Centerbase vs NetDocuments (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Centerbase and NetDocuments share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Centerbase
Practice management, billing and firm accounting for midsize firms
Paid
Which one is for you
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 NetDocuments if
- Fits if you want filing by client and matter inside Outlook and Word
- Works for firms and legal departments that need security controls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a price first, because quotes come after a form and a call
- Watch out: legal AI and workflow tools are priced in the quote, not shown apart
- Watch out: migration volume and training add to the cost of a rollout
- Watch out: the pages read don't name desktop or mobile apps
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACenterbaseFair | 2.0GPANetDocumentsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published. Centerbase gives a price only on a sales call: licences, onboarding and add-ons are set out in a quote after a demo. | CNo price is published; the quote depends on team size, products, security needs and migration scope. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial, only a demo. | FNo free plan and no free trial are listed anywhere on the pages we read. |
| Features | BMatters, documents in SharePoint, tasks, two-way calendar sync, ePre-bills, a client portal, intake, trust and firm accounting, three kinds of timekeeping and Centerbase IQ reporting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BDocument and email management, Microsoft tools, security controls, collaboration and legal AI. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CWe have no store rating on file for it. Onboarding is included but typically takes 12 to 14 weeks, with implementation packages scoped and priced to the firm. | CNo store rating on record. A rollout involves migration and training. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Outlook, Word, SharePoint, Stripe, Billables.ai and AvidXchange. No desktop app of its own on record. | BWeb with Outlook, Word and Teams. Regional logins are listed, but no desktop or mobile apps are named. |
| Best for | midsize firms that want billing and books together | cloud document and email filing for law firms |
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: Centerbase and NetDocuments. How we grade
Where they differ
- Centerbase also covers time tracking, invoicing, bookkeeping, case management and trust accounting.
- NetDocuments also covers workflow automation, documents and file sharing.
In commonWebAI featuresReports
At a glance
| Centerbase | NetDocuments | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Centerbase, Inc. | NetDocuments |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
NetDocuments
- No prices are published. The vendor says pricing depends on team size, products chosen, security needs and migration scope, and is given after a form and a call.
- Legal AI and workflow tools are described as part of the product choice, and are priced in the quote rather than shown separately.
- Migration volume and training shape the cost of rollout.
- The pages read list regional logins for the US, UK, Germany, Australia and Canada but do not name desktop or mobile apps.
Key features
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.
NetDocuments
- Document and email management
- Documents and email are organized by client and matter, with version control and search built for legal work.
- Microsoft tools
- Users can work from Outlook, Word and Teams while documents stay filed in NetDocuments. The vendor also lists Microsoft Teams integration and document collaboration sites.
- Legal AI
- A Legal AI Assistant answers questions about documents and summarizes content. The site also lists an AI app builder, tabular review, AI search and MCP integrations.
- Security controls
- Ethical walls and data loss prevention are listed, along with advanced security and data governance options. Data residency requirements can affect the package.
- Collaboration
- Files can be shared with colleagues or clients, with real-time edits, version history, eSignature and document bundling.
Plans
Centerbase
Pricing could not be confirmed. See centerbase.com.
NetDocuments
Pricing could not be confirmed. See netdocuments.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Centerbase or NetDocuments?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Centerbase has no price we could confirm, and NetDocuments has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Centerbase or NetDocuments?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Centerbase nor NetDocuments has a free plan.
Which platforms do Centerbase and NetDocuments run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Centerbase lists 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.