Legora shifts from seat licenses to usage-based pricing amid AI cost pressures

Max Junestrand, who started Legora during the tail end of the subscription boom, observes that AI’s variable compute demands are breaking the old seat-license model. Legora Agent, released in June, lets a single lawyer generate far higher processing costs than another, even though both occupy one seat. In response, Legora kept current seat contracts for its core product but offered a consumption-based upgrade for AI agents, while new customers receive pay-as-you-go pricing.

Some law firms welcomed the change, noting they can now match software costs against external counsel fees, aided by a new usage dashboard and cost-forecasting calculator. Others remain skeptical, still testing the AI features before committing to higher tiers. The shift mirrors moves by other startups such as Cursor and Lovable, and reflects pressure from model providers like OpenAI and Anthropic, while competitor Harvey continues to offer seat-based plans for predictability.