Comparison
minicounsel vs CanLII Search+
CanLII Search+ is a free AI tool that converts natural language queries into Boolean searches. minicounsel Pro is true AI-powered legal research. Here's how they actually compare.
TL;DR
CanLII Search+ takes your question, converts it into a Boolean keyword query, and searches CanLII's database. It's a smarter way to use keyword search — but it's still keyword search. minicounsel Pro uses true AI semantic search with 99.9% accuracy, works inside ChatGPT and Claude, lets you upload your own documents for analysis, and includes judge and lawyer research tools. CanLII Search+ is free with daily limits (4 analyses, 10 queries). minicounsel Pro is $99/month with unlimited searches.
How each tool actually works
The key difference is what happens after you type your question.
CanLII Search+
Free
4 analyses/day · 10 queries/day
Your question → AI generates a Boolean query → keyword search on CanLII → top 25 results scored for relevance. A smarter front-end for traditional search.
minicounsel Pro
$99/mo
unlimited searches · no daily limits
Your question → true AI semantic search understands legal concepts → 99.9% verified results → follow-up conversation in ChatGPT or Claude.
Feature comparison
| Feature | minicounsel Pro | CanLII Search+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99/mo | Free |
| Search method | True AI semantic search | AI → Boolean conversion |
| Accuracy | 99.9% verified | Acknowledges errors |
| Daily search limits | Unlimited | 4 analyses + 10 queries |
| Works inside ChatGPT & Claude | ||
| Follow-up conversations | ||
| Upload your own documents | Upload only (no AI analysis) | |
| Client document privacy | Files stay in your ChatGPT/Claude | Uploaded to CanLII servers |
| Judge profiles & decision patterns | ||
| Lawyer profiles & case history | ||
| Opposing counsel research | ||
| All Canadian jurisdictions | ||
| Legislation & regulations | ||
| Relevance scoring with excerpts |
Boolean conversion vs true AI search
CanLII Search+ uses AI to generate a Boolean query from your question, then runs that query through CanLII's traditional keyword search. The quality of your results depends on how well the AI translates your intent into Boolean terms. If important concepts don't appear as keywords in a decision, you won't find it.
minicounsel Pro uses true semantic search that understands legal concepts, not just keywords. It finds cases based on meaning — even when the exact terms in your query don't appear in the decision text. And because it works inside ChatGPT and Claude, you can ask follow-up questions, refine your research, and upload your own client documents for analysis — all without leaving your conversation.
When to use each
Use minicounsel Pro when you:
- Need AI that understands legal concepts, not just keywords
- Want to research in ChatGPT or Claude with follow-up questions
- Need to upload and analyze your own client documents privately
- Want to research a judge's decision patterns or opposing counsel
- Do more than 4 research tasks per day
Use CanLII Search+ when you:
- Need case law from provinces outside Ontario
- Have a limited research budget and simple queries
- Want help constructing Boolean queries from plain language
- Need to search legislation and regulations alongside cases
- Do fewer than 4 analyses per day
Common questions
- What is CanLII Search+ and how does it work?
- CanLII Search+ is a free AI tool from CanLII that takes your natural language question, converts it into an elaborate Boolean query, applies relevant search filters, and searches CanLII's database. It then scores the top 25 results for relevance and extracts key passages. It's a smarter front-end for CanLII's existing keyword search — not a true AI search engine.
- How is minicounsel Pro different from CanLII Search+?
- minicounsel Pro uses true AI-powered semantic search — it understands legal concepts, not just keywords. It works inside ChatGPT and Claude, so you can have follow-up conversations about cases, upload your own client documents for analysis (minicounsel never sees them), and research judges and lawyers. CanLII Search+ converts your question into a Boolean query and scores results, but doesn't support conversation, document uploads, or people research.
- Is CanLII Search+ really free?
- Yes, but with daily limits: 4 analyses per day (each analyzing up to 25 documents, so 100 documents total) and 10 search query generations. If you hit those limits, you're done for the day. minicounsel Pro has no daily limits — search as much as you need for $99/month.
- Can I upload my own documents to either tool?
- With minicounsel Pro, you upload documents directly in your ChatGPT or Claude account — minicounsel never sees your files, so client confidentiality is fully preserved. CanLII Search+ lets you upload documents to myCanLII, but its Analyze feature only works on CanLII's public database, not your uploaded files.
- Does CanLII Search+ cover more jurisdictions than minicounsel?
- Yes. CanLII Search+ searches all of CanLII's database, covering every Canadian jurisdiction. minicounsel focuses on Ontario courts (ONCJ, SCJ, ONCA) and the Supreme Court of Canada. If you regularly need case law from other provinces, CanLII Search+ has broader coverage. For deep Ontario research with AI, minicounsel Pro is more capable.
- Which tool is more accurate?
- minicounsel Pro has a verified 99.9% accuracy rate — every case it returns is real and correctly cited. CanLII Search+ acknowledges 'risk of errors and inaccuracies' in its own FAQ and warns that 'only the original legal documents are authoritative.' Because CanLII Search+ generates Boolean queries from your question, the results depend heavily on how well the AI translates your intent into keywords.
Go beyond Boolean search
True AI legal research. 99.9% accuracy. Works inside ChatGPT and Claude. $99/month, 7-day free trial.
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