The two solutions meet different needs.
Weblaw is above all a legal publisher that provides access to legal doctrine, case law and other specialist content. Silex is a legal assistant that helps you research, analyse and draft on the basis of verifiable Swiss law sources.
The choice therefore depends mainly on your needs: consulting legal doctrine, or producing a structured legal analysis more quickly while protecting case file data.
Weblaw: a legal publisher and a legal database
Weblaw offers a wide range of Swiss legal content, including Jusletter, commentaries, journals and various databases.
This content is useful when a legal professional needs to explore a question in depth, consult a doctrinal analysis or check how a legal rule is interpreted.
Weblaw offers additional tools for document management, but its offering remains mainly centred on accessing and consulting legal content.
To compare this approach with another legal library, see our article Swisslex or Silex.
Lawsearch AI: Weblaw’s AI assistant
Lawsearch AI lets you ask questions in natural language and look for answers in the content available from Weblaw.
The tool combines semantic search with document search to make it easier to find decisions, legislative texts and publications.
According to Weblaw, its database includes more than 735,000 Swiss court decisions as well as numerous legislative texts.
Answers come with their sources so that professionals can check the references used.
With Lawsearch Enterprise, the firm’s internal documents can also be included in searches.
Silex: building a legal analysis
Silex takes a different approach. The tool does not just find documents: it helps legal professionals structure an answer based on Swiss law.
In particular, it can:
- search for legal sources;
- summarise decisions;
- analyse a question;
- prepare a memo or a first draft;
- link the facts of the case to the applicable law.
Each analysis comes with references so that you can check the reasoning before using it.
Silex’s legal sources
According to Silex, the platform draws on more than 800,000 Swiss legal sources, covering legislation and case law in particular.
The corpus is updated regularly to keep pace with new laws and decisions.
Answers contain links to the sources used, so professionals can quickly check the references.
From question to first draft
Silex can turn a legal question into an initial structured analysis.
The tool can organise the answer around the key elements of the reasoning: the facts, the applicable rules, the relevant case law and the conclusion.
The legal professional can then edit, complete and validate this starting point before using it in a memo, a contract or another document.
The method is detailed in our article on AI-assisted legal analysis. The main features are also presented on the product page.
Silo: working with the firm’s documents
With Silo, Silex can also analyse the firm’s internal documents.
It can work on, for example:
- contracts;
- internal notes;
- templates;
- client files;
- previous analyses.
Answers can thus take into account the content of the case file and the firm’s internal practices.
Professionals can also find an old document or a specific piece of information in their archives more easily.
Checking AI answers
An AI can produce false information or misinterpret a source. Every important answer must therefore be checked.
Silex links its answers to references that the legal professional can consult.
This traceability helps reduce the risk of relying on an incorrect or outdated source, but it does not replace human validation.
The professional remains responsible for the analysis and the final document.
Hosting and confidentiality
Data security is essential for professionals bound by professional secrecy.
Weblaw states that Lawsearch AI is securely hosted in Switzerland.
Silex also states that it hosts data in Switzerland with Infomaniak and does not use client files to train its models.
Details about Silex are given on the security page. The legal framework is explained in our article AI and data protection.
Integration into the firm’s tools
Weblaw offers several products and tools that complement its publishing offering.
Silex, for its part, aims to integrate directly into the software that professionals already use.
The integration of Silex into WinLex and SkyLex, for example, makes it possible to run a search without leaving the usual working environment.
The partnership with MCR Solutions also aims to bring AI-assisted legal research into existing processes.
You can also read the announcements about Silex and EXPERTsuisse and Bordier & Cie.
Pricing
Weblaw works with different products, modules and subscriptions, depending on the content and features chosen.
Silex offers several 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.
The plans are detailed on the pricing and solutions pages.
Weblaw or Silex: the main differences
To compare other solutions, see our article on legal AI alternatives.
In short
Weblaw and Silex meet two different needs.
Weblaw is particularly useful for consulting legal doctrine, case law and specialist legal publications.
Silex focuses on research, analysis and preparing legal answers based on Swiss law and, with Silo, on the firm’s documents.
The two solutions can therefore complement each other, depending on how you work.
For personal use, see our guide on legal AI for individuals.
To test Silex on a real legal question, you can book a demo.
FAQ
Does Silex give access to Weblaw’s doctrine?
No. Silex does not distribute commentaries, journals or editorial publications such as Jusletter. If this content matters in your work, access to Weblaw remains useful.
Does Weblaw also offer an AI tool?
Yes. Lawsearch AI lets you ask questions in natural language and find sourced answers in Weblaw’s content. Lawsearch Enterprise can also include internal documents in searches.
Do both solutions host data in Switzerland?
According to Weblaw, Lawsearch AI benefits from secure hosting in Switzerland. Silex states that it hosts data with Infomaniak in Switzerland and does not use client files to train its models.
