Actionstep
Actionstep is a cloud-based legal practice management software that automates workflows and centralizes matter management, accounting, and billing to help law firms run more productive and profitable businesses.
Smokeball
Smokeball is a cloud-based legal practice management software that helps small to mid-sized law firms manage matters, track time automatically, and generate documents to increase overall firm productivity.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Actionstep | Smokeball |
|---|---|---|
| Website | actionstep.com | smokeball.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $49/month | $39/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2004 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand | Chicago, USA |
Overview
Actionstep
Actionstep is a comprehensive legal practice management platform designed to help you run your entire firm from a single cloud-based system. Instead of jumping between disconnected tools, you can manage every aspect of a legal matter—from initial intake and document generation to time tracking and final billing—within a unified environment. The platform is built around a powerful workflow engine that lets you automate repetitive administrative tasks and ensure your team follows consistent processes for every case.
You can customize the software to match your specific practice areas, whether you handle family law, personal injury, or corporate litigation. It scales effectively for mid-sized and growing firms that have outgrown basic tools and need integrated features like trust accounting, email management, and client portals. By centralizing your data, you gain better visibility into firm performance and can focus more time on practicing law rather than managing paperwork.
Smokeball
Smokeball is a cloud-based legal practice management platform designed to help you run a more productive and profitable law firm. It centralizes your entire practice by combining matter management, automated document creation, and lead tracking in one interface. You can manage every detail of a case from initial intake to final billing without jumping between different applications or manual spreadsheets.
The platform solves the common headache of manual time entry by automatically recording every minute you spend working on documents and emails. This ensures you never miss a billable hour and provides deep insights into your firm's profitability. Whether you practice family law, estate planning, or personal injury, you can use pre-built matter types and automated forms to slash the time spent on administrative tasks.
Overview
Actionstep Features
- Automated Workflows Build custom step-by-step processes for your matters to ensure your team never misses a deadline or a critical document.
- Integrated Accounting Manage your firm's business accounts and client trust accounts in one place without needing separate third-party accounting software.
- Document Automation Generate complex legal documents instantly by pulling data directly from your matters into your own customized Word templates.
- Email Management File emails directly to specific matters from Outlook or Gmail so your entire team can access the latest correspondence.
- Client Portal Share documents and updates securely with your clients through a private portal that improves communication and transparency.
- Time & Billing Capture every billable minute with built-in timers and generate professional, accurate invoices with just a few clicks.
- Conflict Checking Run comprehensive searches across your entire database to identify potential conflicts of interest before taking on new clients.
- Reporting & Analytics Track your firm's profitability and productivity with real-time dashboards that show you exactly where your business stands.
Smokeball Features
- Automatic Time Tracking. Capture every billable second automatically as you work on documents and emails so you never miss a minute of revenue.
- Document Automation. Generate complex legal documents in seconds using a library of over 20,000 automated forms that pull data directly from your matters.
- Matter Management. Organize all your files, contacts, and deadlines in one digital location to keep your entire team synchronized on every case.
- Legal Billing. Create professional invoices and manage trust accounting effortlessly with built-in tools that sync directly with your tracked time and expenses.
- Lead Management. Track potential new clients from the first phone call through the intake process to ensure no new business falls through the cracks.
- Mobile App. Access your entire law firm from your pocket to view matter details, call clients, and track time while you are on the go.
Pricing Comparison
Actionstep Pricing
- Matter management
- Contact management
- Document storage
- Basic time & billing
- Standard reporting
- Mobile app access
- Everything in Express, plus:
- Full office & trust accounting
- Advanced workflow automation
- Document assembly
- Email integration
- Client portal access
Smokeball Pricing
- Time and expense tracking
- Legal billing and invoicing
- Trust accounting
- Smokeball Payments integration
- Basic reporting
- Mobile app access
- Everything in Bill, plus:
- Full matter management
- Document management
- Email management with Outlook
- Tasks and workflows
- Shared firm calendar
Pros & Cons
Actionstep
Pros
- Highly customizable workflows adapt to any practice area
- All-in-one system eliminates the need for separate accounting
- Strong document automation saves hours of manual drafting
- Centralized email filing keeps matter history organized
- Excellent visibility into firm-wide productivity and billing
Cons
- Significant learning curve due to deep customization options
- Initial setup requires time and careful planning
- Mobile app features are limited compared to desktop
- Occasional slowness when loading large document folders
Smokeball
Pros
- Automatic time tracking captures revenue you might otherwise miss
- Extensive library of automated legal forms saves hours of drafting
- Deep integration with Microsoft Word and Outlook streamlines workflows
- Excellent customer support and personalized onboarding experience
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some basic competitors
- Steep learning curve due to the vast feature set
- Full automation features require the desktop version