Softwr

Legal · head to head

LexisNexis vs Smokeball

LexisNexis logo

LexisNexis

Legal

Legal research database sold per seat per practice area, with contract value set by firm size and content modules rather than a list price

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: LexisNexis there is no public rate card for firm-scale contracts, so a buyer has no reference point and depends entirely on the sales negotiation to know if the quote is competitive.; Smokeball requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors
  • They diverge on capability: LexisNexis covers Case law and statute database, Smokeball covers Automatic time capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LexisNexis and Smokeball actually diverge.

Attributes where LexisNexis and Smokeball differ
AttributeLexisNexisSmokeball
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 LexisNexis

  • Case law and statute database
  • Shepard's Citations
  • Lexis+ AI
  • Practice area modules
  • Brief analysis
  • Litigation analytics

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.

LexisNexis

  • A solo practitioner or small firm wanting entry-level research access without a multi-year enterprise contractnot Smokeball
  • A mid-size firm negotiating per-seat pricing across multiple practice areas and needing to model total contract cost before signingnot Smokeball
  • A litigation team wanting Shepard's citation checking integrated into brief drafting workflownot Smokeball
  • A corporate legal department standardising research access across in-house counsel with negotiated volume pricingnot Smokeball

Smokeball

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

Where each one falls short

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

LexisNexis

  • There is no public rate card for firm-scale contracts, so a buyer has no reference point and depends entirely on the sales negotiation to know if the quote is competitive.
  • Multi-year contracts are the norm and typically required to reach reasonable per-seat pricing, which locks a firm in before it has tested the platform at scale.
  • Content modules are priced and licensed separately, so a quote that looks reasonable for research access can grow substantially once litigation analytics or public records are added.
  • Real transaction data shows contract values ranging by more than tenfold for similarly sized buyers, meaning firms with weaker negotiating position or procurement expertise pay materially more for the same access.
  • Switching to Westlaw or another provider later means retraining staff on a different search syntax and citation system, which is a real cost that discourages competitive renewal shopping.

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

LexisNexis

On request
  • Lexis+ solo$undefined/month
    • Entry-level single-user access, roughly $80 to $170 a month depending on modules
  • Lexis+ firm and enterprise$undefined/year
    • Per-seat, per-practice-area pricing set by negotiation
    • Volume discounts typically apply from around 15 to 20 seats
    • Multi-year contracts (2 to 3 years) carry list-price discounts

Smokeball

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Smokeball review.

Which should you pick?

Choose LexisNexis if

  • You need case law and statute database.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want shepard's citations.
LexisNexis 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 LexisNexis or Smokeball better?
Neither clearly leads. LexisNexis 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, LexisNexis or Smokeball?
LexisNexis starts at On request and Smokeball at On request.
Does LexisNexis or Smokeball run on more platforms?
LexisNexis runs on Web, iOS, Android. Smokeball runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is LexisNexis best used for?
LexisNexis is most often used for a solo practitioner or small firm wanting entry-level research access without a multi-year enterprise contract, a mid-size firm negotiating per-seat pricing across multiple practice areas and needing to model total contract cost before signing, a litigation team wanting shepard's citation checking integrated into brief drafting workflow, a corporate legal department standardising research access across in-house counsel with negotiated volume pricing. Of those, a solo practitioner or small firm wanting entry-level research access without a multi-year enterprise contract and a mid-size firm negotiating per-seat pricing across multiple practice areas and needing to model total contract cost before signing are not what Smokeball is typically brought in for.
What can LexisNexis do that Smokeball cannot?
LexisNexis covers Case law and statute database, Shepard's Citations, Lexis+ AI, Practice area modules. Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Matter management, Document automation, Billing and trust accounting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LexisNexis: How much does LexisNexis cost?

There is no fixed answer. Solo access starts around $80 to $170 a month; firm and enterprise contracts are negotiated per seat, per practice area, with reported annual contract values from roughly $3,400 to over $40,000.

Smokeball: What does Smokeball cost?

Pricing is quoted per firm and not published.

LexisNexis: Does a three-year contract really cost less?

Multi-year terms typically carry meaningful discounts against the annual list price, which is part of why most firm contracts run two to three years rather than one.

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.

LexisNexis: Is Lexis+ AI included or extra?

AI features under the Protege brand are generally licensed as additional seats or modules on top of core research access, not automatically included.

Smokeball: Does it run on Mac?

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

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