Fearn vs Patentext

Fearn lists a provisional patent at $2,500 and says its fees cover USPTO fees through issuance. Patentext lists $3,600 for a provisional, plus a platform plan from $2,700 a year; its pages differ on whether standard USPTO filing fees are in that price. Fearn says it is a patent prosecution firm. Patentext says its work is done by a registered patent agency, not a law firm.

Last updated 2026-10-20

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Every fact is taken from the firm's own website, an official register or the press report linked next to it, checked on 20 October 2026. Prices can change.

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Fearn or Patentext: the short answer

Choose Fearn if you plan an international (PCT) filing and want one fixed fee per stage, with USPTO fees included and a refund if no claims are allowed. Choose Patentext if you file regularly, want a platform for capturing inventions and want a direct US route, where its listed service fees are lower.

Which costs less depends on the route and how many filings you plan. Prices below are from each firm's pricing page (Fearn, Patentext).

Side by side

Fearn charges per stage and says USPTO fees are included. Patentext charges an annual platform fee plus a flat fee per application, and its pages give two different answers on USPTO filing fees.

	Fearn	Patentext
What it does	Patent prosecution: landscape analysis, provisional, PCT and US filings, office action responses, design patents. Source	Patent platform plus filing services: invention capture, provisional, non-provisional and PCT applications. Source
Who it serves	Startups first; also enterprise teams. Fearn calls itself "the startup-first patent firm". Source	Startups, growth-stage companies and in-house legal teams. Source
Country	US. Based in San Francisco. Source	US. Boulder, Colorado, per its site. Source
Pricing model	One fixed fee per stage, no hourly billing. Source	Annual platform plan plus flat fees per service. Source
USPTO fees	Fearn says it covers USPTO fees through issuance. Source	Its pages differ. The provisional service page lists "standard applicable USPTO filing fees for qualifying small-entity matters" as included in the $3,600. Its pricing page says USPTO filing fees and other government fees are billed separately. Ask Patentext to confirm. Provisional page Pricing page
Provisional	$2,500, credited toward the PCT application if you file it with Fearn. Source	$3,600. Source
International (PCT) application	$9,000. Source	$5,700. Patentext says PCT government fees and national-phase filings are separate. Source
US application	$7,500 for US national-phase entry from the PCT application. Fearn lists no direct US non-provisional. Source	Non-provisional $5,700, or $4,700 to convert a Patentext-drafted provisional. Source
Full route to a US filing (our sums)	Provisional, then PCT, then US entry: $2,500 + $9,000 + $7,500, less the $2,500 provisional credit, comes to $16,500, with USPTO fees included per Fearn. This route also keeps international rights open through the PCT. Source	Provisional, then conversion to a US non-provisional: $3,600 + $4,700 = $8,300, plus the platform plan from $2,700 a year while the application is active, and any USPTO fees not included. This route is US only. Source
Office action response	$3,500 per response. Source	$2,750. Source
Platform fee	None stated.	Starter $2,700 a year, required while an application is active. Source
Provider type	Fearn Legal, LLC says it is a patent prosecution firm licensed to file and prosecute patents before the USPTO. Source	Says it is not a law firm. Patentext says Patentext Services is a registered patent agency and its work is done by USPTO-registered patent agents. Source
Funding	$5.5M from Kindred Ventures, a16z Speedrun, Designer Fund and Essence VC, per The Next Web. Source	Not found in our records.
Founded	Not stated on the pages we checked. Co-founders Han Kim and Angela Gao. Source	Not stated on the pages we checked. Co-founders Alexander Flake and Marcus Virginia. Source

The route totals are our sums of each firm's listed prices. They leave out office action responses, which both firms charge per response. They are also not like for like, because Fearn's route goes through an international PCT application while the Patentext route shown is a direct US filing.

How they differ

The differences are the route, what the fee includes and the guarantee. Fearn reaches a US application through a PCT filing and refunds its $9,000 fee if no claims are allowed; Patentext offers a direct US filing and charges separately for its platform.

Fearn says that if the examiner allows no claims on an application it carries through examination, the $9,000 comes back to you (source). Patentext says selected startups can get 50% off their first year, up to $3,000 (source).

Who each one fits

Fearn fits a startup that expects to file internationally and wants each stage priced in advance with USPTO fees included. Patentext fits a company running an ongoing patent program that wants inventions tracked in one place and a direct US filing option.

Our provisional patent cost guide covers more AI patent providers.

FAQ

Which is cheaper for a provisional patent, Fearn or Patentext?

Fearn lists $2,500 and says it covers USPTO fees. Patentext lists $3,600 and requires a platform plan from $2,700 a year while an application is active. Patentext's provisional page lists standard small-entity USPTO filing fees as included, but its pricing page says USPTO fees are billed separately (checked 20 October 2026).

What does a full route to a US patent filing cost at Fearn vs Patentext?

At Fearn, a provisional, a PCT application and US national-phase entry come to $16,500 after the provisional credit, with USPTO fees included per Fearn. At Patentext, a provisional plus conversion to a US non-provisional comes to $8,300, plus the platform plan and any USPTO fees not included. Office action responses are extra at both. These are our sums of the firms' listed prices.

Is Patentext a law firm?

Patentext says it is not. It says Patentext Services is a registered patent agency and its work is done by USPTO-registered patent agents.

Does Fearn offer a guarantee?

Fearn says it refunds the $9,000 fee if the examiner allows no claims on an application Fearn carries through examination.

Sources

Accessed 2026-10-20