Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Project Management Software for Legal Teams

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Key takeaways

  • Legal teams need matter deadlines, court date tracking, document review stages and permission controls in one place, and all eight tools here offer those building blocks at different prices.
  • monday.com and Asana give the clearest starting points for firms that want structured matter boards and deadline views from day one.
  • ClickUp, Teamwork and Wrike offer free plans that suit small firms that want to test a system before committing to a monthly charge.
  • Smartsheet and Airtable work best when a firm already thinks in sheets or databases, while Notion suits teams that want matters, notes and client pages in one workspace.
  • Prices change often, so check the vendor pricing page linked in Sources before you commit to a plan.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
monday.comMatter boards and deadline views$9 per seat/month (billed annually)Yes
AsanaStructured matter workflows$10.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
ClickUpSmall firms on a tight budget$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
WrikeDocument review and approvals$10 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
SmartsheetSheet based matter tracking$9 per member/month (billed annually)No, 30-day free trial
TeamworkClient work and billing handoffs$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
NotionMatters, notes and client pages$10 per member/month (billed annually)Yes
AirtableMatter databases and intake forms$20 per user/month (billed annually)Yes

How we choose

We reviewed the vendor pricing pages and feature documentation for each tool in this guide, and we compared the plans side by side on the features a legal team uses most: matter tracking, deadline views, document review, permissions, time tracking and billing handoffs. We checked the starting price, the free plan terms and the limits on each tier, such as seat caps and user minimums, so the numbers in this guide match what the vendor lists. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we did not rank tools by a score. Instead, we matched each tool to the legal workflow it fits best. Prices change often, so the Sources section links to the pricing page for every tool, and a reader should confirm the current figure there before buying.

Our full method

The shortlist

2

monday.com

Best for Matter boards and deadline views

Website: https://monday.com

Best for: Matter boards and deadline views

Starting price: $9 per seat/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Visual boards with timeline and calendar views; automations for deadline reminders

Cons: Lower tiers lack time tracking and advanced automations; the free plan covers only 2 seats

monday.com starts at $9 per seat per month when billed annually on the Basic plan, with Standard at $12 and Pro at $19. A free plan covers up to 2 seats, and Basic plans carry a 3-seat minimum, so a small firm can map the real cost before it signs up. The board layout fits legal work well because each matter becomes a row, each deadline becomes a date column, and each stage of document review becomes a status label that the whole team can read at a glance.

For a legal team, the timeline and calendar views matter most. Court dates, filing deadlines and client meetings sit on one calendar, and the timeline view shows how matters overlap across the month. Automations can send a reminder when a filing date comes close or move a matter to the next stage when a document is marked approved. Permissions let a firm limit who sees a sensitive matter, which supports client confidentiality when several matters run side by side.

3

Asana

Best for Structured matter workflows

Website: https://asana.com

Best for: Structured matter workflows

Starting price: $10.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Clear task lists with due dates and dependencies; templates for repeatable matter work

Cons: Reporting and portfolios sit on higher tiers; the free plan covers only 2 users

Asana starts at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually on the Starter plan, with Advanced at $24.99. The Personal plan is free for up to 2 users, which gives a small firm a way to test the system on real matters before it spends anything. List, board, timeline and calendar views cover the main ways a legal team looks at its work, and dependencies show which steps must finish before a filing can go out.

A legal team can build a template for each type of matter, so a new case opens with the same checklist every time: intake, conflict check, document collection, draft, review, filing and closing. Rules can assign the next step to the right person when a task is marked complete, which cuts down on handoffs between paralegals, associates and partners. Comment threads keep the discussion attached to the task, so the history of a matter stays in one place instead of scattered across email.

4

ClickUp

Best for Small firms on a tight budget

Website: https://clickup.com

Best for: Small firms on a tight budget

Starting price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Free Forever plan with tasks, docs and goals; built in time tracking

Cons: The wide feature set takes time to configure; the free plan caps storage at 60 MB

ClickUp starts at $9 per user per month when billed annually on the Core plan, with Business at $17. The Free Forever plan includes tasks, docs and goals, with a 60 MB storage cap, which makes it one of the most generous free options for a small firm. Time tracking is built in, so a team can log hours against a matter without adding another tool, and custom fields let a firm track matter numbers, court names and client references on every task.

For legal work, ClickUp works as a single hub. Docs hold meeting notes and draft outlines, tasks hold deadlines and assignments, and goals track larger aims such as clearing a backlog of filings before a court term. Views can switch between list, board, calendar and Gantt, so each person sees the same matters in the layout that suits them. Automations can move a matter forward when a document is approved or remind the owner when a deadline is two days away.

5

Wrike

Best for Document review and approvals

Website: https://www.wrike.com

Best for: Document review and approvals

Starting price: $10 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Proofing and approval workflows for documents; request forms for new matters

Cons: The interface has a learning curve for new users; the Team plan caps at 15 users

Wrike starts at $10 per user per month when billed annually on the Team plan, with Business at $25. The Team plan caps at 15 users, so a firm larger than that needs Business. A free plan is available for small teams that want to try the layout first. Request forms let a firm collect new matter details in a standard format, so intake arrives complete instead of as a loose email thread.

Document review is where Wrike earns its place for legal teams. Proofing tools let reviewers mark up a draft, leave comments on exact lines and approve a version before it goes to a client or a court. Approval chains make it clear who has signed off and who is still waiting, which matters when a filing needs a partner review before it leaves the office. Gantt charts show how a matter moves from intake to filing, and dashboards give partners a view across every open case.

6

Smartsheet

Best for Sheet based matter tracking

Website: https://www.smartsheet.com

Best for: Sheet based matter tracking

Starting price: $9 per member/month (billed annually)

Free plan: No, 30-day free trial

Pros: Grid, Gantt, Card and Calendar views on one sheet; automations for reminders

Cons: No free plan for new signups; the Pro plan caps at 10 members

Smartsheet starts at $9 per member per month when billed annually on the Pro plan, with Business at $19. The Pro plan caps at 10 members, so a firm with more people needs Business. There is no free plan for new signups, but a 30-day free trial lets a team test the system on live matters before it commits. The grid view will feel familiar to any team that already tracks matters in a spreadsheet, which shortens the learning curve.

A legal team can run a matter tracker as a sheet, with columns for matter number, client, court, filing date, owner and status. The same sheet can switch to Gantt view to show deadlines across the month, Card view to show matters by stage, or Calendar view to show court dates. Automations send reminders when a deadline comes close and alert the owner when a status changes. Proofing and approval features on higher tiers add a review step for documents before they are filed.

7

Teamwork

Best for Client work and billing handoffs

Website: https://www.teamwork.com

Best for: Client work and billing handoffs

Starting price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Client projects with time tracking and billing; free plan for up to 5 users

Cons: Advanced resource planning needs the higher tier; the Basics plan carries a 3-seat minimum

Teamwork starts at $9.99 per user per month when billed annually on the Basics plan, with Accelerate at $24.99. The free plan covers up to 5 users, and the Basics plan carries a 3-seat minimum, so a small firm can start without spending and move to a monthly charge when it grows. Time tracking is built in, which lets a team log hours against each matter and hand clean records to billing at the end of the month.

For a legal team, Teamwork is built around client work. Each client gets its own project space, each matter gets its own task list, and milestones mark the big steps such as filing, hearing and settlement. Portfolios group projects by client or practice area, so a partner can see every open matter for one client in a single view. Task lists can hold templates for repeatable matter types, and the workload view shows who is carrying too much work before a deadline slips.

8

Notion

Best for Matters, notes and client pages

Website: https://www.notion.com

Best for: Matters, notes and client pages

Starting price: $10 per member/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Databases, docs and wikis in one workspace; flexible templates

Cons: Task tracking needs manual setup compared with dedicated PM tools; Gantt and workload views are not built in

Notion starts at $10 per member per month when billed annually on the Plus plan, with Business at $20. A free plan is available, which makes it easy for a small team to build a matter system before it spends anything. Databases sit at the centre of Notion: a matter database can hold client, court, filing date, owner and status, and each matter opens as a page that holds notes, documents and related tasks in one place.

For a legal team, Notion works as a shared knowledge base as much as a task tracker. Client pages can hold contact details, matter history and key documents. Meeting notes link back to the matter they belong to, so the record of a case stays connected. Templates let a firm open a new matter with the same structure every time, and permissions control who can see a sensitive client page. Views can show matters as a table, a board by stage, or a calendar of court dates.

9

Airtable

Best for Matter databases and intake forms

Website: https://www.airtable.com

Best for: Matter databases and intake forms

Starting price: $20 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Pros: Powerful bases with views, forms and automations; interfaces for clients and staff

Cons: Commenters are billable on the Team plan; the $20 starting price is the highest on this list

Airtable starts at $20 per user per month when billed annually on the Team plan, with Business at $45. A free plan is available for small teams that want to test a base before they commit. Bases work like a database with a friendly front end: a matters table can link to a clients table, a documents table and a deadlines table, so one record connects to everything about a case.

For a legal team, Airtable shines at intake and tracking. Forms collect new matter details in a standard format and drop them straight into the base, which removes manual data entry. Views can show matters by stage, by owner, by court or by filing date, and automations can send a reminder when a deadline comes close or notify the owner when a status changes. Interfaces let a firm build a simple view for staff or clients without giving them access to the full base, which helps protect sensitive records.

What to check before you buy

Start with confidentiality. A legal team holds sensitive client records, so check that the tool lets you limit who sees each matter, each client space and each document. Ask how permissions work on the plan you would actually buy, because some tools reserve granular permissions for higher tiers. Check the audit trail too: a record of who changed a deadline or approved a document helps when a client asks what happened and when.

Next, check deadline handling. Court dates and filing deadlines do not move, so the tool should show them on a calendar, send reminders before they arrive and show dependencies between steps. Test this with a real matter during the trial: enter the filing date, set the review steps and see whether the reminders arrive on time. Check the billing handoff as well. If the firm bills by the hour, time tracking should attach to the matter, and the export should give billing the hours, the matter number and the owner without manual retyping.

Finally, check the cost at your real team size, not the headline price. Seat minimums, caps and billable commenters can change the monthly charge a lot. Add up the cost for every person who will use the tool, including part time staff and outside collaborators, and confirm which features sit on the tier you would buy.

FAQ

What should a legal team look for first in project management software?

Look for matter tracking, deadline views and permission controls before anything else. The tool should show court dates and filing deadlines on a calendar, send reminders before they arrive and let you limit who sees a sensitive matter. Document review, time tracking and a clean handoff to billing come next, because those features decide whether the tool saves time every week or adds admin work.

Can a free plan work for a small law firm?

A free plan can work for a firm of two to five people that needs basic task lists, deadlines and a shared calendar. ClickUp, Asana, Teamwork and Notion all offer free plans that cover those basics. The limits show up as the firm grows: storage caps, seat caps and missing features such as time tracking or reporting. Move to a monthly charge when the free limits start to slow the team down.

How do these tools handle client confidentiality?

Each tool on this list offers permissions that limit who can see a project, a matter or a document, but the depth of those controls varies by plan. Check that the plan you buy includes the permission level you need, because some tools reserve granular controls for higher tiers. Use separate project spaces per client, limit guest access and review who can export data before you store sensitive records in the tool.

Which tool is best for tracking court dates and matter deadlines?

The best pick depends on how the team likes to see its work. monday.com and Asana give the clearest calendar and timeline views for court dates, while Wrike and Smartsheet add Gantt views that show how deadlines overlap across matters. ClickUp and Teamwork also cover deadlines well and add time tracking. Test two tools on a real matter during the trial and pick the one whose calendar your team actually checks each morning.

Do these tools help with billing handoffs?

Yes, several tools on this list help with billing handoffs. ClickUp, Teamwork and monday.com on higher tiers offer built in time tracking, so hours attach to the matter as the work happens. Teamwork is the strongest here because it is built around client projects and billing. Export the time records at month end and check that they carry the matter number, the owner and the hours before you send them to billing.

Sources we checked

  • https://monday.com/pricing
  • https://asana.com/pricing
  • https://clickup.com/pricing
  • https://www.wrike.com/pricing
  • https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing
  • https://www.teamwork.com/pricing
  • https://www.notion.com/pricing
  • https://www.airtable.com/pricing
How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

Best project management software for legal teams#1 PICK