The two tools meet different needs.
legalis.ch is above all a legal database. It provides access to legal doctrine, case law and other Swiss legal content. Silex is a legal assistant that helps you research, analyse and draft on the basis of verifiable sources.
The choice therefore depends mainly on your needs: consulting a comprehensive legal library or obtaining a structured analysis based on Swiss law and your own documents.
Two different approaches
legalis.ch is a documentation platform dedicated to Swiss law. Among other things, it brings together recognised commentaries, legal literature, legislation and case law.
It is particularly suited to legal professionals who want to consult a doctrinal source directly or explore a specific question in depth.
Silex takes a more operational approach. It helps the legal professional move from the question to the analysis and then to drafting, in a single environment.
The main features are presented on the product page.
Available content
legalis.ch offers a rich, regularly updated collection of legal doctrine, case law and legal texts.
Silex states that it has more than 800,000 Swiss legal sources, including federal and cantonal legislation and case law.
However, Silex does not distribute publishers’ commentaries and journals as legalis.ch does.
The two solutions therefore provide access to different content:
- legalis.ch is suited to consulting doctrine and legal publications;
- Silex focuses on research, analysis and drafting based on Swiss legal sources.
To compare Silex with a general-purpose assistant, see our article ChatGPT or Silex.
A similar comparison is also available in our article Swisslex or Silex.
elisa and Silex: two AI assistants
legalis.ch offers elisa, an AI assistant that answers legal questions based on the content available on the platform.
Its answers refer to the sources used so that the legal professional can consult them.
Silex also provides sourced answers, but with an approach geared more towards analysis. The tool structures the reasoning and allows the legal professional to trace the references used.
In both cases, AI remains an assistive tool: the professional must check the sources and validate the final analysis.
Working with the firm’s documents
Both solutions also make it possible to work with internal documents, but in different ways.
legalis.ch offers Swiss-Noxtua, an AI workspace in which users can upload their own documents.
With Silo, Silex also makes it possible to analyse internal documents such as:
- contracts;
- internal notes;
- client files;
- templates;
- the firm’s precedents.
Silex can thus link the content of these documents to the legal sources used in its analysis.
Confidentiality and hosting in Switzerland
Data security is essential for legal professionals.
For Swiss-Noxtua, legalis.ch advertises hosting in Switzerland and states that data is not used to train AI models.
Silex also states that data is hosted in Switzerland, with Infomaniak, and that client files are not used to train its models.
The stated guarantees are therefore similar on these points.
For Silex, details are available on the security page. The legal framework is also presented in our article AI and data protection.
Research, analysis and drafting
legalis.ch is particularly useful when you need to find doctrinal sources, consult a commentary or check a specific reference.
Silex instead aims to speed up the steps that follow the research. It can help to:
- structure a legal question;
- summarise several sources;
- prepare a memo;
- draft a first version of a document;
- analyse a case file based on sources and internal documents.
However, the legal professional remains responsible for the final version.
Integration with the firm’s tools
legalis.ch offers features suited to document research, such as export, printing, favourites and search history.
Silex focuses more on integrating directly with the software used by professionals.
The integration of Silex into WinLex and SkyLex, for example, makes it possible to run a search without leaving the current case file.
The partnership with MCR Solutions also aims to integrate legal research into existing workflows.
You can also read the announcements about Silex and EXPERTsuisse and Bordier & Cie.
Depending on your needs
legalis.ch is particularly suitable when you need access to legal doctrine, recognised commentaries or a specific legal publication.
Silex is geared more towards assisted research, analysis and document preparation.
The two tools can therefore complement each other: Silex can help prepare an initial analysis, while legalis.ch can be used to explore a doctrinal point in depth.
For non-professional users, see our guide on legal AI for individuals.
Pricing
legalis.ch works with subscriptions linked to the content and modules chosen, including offers such as legalis Open.
Silex offers monthly plans:
- Solo: CHF 149 per month for one user;
- Team: CHF 490 per month for up to five users;
- Enterprise: CHF 895 per month for up to ten users.
Silex’s plans are detailed on the pricing and solutions pages.
legalis.ch or Silex: the main differences
To compare other solutions, see our article on legal AI alternatives.
In short
legalis.ch and Silex serve two different purposes.
legalis.ch is particularly useful for consulting legal doctrine, case law and recognised legal publications.
Silex is designed to turn a legal question into a structured, sourced analysis, and can also work with the firm’s internal documents thanks to Silo.
The two tools can therefore complement each other, depending on how you work.
To test Silex on a real legal question, you can book a demo.
FAQ
Can Silex replace a legal commentary?
No. Silex can help prepare an analysis, but a database such as legalis.ch remains useful when you need to consult detailed doctrine or a specific commentary.
Can Silex handle confidential documents?
According to Silex, data is hosted in Switzerland and files placed in Silo are not used to train its models.
How can I try Silex?
A free trial lets you discover the tool before choosing a subscription.
