For decades, law firms relied on timers, timesheets, and end-of-day reconstructions to record billable work. Today, a growing number of legal technology companies are using AI and automation to help lawyers capture more billable time with less administrative effort.
The challenge is that every platform takes a slightly different approach.
Some monitor activity across applications. Others generate billing narratives using AI.
Some focus on enterprise firms, while others are designed for smaller practices using platforms such as Clio.
We’ve reviewed some of the leading options currently available to law firms, including Thyme, Ajax, WiseTime, Laurel, Intapp Time, and Billables AI.
Platform
Best For
Clio Integration
Ease of Use
Ideal Firm Size
Thyme
Capturing billable email activity
Excellent
Excellent
Solo to mid-sized firms
Ajax
Comprehensive AI time capture
Excellent
Very Good
Small to mid-sized firms
WiseTime
Passive activity tracking
Excellent
Very Good
Small to large firms
Billables AI
AI-generated billing narratives
Excellent
Good
Small to mid-sized firms
Laurel
Enterprise AI timekeeping
Limited
Good
Mid-sized to large firms
Intapp Time
Enterprise legal time capture
Limited
Moderate
Large firms
1. Thyme
For firms using Clio, Thyme takes a refreshingly focused approach.
Rather than attempting to capture every activity performed by an attorney, it focuses on one of the most commonly overlooked sources of billable work: email.
This is a surprisingly important problem. Many lawyers are diligent about recording meetings, court appearances, and drafting work, but email activity often slips through the cracks. Small interactions accumulate throughout the day and are easily forgotten when it comes time to bill, and this could be costing law firms hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Thyme automatically associates email activity with the correct Clio matter, helping firms ensure that work that has already been performed is properly captured for billing.
- Strengths
- Extremely simple to implement
- Purpose-built for Clio users
- Minimal attorney training required – it’s essentially ‘set and forget’
- Focuses on a major source of unbilled work
- Completely free, for the basic option! And very affordable price points for the premium options that include smart notifications and dedicated account support.
- Potential Limitations
- More specialised than broader activity-capture platforms
- Firms seeking detailed tracking across every application may prefer a wider monitoring solution.
- Best For
Small and mid-sized law firms using Clio that want to maximise the billing for the work they are already doing. Thyme improves billing capture without having to change attorney behavior, so it is incredibly easy to implement.
2. Ajax
Ajax has quickly become one of the most talked-about AI timekeeping tools in the legal industry.
The platform captures activity across a range of applications and uses AI to generate suggested time entries for lawyers to review.
Its strength is breadth. Rather than focusing on one source of billable work, Ajax attempts to build a comprehensive picture of attorney activity throughout the day.
- Strengths
- Clio integration
- Broad activity capture
- AI-generated billing suggestions
- Modern user experience
- Potential Limitations
- More training is required
- May require more attorney review
- The workflow is a lot more involved than simpler solutions, so for some firms it’s another tech solution to learn and manage
- Best For
Firms looking for comprehensive AI-assisted timekeeping across multiple workstreams, with teams that are open to using new platforms and learning new ways of working.
3. WiseTime
Ajax has quickly become one of the most talked-about AI timekeeping tools in the legal industry.
The platform captures activity across a range of applications and uses AI to generate suggested time entries for lawyers to review.
Its strength is breadth. Rather than focusing on one source of billable work, Ajax attempts to build a comprehensive picture of attorney activity throughout the day.
- Strengths
- Excellent passive tracking
- Detailed activity records
- Clio integration
- Valuable productivity insights
- Potential Limitations
- More information than some firms need, which can mean it takes more time to analyze what the information is really telling you
- Not every recorded activity translates directly into billable value
- Requires some review and analysis to determine productivity and billing insights
- Best For
Firms wanting comprehensive visibility into lawyer activity and productivity.
4. Billables AI
Billables AI focuses heavily on helping lawyers create better billing narratives using AI.
Rather than simply recording activity, it helps transform work performed into polished, client-ready time entries.
For firms that struggle with narrative creation, this can save significant administrative time.
- Strengths
- Strong AI-generated narratives
- Clio integration
- Reduces administrative drafting work
- Potential Limitations
- Focused more on billing descriptions than activity capture
- May not address all sources of missed billable work
- Best For
Firms looking to improve billing quality and consistency.
5. Laurel
https://billables.ai/
Laurel is one of the most sophisticated AI timekeeping platforms available today.
Originally designed with larger firms in mind, it uses machine learning to capture and reconstruct attorney activity across multiple systems.
Its capabilities are impressive, but so is its complexity.
- Strengths
- Advanced AI capabilities
- Enterprise-grade reporting
- Sophisticated activity capture
- Potential Limitations
- Higher complexity
- Often more functionality than smaller firms require
- More training needed for teams
- Higher cost of implementation
- Best For
Large firms seeking enterprise-level timekeeping and reporting.
6. Intapp Time
https://billables.ai/
Intapp has long been a recognised name in legal technology and remains a common choice among larger firms.
Its time capture solution is built to integrate with broader enterprise legal technology ecosystems.
- Strengths
- Mature platform
- Enterprise integrations
- Trusted by large firms
- Potential Limitations
- Less suited to smaller firms
- Can require more implementation effort
- Higher cost to implement
- Best For
Large firms with established legal technology stacks.
Which Platform Is Best?
The answer depends largely on what problem your firm is trying to solve.
If your goal is comprehensive AI-assisted timekeeping across every application, Ajax, WiseTime, Laurel, and Intapp all offer compelling solutions.
And if your focus is improving billing narratives, Billables AI is worth considering.
However, for many Clio-based law firms, the biggest source of lost revenue isn’t a lack of activity tracking. It’s the simple reality that lawyers often forget to bill email communications, and they don’t necessarily have the time or inclination to learn how to use complex new systems.
That is where Thyme stands apart.
By focusing on one of the most common causes of missed billable work and delivering a simple, low-friction solution, Thyme offers a strong combination of practicality, affordability, and massive return on investment.
For most solo, small, and mid-sized firms already using Clio, it is likely to deliver potentially huge value faster than more complex and expensive enterprise-focused alternatives.
