Centerbase vs Rocket Matter (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 Rocket Matter if

• Fits if your firm's main need is time capture and billing
• Works for firms that want document assembly, conflict checks and a client portal on the entry plan

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you'd rather pay monthly: prices are yearly only, and Essentials at $59 a user is the dearest published start here
• Tight if you're on Essentials: 25 GB of documents, and no eSignatures, LEDES billing, matter templates or Google Calendar sync
• Watch out: built-in business accounting is Elite only at $145 a user, and then the QuickBooks Online link can't be used
• Watch out: the Legal CRM add-on, for Pro and Premier only, is $39 a user billed yearly plus a $399 setup fee, with a 3-user minimum
• Watch out: eSignatures start on Pro with a monthly allowance per user, and extra envelopes are $2 each

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.

Rocket Matter

• Prices are for annual payment; the pricing page lists no monthly-billed rate.
• Essentials stores up to 25 GB of documents and has no eSignatures, LEDES billing, matter templates or Google Calendar sync.
• Built-in business accounting is on Elite only, and the QuickBooks Online link cannot be used alongside it.
• The Legal CRM add-on, for Pro and Premier only, is $39 per user / month billed annually plus a $399 setup fee, with a 3-user minimum.

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.

Rocket Matter

Time tracking and billing

Multiple timers, a desktop time tracker and an automatic time card, with flat-fee, batch and evergreen retainer billing and paperless prebills on every plan.

Trust accounting

Matter-based trust accounts with automatic trust transfers on every plan. Elite adds reconciliation of operating, trust and credit card accounts with compliance reporting.

Rocket Matter Pay

Online card and eCheck or ACH payments for US firms, with payment links and optional card surcharging, included on every plan.

Matter workflows

From Pro, matter templates set up tasks, events and custom fields, with dependent task logic, status-driven automation and a matter status board.

Documents, portal and eSignature

Document assembly and a client portal on every plan. Secure file sharing and eSignatures start on Pro, with extra envelopes at $2 each.

Mobile apps

Native iPhone and Android apps for checking matters, messaging clients and viewing documents, secured by fingerprint, face or PIN.

Centerbase

Pricing could not be confirmed. See centerbase.com.

Rocket Matter

• Essentials$59

  per user / month, paid annually

  Time and expenses, batch billing, trust accounting, Rocket Matter Pay, document assembly, conflict checks, client portal and 25 GB of storage.

• Pro$95

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds unlimited storage, LEDES e-billing, matter templates and workflows, Google and Office 365 calendar sync, and 5 eSignatures per user a month.

• Premier$115

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds split billing, fee allocation, full financial reports, unlimited dashboards, Zapier and NetDocuments, and 15 eSignatures per user a month.

• Elite$145

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds built-in business accounting: a legal chart of accounts, bank feeds, payables, reconciliation of all accounts, compliance reports and matter budgets.