MatterX

Overview

MatterX is a law-firm practice and finance platform built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It suits Australian and New Zealand firms that want legal work and trust accounting linked to Microsoft tools, particularly those already using Microsoft 365. The free plan’s five-matter ceiling makes it a starting point, not a broad free option.

Key features

Legal Finance combines client and matter management with time recording, billing, diary management, trust accounting and financial reporting. That connected scope is useful for firms trying to bring matter activity and finance into one system; it is more than a specialist trust ledger, and may be more platform than a firm seeking only trust accounting needs.

Trust controls include three-way and bank reconciliation, statutory deposits, controlled money handling, disbursement approvals, compliance reports and audit trails. MatterX describes its trust accounting as NSW Law Society certified. Dual authorisation, user access controls, a ban on backdating and compliance exception alerts add practical safeguards when handling client funds.

Microsoft integrations include Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Power BI, Power Automate, Power Apps, Copilot and Dataverse. SharePoint-based document management provides automatic matter folders, version control, full-text search and granular security. MatterX says firm data resides in Dataverse and authentication uses Microsoft Entra ID single sign-on. Firms that keep Xero for general accounting can use automatic bidirectional sync with MatterX matters, billing and trust accounting, avoiding a forced move of their general ledger.

Frontdesk, an Outlook add-in that syncs emails, meetings and calls to matters and SharePoint, is in preview. Professional also includes eight Crew AI agents that can take actions inside Business Central, but those agents are likewise in preview. They may interest firms willing to consider developing capabilities, but should not be the reason to choose the product if a firm needs established functionality today.

Pricing

MatterX uses personalised quotes tailored to firm size, with month-to-month contracts. Implementation, training and free data export at any time are included across plans, so firms retain a stated way to leave with their data rather than committing to a fixed term.

• Good Minutes: free. It allows up to five matters and includes automatic activity capture, six-minute billing increments and privacy controls. This is useful for trying a small matter workflow, but the hard cap excludes firms managing more than five matters.
• Base: custom pricing for solo practitioners and small firms of 1–5 lawyers. It removes the matter cap with unlimited matters and clients, and includes certified trust accounting, SharePoint document management and Microsoft 365 integration. It is the practical step up for small firms that need ongoing matter capacity.
• Professional: custom pricing for growing firms of 5–30 lawyers. It includes Base plus Frontdesk preview, Contra, Fresh Press, eight Crew AI agents, priority support with an 8-hour response and quarterly business reviews. The preview status of some included tools matters: buyers should value the expanded support and scale fit more than assume every new capability is mature.
• Premium: custom pricing for mid-market and enterprise firms of 30+ lawyers. It includes Professional plus SharePoint DMS, Dot to Dot, Word Up, managed services, custom integrations, a dedicated account manager and custom Power BI dashboards. This is the plan for firms that need tailored integration and service; smaller firms may not need its enterprise-oriented additions.

Contra and Fresh Press are marked as coming in 2026, as are SharePoint, Dot to Dot and Word Up. That makes those components future-facing rather than a sound basis for an immediate purchasing decision.

Platforms

MatterX is offered on the web and is built around Business Central, with Microsoft 365 services and an optional Xero accounting configuration. The Microsoft-centered design is a strength for firms invested in that ecosystem, but firms seeking a broader set of listed client platforms may prefer another product.

Who it's for

MatterX is most compelling for Australian and New Zealand firms that need matter management, billing and trust accounting together, especially those already using Microsoft services or wanting Xero to remain their general accounting system. Base targets solo and small firms; Professional and Premium address larger operations. Firms outside that regional focus, or those wanting a desktop or mobile platform, should compare other options.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Trust workflows combine reconciliation, approvals, audit trails and compliance controls, which is valuable for firms responsible for client funds.
• Pros: Matter work, finance, Microsoft services and optional Xero sync are connected, reducing the need to treat legal finance as an isolated workflow.
• Pros: All plans include implementation, training and free export at any time, alongside month-to-month contracts.
• Cons: The free plan stops at five matters, and the paid plans require a quote, so firms cannot judge their recurring cost from a published rate.
• Cons: Frontdesk, Crew agents and several named products are in preview or marked for 2026, limiting their value for firms choosing on current, dependable capabilities.
• Cons: The platform is web-based and regionally aimed at Australian and New Zealand firms, making it a less natural fit for buyers seeking other platform choices or markets.

Alternatives

For a trust-accounting-focused shortlist, start with Trust Accounting Software. Choose LegalClaw if a free plan and self-hosted, API, Linux or macOS options suit better; its listed Self-Hosted plan is free. LexNebulis is the alternative for buyers who specifically want a free, open-source self-hosted option under Apache 2.0.

LEAP is worth comparing for a per-user subscription tailored to firm needs and a package covering case management, document automation, legal accounting and billing, and legal AI. Consider GhostPractice if service requirements and firm size are central to a paid quote. Open Practice is another paid option with Android, iOS, web and Windows platforms.

Affinity is a paid alternative with API, web and Windows platforms. BHL Insight is a paid option spanning web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Choose Brief Accounting when a macOS or Windows accounting product is the priority; its Brief Office Accounting add-on is $30 a month.

Verdict

MatterX is a strong candidate for Australian and New Zealand law firms that want trust controls, matter workflows and financial operations connected to Business Central and Microsoft 365, with Xero retained where needed. Its clearest drawbacks are the five-matter free cap, quote-only paid pricing and preview-stage additions. Choose it for the integrated legal-finance foundation; look elsewhere if published subscription pricing, broad device support or fully established AI and add-on features are priorities.