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First Rule vs Document Crunch

Two construction-specific AI contract review tools that cite the clause behind each flag. First Rule publishes monthly prices and attorney-built playbooks; Document Crunch spans pursuit to closeout with Project Assist for notices, RFIs and submittals.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 15, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

Side by side

First Rule vs Document Crunch: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowFirst RuleDocument Crunch
CategoryAI construction contract reviewContract & document review
AI role (our label)AI-firstAI-first
What it doesConstruction-specific contract review and management platform. Users upload a prime contract or subcontract (PDF or Word); its AI assistant, Marten, flags risky clauses against a construction playbook, explains them in plain English with links to the exact clause, answers questions on contracts, specs and change orders, and produces a jobsite-ready summary. Prebuilt playbooks carry risk levels, preferred language and fallback positions, with embedded video guidance from construction attorneys. Clause types named include pay-if-paid, indemnity, liquidated damages and notice requirements. Vendor describes the review as construction-trained and human-backed; higher tiers list organization-specific playbooks, flow-down risk analysis between prime contract and subcontract, and customer-hosted Microsoft Azure deployment.AI construction risk platform. CrunchAI reviews project documents and contracts and surfaces risk (e.g. flow-down clauses) with citations to the source. Project Assist is described as an agentic layer for submittals, notices, and RFIs, and for asking questions across contracts, specs, and addenda. Vendor says findings are cited, knowledge carries from pre-con to the field, and contracts stay with the customer (SOC 2 by default). Use cases listed across pursuit (auto redlining, version compare), pre-con (division checklists, contract/spec inconsistencies), and construction (playbooks, project artifacts, mobile access).
Who it's forGeneral contractors, subcontractors, owners, design professionals and construction attorneys (vendor wording).Construction teams managing contract risk from pursuit through closeout.
Pricing (as publicly stated)Apprentice $795/month (1 seat, native construction playbook, Marten). Proficient $1,495/month, 10 seats, listed as available mid-2026. Mastery custom pricing, unlimited seats. Training memberships per seat: $60/seat/mo (1-9), $55 (10-24), $50 (25+). Every plan lists one free contract upload and a 30-day money-back guarantee. (Pricing checked Oct 15, 2026.)Not publicly listed (a free trial is offered).
Test statusNot tested. No scores.Not tested. No scores.
Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Oct 15, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What we can't tell you yet

Which tool is better for your work. That needs testing on the same package with a verified answer key. Planned measures for this comparison:

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