Softwr

Legal · head to head

Relativity vs Tabs3

Relativity logo

Relativity

Legal

Ediscovery and legal data platform for large matters

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tabs3 logo

Tabs3

Legal

Billing, trust and general ledger accounting for small and mid-sized US law firms

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Relativity quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size; Tabs3 the interface follows Windows desktop conventions from an earlier era, so new fee earners and staff take longer to train than they would on a browser-based competitor.
  • They diverge on capability: Relativity covers Large-scale processing, Tabs3 covers Tabs3 Billing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Relativity and Tabs3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Relativity and Tabs3 differ
AttributeRelativityTabs3
Starting priceOn request$69/month
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWindows, Web, 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 Relativity

  • Large-scale processing
  • Review workflow
  • Analytics and active learning
  • Application ecosystem

Only in Tabs3

  • Tabs3 Billing
  • Trust accounting
  • General ledger and accounts payable
  • PracticeMaster
  • On-premises or cloud subscription

What people use each for

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

Relativity

  • Large litigation with very high document volumesnot Tabs3
  • Corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable reviewnot Tabs3
  • Firms whose review process is already built around the platformnot Tabs3

Tabs3

  • Small firms billing hourly that want billing and the firm general ledger in one system rather than reconciling twonot Relativity
  • Practices that must run three-way trust reconciliation without a separate bookkeeping packagenot Relativity
  • Firms that need an on-premises deployment because of client or insurer restrictions on cloud-hosted matter datanot Relativity
  • Long-established practices replacing a decades-old billing system while keeping accounting in housenot Relativity

Where each one falls short

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

Relativity

  • Quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size
  • Complex enough that certified specialists are a job title, which is a real staffing cost
  • Considerable overkill for small matters, where lighter self-service tools are far cheaper

Tabs3

  • The interface follows Windows desktop conventions from an earlier era, so new fee earners and staff take longer to train than they would on a browser-based competitor.
  • On-premises deployment puts backup, disaster recovery, server upgrades and patching on the firm, which small practices without IT support routinely underestimate.
  • It is built around hourly and flat fee billing, so a contingency practice tracking case costs and settlement disbursements will find the case financial model a poor fit.
  • PracticeMaster case management is priced separately from billing, so the advertised per-user rate is not what a firm wanting matter management actually pays.
  • Choosing the on-premises option no longer avoids a subscription, because it is billed per user per month like the hosted version.

Pricing, plan by plan

Relativity

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Relativity review.

Tabs3

$69/month
  • OnSite Subscription$69/month
    • Deployed on the firm server
    • Billing, trust accounting and general ledger
    • PracticeMaster add-on at 32 USD per user per month
  • Tabs3 Cloud$89/month
    • Hosted by the vendor
    • Billing, trust accounting and general ledger
    • PracticeMaster add-on at 35 USD per user per month

Which should you pick?

Choose Relativity if

  • You need large-scale processing.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want review workflow.
Relativity review

Choose Tabs3 if

  • You need tabs3 billing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want trust accounting.
Tabs3 review

Questions people ask

Is Relativity or Tabs3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Relativity starts at On request and Tabs3 at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Relativity or Tabs3?
Relativity starts at On request and Tabs3 at $69/month.
Does Relativity or Tabs3 run on more platforms?
Relativity runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Tabs3 runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Relativity best used for?
Relativity is most often used for large litigation with very high document volumes, corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable review, firms whose review process is already built around the platform. Of those, large litigation with very high document volumes and corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable review are not what Tabs3 is typically brought in for.
What can Relativity do that Tabs3 cannot?
Relativity covers Large-scale processing, Review workflow, Analytics and active learning, Application ecosystem. Tabs3 covers Tabs3 Billing, Trust accounting, General ledger and accounts payable, PracticeMaster.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Relativity: What does Relativity cost?

It does not publish rates. Ediscovery is generally billed on data volume and users, quoted per matter or organisation.

Tabs3: Is Tabs3 right for a personal injury firm working on contingency?

No. It is built for hourly and flat fee billing with a firm general ledger. A contingency practice needs case cost tracking and settlement disbursement handling, which is what CASEpeer and Filevine are built around.

Relativity: Is Relativity only for law firms?

No. Corporate legal departments and government agencies use it for investigations as well as litigation.

Tabs3: Can I still buy Tabs3 as a perpetual licence?

No published perpetual price exists. The on-premises option, called OnSite Subscription, starts at 69 USD per user per month, with the hosted Tabs3 Cloud starting at 89 USD per user per month.

Relativity: Do I need trained staff?

In practice yes. Relativity certification is a recognised specialism, and that staffing cost is part of the total.

Tabs3: Does it replace QuickBooks?

For most firms yes. It includes a double-entry general ledger and accounts payable, which is the usual reason firms choose it over billing-only products.

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