MyCase vs Smokeball (2025): Which Is Better for Your Firm?

Feature	MyCase	Smokeball
Case Management	Intuitive case dashboard with custom fields, tags, case status tracking, and linked contacts	Matter-centric organization with workflows, stages, and deep document linking per case
Time Tracking	Manual timers, bulk time entry, and timer-based tracking; requires attorney to actively start/stop timers

MyCase offers straightforward pricing across three tiers billed annually. The Basic plan at $39 per user per month includes case management, billing, the client portal, and intake forms. The Pro plan at $99 per user per month adds e-signatures, advanced intake, and custom reports. The Advanced plan at $119 per user per month includes workflow automation, advanced analytics, and priority support. Smokeball offers four plans -- Bill, Boost, Grow, and Prosper+ -- all starting at $149 per user per month. Pricing scales based on firm size and the features included. The Bill plan focuses on time tracking and billing. Boost adds case management and the full document automation suite. Grow includes business insights, reporting dashboards, and the full form library. Prosper+ adds advanced productivity analytics and firm management features. Smokeball requires the desktop application for core features like automatic time tracking, which means it is currently Windows-only for the full experience (Mac users can use the web version with reduced functionality). MyCase is generally the more affordable option when comparing equivalent feature sets, especially because its client portal and intake tools are included on all plans. Smokeball's value proposition centers on the revenue recovery from automatic time tracking -- the company claims firms recover an average of one additional billable hour per attorney per day, which can translate to significant revenue gains that more than offset the subscription cost.

Choose MyCase if your firm values affordability, a strong client portal, and an all-in-one platform that works on any device and operating system. MyCase is the better choice for firms that handle a variety of practice areas, want built-in client intake tools, and prefer a straightforward setup without desktop software requirements. It is especially well-suited for solo practitioners and firms with up to 10 attorneys who want to keep their technology stack simple and cost-effective. Choose Smokeball if your firm handles high volumes of document-heavy matters such as real estate closings, estate plans, or family law cases. Smokeball is also the right choice if your attorneys struggle to capture all their billable time -- the automatic time tracking alone can recover significant revenue. Firms that rely on state-specific legal forms and need advanced document automation will find Smokeball's template library and assembly tools invaluable. InstaThink automation workflows complement both platforms. For MyCase users, InstaThink can automate intake-to-matter creation, document generation, and billing processes. For Smokeball users, InstaThink adds additional automation for client communications, cross-platform data sync, and workflow triggers that extend beyond what Smokeball handles natively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Smokeball's automatic time tracking really capture all billable time?

Smokeball's automatic time tracking captures activity in any application running on the desktop, including email clients, document editors, web browsers, and phone calls through integrated VOIP. It associates activity with the correct matter using context clues like email subject lines and document names. However, it cannot capture time spent on activities away from the computer, such as in-person client meetings, court appearances, or phone calls on a personal cell phone. Attorneys still need to manually log those activities. Smokeball reports that firms using automatic time tracking capture an average of one additional billable hour per attorney per day compared to manual tracking methods.

Can I use Smokeball on a Mac?

Smokeball offers a web-based version that works on Mac, but the full feature set -- including automatic time tracking and advanced document automation -- requires the Windows desktop application. If automatic time tracking is a primary reason you are considering Smokeball, and your firm uses Macs, this is a significant limitation. MyCase is fully web-based and works identically on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Which platform is better for estate planning practices?

Smokeball has a significant advantage for estate planning practices due to its library of state-specific estate planning forms, advanced document assembly with conditional logic (such as automatically including trust provisions based on client answers), and the ability to generate complete estate plan document packages from a single set of client intake data. MyCase can handle estate planning matters but requires attorneys to create or upload their own templates and does not offer the same depth of automated document generation.

Can InstaThink help bridge the gap between these platforms' weaknesses?

Yes. For MyCase users who want better time capture, InstaThink can automate time entry creation based on email activity, calendar events, and document edits. For Smokeball users who want a better client portal and intake experience, InstaThink can build custom intake workflows that feed directly into Smokeball matters. Our automation workflows are designed to complement your existing practice management platform by handling the tasks it does not do well natively.

MyCase vs Smokeball: Automatic Time Tracking vs Affordable Simplicity

Platform Overview

Feature Comparison

Pricing Comparison

Key Differences

Which Platform Is Best For Your Firm?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Smokeball's automatic time tracking really capture all billable time?

Can I use Smokeball on a Mac?

Which platform is better for estate planning practices?

Can InstaThink help bridge the gap between these platforms' weaknesses?

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