If you are weighing legal timekeeping tools, Tempello and Lawgbook solve different slices of the same problem. Tempello is built to turn emails into time entries inside Clio or MyCase. Lawgbook is automated timekeeping for law firms that records your full workday and writes compliant billing entries matched to the correct matter, with a privacy-first posture and transparent flat pricing. Here is how they compare so you can choose the right fit.
Tempello for Law Firm Time Tracking
Tempello positions itself as automated email billing for law firms. The promise is straightforward: keep using Outlook or Gmail, and let Tempello convert email traffic into billing entries in your practice management system.
Capture. Tempello focuses on email. It connects to Microsoft 365 (Outlook) or Google Workspace (Gmail), then uses email metadata (sender/recipient, subject line, and related context) to match messages to the right client and matter in Clio or 8am MyCase.
AI and processing. Tempello uses AI to detect and match emails, then creates time entries using your default billing increment (commonly a 0.1 hour entry). You can customize billing logic and exclusions so internal email and non-billable messages do not generate entries.
Target market and pricing. Tempello is aimed at small-to-medium law firms (it explicitly calls out firms up to ~40 attorneys). Pricing is usage-based and published: $0.49 per billable email processed, with no monthly fees and no per-seat charges. Tempello's FAQ cites typical costs of $59 to $79 per month per attorney.
Integrations and deployment. Tempello works by connecting to the email and practice management tools you already use (Outlook or Gmail for email, and Clio or MyCase for your case files). There's no software to install on your computer. Instead, you authorize Tempello to access your email and practice management system through logins. Once set up, Tempello runs in the background and automatically converts eligible emails into time entries.
Security and data handling. Tempello states it uses encrypted processing and SOC 2 compliant practices, and that email content is processed ephemerally (not stored permanently beyond what is needed to process). In the MyCase workflow, Tempello also describes saving email body and attachments into the matter record so the communication is preserved in the PMS.
Lawgbook: Automated Timekeeping for Law Firms
Lawgbook is a privacy-focused timekeeping solution built on a simple promise: accurate time entries, written automatically. Lawgbook records your full workday and writes compliant billing entries matched to the correct matter. The Essentials plan, live today, covers email, calendar, and meetings (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), automatic email filing to the correct matter in Clio, automatic matter matching, and OCG-compliant billing narratives in a configurable style, synced to Clio. Full workday capture of documents, browser activity, research, and everything else ships with the Professional plan (coming soon) via an optional desktop companion application. Built for solo and mid-size firms that want transparent pricing and clear control over what is captured and how it is used.
Capture. Essentials works through official APIs with no desktop monitoring. It connects to Gmail or Outlook, your calendar, and Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, and pulls activity (sent/received emails, meeting length and participants), with emails and attachments filed to the correct matter in Clio automatically. Professional adds an optional desktop companion for full workday capture of documents, browser activity, and research (coming soon). Matter matching uses participants and content so the right matter is suggested or flagged for you to choose.
Privacy first. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, automatically purged on a periodic schedule, and never used to train AI. Each firm has a separate data instance. Timekeepers review and release entries to the practice management system. You see what is captured and where it goes. No black-box processing.
Target market and pricing. Lawgbook is built for solo practitioners and small-to-mid-size law firms that want published per-seat pricing and clear data handling. Essentials is $29.99 per seat per month. Professional, which adds full workday capture via the desktop companion, is $59.99 per seat per month (coming soon). Enterprise plans are custom. You can evaluate cost and fit without a sales call. The product syncs with Clio and slots into existing Clio timekeeping workflows as an enhancement, not a full replacement of your workflows.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tempello | Lawgbook |
|---|
| What is captured | Email activity for billing (email-to-matter matching and time entry generation) | Email, calendar, and meetings (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) today; documents, browser, and research coming soon with Professional |
| Capture method | Integrations with Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace + Clio / 8am MyCase | Official APIs (Essentials); optional desktop companion for full workday capture (Professional, coming soon) |
| Processing | AI email matching; automatic time entries (often 0.1 hour) using your billing increment | Automatic matter matching; OCG-compliant narratives in a configurable style; you review and release entries; data purged periodically |
| Pricing | Usage-based: $0.49 per billable email; no monthly fees (FAQ cites typical $59-79 per month per attorney) | Flat per-seat: Essentials $29.99 per seat per month; Professional $59.99 per seat per month (coming soon); Enterprise custom |
| Target | Small-to-medium firms (Tempello cites up to ~40 attorneys) focused on email billing | Solo and mid-size firms that want full-workday timekeeping and flat per-seat pricing |
| Security | Encrypted processing; SOC 2 compliant practices (per Tempello); states email content is processed ephemerally | Encrypted in transit and at rest; periodic automatic purge; never used to train AI |
| Integrations | Clio, 8am MyCase, Microsoft 365/Outlook, Google Workspace/Gmail | Clio (connected first), Gmail, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams |
When to Choose Which
Consider Tempello if most of your missed time is hiding in email, and your firm lives in Clio or MyCase. Tempello is purpose-built for one channel: it matches emails to matters and creates time entries automatically. The pricing model can be attractive if you want unlimited users and would rather pay per billable email than manage per-seat subscriptions.
Consider Lawgbook if you are a solo practitioner or mid-size firm and want to capture missed time across your full workday. Essentials captures email, calendar, and meetings today, files emails to the correct matter in Clio, and writes OCG-compliant narratives; Professional (coming soon) extends capture to documents, browser, and research via an optional desktop companion. Pricing is flat at $29.99 per seat per month, with none of Tempello's per-email fees. It fits firms that want transparent capture, clear data handling, and a tool that slots into existing PMS workflows without a large rollout or custom quote.
The main choice is scope and pricing model: email-only automation priced per billable email vs. full-workday timekeeping with flat, predictable per-seat pricing.
What to Do Next
If your “leak” is primarily email, start by auditing one week: how many client threads never became an entry? If that is your pain, Tempello is designed for that workflow: email-to-matter matching and automatic time entry creation inside Clio or MyCase.
If your missed time spans your full workday, from email and meetings to documents and research, Lawgbook is the cleaner fit: API-based capture today, full workday capture coming soon with Professional, privacy-first data handling, and flat pricing at $29.99 per seat per month.
