CosmoLex
Law practice management with built-in legal accounting — no QuickBooks needed.
TimeSolv
Legal billing and time-tracking software built specifically for law firms.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CosmoLex | TimeSolv |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89mo | $27.95moBetter |
| Free Tier | No | No |
| Top Pros | Only PM tool with full legal accounting built in | Best billing depth in the category |
| 3-way trust reconciliation included | LEDES and split billing supported | |
| Eliminates need for QuickBooks | Very affordable per-user pricing | |
| Top Cons | Fewer integrations than Clio | No case management — billing only |
| Document management less robust | UI looks dated |
Features Compared
CosmoLex and TimeSolv serve fundamentally different roles in law practice operations, and their feature sets reflect that strategic difference. CosmoLex is a comprehensive law practice management platform that integrates matter management, time and billing, trust accounting, and legal accounting into one unified system. The standout feature is its built-in legal accounting engine — CosmoLex eliminates the need for QuickBooks entirely, which is a significant operational simplification for solo practitioners and small firms. Additionally, CosmoLex includes 3-way trust reconciliation as a core feature, providing automated verification of trust account balances against ledgers and bank statements. TimeSolv, by contrast, is a specialized billing and time-tracking tool. It excels in billing depth and complexity, with native support for LEDES billing formats and split billing capabilities — features that matter deeply for firms with complex billing requirements or those billing to large institutional clients. However, TimeSolv has no case management or matter management functionality whatsoever; it is strictly a billing engine that syncs with QuickBooks for accounting.
The trade-off is clear: CosmoLex offers breadth and integration under one roof, but its document management is less robust than category leaders like Clio. TimeSolv offers surgical precision in billing operations but requires users to pair it with a separate case management tool and accounting solution. For practices that need end-to-end matter and financial management without switching between platforms, CosmoLex delivers. For practices that already have case management in place and need to upgrade their billing sophistication — particularly those handling split bills or LEDES reporting — TimeSolv is purpose-built for that job.
Pricing & Value
The pricing models of these two products are wildly different, reflecting their scope and market positioning. CosmoLex is priced at $89 per month, a flat all-in-one rate that includes matter management, time and billing, trust accounting, and legal accounting. TimeSolv is priced at $27.95 per month, making it less than one-third the cost of CosmoLex. However, this comparison is misleading without context: TimeSolv is billing-only software, while CosmoLex is a full practice management system. The real ROI question is whether you already own case management and accounting software. If you do, TimeSolv is a bargain specialized billing upgrade. If you don't, CosmoLex saves you the cost and friction of integrating multiple tools.
- CosmoLex at $89/mo includes matter management, time tracking, billing, trust accounting, and legal accounting — effectively replacing QuickBooks for accounting needs
- TimeSolv at $27.95/mo is a pure billing and time-tracking add-on with no case management, so total cost depends on what you already own
- CosmoLex offers better ROI for solo practitioners and small teams starting from scratch; TimeSolv offers better ROI for firms that already have case management and need billing depth
- Neither product advertises a free tier; both are paid subscription models
Ease of Use & Onboarding
CosmoLex presents a steeper learning curve because its scope is broader. The integrated accounting features — particularly the 3-way trust reconciliation — are powerful but can overwhelm users without accounting backgrounds. Firms migrating from QuickBooks may need time to relearn accounting workflows within CosmoLex's native environment. TimeSolv has a simpler surface area: it is a time and billing tool, so the core workflow is more intuitive for legal professionals who already know their billing processes. However, TimeSolv's interface is acknowledged to look dated, which may feel less modern and may slow first-time users slightly. Neither product is a plug-and-play solution, but CosmoLex demands more investment in understanding its accounting features, while TimeSolv demands acceptance of a less polished user interface.
Integration & Ecosystem
CosmoLex is designed to be a standalone ecosystem — the entire point is to avoid the integration headaches of bolting together separate PM, billing, and accounting tools. However, this strength is also a weakness: CosmoLex has fewer integrations than market leaders like Clio, which means if you use specialized tools outside the practice management and accounting space, CosmoLex may not connect to them. TimeSolv, conversely, is built to be a plug-in to larger ecosystems. It syncs with QuickBooks for accounting and is designed to work alongside your existing case management system. This makes TimeSolv more flexible for firms with existing software stacks but requires you to manage multiple integrations. If your workflow already spans several specialized tools, TimeSolv is the more modular choice; if you prefer a self-contained system, CosmoLex wins.
Who Should Choose CosmoLex?
CosmoLex is the right choice for solo practitioners and small law firms (1–15 attorneys) that are building their practice from scratch or want to consolidate multiple tools into one system. If you currently use QuickBooks for accounting and a separate tool for matter management, CosmoLex eliminates that duplication and the integration overhead. Firms that prioritize financial control and require trust account reconciliation — particularly those managing client trust accounts at scale — benefit significantly from the built-in 3-way reconciliation. CosmoLex is also ideal for practice areas with straightforward billing (hourly, flat-fee, or fixed-matter billing) where the integrated time and billing module is sufficient and the elimination of QuickBooks justifies the $89/mo investment. If consolidation, simplicity, and integrated accounting are your priorities, CosmoLex is the answer.
Who Should Choose TimeSolv?
TimeSolv is the right choice for law firms that already have a case management system in place (Clio, Smokeball, MyCase, etc.) and need to upgrade their billing capabilities specifically. Firms handling complex billing scenarios — those using LEDES billing formats for institutional clients, splitting bills across multiple parties, or managing budget tracking alongside time entry — will find TimeSolv's billing depth essential. At $27.95/mo, it is also the clear choice for cost-conscious practices that need to add billing sophistication without a complete platform overhaul. If your case management and document management are already solved elsewhere, and you want best-in-class billing and time tracking without paying for redundant features, TimeSolv delivers surgical precision at a bargain price. Firms comfortable with older UI designs and willing to manage multiple tools will find the best billing ROI with TimeSolv.
- Want: only pm tool with full legal accounting built in
- Want: 3-way trust reconciliation included
- Want: eliminates need for quickbooks
- Want: best billing depth in the category
- Want: ledes and split billing supported
- Want: very affordable per-user pricing
Our Verdict
Pick CosmoLex if you need a single platform managing matters, time, billing, and trust accounting together. Pick TimeSolv if billing and time-tracking are your only priorities, you want the lowest per-user cost, and you already manage cases in another system or don't need case management at all.