Software comparison
The right Bates numbering tool depends on your matter size, budget, and whether you need review and redaction alongside stamping. Here is a practical comparison of browser tools, PDF utilities, and enterprise eDiscovery platforms.
Start with the workflow, not the feature list. Ask these questions before picking a tool:
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Client-side | Batch | Exhibit marks | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BatesTool | Solo practitioners and small firms who want fast, private stamping | Free tier; paid Firm plan for unlimited matters | Yes - files stay in the browser | Yes - drag-and-drop queue with merged or per-file output | Yes - custom exhibit and confidentiality stamps | Any modern browser |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | Teams already in the Adobe ecosystem needing redaction and OCR | Subscription; often bundled in Creative Cloud or Acrobat plans | Yes - desktop processing | Yes - via Organize Pages and Bates numbering actions | Limited - custom headers/footers and watermarking | Windows, macOS |
| Sejda PDF Bates Numbering | Quick, pay-per-task jobs without installing software | Free with limits; paid per-hour or subscription plans | No - files are uploaded for server processing | Yes - online batch stamping | Basic - header/footer and page numbering | Any modern browser |
| Relativity | Enterprise eDiscovery review and production at scale | Enterprise - custom pricing based on data volume | No - hosted cloud platform | Yes - production exports with configurable numbering | Yes - integrated production and exhibit workflows | Cloud / hosted |
| Everlaw | Mid-size firms needing review, redaction, and production together | Subscription - tiered by data volume and users | No - cloud-hosted review platform | Yes - production sets with Bates numbering | Yes - linked to review and production selections | Cloud |
| Logikcull | Teams that want AI-assisted triage before production | Subscription - flat-rate or usage-based plans | No - cloud processing | Yes - export productions with Bates numbering | Yes - production export options | Cloud |
Pricing and features change over time. Check each vendor's current website for exact plans and limits.
Browser tools are the fastest way to stamp a production. You upload nothing, set a prefix and start number, and download the stamped PDF. They work on any operating system and are ideal when opposing counsel drops a last-minute exhibit set or when you are working from a borrowed machine.
The main limitation is review depth. If you need to search, tag, or redact before stamping, a browser tool becomes a second step after your review platform.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is the most familiar name. Its Bates numbering action lives under Organize Pages and supports prefixes, start numbers, and suffixes. It is a strong choice if your firm already pays for Acrobat and the documents are not highly sensitive.
Sejda offers an online Bates numbering workflow with a simple upload and stamp flow. It is convenient for one-off jobs, but files are processed on Sejda's servers, so check whether that fits your confidentiality requirements.
Relativity, Everlaw, and Logikcull handle Bates numbering as part of a larger review-to-production pipeline. They are the right fit when a matter involves hundreds of thousands of pages, multiple reviewers, redactions, and productions that must be defensible in court.
For occasional or small-scale stamping, these platforms are usually overkill. The setup, hosting costs, and per-gigabyte pricing can turn a simple exhibit stamp into a project.
Small firms usually need a balance of cost, speed, and simplicity. Browser-based tools work well for occasional productions because they require no installation and often process files locally. For high-volume or recurring matters, a dedicated PDF utility or eDiscovery platform may be worth the subscription.
Yes. Several browser-based tools and desktop PDF utilities can stamp Bates numbers without an Acrobat Pro subscription. The trade-off is usually feature depth: Acrobat offers redaction, OCR, and advanced production controls, while lighter tools focus on fast stamping.
Security depends on the architecture. Client-side or browser-based tools process the PDF on your own device and do not upload it to a server, which keeps privileged documents off third-party infrastructure. Cloud eDiscovery platforms upload documents to their environment and should be evaluated for SOC 2, encryption, and access controls.
Bates numbering assigns a unique sequential identifier to every page in a production. Exhibit stamping labels a specific document, such as Exhibit A, often for use at deposition or trial. Many tools can apply both marks at once.
Not for simple document productions. eDiscovery platforms such as Relativity, Everlaw, and Logikcull are designed for review, search, redaction, and production at scale. If your only need is to stamp page numbers on a few PDFs, a lighter tool is usually faster and less expensive.
Stamp Bates numbers, exhibit marks, and confidentiality designations in your browser. Your files never leave your device.
