MyCase accounting price and encryption: 3 numbers

MyCase lists its accounting add-on at $39 each month for each accounting user, with 128-bit SSL in transit and 256-bit AES for stored data.

Key takeaways

Budget for the case management plan as well as the accounting add-on.
Confirm who counts as an accounting user before estimating costs.
Ask about security controls beyond the encryption figures.
Test reconciliation and exports with sample data before committing.

Why these three numbers matter

If you run a small firm, or you keep the books for one, you have probably faced the same question: does a legal accounting add-on earn its cost, and can you trust it with client money and financial records? Vendor pages answer with figures. Some are prices. Some are security terms.

This post looks at three numbers from one vendor's public page for its legal accounting add-on, MyCase. The page lists a price of $39, a 128-bit figure for data in transit, and a 256-bit figure for stored data. We will read each number, explain what it does and does not tell you, and suggest questions to ask before you sign anything. The goal is not to tell you which product to buy. It is to help you read any vendor's numbers the same way.

Vendor pages change. Check the current figures on the vendor's site before you decide.

The price: $39 each month for each accounting user

The first number is the price. MyCase describes its cloud-based legal accounting software as an add-on feature. According to that page, it can be added to any MyCase case management plan for $39 each month for each accounting user.

Three parts of that sentence matter.

First, it is an add-on. The price is for the accounting feature, on top of a case management plan. If you are not already on MyCase, the total cost is the plan plus the add-on, not the add-on alone. Read the pricing for the plan you would actually use.

Second, the price is monthly. A monthly figure is easy to compare with other monthly costs, but it adds up. A firm that keeps only the single number in mind may underestimate the yearly total.

Third, the price applies to each accounting user. Confirm how the vendor defines that user. The cost depends on how many people will use the accounting side, not on how many people work at the firm. A firm with five attorneys and one bookkeeper who needs accounting access pays for one accounting user. A firm where three people share the books pays for three.

Multiplying the monthly rate by the number of accounting users gives a rough monthly cost for the add-on alone, before plan fees. The result is an estimate of your own, based on the listed rate. It is not a quote from the vendor, and your actual bill may include other items.

Ask who really needs access. Check whether bookkeepers, the owner who approves payments, and the staff member who reconciles accounts need accounting access. Confirm whether a paralegal who only views a client's invoice counts as a billable user. Limiting the number of accounting users is often the most direct way to control the cost of an add-on.

The encryption: 128-bit SSL for data in transit

The second number is 128-bit, and it describes data in transit. MyCase's page says its data is protected using 128-bit SSL while in transit and 256-bit AES encryption for stored data.

Data in transit means information moving between two places: from your computer or phone to the vendor's servers, and back. Each time you enter a payment, pull a report, or sync a bank feed, the information travels across networks you do not control. Encryption scrambles that information along the way, so someone who intercepts it should not be able to read it.

You do not need to know the protocol details to use the product safely. What matters is whether the vendor encrypts the connection, and whether it keeps that setup current.

That last point is worth a question. Ask the vendor which protocol versions it supports and how it handles older ones. A page that states a key length does not, by itself, tell you the whole setup is up to date.

Also, check the browser address bar when you log in. A secure connection is the baseline. If a vendor's login page is not encrypted, that is a reason to stop.

The encryption: 256-bit AES for stored data

The third number is 256-bit, and it describes data at rest. In the same MyCase passage, the page says the company uses 256-bit AES encryption for stored data. Stored data is information sitting on servers, in backups, and in storage systems, whether or not anyone is actively using it.

The named method gives you something specific to ask about. It does not tell you how the vendor manages its keys, who at the vendor can access stored data, or how quickly it responds to a security problem. Those are separate questions.

It helps to keep the two encryption numbers apart in your mind. A complete plan for protecting financial records needs both, and so does a good vendor. Encryption on only one side leaves a gap.

Finally, treat the vendor's security summary as a claim to test, not accept. Ask for the vendor's security documentation, check whether its controls have been independently audited, and find out what happens to your data if you cancel. Those answers are more useful than any single number.

What the numbers do not tell you

Numbers are useful, but they answer only narrow questions. Here is what this set of three does not show.

It does not show how well the software handles your accounts. A bookkeeper cares about reconciliation, reporting, and whether entries are easy to review. Price and encryption say nothing about whether the workflow fits how your firm works. Use the bank reconciliation guide to help plan that workflow test.

It does not show the total cost of ownership. Training time, data migration, and the hours spent learning a new system are real costs. Include those costs in your comparison alongside the monthly subscription.

It does not show whether the software meets your professional obligations. Check the professional rules that apply to your firm before choosing accounting software. A vendor's description of compliance features is a starting point for questions. Check the requirements that apply to you and, where needed, ask your state bar or a qualified adviser.

MyCase's own page describes its software as an end-to-end solution that allows firms to streamline case data, client billing, IOLTA compliance, and firm accounting work in one place. That is a claim about what the product is designed to do. Test it. Ask for a trial, enter a sample set of transactions, and see how the system behaves.

It does not show whether the vendor will still be the right choice in three years. Look at the vendor's track record, how it handles updates, and how it supports customers who have problems.

Compare vendor answers

Use this list with any legal accounting vendor, not only MyCase. Write down the answers so you can compare them side by side.

Pricing

What is the full monthly cost, including the case management plan I would need?
How is the add-on priced: for each user, for the firm, or by some other unit?
Who counts as an accounting user, and can I change the number later?
Are there setup fees, data migration fees, or charges for exporting my data?
Does the price change after an introductory period, and how much notice do I get?

Security

Is data encrypted in transit, and which protocol versions do you support?
Is stored data encrypted, and which standard do you use?
Who at your company can access my firm's stored data, and under what conditions?
Do you have independent security audits, and can I see a summary?
How are encryption keys managed?
What happens to my data if I cancel, and how do I get a complete copy?

Support and fit

Can I try the accounting features with sample data before I commit?
Who handles support requests, and what are the hours?
How do you notify customers of security incidents?
Can your system export data in a format another vendor can read?

You do not need every answer to be perfect. You need clear answers. A vendor that avoids specific questions has told you something useful.

Pay attention to the form of each answer, too. A reply that points you to a general marketing page, without addressing your question, is different from a written answer that names the method, the policy, and the owner of the process. If you get only links, ask for a short written reply you can keep in your file. A written answer gives you something to compare and something to point to later if the service changes.

Who should own this decision

A purchase like this often lands on the owner's desk alone, but it goes better when three roles weigh in. The owner or managing partner sets the budget and decides how much risk the firm will accept. The bookkeeper or office manager tests the daily workflow, because they will live in the software every week. Someone responsible for technology, whether an outside IT provider or a staff member who handles passwords and devices, reviews the security answers and checks how sign-in works for each person.

Each role should write its concerns in one place before the decision meeting. The owner may care most about the monthly total. The bookkeeper may care about how quickly month-end work closes. The technology reviewer may care about multi-factor sign-in and how access is removed when someone leaves. Putting those concerns side by side makes it clear which trade-offs the firm is actually choosing between.

Finally, have someone read the contract, not only the marketing page. Look at the term length, the renewal terms, how price increases are handled, and what the vendor may do with your data. A short review by someone who understands contracts can prevent surprises that no pricing page will show.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid comparing the add-on price with a competitor's full price. Make sure both quotes include the same case management plan, the same number of users, and the same billing period.

The second mistake is counting users loosely. Ask each vendor how a login is counted, whether a part-time bookkeeper needs a separate seat, and whether you can add or remove seats mid-contract. A small miscount repeated every month becomes a real expense.

The third mistake is treating encryption as the whole security story. Encryption protects data as it moves and as it sits on servers. It does not stop a weak password, a shared login, or an email scam that tricks someone into approving a payment. Use unique passwords, turn on multi-factor sign-in where it is offered, and train staff to verify payment requests by a second channel.

The fourth mistake is skipping the export test. Before you commit, export a sample of your data, then import it into a test account or a spreadsheet. If the file is hard to read, incomplete, or locked to one vendor, you will learn that now rather than during a dispute or a move. For another practical test, review manual bank imports when checking file formats and dates.

A simple way to compare add-ons

When you have two or three options, put them in a table. Use the same rows for each vendor. Include the monthly price for your expected number of accounting users, the yearly total, the encryption methods named, the audit status, the export policy, the trial terms, and the support hours. Fill in what the vendor states, and mark anything it does not answer.

Then do a second pass that is less about numbers. Ask the people who will use the software each day which screens they would rather use. Ask the bookkeeper how long it takes to find a past transaction. Ask the owner how easy it is to see the firm's position at month end. Those answers often decide the choice more than a few dollars of monthly price.

Illustrative example: compare the full monthly cost

Suppose an illustrative subscription costs $30 each month and the time spent learning it costs an illustrative $20 that month. The combined cost is $50 for that month. Comparing only the subscription would miss the time cost. Keep plan fees, add-on fees and staff time separate in your comparison.

Evaluate security beyond encryption. Look for a vendor that names its methods clearly, answers follow-up questions, and does not hide behind marketing language. Clear answers are a good sign of how the company treats customers in general.

Keep a short decision record, too. Write down the options you compared, the figures you checked and the date you checked them, the answers you received, and the reason you chose one vendor. A few paragraphs are enough. Months later, when someone asks why the firm pays for a particular add-on, or when the renewal notice arrives, that record will save time and argument.

What to do next

Today, write down who needs accounting access, then confirm the vendor's definition before counting billable users. Use that count to request a total that includes the case management plan and accounting add-on.

Questions to ask before you buy

Does the accounting price include the case management plan?

No, the accounting feature is an add-on to a MyCase case management plan. Compare the combined cost for the plan and the accounting users your firm needs.

Do the encryption figures establish that the software fits my firm?

No, the figures identify the encryption methods MyCase states it uses. Test the workflow and review the vendor's security answers before choosing.