Amicus Attorney vs Smokeball (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Smokeball: it is third in our ranking of law practice software, and it grades higher too, 2.0 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Smokeball grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Amicus Attorney
Case management software for law firms, sold through quotes
Paid
Smokeball
Practice management with automatic time capture and court forms
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Amicus Attorney if
- Fits if your firm already works in QuickBooks and Office 365
- Makes sense if you want time tracking and billing next to case files
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need a price first, because only a custom quote is offered
- Skip it if you want a free trial, as only a demo is offered
- Watch out: it's one of three CARET products, and some features are listed for CARET Legal only
- Watch out: the pages don't say which platforms it runs on
Pick Smokeball if
- Fits if your firm files lots of court and agency forms, in areas like family law or personal injury
- Works for lawyers who want time logged against the matter without running timers
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: there's no published price, and a quote depends on users, plan, contract term and add-ons
- Skip it if you want to try it first, as there's no free plan or trial on record, only a demo
- Pricey if you want AutoTime, intake or workflows below Prosper+, as they cost extra on Grow, and Archie AI is an add-on from Boost up
- Not for you if your firm runs on Macs, as the desktop app is Windows only and Boost runs in the browser
- Watch out: online payments and eFiling carry fees, and eSignature runs through InfoTrack
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAmicus AttorneyWeak | 2.0GPASmokeballFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; the vendor gives a custom quote after a few questions. | CNo price is published. Smokeball gives a price only on a sales call, depending on your number of users, the plan, the contract term and any add-ons. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial listed. CARET Legal has a trial button but Amicus Attorney only has a demo request. | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial, only a demo with the sales team. |
| Features | CContacts, calendar, tasks, documents, email, billing, portal and mobile time tracking. But the comparison table lists data migration for CARET Legal only. | BMatters, tasks and calendars, more than 20,000 court and agency forms, AutoTime, invoicing, online payments, a trust ledger, intake, workflows and the Archie AI assistant across its plans. That's the whole job, though the general ledger sits in QuickBooks Online. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A firm has to set up matters, billing and documents. | CWe have no store rating on file for it. It's a whole firm system with matters, form templates, trust accounts and a QuickBooks link to set up, and you can't sign up yourself: it starts with a demo. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with QuickBooks and Microsoft Office 365. The pages don't say which platforms it runs on. | BWeb, a Windows desktop app on Grow and Prosper+, and iPhone and Android apps, with Outlook, Word, QuickBooks Online and InfoTrack. No Mac app, and no API or Zapier on record. |
| Best for | case management for firms using QuickBooks or Office 365 | small firms that file many court forms |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Amicus Attorney and Smokeball. How we grade
Where they differ
- Amicus Attorney also covers calendar and documents.
- Smokeball also covers templates and trust accounting.
In commonWebTime trackingInvoicingCase management
At a glance
| Amicus Attorney | Smokeball | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | CARET | Smokeball |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Amicus Attorney
- No prices are published. The pricing page offers a custom quote after a few questions, so cost cannot be compared before contacting the vendor.
- Amicus Attorney is one of three CARET products. The comparison table lists some features, such as data migration services, for CARET Legal only.
- The pages read do not say which platforms Amicus Attorney runs on, beyond general references to cloud access and mobile apps.
- There is a free trial button for CARET Legal but only a demo request for Amicus Attorney.
Smokeball
- Smokeball publishes no prices: a quote depends on the number of users, the plan, the contract term and add-ons.
- Boost runs entirely in the browser; Grow and Prosper+ add the native desktop app, which Smokeball's site lists for Windows.
- AutoTime, Intake and Workflows come with Prosper+ only and cost extra on Grow; Archie AI is an add-on on Boost, Grow and Prosper+.
- Online payments and eFiling carry fees, and eSignature runs through InfoTrack.
Key features
Amicus Attorney
- Contacts, calendar and tasks
- The vendor's comparison table lists contact management, task management, and legal calendaring with court rules among the features of its practice management line.
- Documents and email
- CARET says its products build on Microsoft Office 365 so they connect with a firm's email and calendar, and the comparison table lists built-in email management.
- Billing
- The comparison table lists flat-fee and contingency billing, consolidated invoices, split billing, rate cards and LEDES billing. The table does not say which apply to Amicus Attorney.
- Client portal
- A portal for secure client communication appears in the comparison table. The vendor's 2016 release notice describes an Amicus client portal with custom fields for matter opening and data collection.
- Time tracking on mobile
- CARET says users can track billable time against clients and cases with its mobile apps.
Smokeball
- Matters, calendars and tasks
- Each matter holds its documents, tasks, events and contacts, with Microsoft 365 Outlook and calendar integration from Boost and iOS and Android apps for checking matters on the go.
- TemplateLab forms and documents
- A library of more than 20,000 court and agency forms and document templates that fill from the matter, with practice-area templates and calculators from Grow.
- AutoTime
- Logs each action against the matter being worked on, so time entries do not have to be started or written up. Included in Prosper+ and an add-on on Grow.
- Billing, payments and trust
- Invoicing, time and expense tracking, online payments and a trust ledger kept current as entries are made, with QuickBooks Online holding the general ledger.
- Archie AI
- An AI assistant that works inside a matter to draft, review documents and answer questions, sold as an add-on from Boost upward.
- Intake and lead management
- Intake forms are an add-on on Boost and Grow; Prosper+ includes them along with lead management, inquiry intake, custom workflows and profitability reporting.
Plans
Amicus Attorney
Pricing could not be confirmed. See amicusattorney.com.
Smokeball
Pricing could not be confirmed. See smokeball.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Amicus Attorney or Smokeball?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Amicus Attorney has no price we could confirm, and Smokeball has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Amicus Attorney or Smokeball?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Amicus Attorney nor Smokeball has a free plan.
Which platforms do Amicus Attorney and Smokeball run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Smokeball lists Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.