Hoowla vs LexNebulis
Hoowla
hoowla.comLexNebulis
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Hoowla | LexNebulis |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £14.58/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · Legal Practice Management Software | 8.3 (#35) | 8.9 (#11) |
| Client intake | Yes | Intake forms capture prospects, score leads and convert them into active clients. |
| Client portal | The client portal lets clients view and share documents, follow case progress, message their solicitor and upload documents through a mobile friendly browser experience. | A branded portal lets clients view matter status, upload documents and communicate securely. |
| Integrations | Hoowla states it integrates with HMRC SDLT and HM Land Registry for OS1/2 ordering and EDRS submissions, and supports APIs and webhooks. | Listed integrations include Stripe and LawPay payments, QuickBooks and CSV accounting export, and Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive storage. |
| Security | The security policy says data is encrypted at rest with AES-256, served over HTTPS/TLS, and hosted in ISO 27001 certified AWS datacentres in Dublin. | The project describes encryption at rest and in transit, bcrypt password hashing, JWT authentication, and TOTP or WebAuthn/FIDO2 two-factor authentication. |
| Trust accounting | Yes | Trust/IOLTA accounting includes per-client ledgers, three-way reconciliation, deposits, disbursements and overdraft safeguards. |
Plans
Hoowla
- Panel Management£29 a month
- Quote Calculator — Local firm£175 a year
- Quote Calculator — Multi branch£225 a year
- Panel Management setup & training£315, paid once
- Quote Calculator — Corporate£315 a year
- Case ManagementPriced on request
In their own words
LexNebulis
LexNebulis is a free, self-hosted legal practice management platform for small law firms. It handles clients and matters, documents, calendars, time tracking, billing, and trust accounting. Legal workflows include conflict checks, client intake, document templates and generation, e-signature, and a client portal. Billing supports LEDES 1998B and 2000 export, UTBMS codes, and electronic invoice submission. Listed connections cover Stripe and LawPay payments, QuickBooks and CSV accounting export, and Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive storage. Security features include encryption at rest and in transit, bcrypt password hashing, JWT authentication, and TOTP or WebAuthn/FIDO2 two-factor authentication. Its append-only audit log uses SHA-256 hash chaining to make tampering or deletion detectable. The software is free for commercial use under Apache License 2.0. Installation requires Docker and Docker Compose v2, at least 2 GB RAM, and at least 10 GB disk space. The guide specifies a Linux server and recommends Ubuntu 22.04 or later; macOS is specified for development. The project wiki describes a target range of 1 to 50 users.