Actionstep vs Aderant Expert Sierra

Actionstep is legal practice management software that organizes work from client intake through case resolution. Its Practice Management offering includes matter and case management, intake and forms, document management and assembly, a client portal, workflow automation, billing, and trust accounting. Legal Accounting can be purchased separately or added to practice management; it covers general ledger, banking and reconciliation, accounts payable and receivable, payments, trust accounting, and financial reporting, and is available only in North America. Add-on modules include Builder for document templates and matter-data population, Capture for intake forms and document collection, Trace for activity capture and AI-drafted time narratives, and Acumen for dashboards, metrics, and AI-powered questions and explanations. Actionstep connects with Microsoft Office 365 and provides access to integrations. Its mobile app is available for iOS and Android. Security includes AWS, multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on; the company completed a SOC 2 Type 2 examination. Pricing is on request, and no free plan or free tier is stated.

Aderant Expert Sierra is a practice and financial management system for law firms, covering matter work, billing, trust management, and time and expense capture. Practice tools include conflict checks, file opening, client and matter management, work in progress, collections, reporting, and analytics. Billing features include paperless pre-billing, Alternative Fee Arrangement management, invoice flexibility, and billing compliance management. Lawyers can enter and track time on any device; expense claims can use configurable routing and approval workflows. Sierra can integrate with CRM, document management, and HR systems, and Aderant says existing customizations and integrations can be retained during migration. A First AML connection supports checks within the practice workflow and records verification outcomes for reporting and audit. Built on the Stridyn cloud platform, the product offers MADDI AI capabilities, including natural-language queries and AI-powered automation. Aderant describes proactive monitoring, extensive auditing, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and AWS hosting. The service is presented as remote and mobile-friendly, with global support coverage and optional elevated technical support. It runs on Android, iOS, and web. Pricing is not published; firms are asked to request a demo.