Needles vs Centerbase

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Our analysts compared Needles vs Centerbase based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Legal Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Needles Software Tool

Product Basics

Needles is a flexible solution aimed at enabling law practices to streamline their firm operations. It provides numerous templates to build configurable workflows, daily checklists and schedules. Firms can maximize billable hours using its time and expense tracking modules. It allows firms to manage and collaborate on documents and cases with ease. Its personalized dashboards provide greater practice visibility.

Users can leverage pre-built or custom real-time reporting modules to gain granular insights into different practice facets. Firms can opt for its cloud-based Neos offering to enable remote access to all its functionality. Hosted on Microsoft Azure, it provides robust security, data backups and an API for seamless integrations.
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Centerbase provides a cloud-based end-to-end legal toolkit aimed at enabling mid-sized firms to securely manage practice workflows and improve the client experience. Firms can leverage its billing and payment modules including e-billing, online portal and various payment arrangements to get paid faster. Users can maximize billable hours using remote timekeeping, accessible timesheets and reviewing workbench. It provides comprehensive matter management with configurable workflows, real-time dashboarding and relevant details. Practices can monitor goals, projects, tasks, deadlines, meetings and court dates effortlessly with color-coded calendaring, project management and activity reminders.

Administrators can utilize prebuilt and custom reporting and comprehensive controls to efficiently manage firm operations and make informed decisions. Users can streamline client intake and communication with its secure client portal. It also offers integrated legal and trust accounting modules and robust security.
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Windows
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Android
Chromebook
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Mac
Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Ensure Accurate Documentation: Eliminate human errors or omissions by creating document checklists. 
  • Abundant Reporting Options: Offers multiple reporting modules categorized by legal matter and practice areas. 
  • Enhanced Security: Clients can choose to maintain an in-house database for maximum security. 
  • Personalized App Experience: Customize apps based on the firm’s requirements. 
  • Implementation Support: Trained professionals guide the implementation process and provide hands-on help whenever required. 
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  • Stay Connected: Access important case-related information and management tools from any device with an internet connection. 
  • Accessible KPIs: Improve business decisions with the most current information from firm-wide calendar entries and custom reports. 
  • Faster Billing: Increase cash flow with a billing module designed to reduce clicks, deduplicate entries and accelerate invoicing. 
  • Customizability: Use in-house customization tools to appropriately scale the platform according to the firm’s size and maintain relevance in a changing legal landscape. 
  • Flexible Subscription Charges: The role-based pricing structure provides multiple options for interested parties. Add or subtract any applicable licenses and pay only for the integrations and tools required. 
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  • Task Management: Stay on top of pending tasks, deadlines and important events with fully configurable workflows, synchronized Outlook calendars and automated daily checklists. Receive and broadcast important updates with firm-wide scheduling and communication portals. 
  • Document Management: Encourage employees to collaborate on and share documents, globally in real time. Identify documents using keywords, prepare files for e-Signatures and choose customizable rich templates from industry-specific case libraries. 
  • Firm Insights: Leverage real-time reporting and analytics on business health. Use the configurable dashboard to create custom reports, data and metrics, monitor business processes and identify valuable assets. 
  • Data Management and Security: Secure your data with centralized data storage that eliminates redundancies and automatically backs up all documentation. Organize and store files with the PDF Template Wizard and import data in bulk via CSV files. 
  • Time and Expense Tracking: Track time effortlessly with the help of the Outlook add-in for any device, including mobile devices. Log expenses in real time, eliminate errors and omissions and automate internal audit logs. 
  • Client Management: Improve customer satisfaction via the self-service portal with over 99% uptime. Address client inquiries, process reimbursements and payments and update case details seamlessly. 
  • API: Implement low-code integration of third-party extensions or create new integrations entirely using the API-based architecture. Directly integrate with Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, QuickBooks, DocuSign and Lexitas. 
  • Security: Secure data, documentation and digital access with Microsoft Azure. Get 24/7 security from cyber attacks and ensure business continuity with biometrically-secured physical data centers, remote-hosted servers and advanced data encryption. 
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  • Billing Management: Digitize the firm’s entire billing cycle. Prepare and approve a single bill with a log of all inline markups. 
    • Client Service: Allow clients to pay bills, view invoices and track payment history via the billing portal. Create an audit trail with .txt eBilling files email multiple invoices at once. 
    • Simple Payments: Provide clients with a single, integrated payment method to settle current charges and/or fill the retainer at the same time. Control payment options and payment methods on a matter-to-matter basis. 
    • Billing Support: Access support for hourly billing, flat fee billing, expense-only billing, project billing, consolidated billing and more. Prepare electronic invoices with the help of UTBMS codes. 
  • Legal Accounting: Set up all firm accounts under a single infrastructure and organize them based on location, matter or practice area. Link checks directly to expense accounts and provide free platform access to the firm CPA. 
    • Vendor Management: Set up automated vendor bills for recurring payments. Enter vendor checks and invoices into the system database and automatically track due dates. 
    • Online Payment: Accept credit card payments securely with the accounting module. Link payments directly to transactions and track client expenses. Eliminate manual data entry and human error. 
    • Trust Accounting: Create and operate multiple trust and IOLTA accounts. Automatically approve payments from invoices and log all trust fund expenses. 
    • Trust Reporting: Run reports to trace the flow of money going in and out of trust and IOLTA accounts. Keep a detailed record of all transactions, receivables and matter expenses. 
  • Time and Expense Tracking: Never miss out on a single minute of billable time with round-the-clock time tracking. Automatically log time spent on client calls and messages as billable hours. 
    • Simple Time Tracking: Track time directly from in-platform applications or external integrations like Microsoft Word or Microsoft Outlook. Enter time while on the move from mobile devices. 
    • Time Entries: Update, edit and sanction time entries at the end of the month. Hold or approve billing based on the case status and merge multiple associated time entries into a single entry. 
    • Rate Tables: Prepare tailored rate tables with built-in date ranges effective all year round. Exempt specific matters and clients from the rate table under special circumstances. 
    • Budgets: Create and track timekeeper budgets for client work. Benchmark staff productivity against firm averages. 
  • Firm Reporting: Generate reports in real time with accounting, billing, productivity, budgeting and compensation data. Group associated reports together and safeguard sensitive information with permission-based access. 
    • Insights: Get detailed insights into aging receivables, profitable clients, staff compensation and productivity, annual budgets, valuable practice areas and more. 
    • Custom Reporting: Run custom reports to highlight specific firm strengths and requirements. Increase stakeholder engagement with detailed spreadsheets and data visualization. 
  • Matter Management: Organize and manage all legal matters from a single dashboard. Track contacts, client information, documents, meetings, deadlines, notes and tasks associated with relevant matters. 
    • Matter Dashboard: Access the matter dashboard for a quick overview of trust balances, WIP, client payment history, ledger, credits, outstanding receivables and more. Prepare matter budgets for individual clients and run reports on fees, expenses and staff productivity. 
    • Matter Layouts: Create matter layouts with customized data fields. Organize matters on the basis of relevant case information. 
    • Matter Automation: Design and integrate matter-specific workflows directly into the platform. Automatically assign tasks and execute the next step in the workflow. Update the firm database, team members and clients with new information. 
  • Calendar Management: Create and track calendar entries in real time with a legal calendar. Toggle between firm-wide and personal views, color code entries and print calendar reports as physical reminders. 
    • Calendar Sync: Design automated calendar entries for recurring meetings and notifications for upcoming events. Connect to the Outlook 365 application for real-time synchronization of calendar entries. 
    • Deadline Management: Steer clear of malpractice claims with the LawToolBox portal. Automatically add jurisdiction-based deadlines and time-based triggers to legal matters. 
  • Client Services: Improve the overall client experience with an efficient intake process, communications module and client portal. 
    • Client Portal: Share messages, calendar entries, documentation and invoices with clients securely via the client portal. 
    • Direct Communication: Communicate with clients via dedicated private lines. Control client access to sensitive information and keep track of their communications with the firm. 
    • Client Intake: Streamline the firm’s client intake process with self-populating contact forms, automated emails and documentation. Schedule tasks and perform conflict checks against client databases. 
    • Reporting: Run reports to track marketing ROI, profitable practice areas and referrals. 
  • Document Management: Manage documents directly from associated matters or from integrated web browsers or applications like Microsoft Word. Access and share legal documentation securely from any device with an internet connection. 
    • Email Management: Store emails to associated matter files in its native .MSG format. Search for specific emails based on subject, content and date sent/received. Integrate with Microsoft Outlook and automatically log any time spent reviewing, sending or editing emails. 
    • Document Tracking: Search for individual documents using multiple data fields. Track changes made across different versions of the same file. 
    • Integrations: Open, edit and save documents with the built-in Centerbase Drive inclusion. Integrate with NetDocuments to seamlessly consolidate documents into workspaces. 
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
Legal Software

#60

among all
Legal Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 164 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 60 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Needles has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 164 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

92%
of users recommend this product

Centerbase has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 60 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.7 (12)
n/a
4.2 (22)
3.8 (2)
4.2 (98)
4.61 (31)
4.3 (32)
4.7 (27)

Awards

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Centerbase stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Functionality: Its time-tracking, billing and accounting functionalities meet the modern-day requirements of the legal industry, according to 65% of users mentioning this element.
Ease of Use: According to 69% of users who reviewed this aspect, the platform is intuitive and easy to use.
Reporting: 67% of users who reviewed this feature said that it provides plenty of customizable options.
Task Management: Regarding this feature, 75% of users found it helpful to track tasks and meet deadlines.
Training: 75% of users who reviewed this element said they’re satisfied with the knowledge base and training resources.
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Robust Billing: Centerbase offers advanced billing and accounting features that streamline the process of generating invoices, tracking payments, and managing client accounts.
Streamlined Matter Management: Centerbase provides robust matter management capabilities, allowing law firms to effectively organize case files, track deadlines, and manage client information.
Customizable Workflows: Centerbase allows firms to create customized workflows to automate repetitive tasks, ensuring consistency and efficiency in handling routine processes.
Document Management: Centerbase offers integrated document management features, enabling firms to securely store, organize, and retrieve case-related documents within a centralized system.
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Integrations: It provides limited integration options, according to 60% of users mentioning this aspect.
Speed and Performance: According to 100% of reviews about this feature, the platform’s performance sometimes suffers under heavy workloads.
Cost: All the users who mentioned this element said it’s more expensive than its competitors.
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Complex Setup: Centerbase requires significant setup and configuration, demanding more time and resources compared to other cloud-based legal software options.
Limited Client Intake: Users have reported that Centerbase's client intake features are not as robust as desired, potentially slowing down the onboarding process for new clients.
Expensive Support: While Centerbase offers support, it comes at a significant cost of $200 per hour, which can be a deterrent for firms operating on tighter budgets.
Reporting Limitations: Some users have expressed frustration with limitations in Centerbase's reporting capabilities, particularly the inability to customize column headings within specific data sets.
Customer Service Concerns: Several reviews have highlighted concerns about Centerbase's customer service, citing issues such as slow response times, difficulty reaching support staff, and unresolved technical problems.
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Needles provides all the functions expected of a modern legal practice management solution, including matter and document management, mobile time tracking, reporting and task supervision. It offers an efficient task management module, but it’s important to note that some users experienced difficulty editing entries in the legal calendar. According to reviews, the platform is difficult to learn, but the product training and support team are helpful in getting past the initial hurdle. Finally, the intuitive UI and exhaustive features make it a capable contender, but only for companies with a budget to justify the extra cost.

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Is Centerbase the center of attention when it comes to legal software, or does it strike out? User reviews from the past year reveal a mixed bag. While many users praise Centerbase for its robust customization options, powerful features like automated time capture, and seamless accounting integration, some express concerns about customer service and initial setup complexity. For instance, one user raved about how Centerbase's customizability allowed them to tailor workflows and improve efficiency in identifying and managing projects. Conversely, another user found the customer service, which relies on third-party partners charging $200/hour, to be a significant drawback. What truly sets Centerbase apart is its comprehensive approach to law firm management, encompassing everything from matter management and billing to document automation and workflow customization. This makes it a one-stop shop for firms looking to streamline operations and boost productivity. However, this strength can also be a weakness, as the sheer breadth of features can be overwhelming for smaller firms or solo practitioners who may not need such an extensive suite of tools. In a nutshell, Centerbase is like a Swiss Army knife for law firms – incredibly versatile and powerful, but potentially daunting to use effectively without proper guidance. It's best suited for mid-to-large-sized firms with 5 or more lawyers who can fully utilize its extensive feature set and afford the potentially high support costs. Smaller firms or those seeking a simpler solution might find Centerbase to be overkill.

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