7 best Solve Intelligence alternatives for AI patent drafting

Solve Intelligence is one of the most well-known AI patent drafting platforms on the market for good reason: it's YC-backed, has raised $55M in funding (including a recent $40M Series B), counts Microsoft and Thomson Reuters as strategic investors, and has a Customer Advisory Board with partners from firms like DLA Piper and Perkins Coie. 

But Solve was originally built by machine learning PhDs, not patent practitioners, and it shows. Not just in the workflow, but in the product's core assumptions: that chat-based prompting is intuitive, attorneys want to guide AI line-by-line, and a browser-based editor can replace decades of muscle memory in Word. For some teams, it works; for others, it feels like fighting the tool instead of drafting with it.

If you're exploring Solve Intelligence alternatives that offer more structure, better visibility into the AI's reasoning, or workflows that match how patent professionals actually draft, this guide is for you. We break down seven alternatives — covering their strengths, limitations, pricing (where available), and ideal use cases — so you can find the right fit for your practice.

Disclaimer: This guide is based on publicly available information, including company websites, published reviews, press coverage, and product documentation. Features may have been added or changed since this comparison was written; verify current capabilities directly with each vendor. 

Pros and cons of Solve Intelligence

Before exploring alternatives, it helps to understand what Solve Intelligence does well and where it falls short.

What Solve Intelligence does well

• End-to-end coverage: Supports the full patent lifecycle, from invention disclosure to prosecution, including office action responses and figure generation.
• Jurisdiction flexibility: Offers jurisdiction-specific customization for USPTO, EPO, and other major patent offices.
• Enterprise-grade security: SOC 2 certified, GDPR/CCPA compliant, ISO 42001 certified, with data residency options and zero training on user data.
• Strong for software/life sciences: Users in these domains report meaningful time savings, with some claiming 60%+ reduction in drafting time.

Where Solve Intelligence falls short

• Chat-based prompting feels clunky: Solve relies heavily on prompts like "rewrite this" or "write a paragraph for me," which can interrupt drafting flow. Many users find this less efficient than tools with more structured automation.
• Drafts can feel generic: Some users report that AI-generated specifications lack strategic nuance and require heavy editing, which is sometimes more effort than drafting from scratch.
• Steep learning curve: The in-browser platform takes time to master, especially for first-time users. Smaller teams may feel overwhelmed by the feature set.
• Less efficient for mechanical inventions: G2 reviews specifically note that mechanical patent drafting requires "much more manual input" compared to software patents.
• Premium pricing: Solve doesn't publish pricing, but based on a NAPP member discount, annual subscriptions appear to cost around $9,300/user/year (~$775/month). For a five-person team, that's ~$46,500/year, which is steep for smaller firms exploring options.

Comparison table: Solve Intelligence alternatives at a glance

7 Best Solve Intelligence alternatives

1. Patentext

Patentext is a purpose-built AI drafting platform for patent professionals, but it's not trying to be another "AI speed" tool. Most AI patent drafting platforms treat the invention as text to be processed. Patentext treats it as a structure to be understood.

What makes it different: The core of Patentext is the Invention Graph — a visual, editable map that breaks your invention into components, relationships, and claim-relevant structure before any drafting begins. This matters because the hardest part of patent drafting isn't writing, but parsing dense technical inputs, extracting the inventive concept, reconstructing system logic in your head, and translating that into a claim strategy and a supporting outline. Only then can you actually write.

Most AI tools skip this step entirely. They take your input and generate text, but you're still doing the structuring manually. Patentext does the structuring for you. You see exactly how the AI interprets your invention, adjust what matters, and generate aligned content section by section.

Key features:

• Invention Graph for invention breakdown and analysis before drafting
• Full visibility into how the AI interprets your invention, no AI black box
• Section-by-section content generation (with drag-and-drop prompting) tied to the underlying structure
• Section-by-section content generation tied to the underlying structure
• Support for claims, specifications, abstracts, and backgrounds
• Style adaptation so the AI drafts in your voice, not generic patent-ese

Limitations:

• Not a chat-based assistant, so there's a short learning curve if you're used to prompt-driven tools
• Figure generation is on the roadmap but not yet available
• No built-in prior art search (search tools are currently in development)
• Focused on patent drafting today; office action and prosecution modules are coming soon as well

Pricing: Free pilot program; paid plans start at $200/application draft.

Best for: Patent professionals who want to generate full applications from scratch, especially those looking for more structure, speed, and consistency across drafts.

2. DeepIP

DeepIP has raised over $10M in Series A funding and is used by Am Law 100 firms and Fortune 500 companies. It’s the first AI patent assistant that lives inside Microsoft Word, making it one of the most seamless integrations for attorneys who don't want to leave their existing workflow.

‍What makes it different: Rather than forcing you into a browser-based editor, DeepIP appears as a sidebar within Word. You get AI assistance for drafting, rewriting, and prosecution tasks without switching platforms or learning a new interface.

Key features:

• Microsoft Word integration (available from Microsoft Marketplace)
• AI-assisted drafting for specifications, claims, and office action responses
• Style-matching AI that learns your firm's templates and tone
• Support for USPTO, EPO, and other major patent offices

Limitations:

• Premium pricing ($350–420/month per user) may challenge smaller firms
• Microsoft dependency; limited for non-Office environments
• Learning curve for advanced features
• Works better for software patents than complex mechanical or biotech applications

Pricing: $350/month per user (yearly) or $420/month per user (monthly)

‍Best for: Mid to large law firms using Microsoft Office who prioritize seamless workflow integration and don't want to learn a new platform.

3. Edge

Edge is an AI-powered patent drafting platform with a strong emphasis on disclosure management and figure editing. It positions itself as a "strategic partner" for both inventors and legal professionals.

What makes it different: Edge combines drafting capabilities with a patent-focused figure editor and disclosure intake tools. It's designed to work across the full invention-to-application workflow, helping teams capture ideas from inventors and convert them into robust applications.

Key features:

• AI drafting for claims, detailed descriptions, backgrounds, and more
• Built-in figure editor with lead lines, reference numbers, and AI-generated flowcharts
• Disclosure management to intake inventor notes and parse content with AI
• Template management and workflow automation
• Multi-language support

Limitations:

• Less established than some competitors
• Pricing not publicly available
• May require onboarding for teams new to AI patent tools

Pricing: Contact for pricing

Best for: Patent teams that want a unified tool for disclosure intake, figure creation, and drafting, especially those working with inventors who provide rough notes and need AI help structuring them.

4. Patently Create

Patently Create (part of the Patently platform) is an AI-driven drafting tool that claims to cut drafting time by over 90%. It emphasizes a human-led, AI-accelerated approach with a built-in drawings editor.

What makes it different: Patently Create includes an in-browser drawing editor where you can create, label, and manage figures alongside your specification text. The platform uses "Onardo," an AI assistant that extracts and organizes claim features, automates figure referencing, and generates natural language descriptions for each figure.

The broader Patently platform also includes search, review, and project management tools, making it a potential all-in-one solution for larger teams.

Key features:

• In-browser text and drawings editor (no Visio or PowerPoint needed)
• AI-generated figure descriptions synced with specification text
• Reference numeral consistency management across figures
• Claim feature extraction and organization
• Integration with Patently's search and analytics tools

Limitations:

• Primarily focused on text and basic flow figures; users may need additional tools for filing-ready patent drawings
• Learning curve if you're only using the drafting module
• Pricing not publicly disclosed

Pricing: Contact for pricing

‍Best for: Teams looking for an integrated platform that handles search, drafting, and review in one workspace, especially those who value in-browser figure editing.

5. Patlytics

Patlytics is an AI-native patent intelligence platform that goes beyond drafting to cover infringement detection, claim charting, portfolio analysis, and more. It's backed by Google's Gradient Ventures and has raised $21M in funding.

What makes it different: While most tools on this list focus primarily on drafting, Patlytics spans the entire patent lifecycle. Its drafting copilot transforms invention disclosures into draft applications, but the platform really shines for analytics, infringement analysis, and litigation support. 

Key features:

• AI-assisted patent application drafting from disclosures
• Infringement detection and evidence-of-use (EOU) discovery
• Automated claim chart generation
• Portfolio analysis and pruning (identify high/low-value assets)
• SEP (Standard Essential Patent) analysis
• Used by Fortune 500 companies and Am Law 100 firms (Quinn Emanuel, Koch, Google, Xerox)

Limitations:

• Built for larger teams and portfolios, and may be overkill for solo practitioners
• Pricing reflects enterprise positioning (tiered subscriptions)
• Drafting is one of many features, not the sole focus

Pricing: Tiered subscriptions with enterprise licenses; contact for quotes

Best for: IP teams and law firms that need an integrated AI platform for drafting, portfolio management, claim charting, and litigation support, not just a drafting tool.

6. PatentPal

PatentPal is a specialized AI tool focused on one thing: turning claims into specifications and figures as fast as possible. It's built for speed and simplicity.

What makes it different: PatentPal takes a "reverse-engineer from claims" approach. You input your claims, and the platform generates specifications, flowcharts, block diagrams, and figure descriptions in minutes. It's less about full-application drafting and more about accelerating the claim-to-spec bottleneck.

Users can customize generated phrases according to their preferences with real-time updates across the specification. Exports integrate directly into Word, Visio, or PowerPoint.

Key features:

• Fast claim-to-spec generation
• Automatic flowcharts for methods and block diagrams for systems/devices
• Customizable language with firm-specific phrase matching
• Easy export to Word and Visio/PowerPoint
• Multiple profile support for different clients or styles

Limitations:

• Not a full drafting platform; focused specifically on claim-to-spec generation
• Learning curve for customizing phrase preferences
• May need other tools for disclosure intake, prosecution, or portfolio management

Pricing: Contact for pricing

Best for: Solo practitioners or small firms looking for speed on claim-to-spec drafting, especially those who want a lightweight tool rather than a full platform.

7. PowerPatent

PowerPatent combines AI drafting with human attorney oversight, positioning itself as a cost-effective option for startups and individual inventors who need quality patents without enterprise pricing.

What makes it different: PowerPatent emphasizes a hybrid model: AI handles the drafting automation, but the workflow is designed to include human attorney review. This positions it as a bridge between fully automated tools and traditional law firm services.

The platform auto-generates backgrounds, summaries, and detailed descriptions from claims and figure annotations. It also flags Section 112 issues and claim support problems during drafting.

Key features:

• AI-powered first draft generation from claims and figures
• Automatic background and summary drafting
• Section 112 and claim support checking
• Cloud-based collaboration for teams
• Pricing models oriented toward outcomes, not billable hours

Limitations:

• Less mature AI than some competitors
• Target market (startups, solo inventors) may mean less robust enterprise features
• Quality varies based on invention complexity
• Relies heavily on general-purpose LLMs, which some users find less precise for patent-specific language

‍Pricing: Custom quotes; positioned as cost-effective compared to traditional law firm fees

Best for: Early-stage startups and solo inventors looking for an affordable entry point to AI patent drafting, especially those who plan to have an attorney review the output before filing.

How to choose the right Solve Intelligence alternative for your team

Picking the right AI patent drafting tool depends on your workflow, team size, and what's actually slowing you down. Here are some questions to guide your decision:

How do you prefer to interact with AI?

• If you want chat-based prompts → Solve Intelligence, DeepIP
• If you want structured, visual workflows → Patentext, Edge
• If you want claims-first generation → PatentPal

Where does your team already work?

• Microsoft Word users → DeepIP (Word plugin)
• Browser-based preferred → Patentext, Edge, Patently Create, Patlytics

What's your primary pain point?

• Slow claim-to-spec drafting → PatentPal, PowerPatent
• Need full visibility into AI reasoning → Patentext
• Figure creation and disclosure intake → Edge, Patently Create
• Analytics, infringement, and portfolio management → Patlytics

What's your team size and budget?

• Solo or small firm → Patentext, PatentPal, PowerPatent
• Mid-size firm in Word → DeepIP
• Enterprise with complex portfolios → Patlytics, Solve Intelligence

‍What technology areas do you draft for?

• Software and methods → Most tools work well
• Mechanical inventions → Patentext, Patently Create (visual structure helps)
• Life sciences → Solve Intelligence, DeepIP (both have domain expertise)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Solve Intelligence the best AI patent drafting tool?

Solve Intelligence is a comprehensive platform with strong enterprise credentials, but "best" depends on your workflow. If you prefer structured, visual drafting over chat-based prompts, tools like Patentext may be a better fit. If Word integration matters most, DeepIP is worth evaluating.

How much does Solve Intelligence cost?

Solve Intelligence doesn't publish pricing. You'll need to request a demo for a quote. Based on their enterprise positioning and security certifications, expect pricing comparable to other premium legal tech tools.

Do these tools work for mechanical patents?

Most AI patent tools perform better on software and method patents than complex mechanical inventions. User reviews for Solve Intelligence specifically note that mechanical patents require more manual input. Patentext's visual Invention Graph approach may help structure mechanical inventions more effectively.

Is my data safe with these tools?

Reputable tools (Solve Intelligence, DeepIP, Patlytics, Patentext) emphasize zero data retention, no AI training on user data, and enterprise security certifications. Always verify a vendor's security posture before uploading confidential invention disclosures.

Next steps

Solve Intelligence set a high bar for AI-powered patent drafting, but the market has matured. Whether you're frustrated by chat-based workflows, need tighter Word integration, or want more visibility into how AI interprets your invention, there's likely a better-fit alternative.

‍Patentext offers a structured, visual approach that shows you exactly what the AI is working with. DeepIP lives where you already work (inside Word). Edge and Patently Create combine drafting with figure editing and disclosure management. Patlytics extends beyond drafting into portfolio analytics and litigation support. PatentPal and PowerPatent prioritize speed and accessibility for smaller teams.

The right choice depends on your workflow, team size, and where you feel the most friction today. 

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Patent laws are complex and vary by jurisdiction. For personalized guidance, consult a qualified patent attorney or agent.