AppColl vs Smokeball
Smokeball scores 8.2/10 vs 7.3/10. Best for: Small firms that want automatic time capture and a massive document template library so they can bill more hours without manual tracking.
Smokeball scores higher overall at 8.2/10 vs 7.3/10. Smokeball's automatic time tracking genuinely captures revenue that other tools miss. If your firm leaks billable hours because attorneys forget to start timers, this pays for itself. The catch: you need the $149/user Grow plan to get it.
AppColl 
Smokeball Rank
#17 of 39
Rank
#2 of 39
Features
12/18
Features
17/18
Starting at
$70/mo
Starting at
$29/mo
User reviews
4.5/5 (60)
User reviews
4.8/5 (500)
What they cost
| AppColl | Smokeball | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | $70 /mo | $29 /mo |
| Free trial | 14 days | No |
| Number of plans | 2 | 3 |
What the pricing really means
At first glance, Smokeball looks cheaper at $29/month vs $70/month. But sticker price is only part of the story. Look at what is included on the base plan, how many users you get, and whether you need add-ons to get the features you actually need. The $99/month plan that requires $200 in add-ons is actually more expensive than the $250/month plan that includes everything.
Where AppColl wins
- Direct USPTO and WIPO integration pulls filing deadlines, status updates, and correspondence automatically
- Patent/trademark portfolio management with annuity and renewal tracking across jurisdictions
- Foreign filing management handles multi-country patent strategies
- 14-day free trial for IP-specific workflows
Where Smokeball wins
- Automatic time tracking runs in the background and captures billable activity you'd otherwise forget to log — firms report 20-30% more captured time
- 1,000+ built-in document templates for common legal forms, which saves hours compared to building templates from scratch
- G2 and Capterra ratings (4.8/5 on both) are the highest in the category, and reviews back it up with genuine praise
- Bill plan at $29/user is one of the cheapest entry points if you just need billing and time tracking
Where AppColl falls short
- Only useful for IP law — zero value for any other practice area
- No trust accounting, no eSignature, no mobile app
- No intake forms or conflict checks
- Smaller company, so support options are limited compared to Clio
Where Smokeball falls short
- No free trial — you have to commit based on a demo, which means trusting the sales pitch
- The Grow plan at $149/user is expensive and you need it for automatic time tracking, which is the main differentiator
- Smaller integration ecosystem than Clio — about 50 integrations vs 250+
- No mobile app — desktop-first architecture means attorneys can't access cases from their phone
- Originally built for Australian and UK markets, so some US-specific workflows feel bolted on
Who is each product built for?
AppColl
Target: 1-30 attorneys
AppColl is the best practice management tool for dedicated IP firms. The USPTO/WIPO integration alone saves hours per week on docket management. If you handle IP plus other practice areas, pair it with Clio for the non-IP work.
Smokeball
Target: 1-30 attorneys
Smokeball's automatic time tracking genuinely captures revenue that other tools miss. If your firm leaks billable hours because attorneys forget to start timers, this pays for itself. The catch: you need the $149/user Grow plan to get it.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AppColl | Smokeball |
|---|---|---|
| Case Management | ||
| Case / matter management | ||
| Contact management | ||
| Conflict checks | ||
| Client intake forms | ||
| Client portal | ||
| Documents & Automation | ||
| Document management | ||
| Document automation | ||
| E-signatures | ||
| Email management | ||
| Billing & Accounting | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Billing & invoicing | ||
| Trust / IOLTA accounting | ||
| Scheduling & Deadlines | ||
| Calendar management | ||
| Task management | ||
| Court rule deadlines | ||
| Platform | ||
| Reporting / analytics | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access | ||
Common questions
Smokeball scores 8.2/10 vs AppColl's 7.3/10 in our ranking. Smokeball is the better pick for 1-30 attorneys. AppColl is better if you need ip boutique firms and patent attorneys that need uspto/wipo integration with automatic deadline tracking for patent and trademark portfolios.
AppColl starts at $70/month. Smokeball starts at $29/month. Watch for add-on costs — the base price often does not include all features. Pricing last verified 2026-04-11.
AppColl: Yes, 14-day free trial. Smokeball: No free trial. Always test with your actual workflow before committing to an annual plan.
AppColl covers 12 of 18 features we track. Smokeball covers 17 of 18. Smokeball has broader feature coverage, but more features does not always mean better — pick the tool that covers what your business actually needs.
No, AppColl does not have a mobile app. Smokeball does not have one either.
Yes. The main effort is migrating your data (customer lists, job history, invoices). Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both. Most legal practice management tools can import CSV data. Ask both vendors about migration support before you sign.
The bottom line
Pick AppColl if...
IP boutique firms and patent attorneys that need USPTO/WIPO integration with automatic deadline tracking for patent and trademark portfolios.
Pick Smokeball if...
Small firms that want automatic time capture and a massive document template library so they can bill more hours without manual tracking.