Smokeball
TickTick
| Feature | Smokeball | TickTick |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | Free / from $3.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | small-law-firms, mid-size-firms, litigation-practices, billable-hour-firms | students, individuals, habit-builders, productivity-enthusiasts |
| Founded | 2007 | 2013 |
| Automatic Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Document Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Matter Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Billing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Microsoft Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tasks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Habits | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pomodoro | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Widgets | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ TickTick Pros
- Built-in calendar and habits
- Pomodoro included
- Affordable premium
- Clean interface
✗ TickTick Cons
- Some features need premium
- Smaller ecosystem
- Occasional sync delays
The Verdict
Smokeball is built for small law firms and mid size firms, with a focus on automatic-time-tracking and document-automation. TickTick targets students and individuals and leads with tasks and calendar.
On pricing, TickTick is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $3.99/mo compared to $39/mo for Smokeball. That $35.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
TickTick 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.
