Legal · head to head
Actionstep vs CosmoLex
Actionstep
Legal
Configurable legal practice and accounting management platform sold as two separate products, priced per user with no published rate
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
CosmoLex
Legal
Practice management with a full legal general ledger and trust accounting built in
- From
- $89/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Actionstep no pricing is published beyond a rough $60 a month starting figure; real cost including implementation and add-ons requires a sales quote and can rise substantially, as one documented case showed a fourfold increase within a year.; CosmoLex the built-in accounting suits a single law firm entity, so practices with multiple entities, payroll or unusual revenue recognition still need an external accountant and a second system.
- They diverge on capability: Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, CosmoLex covers Built-in general ledger.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Actionstep and CosmoLex actually diverge.
| Attribute | Actionstep | CosmoLex |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $89/month |
Identical on both: pricing model (Per user per month), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Legal).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Actionstep
- Configurable workflows
- Legal Accounting
- Builder
- Capture
- Trace
- Acumen
Only in CosmoLex
- Built-in general ledger
- Three-way trust reconciliation
- Time and expense capture
- Billing and LEDES
- CosmoLex Pay
- Matter management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Actionstep
- A firm whose matter types do not fit standard case management templates and wants to build its own workflow structurenot CosmoLex
- A US firm needing trust accounting compliance built into the same system as matter managementnot CosmoLex
- A firm using AI time capture to reduce billing leakage from unrecorded worknot CosmoLex
- A growing mid-size firm wanting embedded analytics on matter profitability without exporting to a separate BI toolnot CosmoLex
CosmoLex
- A two to ten lawyer firm that wants to stop paying for and reconciling QuickBooks alongside its practice systemnot Actionstep
- A firm that has failed or fears failing a bar trust account audit and needs three-way reconciliation as standardnot Actionstep
- A solo practice with no bookkeeper that needs the books to be correct without accounting knowledgenot Actionstep
- A firm doing insurer defence work that must produce LEDES invoices without a separate billing toolnot Actionstep
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Actionstep
- No pricing is published beyond a rough $60 a month starting figure; real cost including implementation and add-ons requires a sales quote and can rise substantially, as one documented case showed a fourfold increase within a year.
- The configurability that is the main selling point means implementation is a genuine project requiring firm time to design workflows, not a same-day signup like more templated competitors.
- Legal Accounting is sold as a separate North America-only product, so international firms cannot get the full accounting feature set through the same purchase.
- Reviewer base skews heavily toward small firms, and Actionstep itself is candid that most of its reviews come from small businesses, which is a signal about where the product is proven at scale.
- Add-on modules (Builder, Capture, Trace, Acumen) are each additional cost, so a firm comparing Actionstep to an all-in-one competitor needs to price in modules separately to get a fair comparison.
CosmoLex
- The built-in accounting suits a single law firm entity, so practices with multiple entities, payroll or unusual revenue recognition still need an external accountant and a second system.
- Document management is basic storage rather than versioned matter-centric DMS, so firms with heavy document workflow outgrow it and bolt on something else.
- The integration catalogue is materially smaller than Clio, so niche intake, e-discovery or automation tools often require manual export instead of a native connection.
- Ownership sits with ProfitSolv alongside Tabs3, TimeSolv and Rocket Matter, and buyers have limited visibility into which brand receives investment over a three-year contract.
- The interface and reporting feel dated next to newer competitors, and custom reporting in particular often means exporting to a spreadsheet.
Pricing, plan by plan
Actionstep
On request- Practice Management$undefined/month
- Starts around $60 per user per month, quote required for exact rate
- Implementation fees charged separately
- Priced per user, varies by region (US, UK, AU, NZ, CAD)
- Legal Accounting$undefined/month
- North America only
- Sold separately from or combined with Practice Management
- Add-on modules (Builder, Capture, Trace, Acumen) priced separately
CosmoLex
$89/month- CosmoLex$89/month
- Per user per month billed annually, higher month to month
- General ledger and trust accounting included rather than sold as an add-on
- Payment processing charged at card and bank transaction rates
Which should you pick?
Choose Actionstep if
- You need configurable workflows.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want legal accounting.
Choose CosmoLex if
- You need built-in general ledger.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want three-way trust reconciliation.
Questions people ask
- Is Actionstep or CosmoLex better?
- Neither clearly leads. Actionstep starts at On request and CosmoLex at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Actionstep or CosmoLex?
- Actionstep starts at On request and CosmoLex at $89/month.
- Does Actionstep or CosmoLex run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Actionstep best used for?
- Actionstep is most often used for a firm whose matter types do not fit standard case management templates and wants to build its own workflow structure, a us firm needing trust accounting compliance built into the same system as matter management, a firm using ai time capture to reduce billing leakage from unrecorded work, a growing mid-size firm wanting embedded analytics on matter profitability without exporting to a separate bi tool. Of those, a firm whose matter types do not fit standard case management templates and wants to build its own workflow structure and a us firm needing trust accounting compliance built into the same system as matter management are not what CosmoLex is typically brought in for.
- What can Actionstep do that CosmoLex cannot?
- Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, Legal Accounting, Builder, Capture. CosmoLex covers Built-in general ledger, Three-way trust reconciliation, Time and expense capture, Billing and LEDES.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Actionstep: Is Actionstep pricing published?
No. The pricing page gives no rate card; you must request a quote, and cost is per user plus implementation fees, varying by region.
CosmoLex: Do I still need QuickBooks?
No. CosmoLex carries its own general ledger and trust ledgers, which is the main reason firms choose it over Clio or MyCase.
Actionstep: Can I buy just the accounting product?
Yes, Legal Accounting is sold separately from Practice Management, though it is limited to North America.
CosmoLex: Does it handle IOLTA compliance?
Yes. Trust ledgers, overdraft prevention and three-way reconciliation are in the core product rather than in a paid tier.
Actionstep: Does it work like Clio or MyCase out of the box?
Not exactly. Actionstep leans on firm-configured workflows rather than fixed templates, which means more setup but a closer eventual fit to how the firm works.
CosmoLex: Who owns CosmoLex?
ProfitSolv, a private-equity backed group that also owns Tabs3, TimeSolv, ImagineTime and Rocket Matter.
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