Tabs3 vs CARET Legal (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick CARET Legal if

• Fits if you want matters, billing and accounting in one cloud product
• Works for firms that live in Outlook and Word on Windows

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you want dashboards, workflows or custom permissions, which start at $99 a user a month
• Tight if you hate fees on top: a one-time implementation fee applies and the amount isn't published
• Skip it if you want a clear trial, since its length isn't stated
• Watch out: zolasuite.com now redirects to caretlegal.com and the vendor doesn't explain how the names relate

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.

CARET Legal

• Pricing is per user plus a one-time implementation fee whose amount is not published.
• The zolasuite.com address now redirects to caretlegal.com, and the vendor's pages do not say how the two names relate.
• Dashboards, automated workflows, custom permissions and AI document summaries start at Enterprise Plus ($99 per user / month).
• The Outlook and Word plugins are listed for Windows only, and the free trial length is not stated.

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.

CARET Legal

Matters, email and calendars

Matter management with automated workflows, tasks and a calendar, plus email that syncs with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or any IMAP account.

Billing and accounting

Time tracking, LEDES and split billing, pre-billing and legal accounting in one system. The vendor's billing page says it follows ABA and IOLTA guidelines.

Payments

Clients can pay retainers and invoices by credit card, ACH or e-check through the client portal, using the vendor's CARET Pay processing.

AI features

Quick Summary condenses long documents, and the vendor lists Capture for suggesting billable time, Command for flagging items that need attention and Court Rules for deadline calculation.

CARET Analytics

Standard dashboards and reports come with Enterprise Plus. Enterprise Insights lets a firm configure its own dashboards and metrics.

Mobile app

Native iOS and Android apps for tasks, contacts, calls and texts, with Touch ID protection and a business card scanner.

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.

CARET Legal

• Enterprise$79

  per user / month, billed annually

  Email, documents, calendar, tasks, billing, accounting, client portal, LEDES invoicing, integrated payments and 24/7 phone support. Implementation fee extra.

• Enterprise Plus$99

  per user / month, billed annually

  Adds CARET Analytics standard dashboards, automated workflows, custom permissions, department-based accounting, native document editing and AI document summaries.

• Enterprise Insights$119

  per user / month, billed annually

  Enterprise Plus plus configurable CARET Analytics reports and dashboards, with custom visualizations and metric selection.