Manupatra Alternatives in India (2026): Free and Paid Options, With Prices
Manupatra starts at ₹14,250 a year plus GST. Here is what else an Indian advocate can use — free and paid — what each costs on its own site, and when staying on Manupatra is the right call.
Advocates look for a Manupatra alternative for one of three reasons: the price, the fact that it is a research database and nothing else, or because their court wants a different reporter. Each reason points to a different answer.
Disclosure: LawCentral publishes this page and is one of the options below. Every price was read off the vendor's own page on 16 October 2026; archived copies are linked under Sources.
What Manupatra costs today
Manupatra's subscription page lists these annual plans, all exclusive of GST:
| Plan | Annual price |
|---|---|
| Starter | ₹14,250 |
| Core | ₹25,700 |
| Advanced | ₹31,860 |
| Business Plus | ₹43,660 |
| Premium Full Access | ₹55,460 |
The page notes that the Starter plan is offered only for two years and is not for academic use. A time-based Saver plan is listed at ₹24,700.
The alternatives at a glance
| Option | What it is | Price (16 Oct 2026) | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Kanoon | Free judgment search; Prism AI on top | Search free; Prism Premium and Pro paid, +18% GST | You mainly need to read judgments |
| SCC Online | The SCC reporter online, from Eastern Book Company | Current price not confirmed on its site | Your court or senior wants SCC citations |
| Claw | Case search plus case management and contracts | ₹13,000 per advocate a year + 18% GST | A firm wants research and contracts together |
| LawCentral | Case tracking, AI research and drafting in one | ₹1,000 a month, GST included | You want research tied to your own matters |
1. Indian Kanoon — the free alternative
Indian Kanoon's judgment search is free and is where most advocates start. Its AI assistant, Prism, has a free tier with a few credits and paid Premium and Pro plans.
Choose it if your research is mostly finding and reading judgments. Keep in mind: a print-out from a free database is not always accepted where your court expects a reported citation.
2. SCC Online — the other reporter
SCC Online is the online edition of the Supreme Court Cases reporter. It is the natural switch if your practice needs SCC citations and its editorial notes. We could not find a published price on its site on 16 October 2026, so you will need to ask Eastern Book Company.
Choose it if the reporter matters more than the price.
3. Claw — research plus practice tools
Claw says it searches judgments of the Supreme Court and 25 High Courts and adds case management across 9,102 courts and contract lifecycle management. Its pricing page lists ₹13,000 per advocate per year plus 18% GST (₹15,340), with lower per-advocate rates for larger teams.
Choose it if you are a firm that wants contracts and case research in one annual subscription.
4. LawCentral — research tied to your matters
LawCentral publishes this page, so read this section with that in mind. Research is one part of it: you ask in plain words, Nyra answers from Supreme Court and High Court judgments and from your own case record, and every citation is checked against Indian Kanoon before it reaches you. The same workspace tracks your matters from the court and drafts from them.
Price, GST included: Starter ₹1,000 a month, Practice ₹2,499, Pro ₹4,900; about 20% less billed annually. Five days of the full product, no card. See pricing.
Choose it if you want research, case tracking and drafting in one place at a monthly price.
Who should stay on Manupatra
An alternative is not always better. Stay where you are if:
- You rely on its editorial depth — headnotes, digests and decades of reported material are what you are paying for, and no free tool replaces that.
- Your citations must match its pagination for the courts and seniors you work with.
- Your firm already has the subscription and the cost is not yours.
For many advocates the practical answer is a combination: a free tool for daily lookups, and a paid tool only for the job the free one cannot do.
More comparisons
- LawCentral vs Manupatra vs SCC Online — feature by feature
- 10 free legal research tools for Indian lawyers
- Best legal software for advocates in India — tracking, research and drafting
Sources (read 16 October 2026)
| Vendor | Page | Archived copy |
|---|---|---|
| Manupatra | Subscription plans | Wayback, 16 Oct 2026 |
| Indian Kanoon Prism | indiankanoon.org/prism/pricing | Wayback, 16 Oct 2026 |
| Claw | clawlaw.in/price | Wayback, 16 Oct 2026 |
| LawCentral | lawcentral.ai/pricing | — |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Manupatra?
For free judgment search, Indian Kanoon. For another reporter, SCC Online. For research tied to case tracking and drafting at a monthly price, LawCentral (from ₹1,000 a month, GST included). For a firm wanting contracts too, Claw.
How much does Manupatra cost?
Its subscription page on 16 October 2026 listed annual plans from ₹14,250 (Starter) to ₹55,460 (Premium Full Access), all exclusive of GST. The Starter plan is offered only for two years.
Is there a free alternative to Manupatra?
Indian Kanoon’s judgment search is free. LawCentral offers free tools and a 5-day trial of its full research and drafting product without a card.
Can I cite judgments from a free database in court?
Practice varies by court and bench. Where a reported citation is expected, use the reporter. Always check your court’s own rules or ask the registry.
LawCentral Team
LawCentral India
