Smokeball
Tally Forms
| Feature | Smokeball | Tally Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | Free / from $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | small-law-firms, mid-size-firms, litigation-practices, billable-hour-firms | startups, freelancers, marketers, researchers |
| Founded | 2007 | 2020 |
| Automatic Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Document Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Matter Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Billing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Microsoft Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Form Builder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional Logic | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Uploads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Smokeball Pros
- Automatic time recording
- Deep Microsoft Office integration
- Strong document automation
- Excellent for billing accuracy
✗ Smokeball Cons
- Windows-only desktop app
- Higher price point
- Learning curve for automation
✓ Tally Forms Pros
- Unlimited forms on free
- No-code logic
- Beautiful design
- Many integrations
✗ Tally Forms Cons
- Limited branding on free
- Fewer templates than Typeform
- No payment processing on free
The Verdict
Smokeball is built for small law firms and mid size firms, with a focus on automatic-time-tracking and document-automation. Tally Forms targets startups and freelancers and leads with form-builder and conditional-logic.
On pricing, Tally Forms is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $29/mo compared to $39/mo for Smokeball. That $10/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Tally Forms has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Smokeball requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.