LawAccounting vs Tabs3
Tabs3 has handled legal billing and trust accounting for decades, and both platforms take trust rules seriously. The difference is how they're built. Tabs3 grew up as desktop and server software. LawAccounting runs in the cloud on Salesforce, with practice management and accounting in one platform.
No server to run.
Open LawAccounting in a browser from anywhere, with no local installs or office servers to maintain.
One platform, not separate modules.
Billing, trust, the general ledger and practice management share the same records.
Less manual reconciliation.
15,000+ bank connections with automatic matching, plus three-way trust reconciliation in one view.
Desktop roots and a cloud-built platform
Tabs3 started as on-premises software that firms installed on their own computers and servers. Its suite is split into modules: Tabs3 Billing for time and invoicing, Tabs3 Financials for trust accounting, the general ledger and accounts payable, and PracticeMaster for practice management. Tabs3 Cloud now gives browser access to Billing, Financials and Tabs3Pay, while the data stays on a private server.
LawAccounting was built in the cloud on Salesforce. The ledger, trust accounting and billing sit at its center, and CaseQube adds intake, matters, documents and settlements on the same records. There's nothing to install, and every user works in the same system.
LawAccounting vs Tabs3, feature by feature
How Tabs3 compares with LawAccounting and CaseQube on access, accounting and day-to-day firm work.
| Area | LawAccounting and CaseQube | Tabs3 |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Cloud, built on Salesforce. Open it in any browser. | On-premises or Tabs3 Cloud. Tabs3 Cloud adds browser access, with data on a private server. |
| Product structure | One platform for practice management and accounting. | Separate modules: Tabs3 Billing, Tabs3 Financials and PracticeMaster. |
| General ledger and accounts payable | Yes. | Yes, in Tabs3 Financials. |
| Trust accounting and three-way reconciliation | Yes. | Yes, with a three-way reconciliation report. |
| Trust safeguards | Overdraft and commingling alerts, with an approval trail on trust transfers. | Minimum balance notifications when you enter a transaction. |
| Bank feeds | 15,000+ bank connections, with automatic matching. | Bank reconciliation, with bank connections in Tabs3 Cloud. |
| Practice management | CaseQube, on the same records as the books. | PracticeMaster, a separate module. |
| Payments | Card and ACH, posted to the right client ledger, with trust and operating kept apart. | Tabs3Pay, built for trust account rules. |
| Security | SOC 2 Type II, with a 99.9% uptime SLA. | Encryption, role-based access, two-factor authentication and PCI DSS compliance in Tabs3 Cloud. |
| Servers and upgrades | None to manage. | On-premises firms run their own servers and install upgrades. |
Where LawAccounting goes further than Tabs3
Many firms looking for a Tabs3 alternative are happy with what Tabs3 does. What holds them back is how it's set up: servers to maintain, separate modules to keep in step and reconciliation work that still lands on someone's desk every month.
What Tabs3 includes
Tabs3 Financials covers trust accounting, a general ledger, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, financial statements, AR aging and tax reports. Its trust accounting runs a three-way reconciliation report, warns you when the numbers don't match, notifies you when a client falls below a minimum trust balance and shows trust balances on client statements.
Cloud legal accounting software without a server
LawAccounting runs in the browser, so partners, bookkeepers and remote staff all work in the same live system. There's no office server to back up, patch or upgrade, and security sits on a SOC 2 Type II certified platform with a 99.9% uptime SLA.
One platform instead of separate modules
In Tabs3, billing, financials and practice management are separate products that work together. In LawAccounting, billing, trust, the general ledger and CaseQube's practice management share one set of records, so a payment or trust transfer appears in the matter and the books at the same moment.
Bank feeds and automatic matching
LawAccounting connects to more than 15,000 banks and matches cleared transactions automatically, so monthly reconciliation becomes a review of the exceptions. Three-way trust reconciliation shows the bank balance, the trust ledger and the client totals together.
Trust safeguards and transfers
Every client and matter has its own trust ledger in LawAccounting. Alerts flag overdrafts and commingling as they happen, and earned fees move from trust to operating with an approval trail, so the month-end review isn't the first time a problem shows up.
Reporting for a finance team
LawAccounting reports profitability by matter, attorney and practice group, with WIP, realization and budget vs actual. It also runs multi-entity and multi-office accounting with consolidated reports. If your firm needs either, ask Tabs3 to show you how its reports handle them.
Which platform is right for your firm
Stay with Tabs3 if your team is comfortable with it, you're happy running your own server or Tabs3 Cloud, and billing and trust accounting are what you need most.
Choose LawAccounting if you want to stop managing servers and upgrades, want practice management and accounting in one platform instead of separate modules, or need practice-group reporting and multi-entity accounting.
Two questions worth asking: how much of your monthly reconciliation is still done by hand, and how easily can your team work away from the office? If either answer causes friction, that cost doesn't show up in the license fee.
Already on Tabs3? How to migrate from Tabs3 to LawAccounting
LawAccounting includes migration support for firms moving off QuickBooks and other legacy systems. Tell us how your firm uses Tabs3 today, and we'll plan the move from there.
- Scope the move. Our team scopes your migration and quotes it before you commit.
- Move your data. We bring your accounting data into LawAccounting and set up your trust and operating accounts.
- Train your team. Training is part of the migration work, so your staff knows the system before you go live.
LawAccounting vs Tabs3 FAQs
Is Tabs3 cloud-based?
Tabs3 is available on-premises or as Tabs3 Cloud. Tabs3 Cloud lets users open Tabs3 Billing, Financials, Connect and Tabs3Pay in a browser, while the data lives on a private server. LawAccounting is cloud software built on Salesforce, with nothing to install.
What is Tabs3 Cloud?
Tabs3 Cloud is the browser-accessible version of Tabs3. It includes Tabs3 Billing, Tabs3 Financials, Tabs3Pay and Tabs3 Connect, with PracticeMaster available as an option.
Do I need a server for Tabs3?
On-premises Tabs3 runs on your firm's own computers or server. Tabs3 Cloud removes that need for supported modules. LawAccounting never needs a local server.
Does Tabs3 do three-way reconciliation?
Yes. Tabs3 Trust Accounting runs a three-way reconciliation report that compares client trust ledger balances with the reconciled bank statement and warns you if they don't match. LawAccounting also reconciles trust three ways, with overdraft and commingling alerts.
What is included in Tabs3 Financials?
Trust accounting, a general ledger, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, financial statements, AR aging and tax reports. LawAccounting covers the same areas and adds practice-group profitability, multi-entity reporting and practice management on the same records.
Is PracticeMaster included with Tabs3?
PracticeMaster is Tabs3's practice management module, sold alongside Tabs3 Billing and Financials. In LawAccounting, CaseQube's practice management runs on the same records as the accounting.
Does Tabs3 have practice management?
Yes, through PracticeMaster, a separate module in the Tabs3 suite. LawAccounting and CaseQube put practice management and accounting in one platform.
Is Tabs3 good for mid-sized law firms?
Tabs3 serves many established firms, especially those comfortable with its desktop roots. A mid-sized firm should test remote access, practice-group reporting and multi-entity accounting in the demo, since those are where the two platforms differ.
What is the difference between Tabs3 and LawAccounting?
Both handle legal billing and trust accounting with three-way reconciliation. Tabs3 runs on-premises or through Tabs3 Cloud, with separate modules for billing, financials and practice management. LawAccounting runs in the cloud on Salesforce, with practice management and accounting in one platform.
What are good alternatives to Tabs3?
It depends on what you need. CosmoLex combines practice management with built-in legal accounting. Clio and MyCase now offer their own accounting modules. LawAccounting, with CaseQube, suits firms that want legal accounting and practice management in one cloud platform on Salesforce.
How do I migrate from Tabs3?
Start with a scoped migration plan that covers your accounting data and trust records. LawAccounting includes migration support, quotes each migration before you commit and includes training as part of the work.
Make your firm's accounting easier to run from anywhere
See trust accounting, bank matching and practice management working together in the browser, with no server to maintain. Book a demo and bring the reconciliation that takes your team the longest.