CosmoLex vs Tabs3 (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 Tabs3 if

• Fits if billing and trust accounting are the part of the firm you most need sorted
• Works for firms that want the choice of running it on their own servers

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you want the full suite: $89 plus $35 for matter management is $124 a user a month
• Skip it if you want to try it today, since the 10-day trial starts after a call
• Watch out: online payments and CRM are separate paid add-ons, with CRM from $147 a month
• Watch out: prices are 'starting at', volume discounts apply, and a user is anyone who tracks time or works in the software

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.

Tabs3

• PracticeMaster matter management is an extra $35 per user / month on cloud, so the full suite costs more than the headline $89.
• Prices are listed as starting figures with volume discounts, and a user means anyone who tracks time or works in the software.
• The vendor says the free trial runs 10 days and starts only after a conversation with its team.
• Online payments and CRM are separate paid add-ons; CRM starts at $147 per month for up to 3 PracticeMaster users.

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.

Tabs3

Time and billing

Tracks time and costs, sets flexible rates and fees, and produces customized client statements and management reports.

Trust accounting

The trust module supports unlimited trust accounts and up to 99 bank accounts, with a three-way reconciliation report and low-balance alerts.

Financials

General ledger, accounts payable and bank reconciliation are part of the same system, so trust balances show on client statements and billing records.

PracticeMaster matter management

A paid add-on that keeps each matter's contacts, emails, documents, fees and calendar together, with a conflict checker and document assembly.

WorkFlows

PracticeMaster can trigger routine steps such as follow-up emails, appointments or document generation when set conditions occur.

Tabs3 Connect mobile access

Included with each cloud license, it lets users enter time, view matters and check the firm calendar from a phone, tablet or laptop.

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.

Tabs3

• Tabs3 OnSite$69

  per user / month, starting at

  On-premises subscription for firms that run their own servers and backups. Includes billing, financials and Tabs3 Connect; volume discounts may apply.

• Tabs3 Cloud$89

  per user / month, starting at

  Hosted version with billing, financials, Tabs3Pay payments and Tabs3 Connect mobile access. Volume discounts may apply.

• PracticeMaster add-on (Cloud)$35

  per user / month, added to Tabs3 Cloud

  Adds matter management, document automation, calendars and conflict checks to the cloud subscription.

• PracticeMaster add-on (OnSite)$32

  per user / month, added to Tabs3 OnSite

  The same matter-management module for the on-premises subscription.

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.

Tabs3

No public discounts listed.