Softwr

Legal · head to head

Actionstep vs iManage

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
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: 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.; 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: Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, iManage covers iManage Work.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Actionstep and iManage actually diverge.

Attributes where Actionstep and iManage differ
AttributeActionstepiManage
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, macOS, 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 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.

Actionstep

  • A firm whose matter types do not fit standard case management templates and wants to build its own workflow structurenot iManage
  • A US firm needing trust accounting compliance built into the same system as matter managementnot iManage
  • A firm using AI time capture to reduce billing leakage from unrecorded worknot iManage
  • A growing mid-size firm wanting embedded analytics on matter profitability without exporting to a separate BI toolnot iManage

iManage

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

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

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

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 Actionstep if

  • You need configurable workflows.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want legal accounting.
Actionstep 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 Actionstep or iManage better?
Neither clearly leads. Actionstep starts at On request and iManage at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actionstep or iManage?
Actionstep starts at On request and iManage at On request.
Does Actionstep or iManage run on more platforms?
Actionstep runs on Web, iOS, Android. iManage runs on Windows, Web, macOS, 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 iManage is typically brought in for.
What can Actionstep do that iManage cannot?
Actionstep covers Configurable workflows, Legal Accounting, Builder, Capture. iManage covers iManage Work, Outlook email filing, Security Policy Manager, Records Manager.

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.

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.

Actionstep: Can I buy just the accounting product?

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

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.

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.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Actionstep

More on iManage

Keep looking

Other head to heads