# USLege vs State Affairs | Software, Not a Newsroom > State Affairs is a newsroom with tracking bolted on. USLege is AI-native software: live hearing video, full transcripts, and AI search across all 50 states. Canonical: https://www.uslege.ai/vs/state-affairs --- USLege vs State Affairs # USLegevs State Affairs This is what USLege does that State Affairs does not. Largest government archive in the world AI native Transparent pricing USLege was built as a legislative intelligence platform from day one, AI-native, all 50 states plus federal, with live hearing video and full transcripts baked in. State Affairs was built as a network of statehouse newsrooms; the software sits on top of the reporting. Different starting point, different product. [Book the 3-Minute Demo](/demo) [Ask about the contract buyout](/contract-buyout/) Switching to USLege takes about 30 minutes. Our AI merges your tracked bills in, even 20,000 of them, in about 10 minutes, and we buy out whatever's left on your contract. You never start from zero, and you never pay two vendors at once. [See the contract buyout →](/contract-buyout/) ## Two different companies, two different starting points State Affairs describes itself, in its own words, as a technology company and a media company, built as one. It operates a network of statehouse newsrooms, many formerly independent local political publications it has brought under its brand. Its bill-tracking data runs on LegiScan, which appears throughout State Affairs' own site as one of its data brands. USLege started as software. AI-native since 2023, built and maintained by an in-house AI-native development team. USLege connects directly with each legislature and government, so the record is live, not run on LegiScan or any licensed feed. One platform covering all 50 states plus federal from the ground up. One place, built by lobbyists who lived the work. If what you need is journalism, that is a different product from a government-affairs software platform. If what you need is a single AI-native system to track bills, watch hearings live, and run your government affairs operation, that is what USLege was built for. Side by side ## USLege and State Affairs, feature by feature A factual comparison of where the two land today, differentiators only. Capability USLege State Affairs Category Purpose-built legislative hearing intelligence, bill tracking, and government affairs suite for 19 types of teams Statehouse news organization with a bill-tracking and monitoring layer added on top Origin AI-native software platform since 2023 Network of acquired and aligned local statehouse newsrooms plus LegiScan bill data, AI features layered in over time Growth model Built and expanded the platform directly Grown substantially by acquisition, newsrooms and LegiScan brought in one deal at a time Data source Connected directly with each legislature and government, so the record is live Bill data licensed from LegiScan Hearing coverage Live, searchable hearing video across the vast majority of states, tied to the bill, jumpable to the moment Same-day hearing transcripts, AI summaries, and clip tools after the hearing, not live Government video archive Largest government archive in the world, video included Not part of State Affairs' published feature set AI AI-native across the platform since inception; put USLege inside the AI you already use AI features layered onto a reporting-first product Pricing Transparent, published, per seat News/Pro tiers have published starting prices; the all-50-state Enterprise tier is custom, quote-only Support You get your own AI account manager to help build agents for you Named success manager on Enterprise plans For teams coming from another tool ## Worried about learning something new? _You don't have to._ ✳ ### AI-native, not bolted on Ask plain questions like "What happened in the Senate hearing this morning?" and get the answer. No interface to learn. ◎ ### Your own AI account manager A real person who builds agents for your team, tuned to how you actually work. ∞ ### Unlimited training For the whole team, for as long as you're a customer, not a one-time onboarding call. "You get your own AI account manager to help build agents for you." Plus unlimited training for the whole team. ## We started in the states Each state legislature runs like its own country. Our founder, [Laura Davis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurauslege/), worked in DC and the states and built USLege around a simple fact: state-level intelligence has to be built state by state, not bolted onto a national newsroom model. That's the difference between a platform built for the states from the ground up and a media company assembling state coverage acquisition by acquisition. Still under contract with State Affairs? ## Full access today. Pay nothing until your contract ends. Up to 8 months free. You never pay two vendors at once. [See the contract buyout](/contract-buyout/) Common questions ## Switching from State Affairs Is State Affairs a news company or a software company? + By its own description, both. State Affairs operates a network of statehouse newsrooms, many of them formerly independent local political publications brought under its brand, with a bill-tracking and monitoring layer added on top. USLege is a software platform, AI-native since 2023, built from the ground up rather than assembled from acquired newsrooms and a licensed data feed. If I switch, am I giving up reporting depth? + If what you need is journalism, that is a different product from a government-affairs software platform, and USLege does not replace a newsroom. If what you need is a single AI-native system to track bills, watch hearings live, and run your government affairs operation, that is what USLege was built for. Does State Affairs have live hearing video? + Based on State Affairs' own published site, no. It offers same-day hearing transcripts, AI summaries, and clip tools after the hearing, not live video. How does USLege pricing compare to State Affairs? + USLege publishes transparent, per-seat pricing on the page. State Affairs publishes starting prices for its News and Pro tiers, but the all-50-state Enterprise tier is quote-only. What can USLege do that State Affairs cannot? + Live searchable hearing video across the vast majority of states, tied to the bill and jumpable to the moment. A government video archive included at every tier. And an AI-native platform built as software from day one, rather than AI features layered onto a reporting-first product. What if I'm still under contract with State Affairs? + Ask about the contract buyout: full access to USLege today, pay nothing until your current contract ends, up to 8 months free. You never pay two vendors at once. See it in action ## See what the _platform_ does. [Book a demo →](/demo) Not quite your seat? [State Affairs alternatives](/alternatives/state-affairs) [What is hearing intelligence?](/what-is-hearing-intelligence) [Associations](/for/associations) [Government Agencies](/for/government-agencies) [Trade Associations](/for/trade-associations) [USLege vs FastDemocracy](/vs/fastdemocracy) See the difference in three minutes ## Get the intelligence platform built _for_ the states, not assembled from them. Watch live hearing video next to the bill, get full transcripts across all 50 states plus federal, and ask questions inside the AI you already use. If you are still under contract with State Affairs, ask about the [contract buyout](/contract-buyout/). [Book the 3-Minute Demo](/demo) [Ask about the contract buyout](/contract-buyout/)