MatterX vs Smokeball

MatterX8.8Visit SSmokeball8.0Visit

Higher score MatterX #1 in Trust Accounting Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit MatterX

vs

S Smokeball #8 in Trust Accounting Software 8.0/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Smokeball

• MatterX fits best

  Small firms wanting a free trust platform

• Smokeball fits best

  Firms wanting trust accounting in case management

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Side by side

Feature	MatterX 8.8/10 Visit ↗	SSmokeball 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.0
Ranking	#1 in Trust Accounting Software	#8 in Trust Accounting Software
Best for	Small firms wanting a free trust platform	Firms wanting trust accounting in case management
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001	ISO 27001, 2FA
Integrations	12 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features MatterX 4/4 · Smokeball 3/4
Three-way reconciliation	✓	✓
Bank reconciliation	✓	✓
Disbursement approvals	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Compliance reports	✓	✓
Specs
Trust ledger types	Not checked yet	Individual
Matter limit	5 matters	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Three-way reconciliation with audit trails and dual authorisation Broad Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power Platform and Xero integrations Trust reporting covers statutory deposits, controlled money and examiners	Records trust transactions against matters and accounts Includes reconciliation, ledgers, cash books and audit reports Connects with Microsoft 365, Xero, MYOB and Stripe
Cons	The free Good Minutes plan is a desktop time tracker, not full trust accounting Paid Base, Professional and Premium plans are quote-based Advanced capabilities are spread across higher-tier MatterX products	No free plan Advanced automation and reporting require higher tiers Designed for Australian law firms and legal teams
Our verdict	MatterX is a legal practice management and trust-accounting platform for Australian and New Zealand law firms. It runs on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and combines trust operations with matter management, billing, financial… Read the review →	Smokeball is legal practice management software for Australian law firms, including sole practitioners, small firms and growing legal teams. It brings matter, document and email management together with calendars, workflows, billing, time… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MatterX — where it wins

  • Three-way reconciliation with audit trails and dual authorisation
  • Broad Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power Platform and Xero integrations
  • Trust reporting covers statutory deposits, controlled money and examiners

  Where it doesn't

  • The free Good Minutes plan is a desktop time tracker, not full trust accounting
  • Paid Base, Professional and Premium plans are quote-based
  • Advanced capabilities are spread across higher-tier MatterX products

• Smokeball — where it wins

  • Records trust transactions against matters and accounts
  • Includes reconciliation, ledgers, cash books and audit reports
  • Connects with Microsoft 365, Xero, MYOB and Stripe

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan
  • Advanced automation and reporting require higher tiers
  • Designed for Australian law firms and legal teams

• MatterX8.8/10 · Free plan

  A Microsoft-native legal finance platform with deep trust-accounting controls.

  Visit MatterXFull verdict →
• SSmokeball8.0/10 · Paid

  A legal practice platform that brings trust accounting, matters, billing and reporting together.

  Visit SmokeballFull verdict →