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.
Zapproved
Zapproved provides corporate legal teams with a cloud-based e-discovery software suite designed to manage legal holds and automate the preservation and collection of digital evidence efficiently.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Actionstep | Zapproved |
|---|---|---|
| Website | actionstep.com | zapproved.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Custom |
| Starting Price | $49/month | Custom Pricing |
| 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 | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand | Portland, 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.
Zapproved
Zapproved helps your in-house legal team take control of the e-discovery process with a suite of automated tools. Instead of relying on manual spreadsheets and fragmented emails, you can manage legal holds, track custodian responses, and collect data from various endpoints through a single, secure interface. The platform focuses on reducing the risk of data spoliation while keeping your discovery costs predictable and manageable.
You can streamline the entire lifecycle of a legal matter, from the initial preservation notice to the final collection of documents. The software is built specifically for corporate legal departments that need to handle high volumes of litigation or internal investigations without overwhelming their IT resources. By automating repetitive tasks, you ensure a defensible process that stands up to judicial scrutiny while freeing your team to focus on high-level legal strategy.
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.
Zapproved Features
- Automated Legal Holds. Send instant preservation notices to custodians and automate follow-up reminders to ensure 100% compliance without manual tracking.
- Custodian Portal. Provide your employees with a simple, branded portal where they can view, acknowledge, and manage all their active legal holds.
- Cloud-to-Cloud Collection. Collect data directly from sources like Office 365, Slack, and Box without requiring hardware or onsite IT support.
- Defensibility Tracking. Maintain a complete, tamper-proof audit trail of every action taken during a matter to prove compliance during discovery.
- Matter Management. Organize your litigation, third-party subpoenas, and internal investigations into a single dashboard for real-time visibility across all cases.
- HR System Integration. Sync your employee directory automatically so legal holds are updated immediately when people join, leave, or change roles.
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
Zapproved Pricing
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
Zapproved
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface requires very little training for new users
- Automated reminders significantly increase custodian response rates
- Excellent customer success team provides proactive support and guidance
- Simplifies complex legal hold tracking for thousands of employees
Cons
- Initial setup of data integrations can take significant time
- Reporting tools can feel rigid when creating highly custom exports
- Advanced collection features require higher-tier subscription packages