The PracticePanther Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about PracticePanther in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
PracticePanther
The Insider’s Guide
Law practice management with built-in payments and accounting
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among law practice software, read from PracticePanther’s own pages.
Made by PracticePanther · checked Oct 24, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from PracticePanther’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on PracticePanther’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 6 of the 9 other law practice software we grade
PracticePanther is practice management software for law firms. It keeps contacts, matters, documents, calendars, time entries and invoices together, and takes card and eCheck payments through its own PantherPayments. Higher plans add two-way texting, intake forms, eSignature and, on Business Pro, full trust and operating accounting.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about PracticePanther, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Workflows, trust accounts and payments need setting up, and Solo comes with one live training session.
- 1
Best for small firms that want payments and billing in one app
Court-rules calendaring needs a LawToolBox subscription too.
- 2
Paid plans start at $49 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $49 per user / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial, no credit card needed
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 6 of 9
That is against the other law practice software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace PracticePanther you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
PracticePanther at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $49 per user / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial, no credit card needed
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- PracticePanther, since 2012
- Category
- Law Practice Software
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for small firms that want payments and billing in one app
PracticePanther keeps matters, time, invoices, a trust ledger and its own card and eCheck payments together, from $49 a user a month billed yearly. Most of what a growing firm adds later costs more: email and calendar sync start at $69, texting, intake forms, eSignature and the API at $89, and full accounting at $114. Court-rules calendaring needs a LawToolBox subscription too.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Solo is $49 a user a month billed yearly, $59 monthly, which is where this category's cheaper quarter and middle both sit. The jumps come quickly: Essential is $69, Business $89 and Business Pro $114. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 7-day trial with no card, and nothing free after it. That's a short look at a system you'd run the firm's money through. |
| Features | C | Matters, workflows, time, invoices, PantherPayments, a client portal and a trust ledger with a three-way reconciliation report on every plan. Texting and intake forms wait on Business at $89 a user. The gap the listing names: court-rules calendaring needs a separate LawToolBox subscription. |
| Ease of use | C | We have no store rating on file for it. Workflows, trust accounts and payments need setting up, and Solo comes with one live training session. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone, iPad and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Zapier and an API. No desktop app, and Zapier and the API need Business. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who PracticePanther is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Solo lawyers who want a published, per-user price and a quick trial
- Small firms that want payments and trust accounting in the same tool
- Firms that text clients from a business number
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$49
A month to start, for each person
PracticePanther is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly).
That's a short look at a system you'd run the firm's money through.
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.
Trying it first
7-day free trial, no credit card needed
Read from practicepanther.com on Oct 24, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on practicepanther.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Law practice management with built-in payments and accounting. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, time tracking, forms, invoicing, business texting, case management, trust accounting.
The gap the listing names: court-rules calendaring needs a separate LawToolBox subscription.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- Microsoft Outlook
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- Dropbox
- Zapier
- Lawmatics
- Smith.ai
PracticePanther is made by PracticePanther, and has been around since 2012.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/9
Other law practice software it is graded above
PracticePanther's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 6 of the 9 other law practice software we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 9) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $49 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 4 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 law practice software we grade, cut by the letter each got. PracticePanther’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 9
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 9
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 5 law practice software. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. PracticePanther is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace PracticePanther you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.2 is higher than 6 of the 9 other law practice software we grade. It costs $588 a year.
What you could make
- Case management, time tracking, invoicing and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require.
- Texts from a business number, registered with the carriers.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Outlook and Gmail among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. PracticePanther’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
MyCase, Clio, Smokeball, Rocket Matter and CosmoLex
The 5 tools PracticePanther is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
MyCase
Free trial · from $50/mo
Case management, billing and client portal for small law firms.
- 2.8GPA
Clio
Free trial · from $49/mo
Practice management, legal accounting and legal AI for law firms.
- PracticePanther also covers forms and business texting.
- Clio also covers bookkeeping.
- 2.0GPA
Smokeball
Paid
Practice management with automatic time capture and court forms.
- Only Smokeball lists a Windows app.
- PracticePanther also covers forms and business texting.
- Smokeball also covers templates.
- 2.0GPA
Rocket Matter
Free trial · from $59/mo
Legal billing, trust accounting and matter management in the cloud.
- PracticePanther also covers forms and business texting.
- Rocket Matter also covers bookkeeping.
- 2.2GPA
CosmoLex
Free trial · from $49/mo
Law practice management with trust and business accounting built in.
- PracticePanther also covers forms and business texting.
- CosmoLex also covers bookkeeping.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is PracticePanther free?
No, PracticePanther is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial, no credit card needed.
How much does PracticePanther cost?
PracticePanther lists 4 plans. Solo: $49 per user / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly).
What platforms does PracticePanther work on?
PracticePanther is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does PracticePanther offer any discounts?
PracticePanther publicly lists the following: Save $120 per user a year with annual billing.
Does PracticePanther have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. PracticePanther is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does PracticePanther have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. PracticePanther is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is PracticePanther open source?
PracticePanther is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 24, 2026.
Does PracticePanther have an API?
Yes. PracticePanther offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does PracticePanther integrate with?
PracticePanther's listing names QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Zapier, Lawmatics and Smith.ai.
Who makes PracticePanther?
PracticePanther is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2012.
What are the alternatives to PracticePanther?
The closest alternatives to PracticePanther in our directory are MyCase, Clio, Smokeball, Rocket Matter and CosmoLex.
How does PracticePanther compare with other law practice software?
PracticePanther's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 6 of the 9 other law practice software we grade, and level with 2.
Is PracticePanther good value for money?
ToolGPA grades PracticePanther C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $49 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 4 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of PracticePanther?
To replace PracticePanther you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from PracticePanther’s own pages on Oct 24, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 24, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from PracticePanther's own pages on 24 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by PracticePanther. Prices change, so check practicepanther.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- PracticePanther, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/practicepanther
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "PracticePanther: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 24, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/practicepanther
Know someone choosing between law practice software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/practicepanther/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded law practice software after PracticePanther, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Law Practice Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 law practice software we grade, compared
- Clio Insider's GuidePractice management, legal accounting and legal AI for law firms2.8 GPA
- CosmoLex Insider's GuideLaw practice management with trust and business accounting built in2.2 GPA
- MyCase Insider's GuideCase management, billing and client portal for small law firms2.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what PracticePanther’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. PracticePanther is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PracticePanther. Prices and plans change: check practicepanther.com before you buy.