Legal · head to head
Docketwise vs Tabs3
Docketwise
Legal
Immigration case management with automated USCIS and DOL form population from a single client intake questionnaire
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Tabs3
Legal
Billing, trust and general ledger accounting for small and mid-sized US law firms
- From
- $69/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Docketwise third-party sources disagree on exact per-tier pricing, which means a buyer cannot trust any single comparison site and must confirm the current rate directly with Docketwise before budgeting.; 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: Docketwise covers Smart form automation, Tabs3 covers Tabs3 Billing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Docketwise and Tabs3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Docketwise | Tabs3 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $69/month |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Windows, Web, iOS, Android |
Identical on both: pricing model (Per user per month), 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 Docketwise
- Smart form automation
- Multilingual intake
- Client portal
- Priority date tracking
- Task and deadline management
- LawPay-integrated invoicing
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.
Docketwise
- A solo immigration attorney wanting one intake to auto-fill every applicable USCIS and consular form for a casenot Tabs3
- A firm handling high volumes of employment-based visas needing priority date tracking against visa bulletin movementnot Tabs3
- An immigration practice wanting a multilingual client portal so clients can upload documents without a phone callnot Tabs3
- A firm switching off general practice management software that lacks immigration-specific form librariesnot Tabs3
Tabs3
- Small firms billing hourly that want billing and the firm general ledger in one system rather than reconciling twonot Docketwise
- Practices that must run three-way trust reconciliation without a separate bookkeeping packagenot Docketwise
- Firms that need an on-premises deployment because of client or insurer restrictions on cloud-hosted matter datanot Docketwise
- Long-established practices replacing a decades-old billing system while keeping accounting in housenot Docketwise
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Docketwise
- Third-party sources disagree on exact per-tier pricing, which means a buyer cannot trust any single comparison site and must confirm the current rate directly with Docketwise before budgeting.
- It is built specifically for immigration practice, so a mixed-practice firm handling immigration alongside other matter types typically needs a second, general practice management system as well.
- Form libraries need to stay current with frequently changing USCIS and DOL requirements, and any lag in template updates directly risks filing errors.
- Pricing is per user with no meaningfully discounted lower tier for a very small or part-time practice, so cost scales linearly with headcount regardless of case volume.
- Client portal and intake customisation depth is narrower than general-purpose legal CRMs such as Lawmatics, so firms wanting sophisticated marketing automation on top of intake usually need a separate tool.
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
Docketwise
On request- Basic$undefined/month
- Reported entry tier around $69-79 per user/month, confirm current rate directly
- Standard$undefined/month
- Reported mid-tier around $99 per user/month
- Premium$undefined/month
- Reported top tier around $109-119 per user/month, unlimited cases and forms typical across tiers
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 Docketwise if
- You need smart form automation.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want multilingual intake.
Choose Tabs3 if
- You need tabs3 billing.
- You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want trust accounting.
Questions people ask
- Is Docketwise or Tabs3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Docketwise 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, Docketwise or Tabs3?
- Docketwise starts at On request and Tabs3 at $69/month.
- Does Docketwise or Tabs3 run on more platforms?
- Docketwise runs on Web, iOS, Android. Tabs3 runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- What is Docketwise best used for?
- Docketwise is most often used for a solo immigration attorney wanting one intake to auto-fill every applicable uscis and consular form for a case, a firm handling high volumes of employment-based visas needing priority date tracking against visa bulletin movement, an immigration practice wanting a multilingual client portal so clients can upload documents without a phone call, a firm switching off general practice management software that lacks immigration-specific form libraries. Of those, a solo immigration attorney wanting one intake to auto-fill every applicable uscis and consular form for a case and a firm handling high volumes of employment-based visas needing priority date tracking against visa bulletin movement are not what Tabs3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Docketwise do that Tabs3 cannot?
- Docketwise covers Smart form automation, Multilingual intake, Client portal, Priority date tracking. Tabs3 covers Tabs3 Billing, Trust accounting, General ledger and accounts payable, PracticeMaster.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Docketwise: How much does Docketwise cost?
Reported per-user monthly pricing runs roughly $69 to $119 across Basic, Standard and Premium tiers, though sources vary; confirm the current rate with Docketwise directly.
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.
Docketwise: Does it handle non-immigration matters?
No. It is built specifically for immigration case types and forms; firms with mixed practice areas typically pair it with a general practice management system.
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.
Docketwise: What is the core feature that sets it apart?
Single-intake form automation across 150+ USCIS, DOL and DS forms, removing repeated manual data entry across filings.
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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