Everlaw wins for cloud-first litigation teams

Everlaw wins for cloud-first litigation teams that want modern UX and predictive coding without managing infrastructure. Relativity remains the heavyweight for complex, high-volume matters where maximum control over workflows and hosting decisions matters more than ease of use.

Both platforms handle TAR, review workflows, and production — but they approach it from opposite directions. Everlaw was born in the cloud and optimized for speed-to-review. Relativity was born on-prem and bolted cloud on later via RelativityOne. That architectural difference shapes everything from pricing to deployment timelines.

Everlaw vs. Relativity: Head-to-Head Comparison

Here's how these two stack up across the dimensions that actually matter to managing partners:

| Feature | Everlaw | Relativity | |---|---|---| | Deployment | Cloud-only (SaaS) | On-prem, cloud (RelativityOne), or hybrid | | Pricing | $2K-5K/month per matter | Per-GB hosting + per-user licensing (varies widely) | | AI/TAR | Predictive coding, clustering, built-in | Analytics, Active Learning, aiR for Review | | Market Share | Growing fast, mid-market dominance | Largest installed base in ediscovery | | UX | Best-in-class, minimal training needed | Steep learning curve, power-user oriented | | Best For | Cloud-first teams, mid-size matters | Complex litigation, regulatory, massive data volumes | | Integrations | Limited but growing | 200+ marketplace apps, broadest ecosystem | | Security Certs | FedRAMP, SOC 2, ISO 27001 | FedRAMP (RelativityOne), SOC 2, HIPAA |

Everlaw's flat monthly pricing makes budgeting predictable. Relativity's per-GB model can spiral on document-heavy cases — but gives you granular control over what you're paying for.

AI and Technology Assisted Review

Everlaw's predictive coding is genuinely intuitive. Associates can run TAR workflows without a litigation support specialist holding their hand. The platform's clustering and visualization tools let reviewers see document relationships at a glance, which cuts first-pass review time by 30-50% in most deployments.

Relativity countered with aiR for Review in 2024-2025, which uses large language models to classify documents with written-language instructions instead of seed sets. It's powerful, but it sits on top of Relativity's existing infrastructure — meaning you still need someone who understands the platform's architecture to get maximum value. For firms that already have Relativity admins on staff, aiR is a genuine leap forward. For firms starting fresh, Everlaw's AI feels more plug-and-play.

Deployment and Infrastructure Reality

Everlaw is cloud-only, period. You don't choose a hosting model — you log in and start working. For firms that don't want to manage servers, negotiate hosting contracts, or maintain an IT team for ediscovery, this is the right answer.

Relativity gives you three options: self-hosted on-prem (Relativity Server), cloud via RelativityOne, or hybrid setups. Government contractors and firms handling classified materials often need on-prem. Large litigation departments with existing infrastructure investments might prefer keeping control. But here's the honest truth: RelativityOne is where Relativity is pushing everyone, and the on-prem product is getting less love with each release cycle.

Deployment timeline tells the story. Everlaw: days to weeks. RelativityOne: weeks to months for full configuration. On-prem Relativity: months, and that's if your IT team knows what they're doing.

Ecosystem and Integration Depth

This is where Relativity dominates without question. The Relativity Marketplace has 200+ applications covering everything from data processing to privilege logging to cost recovery. If you need a specialized workflow, someone's probably built it for Relativity.

Everlaw's ecosystem is thinner but growing. They've added integrations with major processing tools and outside counsel platforms, but you won't find the same depth of third-party add-ons. For firms that rely on a specific niche tool — say, a specialized privilege review application or a custom analytics module — Relativity's ecosystem is a genuine competitive advantage.

That said, most firms use 5-10% of available integrations. If your needs are standard review, production, and analytics, Everlaw's native capabilities cover it without needing marketplace add-ons.

Total Cost of Ownership

Everlaw's pricing is transparent and predictable: $2K-5K/month depending on matter size and data volume. You know what you're spending before you start.

Relativity's costs are layered: per-GB hosting fees, per-user license fees, processing costs, and potentially marketplace app fees. A typical mid-size matter on RelativityOne runs $3K-8K/month all-in, but complex matters with heavy data loads can push well past that. On-prem adds infrastructure costs, admin salaries, and upgrade cycles.

For a 50-attorney firm handling 20-30 active matters, Everlaw typically comes in 20-35% cheaper on total cost of ownership over three years. For a 500-attorney firm with dedicated litigation support staff and existing Relativity infrastructure, switching costs make Relativity the more economical choice even if per-matter costs are higher.

The Bottom Line: Pick Everlaw if you want cloud-native simplicity and modern UX out of the box; pick Relativity if you need maximum control, on-prem options, or deep third-party integrations for complex matters.