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Legal · head to head

Actionstep vs Smokeball

Actionstep logo

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
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smokeball logo

Smokeball

Legal

Practice management for small law firms with automatic time capture

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Smokeball requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors
  • They diverge on capability: Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, Smokeball covers Automatic time capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Actionstep and Smokeball actually diverge.

Attributes where Actionstep and Smokeball differ
AttributeActionstepSmokeball
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Smokeball

  • Automatic time capture
  • Matter management
  • Document automation
  • Billing and trust accounting

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 Smokeball
  • A US firm needing trust accounting compliance built into the same system as matter managementnot Smokeball
  • A firm using AI time capture to reduce billing leakage from unrecorded worknot Smokeball
  • A growing mid-size firm wanting embedded analytics on matter profitability without exporting to a separate BI toolnot Smokeball

Smokeball

  • Firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded timenot Actionstep
  • Small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheetsnot Actionstep
  • Firms needing court form automation for high-volume matter typesnot 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.

Smokeball

  • Requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors
  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • Aimed at small firms; larger practices with complex billing arrangements generally outgrow it

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

Smokeball

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Smokeball review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Actionstep if

  • You need configurable workflows.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want legal accounting.
Actionstep review

Choose Smokeball if

  • You need automatic time capture.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want matter management.
Smokeball review

Questions people ask

Is Actionstep or Smokeball better?
Neither clearly leads. Actionstep starts at On request and Smokeball at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actionstep or Smokeball?
Actionstep starts at On request and Smokeball at On request.
Does Actionstep or Smokeball run on more platforms?
Actionstep runs on Web, iOS, Android. Smokeball runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
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 Smokeball is typically brought in for.
What can Actionstep do that Smokeball cannot?
Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, Legal Accounting, Builder, Capture. Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Matter management, Document automation, Billing and trust accounting.

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.

Smokeball: What does Smokeball cost?

Pricing is quoted per firm and not published.

Actionstep: Can I buy just the accounting product?

Yes, Legal Accounting is sold separately from Practice Management, though it is limited to North America.

Smokeball: How does automatic time capture work?

A desktop application observes work on matters and turns activity into billable entries, rather than depending on someone remembering to start a timer.

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.

Smokeball: Does it run on Mac?

The automatic time capture component is Windows-based, which is the main platform constraint.

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