PracticePanther vs Tabs3 (2026): which should you pick?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tabs3

No public discounts listed.