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Legal · head to head

CosmoLex vs iManage

CosmoLex logo

CosmoLex

Legal

Practice management with a full legal general ledger and trust accounting built in

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iManage logo

iManage

Legal

Document and email management for law firms and professional services

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; iManage it manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.
  • They diverge on capability: CosmoLex covers Built-in general ledger, iManage covers iManage Work.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CosmoLex and iManage actually diverge.

Attributes where CosmoLex and iManage differ
AttributeCosmoLexiManage
Starting price$89/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 CosmoLex

  • Built-in general ledger
  • Three-way trust reconciliation
  • Time and expense capture
  • Billing and LEDES
  • CosmoLex Pay
  • Matter management

Only in iManage

  • iManage Work
  • Outlook email filing
  • Security Policy Manager
  • Records Manager
  • Full text and metadata search

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CosmoLex

  • A two to ten lawyer firm that wants to stop paying for and reconciling QuickBooks alongside its practice systemnot iManage
  • A firm that has failed or fears failing a bar trust account audit and needs three-way reconciliation as standardnot iManage
  • A solo practice with no bookkeeper that needs the books to be correct without accounting knowledgenot iManage
  • A firm doing insurer defence work that must produce LEDES invoices without a separate billing toolnot iManage

iManage

  • Corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchablenot CosmoLex
  • Firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matternot CosmoLex
  • Practices with records retention obligations spanning electronic and physical filesnot CosmoLex
  • Financial services, accounting and government teams with the same matter-centric document problemnot CosmoLex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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.

iManage

  • It manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.
  • Administration requires specialist skills, and organisations without a dedicated document management administrator tend to run it badly configured.
  • Its value depends on fee earners filing email consistently, which is a behaviour change firms routinely fail to enforce.
  • Nothing about pricing is published and the surrounding modules are licensed separately, so the gap between the core product and a working configuration is discovered late.
  • The market-share figures it cites, such as 81 per cent of the Am Law 200, are vendor published and not independently audited.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

iManage

On request
  • iManage Work$undefined/year
    • Per user licensing quoted per organisation
    • Cloud or on-premises deployment
    • Security, records and analytics modules licensed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose CosmoLex if

  • You need built-in general ledger.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want three-way trust reconciliation.
CosmoLex review

Choose iManage if

  • You need imanage work.
  • You work on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want outlook email filing.
iManage review

Questions people ask

Is CosmoLex or iManage better?
Neither clearly leads. CosmoLex starts at $89/month and iManage at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CosmoLex or iManage?
CosmoLex starts at $89/month and iManage at On request.
Does CosmoLex or iManage run on more platforms?
CosmoLex runs on Web, iOS, Android. iManage runs on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android.
What is CosmoLex best used for?
CosmoLex is most often used for a two to ten lawyer firm that wants to stop paying for and reconciling quickbooks alongside its practice system, a firm that has failed or fears failing a bar trust account audit and needs three-way reconciliation as standard, a solo practice with no bookkeeper that needs the books to be correct without accounting knowledge, a firm doing insurer defence work that must produce ledes invoices without a separate billing tool. Of those, a two to ten lawyer firm that wants to stop paying for and reconciling quickbooks alongside its practice system and a firm that has failed or fears failing a bar trust account audit and needs three-way reconciliation as standard are not what iManage is typically brought in for.
What can CosmoLex do that iManage cannot?
CosmoLex covers Built-in general ledger, Three-way trust reconciliation, Time and expense capture, Billing and LEDES. iManage covers iManage Work, Outlook email filing, Security Policy Manager, Records Manager.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

iManage: Does iManage replace practice management software?

No. It handles documents and email. Firms run it alongside a practice management and billing system such as Aderant or Elite 3E.

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.

iManage: Who owns iManage?

It has been independent since a management buyout from Hewlett-Packard completed in July 2015. Bain Capital Tech Opportunities made a minority growth investment in April 2023, with management retaining control.

CosmoLex: Who owns CosmoLex?

ProfitSolv, a private-equity backed group that also owns Tabs3, TimeSolv, ImagineTime and Rocket Matter.

iManage: Is iManage worth it for a small firm?

It is sold to small firms as well as large ones, but the licensing and administrative overhead usually outweighs the benefit over a well organised document store below roughly twenty fee earners.

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