KERNIT vs DocXtools
by Litera
DocXtools Companion is an enterprise Word add-in built for law firms — it repairs broken cross-references, fixes numbering, and scrubs metadata. KERNIT is a browser-based hyperlinker built for academic researchers — it creates cross-reference hyperlinks from scratch. Different tools for different worlds.
TL;DR — Quick answer
DocXtools by Litera is a Windows-only Word add-in for law firms (~$50/user/month or ~$674 standalone). It fixes broken cross-references and cleans up legal documents. KERNIT is a browser-based tool for academics that automatically creates citation-to-bibliography hyperlinks, figure/table/equation links, and DOI links in any DOCX. If you are a researcher, KERNIT is the right tool.
What is DocXtools by Litera?
DocXtools Companion is an enterprise Word add-in made by Litera (formerly Workshare), one of the largest legal technology companies. It is built specifically for law firms and corporate legal departments that need to manage, repair, and clean Word documents at scale.
What DocXtools does
DocXtools focuses on document repair and cleanup for the legal industry. Its core features include fixing broken cross-references and field codes, repairing corrupted numbering schemes, scrubbing metadata and tracked changes before sharing documents externally, comparing document versions for redlining, and cleaning up styles and formatting inconsistencies inherited from copied content.
Pricing and platform
DocXtools is priced for enterprise law firms. Litera does not publicly list pricing — estimates from third-party software directories suggest approximately $50 per user per month for the subscription, or around $674 for a standalone perpetual license, though actual pricing requires a quote from Litera directly. Deployment requires IT administration — it installs as a Windows Word add-in and is not available on macOS, the web, or Word Online. Most firms purchase it as part of Litera's broader document management suite.
What is KERNIT?
KERNIT is a browser-based hyperlinker built for academic researchers. Instead of repairing broken references, KERNIT creates cross-reference hyperlinks from scratch by scanning your DOCX and automatically linking every citation, figure mention, table mention, equation reference, section reference, and DOI to its target.
- Numbered citations
[1],[2-5],[1,3,7] - Author-date citations
(Smith, 2024) - Superscript citations
- Figure references
Fig. 1,Figure 2 - Table references
Table 1,Tbl. 3 - Equation references
Eq. (4),Equation 2 - Section references
Section 3,Sec. 2.1 - DOIs — verified via CrossRef and hyperlinked to
doi.org
KERNIT works in any browser on any operating system — macOS, Windows, Linux, Chromebook. There is nothing to install. Your files are processed entirely in-browser and never uploaded to a server. Upload one file or batch-process an entire folder.
Feature comparison
| Feature | KERNIT | DocXtools by Litera |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Academic researchers | Law firms & legal teams |
| Price | Free to start | ~$50/user/mo or ~$674 standalone |
| Platform | Any browser | Windows Word only |
| Citation linking | ✓ All academic styles | ✗ Not citation-aware |
| Cross-ref repair | Creates new hyperlinks | ✓ Repairs broken cross-refs |
| DOI hyperlinking | ✓ With CrossRef | ✗ No |
| Document cleanup | Not applicable | ✓ Metadata, numbering, styles |
| Figure/Table refs | ✓ Automatic | General cross-ref repair |
| Install | None | Enterprise Word add-in |
| macOS support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Batch processing | ✓ Multiple files | One document at a time |
When to choose each
Choose KERNIT when…
You need citation-to-bibliography linking and automatic cross-reference hyperlinks
- Academic papers, theses, and dissertations
- All citation styles — numbered, author-date, superscript
- Figures, tables, equations, and sections linked automatically
- DOIs verified via CrossRef and hyperlinked
- Works on Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook
- Free to start, no IT admin required
Choose DocXtools when…
You need to repair and clean legal documents at enterprise scale
- Legal documents, contracts, and corporate filings
- Broken numbering and cross-reference repair
- Metadata scrubbing before external sharing
- Document version comparison and redlining
- Formatting cleanup from copied content
- Enterprise deployment with IT administration
Pricing comparison
KERNIT
Free to start
- No credit card required
- Browser-based — nothing to install
- Paid plans available for heavy use
- Individual researcher pricing
DocXtools by Litera
~$50/user/month or ~$674 standalone
- Enterprise per-seat subscription
- Standalone perpetual license option
- IT admin required for deployment
- Often bundled with Litera's full suite
Pricing is approximate and based on publicly available information as of March 2026. Contact Litera for current enterprise quotes.
Frequently asked questions
-
Is DocXtools the same as DocTools?
No — they are different products by different companies. DocXtools (with an X) is made by Litera and is built for law firms and corporate legal departments. DocTools (without the X) is made by DocTools ApS and targets Word power users who want productivity add-ins. The names are confusingly similar, but the tools, audiences, and pricing are completely different.
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Can DocXtools link citations to a bibliography?
No. DocXtools repairs broken cross-references and fixes corrupted field codes in legal documents, but it does not create citation-to-bibliography hyperlinks. It is not designed for academic writing. KERNIT is purpose-built for this — it automatically links numbered citations
[1], author-date citations(Smith, 2024), and superscript citations to their corresponding bibliography entries. -
Is DocXtools available on Mac?
No. DocXtools Companion is a Windows-only Word add-in. It requires a desktop installation of Microsoft Word on Windows. There is no macOS version, no web version, and no Word Online support. KERNIT runs in any modern browser on any operating system, including macOS, Windows, Linux, and Chromebook.
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Why is DocXtools so expensive?
DocXtools is priced for enterprise law firms where document management tooling is a standard budget line item. The ~$50/user/month subscription or ~$674 standalone license reflects per-seat enterprise licensing with IT support, training, and integration into legal document management workflows. KERNIT serves individual researchers and is free to start because the cost structure is fundamentally different.
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Can KERNIT repair broken cross-references?
KERNIT takes a different approach. Instead of repairing Word's fragile field-code cross-references, KERNIT creates new bookmark-based hyperlinks from scratch by scanning your document text. This effectively replaces broken references with working links. The resulting hyperlinks do not use Word's cross-reference field codes, so they do not break when you edit surrounding text.
Try KERNIT's Cross-Reference Hyperlinker
No credit card. No install. Upload your DOCX, get hyperlinked references in seconds.
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