Overview

Affinity is legal practice management software for established firms, particularly mid-tier practices with complex operational needs. It brings matter and document management together with billing, reporting and workflow tools, making it a broad operational platform rather than a narrow accounting product.

Key features

Affinity tracks matters, contacts, documents, financials, time, transactions and billing in one system. Documents can be stored across matters, contacts and clients, with full-text search, version history linked to matters, and a shared library for forms and precedents. That structure is useful for firms managing substantial matter files; the breadth may be more than a smaller practice needs.

Workflow automation sits alongside time recording, flexible and multi-currency billing, matter-level billing, project budget tracking, client ledgers and trust accounting. Bank reconciliation and compliance reporting extend the financial toolkit. Together, these capabilities suit firms that need practice operations and accounting processes to work together, rather than stitching together separate point tools.

Affinity integrates with Outlook and MS Exchange and supports saving documents from Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The maker also lists integrations with PEXA, Mitimes, FeeSynergy, NetDocuments and Macquarie Bank. More than 90 standard reports, dashboards and custom-report options give firms ways to monitor operations, while role-based access controls, Team Security and Document Profile features help protect sensitive matters.

The Unified API is available to client firms for custom apps and extensions developed by their teams or approved third-party vendors. Version 26 is described as an on-premises update with 64-bit architecture and RedView CRM integration. Firms considering it should confirm that the on-premises deployment model matches their infrastructure plans.

Pricing

Affinity uses custom pricing; firms request a demo to discuss the product. There is no published plan breakdown or price to compare, so buyers should establish the full cost and terms directly before weighing it against alternatives.

Platforms

Affinity is available on the web and Windows, and includes an API. Its platform listing also identifies an API as a supported platform. The on-premises description for Version 26 is relevant to firms choosing a deployment model; prospective customers should assess that update against their own requirements.

Who it's for

Affinity is best suited to established legal firms that need configurable matter operations, document management, billing and reporting in a single system. Its trust accounting, client ledgers, bank reconciliation and compliance reporting make it especially relevant to practices with substantial financial and regulatory workflows. Smaller firms seeking a low-cost, self-service entry point may find the custom-pricing process and breadth harder to justify.

Pros and cons

Pros: Matter, document, time and financial workflows are covered in one platform, including trust accounting, multi-currency billing and budget tracking.
Pros: Full-text search, versioning and a shared precedents library support document-heavy practices.
Pros: The Unified API allows client firms to build custom apps and extensions, while reporting spans standard reports, dashboards and custom options.
Cons: Custom pricing requires a sales conversation, limiting straightforward cost comparison before a demo.
Cons: Version 26 is described as an on-premises update, a deployment approach that may not suit every firm's infrastructure needs.

Alternatives

LexNebulis is a free, open-source option at 0.00 USD per free for self-hosted use under Apache 2.0, suited to firms prioritizing those terms over Affinity's integrated commercial platform.

LawPracticeZA offers web and mobile platforms with a monthly-in-arrears subscription quoted after a demo; choose it if those platform options and its quote-based buying process better fit.

Tussman Program has a free version for up to 5 clients and 10 matters, with a full program also available; it may suit a small practice that can stay within those caps.

Actionstep prices its practice-management plan per user plus implementation fees and includes matter and case management, client intake and forms, and document management; it is an alternative for firms weighing those capabilities and fee terms.

BarBooks offers an enterprise plan with priority technical and customer support, training and support materials; consider it when those enterprise support provisions are the priority.

CosmoLex starts with Launch at 49.00 USD per month, billed monthly per user, with time tracking, invoicing, online payments, trust accounting and ledgers. It provides a published entry price for firms seeking those functions.

Dye & Durham Legal Accounts is another Dye & Durham product for buyers comparing legal accounts software.

LegalClaw is a free, self-hosted open-source alternative under GNU GPL v3 for teams considering that model.

For category comparisons, see Legal Accounting Software, Trust Accounting Software and Legal Practice Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Affinity if your established firm needs configurable matter and document management tied closely to billing, trust accounting and reporting, and can evaluate a custom-priced system through a demo. Look elsewhere if upfront pricing or a deployment model other than the on-premises Version 26 description is central to your decision.

	Affinity	Unity Accounting
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web, Windows	Web, Windows
Bank reconciliation	Yes	Yes
Compliance reports	Yes	Yes
Free plan	—	No
Three-way reconciliation	—	Yes

Affinity vs Unity Accounting

Affinity

Unity Accounting