with a seven-day free trial. Scriptum publishes its prices: £79 per user per month for Starter and £119 for Pro, excluding VAT.
Does Scriptum work in Microsoft Word like Spellbook?
Yes. Scriptum is a Microsoft Word add-in. Its agents propose changes for a lawyer to approve, and the matter workspace sits alongside it for the client and the other side.