Compass by Rulng and Filevine, side by side
What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026.
The short answer
Filevine is an AI-led platform for law firms, government and in-house teams that leans toward larger firms, with case-law research, deposition tools and document assembly, and with court-rules deadlines, the client portal and e-signature sold separately. Compass by Rulng is built for small and mid-size firms, and includes what Filevine's pages do not show: the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, and court notices filed on the matter.
At a glance
| Compared | Compass by Rulng | Filevine |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense | Law firms, government and in-house teams; leans toward larger firms |
| The firm's website | Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page | Not found |
| Lead management and CRM | Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks | Lead Docket, in its Intake package |
| Google profile and local rank | Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked | Not found |
| Reports on search and AI answers | Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI | Not found |
| Court notices | One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date | Not found |
| Court-rules deadlines | No | Timely, sold separately |
| Legal research | One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited | LOIS Legal Research: case law with verified citations; statutes and jury instructions not mentioned |
| Client portal | Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only | A paid add-on |
| Billing and payments | Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on | Billing and payments with trust accounts |
| Trust accounting | No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers | Full trust accounting not found |
| Time tracking | Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer | Not found on the pages read |
| E-signature | No | Vinesign, sold separately |
| Spanish | Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices | Not found |
| Security | Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, CJIS; backups at least every 15 minutes |
| Price | Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough | By quote on every package |
| Trying it | A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial | A free research tier without case management |
Where Filevine is stronger
- AI tools across matters, depositions and medical chronologies, and document assembly.
- Case-law research with verified citations, and court-rules deadlines through Timely.
- Published security audits and compliance statements (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, CJIS), and backups at least every 15 minutes.
- A client portal in use at firms today.
Where Compass is different
- Compass is built for small and mid-size firms, and set up for them by WattReach.
- The website is part of every Compass build.
- Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included.
- The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today.
- The law library holds jury instructions and statutes beside decisions, for the state it covers today.
Which to choose
Choose Filevine if you are a larger firm that wants AI across depositions, documents and research, and is ready to buy the packages it needs. Choose Compass if you are a small or mid-size firm that wants the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you.
Sources and corrections
Read on 31 October 2026 from Filevine's own pages:
- https://www.filevine.com/pricing/
- https://www.filevine.com/lois/legal-research/
- https://www.filevine.com/features/timely-by-filevine/
- https://www.filevine.com/security/
- https://www.filevine.com/practice-types/criminal-defense/
Products change. If something here about Filevine is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date.
Questions
Is Compass a good Filevine alternative?
Compass by Rulng is a Filevine alternative for small and mid-size firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system, set up for them. Larger firms that want AI across depositions, documents and research are better served by Filevine.
What does Filevine have that Compass does not?
Filevine has deposition and medical-chronology tools, document assembly, court-rules deadlines, e-signature, a client portal, published security audits and backups at least every 15 minutes, and Compass by Rulng has none of these today.
What does Compass include that Filevine does not?
Compass by Rulng includes the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter and jury instructions in its law library, none of which appear on Filevine's pages read on 31 October 2026.
How does pricing compare?
Filevine and Compass by Rulng both quote rather than publish a price: Filevine by package, and Compass by the build a firm needs.
Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Filevine.
We will tell you where it is the better fit, too.