Legal · head to head
Smokeball vs NetDocuments
Smokeball
Legal
Practice management for small law firms with automatic time capture
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Smokeball requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors; NetDocuments quote-only pricing per user with no published rates
- They diverge on capability: Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, NetDocuments covers Matter-centric filing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Smokeball and NetDocuments actually diverge.
| Attribute | Smokeball | NetDocuments |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Web, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud |
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 Smokeball
- Automatic time capture
- Matter management
- Document automation
- Billing and trust accounting
Only in NetDocuments
- Matter-centric filing
- Ethical walls
- Email management
- Version control
- Search
- Retention
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Smokeball
- Firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded timenot NetDocuments
- Small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheetsnot NetDocuments
- Firms needing court form automation for high-volume matter typesnot NetDocuments
NetDocuments
- Firms needing enforceable ethical walls rather than folder permissionsnot Smokeball
- Capturing email into the matter record instead of individual inboxesnot Smokeball
- Moving document management off on-premise serversnot Smokeball
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
NetDocuments
- Quote-only pricing per user with no published rates
- Migrating an existing document store is a substantial project, and legacy metadata rarely survives cleanly
- Aimed at mid-size and large firms; solo practices find it heavier than needed
- Adoption depends on fee earners filing correctly, and habits are the hard part
Pricing, plan by plan
Smokeball
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Smokeball review.
NetDocuments
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the NetDocuments review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Smokeball if
- You need automatic time capture.
- You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want matter management.
Choose NetDocuments if
- You need matter-centric filing.
- You work on Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want ethical walls.
Questions people ask
- Is Smokeball or NetDocuments better?
- Neither clearly leads. Smokeball starts at On request and NetDocuments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Smokeball or NetDocuments?
- Smokeball starts at On request and NetDocuments at On request.
- Does Smokeball or NetDocuments run on more platforms?
- Smokeball runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. NetDocuments runs on Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- What is Smokeball best used for?
- Smokeball is most often used for firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded time, small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheets, firms needing court form automation for high-volume matter types. Of those, firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded time and small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheets are not what NetDocuments is typically brought in for.
- What can Smokeball do that NetDocuments cannot?
- Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Matter management, Document automation, Billing and trust accounting. NetDocuments covers Matter-centric filing, Ethical walls, Email management, Version control.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Smokeball: What does Smokeball cost?
Pricing is quoted per firm and not published.
NetDocuments: What does NetDocuments cost?
It quotes per user and does not publish rates.
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.
NetDocuments: Why not just use SharePoint or Dropbox?
Neither expresses matter-centric security or ethical walls in an auditable way, which is a professional obligation rather than a preference in legal practice.
Smokeball: Does it run on Mac?
The automatic time capture component is Windows-based, which is the main platform constraint.
NetDocuments: Does it handle email?
Yes, capturing correspondence into the matter record, which is where most legal email otherwise fails to land.