Patently

Patently is a web-based patent platform for professionals whose work extends from discovery into analysis, drafting, and project management. Its connected workflows are a strong fit for law firms and in-house teams; individual searchers may find the scope and custom-priced team plans more than they need.

The central advantage is continuity: search results can feed later patent work without exports. That breadth comes with a clear trade-off—the free plan is for one person, while team plans use custom pricing.

Overview

Founded in 2018, Patently brings patent search, drafting, prosecution, oppositions, licensing, and litigation work into a web platform. Its professional focus is apparent in project-level permissions, ethical walls, confidentiality barriers, and customizable workflows. These controls suit teams handling distinct matters; someone who only needs occasional patent lookups may not benefit from the wider setup.

Patently says user content is typically encrypted in transit and at rest, specifying AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit. It says personal data is not shared with LLM providers and Onardo output is processed on secure on-premises servers in the UK. Onardo communicates with OpenAI and Anthropic through secure API calls, and Anthropic data retention is zero days. Patently will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain at least 99.9% annual uptime, subject to exclusions.

Key features

Search that leads into other work

Patently Search ranks patents by relevance and supports semantic search, with results flowing into other patent workflows without exports. That makes it more useful than a search-only tool when discovery is the start of a larger matter. Patent family analysis, clustering, and monitoring alerts extend the research toolkit.

Drafting, charting, and analytics

Patently Create uses the Onardo AI assistant to draft claims, figures, and full descriptions from invention disclosures. That gives patent professionals a starting point for drafting inside the same platform, though AI assistance is not a substitute for their review. Patently Mine maps claims against standards and other technical documents and can produce downloadable reports. Patently Rate supports shared ratings and customizable FTO, landscape, novelty, invalidity, and competitor projects.

Patently License adds standards-essential patent analytics covering ownership, geography, and technology across 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, and beyond. This breadth is valuable to teams whose work includes SEP questions; it is less compelling for users who only need basic patent search.

Team controls and support

Custom workflows, Word and Excel exports, and project-level permissions let teams organize work and limit access by matter. Standard support includes online documentation and videos, email help during UK weekday business hours, and a response within 24 hours. Law Firm+ lists IPMS integration, a practical distinction for firms that need that connection.

Pricing

Patently uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing and allows one user for individual use. It includes asset search with filters, chat with Onardo, patent-family browsing, and asset-link sharing. This is a useful individual entry point, but it does not provide the team-oriented matter management or collaboration listed on paid plans.

Law Firm+ has custom pricing and supports any number of users. It is designed for law-firm use, with matter-centric management, client access, and IPMS integration. It is the relevant tier for firms that need client-facing matter work, but the custom price means buyers must request a quote.

Business+ also has custom pricing and allows any number of users. It includes AI drafting, prosecution and analysis, semantic search, analytics, and collaboration, making it the team option for businesses building a broader patent workflow. Enterprise pricing is as per your requirements, with any number of users and bespoke solutions; that flexibility targets organizations needing a tailored deployment rather than a fixed package. Neither team tier has a published fixed price.

Platforms

Patently runs on the web. That keeps the platform accessible through a browser, but the supported platform list does not include a dedicated mobile app.

Who it's for

Patently is best suited to patent attorneys, inventors, and in-house teams that need research to connect with drafting, analysis, and project controls. Law firms can look to Law Firm+ for matter management and client access, while businesses may prefer Business+ for analytics and collaboration. A solo user can start with the free plan, but casual searchers may find a narrower search product a better fit.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Search results carry into other patent workflows without exports, reducing handoffs for teams doing more than discovery.
• Pro: Drafting, claim charting, ratings, and SEP analytics cover distinct stages of professional patent work in one platform.
• Pro: Project permissions, ethical walls, and confidentiality barriers support teams that need matter-level access controls.
• Con: The free plan is limited to one user and individual use, so it is not a team trial.
• Con: Law Firm+, Business+, and Enterprise do not have fixed published prices, making cost comparison less direct.
• Con: The web-only platform may not suit readers who need a native mobile app.

Alternatives

For a dedicated AI patent-search comparison, browse AI Patent Search Software. FindIP is a better fit for readers who want a search-credit model and access across Android, iOS, web, and API; its free tier includes 30 search credits and five jurisdictions. Choose GoVeda if unlimited AI semantic searches and patentability reports on a free-forever plan better match the need. Patent77 may suit readers who want a fixed-cost Pro option at $49 a month, while its free tier is capped at three AI searches per month and five references.

PatLab.AI offers free patent searches and a one-time Pro Patent Search plan, a simpler option for readers focused on search. PatSnap is worth considering for technical research, with a free Basic tier for limited technical topics and a paid Pro plan. PQAI is an open-source alternative for readers who value a platform that invites community improvement. The Lens offers free anonymous browsing and a separate academic workspace. Stiltn is an alternative for readers seeking self-hosted deployment, with an evaluation that includes full platform access and dedicated onboarding.

Verdict

Choose Patently if patent work regularly moves from searching into drafting, analysis, or team-managed projects: its strongest case is the connected workflow and professional controls. Look elsewhere if you need only occasional searches, a multi-user free plan, or fixed public pricing for a team.