Centerbase vs CosmoLex (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Centerbase if

• Fits if you run a midsize firm that has outgrown small-firm practice management
• Works for managing partners and administrators who track profitability and work in progress

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: there's no published price or trial, and licences, onboarding and add-ons come in a quote after a demo
• Skip it if you need to be up and running soon, as onboarding typically takes 12 to 14 weeks
• Watch out: SecureChat, for calling and texting clients from the phone app, is a premium feature
• Watch out: the Centerbase Payments transaction fee isn't published, though you can keep your own processor
• Not for you if you're a solo or small firm, as it's built and priced for midsize firms

Pick CosmoLex if

• Fits if you're a solo or small firm that holds client money in trust
• Works for firms in the US or Canada that want billing and the books in one app

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're on Launch, which has no bank reconciliation, LEDES or split billing, intake forms, document assembly or AI
• Pricey if you want the general ledger, bank feeds, calendar sync or the open API, which are Pro only at $129 a user
• Watch out: the CRM, websites, Google Ads management and LexShare and LexSign are paid add-ons, and eSignatures may carry fees
• Not for you if you're in Canada and want card payments on invoices, which the pricing page marks as US only
• Skip it if you want a full trial, as the 10 days come with one bank feed and no CRM, LexShare or LexSign

Centerbase

• Centerbase publishes no prices: licensing, onboarding and add-ons are all set out in a quote after a demo.
• Onboarding is included but typically takes 12 to 14 weeks, with implementation packages scoped and priced to the firm.
• SecureChat, for calling and texting clients from the mobile app, is described as a premium feature.
• Centerbase Payments' transaction fee is not published; firms may keep their existing payment processor instead.

CosmoLex

• Launch leaves out bank reconciliation, LEDES billing, intake forms, document assembly and the AI tools, which start on Core at $99 per user / month.
• The general ledger, bank feeds, calendar sync with Outlook and Google, intake automation and the open API are on Pro only.
• The CRM, websites, Google Ads management and LexShare and LexSign are paid add-ons; eSignatures may carry extra fees.
• Card payments on invoices are marked as US only on the pricing page; eCheck is the other option listed.

Centerbase

Matters inside Microsoft 365

Matter, document, task and calendar management. Outlook emails and attachments file to the right matter, calendars sync both ways, and SharePoint can hold the documents.

Billing and ePre-bills

Bills go through electronic pre-bill review before they are sent, and a client portal and client intake are included with the plan.

Trust and firm accounting

Trust and firm accounting with online banking and automatic trust reconciliation, so the books close in the same system as billing.

Three levels of timekeeping

Built-in timers and timesheets, Automated Time Capture that logs client calls, texts and emails from the mobile app, and Billables AI as a partner option.

Centerbase IQ

Ask questions about profitability, work in progress or AR aging in plain English and get charts and tables with links back to the records behind each number.

Centerbase Payments

Card, debit and ACH payments and automatic trust replenishment, powered by Stripe, with no platform fee; a standard transaction fee applies to each payment.

CosmoLex

Trust and business accounting

Trust ledgers with automatic transfers and holds and built-in compliance reports on every plan. Pro adds a general ledger and payables across trust, operating and business accounts.

Time, billing and payments

Capture time and expenses, bill against retainers or recurring payments, and take card and eCheck payments on invoices. LEDES and split billing start on Core.

Matters and client portal

Matter management and a secure client portal on every plan. Core adds per-matter budgets, document editing and assembly, and dashboards.

Intake forms

Logic-based intake forms capture leads and turn them into matters from Core; Pro automates intake workflows. A CRM add-on adds email and text drip campaigns.

AI tools

From Core, AI writes summaries of documents, answers plain-English questions to filter matter data, and drafts client intake forms.

Growth add-ons

Paid extras include a firm website built and hosted by CosmoLex, managed Google Ads campaigns, and LexShare and LexSign for document sharing and eSignatures.

Centerbase

Pricing could not be confirmed. See centerbase.com.

CosmoLex

• Launch$49

  per user / month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)

  Time and billing, retainers, online payments, trust ledgers with compliance reports, matter management and a client portal.

• Core$99

  per user / month, billed yearly ($109 billed monthly)

  Adds bank reconciliation, LEDES and split billing, matter budgets, intake forms, document assembly, dashboards and the AI tools.

• Pro$129

  per user / month, billed yearly ($139 billed monthly)

  Adds the general ledger and payables, bank feeds, advanced compliance reports, intake automation, calendar sync and the open API.

Centerbase

No public discounts listed.

CosmoLex

• Annual discount

  Save $120 per user with yearly billing

  CosmoLex's pricing page shows each plan $10 a month cheaper per user when billed yearly, which it states as a $120 saving per user.

• Other savings

  Lifetime discounts for bar association members

  CosmoLex says members of its state and regional bar association partners get lifetime member discounts; the page does not give the amounts.