Comparison
CounselOS vs Smokeball
Best-in-market time capture, but US-built and weaker on AU trust.
| Feature | CounselOS | Smokeball | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU-built practice management | |||
| AU data residency | |||
| Full AU trust accounting (every state) | |||
| Per-firm pricing (no per-user) | |||
| Month-to-month contracts | |||
| Time recording & billing help | Smokeball: desktop capture; CounselOS: web + add-ins | ||
| AI document drafting (native) | Archie AI | ||
| AI billing narrative generation | |||
| AI legal research (AU-specific) | Citation checking; publisher feeds per firm | ||
| AI contract review | |||
| AI compliance policy generation | |||
| AI governance audit log | |||
| Unified approval inbox | |||
| FilePro / LawMaster migration tooling | |||
| Australian support |
Legal research uses governed AI with citation checking. Connections to paid publishers (such as Lexis or Jade) are only available when your firm has a signed arrangement — pilot demos may use sample cases, not a live publisher feed.
Record time in the CounselOS web app, including activity hints while you work in the browser. Microsoft Word and Outlook add-ins are available on Professional and Enterprise plans.
Conflict checking helps your team spot potential issues across clients and matters. It supports your professional judgment — principals can hold matters and approve releases when needed.
Trust accounting is built for Australian state and territory rules. Migration validation and external accountant review are part of standard onboarding for firms moving from another platform.
We will walk through your specific concerns about Smokeball in the call.