Sixminute vs Smokeball AutoTime at a glance
| Decision factor | Sixminute | Smokeball AutoTime | Choose based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary product | Dedicated AI timekeeping layer | Feature within a legal practice-management platform | Keep or replace your current platform |
| Capture coverage | Observes work across applications directly from the device | Tracks supported activity in Smokeball, Word, Outlook and connected workflows | Where lawyers actually perform their work |
| Entry creation | Identifies tasks and turns activity into time entries | Converts tracked activities into entries, normally overnight | Whether you want task reconstruction or activity conversion |
| Matter matching | Matches work to clients and matters | Uses the matter context already held in Smokeball | Existing matter data and workflow |
| Narratives | Writes a client-ready narrative | Beta AI descriptions learn from the user's last 100 description edits | Current output quality in a pilot |
| Billing controls | Billing-rule enforcement is planned | Billing increments, entry grouping and billable-status controls are available | How much billing configuration is required now |
| Integration | Connector to the firm's existing practice-management system is built during onboarding | Native to Smokeball's matters and billing | Whether the firm is committed to Smokeball |
| Review | Lawyer reviews before release to the existing system | Entries can be edited or deleted before invoicing | Preferred approval workflow |
| Pricing | Not publicly listed | Quote-based; included in Prosper+ or sold as a Grow add-on | Full proposal and implementation cost |
Where Sixminute is stronger
Sixminute does not ask a firm to move matters, documents, billing and reporting into another core platform. During onboarding, the required connector is built so matters can synchronise and reviewed entries can return to the existing system.
Sixminute observes work across applications, then processes that activity on the device before model processing. It identifies the task, client and matter and writes the narrative. That matters when legal work extends across research tools, browser applications and specialist software.
Smokeball's documentation notes that some work outside Smokeball may not be tracked automatically. Sixminute is designed around the wider working day.
Where Smokeball AutoTime is stronger
Smokeball combines matter management, documents, email, calendars, billing, payments, trust accounting, forms, workflows and reporting. A firm seeking one operating platform may value that breadth more than a dedicated timekeeping layer.
AutoTime also benefits from native context. Work in Smokeball, Word and Outlook can already be tied to a Smokeball matter, and entries flow directly into its billing process. Firms can configure billing increments, choose which activity types become entries, group activities, avoid charging repeatedly for the same email and review everything before invoicing.
Its beta AI description feature draws on the user's previous description edits. Smokeball also has profitability and workload reporting that Sixminute does not replace.
Which should your firm choose?
Choose Sixminute when the instruction is, “Keep our current practice-management system, but stop losing work performed around it.” It is also the better fit when the breadth of device activity and the quality of task-level narratives matter more than adding another full operational suite.
Choose Smokeball AutoTime when the firm wants Smokeball itself for matter management, documents, billing and reporting. AutoTime is most coherent as part of that larger decision, especially for firms whose daily work already runs through Smokeball and Microsoft Office.
In a pilot, compare captured activity, correct matters, narrative editing and total platform cost.
Sixminute improves time capture while the firm's existing technology remains in place.
