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

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

Pick PracticePanther if

• Fits if you're a solo lawyer who wants a published per-user price
• Works for small firms that want card and eCheck payments in the same tool as billing

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're on Solo, which has no email or calendar sync, batch billing, payment plans or automatic payment reminders
• Pricey if you need texting, intake forms, eSignature, LEDES billing, Zapier or the API, all on Business at $89 a user
• Watch out: the general ledger and operating accounting are on Business Pro only, at $114 a user billed yearly
• Watch out: PantherPayments takes 2.95% on cards and 1% on eChecks, and court-rules calendaring needs LawToolBox
• Skip it if you want more than a week to try it, as the trial is 7 days and there's no free plan

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.

PracticePanther

• Two-way texting, intake forms, eSignature, LEDES billing, Zapier and the API all need Business at $89 per user / month, billed annually.
• Solo has no email or calendar sync, batch billing, payment plans or automatic payment reminders; they start on Essential.
• Operating accounting, the general ledger and the guided trust reconciliation come only with Business Pro.
• PantherPayments charges 2.95% on cards and 1% on eChecks. Court-rules calendaring also needs a LawToolBox subscription.

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.

PracticePanther

Contacts, matters and workflows

Matters link contacts, notes, documents and invoices. Workflows apply a set of tasks and events to a matter in one click, and conditional steps can trigger checklists.

Time, billing and PantherPayments

Multiple timers and invoices on every plan, with batch billing, payment plans and automatic reminders from Essential. Clients pay by card, eCheck or ACH, or through a OneLink payment link.

Trust and operating accounting

Every plan has a trust ledger with a three-way reconciliation report. Business Pro adds a general ledger, chart of accounts, expense tracking and a step-by-step reconciliation wizard.

Client portal, texting and eSignature

A secure two-way messaging portal on every plan. Business adds texting from a business number, unlimited eSignature sends and text reminders for events and deadlines.

Intake forms and legal CRM

Unlimited custom intake forms that feed new contacts and matters, which can be embedded on the firm's website, plus a CRM for following up with prospects.

Mobile apps and sync

iPhone, iPad and Android apps for time and billing on every plan. From Essential, Outlook and Gmail add-ons sync email, and calendars sync with Google Calendar, Outlook and Exchange.

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.

PracticePanther

• Solo$49

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

  Matters, time and expenses, client portal, PantherPayments, document templates, task and event workflows, internal chat. One live training.

• Essential$69

  per user / month, billed annually ($79 billed monthly)

  Adds custom fields and roles, batch billing, payment plans and reminders, email and calendar sync, multiple bank accounts and check printing.

• Business$89

  per user / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)

  Adds two-way texting, intake forms, unlimited eSignature sends, LEDES billing, Zapier and the API, court-rules calendaring and VIP support.

• Business Pro$114

  per user / month, billed annually ($124 billed monthly)

  Adds PantherAccounting Plus: trust and operating accounting, a general ledger, expense management and guided three-way reconciliation.

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.

PracticePanther

• Annual discount

  Save $120 per user a year with annual billing

  PracticePanther's pricing page shows every plan $10 a month cheaper per user when billed annually, a saving it states as $120 per user a year.