Openfront Law Firm vs PCLaw
Openfront Law Firm
openship.orgPCLaw
pclawtimematters.comSide by side
| Figure | Openfront Law Firm | PCLaw |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $49/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Legal Practice Management Software | 9.0 (#10) | 7.6 (#94) |
| Audience | The maker describes the intended audience as law firms and legal operations teams needing connected matter work, financial records, client collaboration, document history, and integration controls in infrastructure they choose. | PCLaw is presented as software designed for law firms and legal professionals. |
| Billing | Billing models rate cards and rules, time, expenses, retainers, invoices, payments, allocations and refunds. | PCLaw tracks billable and non-billable time and supports LEDES-formatted bills and electronic billing. |
| Deployment | The product documentation says to run it with Node.js, Next.js, Keystone, Prisma, and PostgreSQL, and requires explicit public and internal HTTPS origins for production. | The company describes PCLaw as an on-premises software solution. |
| Matter management | Matter workflows include parties, teams, ethical walls, courts, dockets, deadlines, entries and tasks. | PCLaw centralizes client information and files, tracks matters and calendars, and can automate precedents, forms, and documents. |
| Purpose | Openfront Law Firm is an open-source legal-practice operations application for firm intake, conflicts, matters, documents, billing, trust records, client sharing, integrations, retention, and controlled agent work. | PCLaw combines legal matter management, billing, and legal accounting in one system. |
Plans
Openfront Law Firm
- FreeFree
- Starter$49 a month
- Professional$199 a month
- Enterprise$399 a month
In their own words
Openfront Law Firm
Openfront Law Firm is an open-source application for coordinating legal-practice operations, from intake and conflict review through matters, billing, trust records, and client collaboration. It brings together matter teams, courts and deadlines, communications, time and expenses, invoicing, and trust ledgers. Firm memberships and roles, matter assignments, ethical walls, and precise portal grants shape access. Append-only history or compensating operations preserve changes to records such as documents, invoices, trust entries, and audit events. Integration controls include encrypted credential records, external links, webhooks, API keys, and OAuth authorization. These documented boundaries do not themselves send real email or texts, store real documents, collect payments, calculate deadlines, file with courts, or obtain signatures. The current source has neither public intake nor a client-facing portal interface. Deployment uses Node.js, Next.js, Keystone, Prisma, and PostgreSQL; production requires public and internal HTTPS origins. Openfront Law Firm is free to self-deploy, but the general paid plans do not specify a price for this product.
PCLaw
PCLaw combines legal matter management, billing, and legal accounting for law firms and legal professionals. It keeps client information and files together, tracks matters and calendars, and can automate precedents, forms, and documents. Billing covers billable and non-billable time, LEDES-formatted bills, and electronic billing. Its Dashboard brings together firm financial performance, matter progress, appointments, and billable hours. PCLaw Go is a timekeeping app for Android and iOS that links recorded time to cases, clients, and matters. PCLaw Payments, powered by FeeWise, supports online client payments. The maker describes PCLaw as an on-premises solution and offers separate system-requirements resources for PCLaw and PCLaw Enterprise. It runs on Windows, Android, and iOS, with self-hosted deployment. Pricing is paid and available by customized quote. AMP Membership includes upgrades, expert support, and P|T University training; firms without active membership may lose access to upgrades, member-only features, training, and other benefits.