CostMaster vs Maverick Costs: Which Cost Drafting Software Is Best for UK Costs Professionals?

In the competitive landscape of cost drafting software, UK Costs Draftsmen and Costs Lawyers have more choice than ever. As the demands of preparing Bills of Costs, costs budgets, and Legal Aid billing grow, selecting the right system can have a real impact on your productivity, accuracy, and firm profitability.

Two platforms regularly discussed in this space are CostMaster and Maverick Costs. Both support the creation of costs documents, but they differ significantly in their approach, technology and long-term suitability for modern costs practice.

This guide compares CostMaster vs Maverick Costs — helping you decide which platform best supports your cost drafting workflow.

Overview: Traditional vs Modern Cost Drafting Software

CostMaster has been a longstanding tool used by costs professionals in the UK, known for its ability to produce detailed bills, costs budgets and electronic claims. Maverick Costs, on the other hand, is a newer, cloud-native platform built by costs draftsmen with a heavy focus on automation and modern legal technology.

This distinction — between a traditional desktop-style product and a cloud-first, automated system — shapes nearly every key comparison point.

What CostMaster Offers

CostMaster’s CostsMaster Draftsman software enables users to produce high-quality costs documents including:

• Bills of Costs

• Costs budgets

• Electronic bills (including CCMS and COP-E formats)

• Breakdown documents and statements

It allows importing work from time recording systems, editing entries, and generating outputs in Word, Excel or PDF.

CostMaster is well established, with many traditional cost teams familiar with its interface and approach. However, its reliance on local installations and user-driven processes can make it less flexible in today’s cloud-first legal environment.

What Maverick Costs Brings

Maverick Costs positions itself as modern cost drafting software purpose-built for UK costs professionals. It is a cloud-based cost drafting platform that automates much of the drafting process, reducing repetitive work and speeding up bill preparation. Maverick Costs

Key features of Maverick Costs include:

• Automated bill generation, requiring only pleadings, time entries and disbursements to draft a bill. Maverick Costs

• Cloud access, with no software downloads or local installs required. Maverick Costs

• Integration-friendly design, so you can connect with your firm’s case management tools and improve data flow. Maverick Costs

• AI-assisted drafting, including support for Legal Aid narratives and advanced content automation.

This next-generation approach minimises manual duplication and helps teams produce bills faster and more consistently.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Here’s how CostMaster and Maverick Costs compare on key criteria:

1. Access & Deployment

• CostMaster: Desktop-style software with installation on local machines or networks. CostsMaster

• Maverick Costs: Fully cloud-based — accessible via browser from anywhere. Maverick Costs

Winner: Maverick Costs — better for remote teams, flexible working and scalability.

2. Automation & Speed

• CostMaster relies on user-driven drafting with structured tools, but requires manual steps and input. CostsMaster

• Maverick Costs automates key drafting tasks and leverages AI to support narrative creation and faster bill preparation. Maverick Costs+1

Winner: Maverick Costs — significantly increases productivity and reduces drafting time.

3. Integration

• CostMaster can import time recording entries and supports multiple output formats. CostsMaster

• Maverick Costs emphasises integration with case management systems to improve data flow and reduce duplication. Maverick Costs

Winner: Maverick Costs — better integrated and built for connected legal systems.

4. Technology & Future-Readiness

• CostMaster continues to update its desktop software and is recognised for reliable drafting tools. CostsMaster

• Maverick Costs adopts cloud-native tech and automation, aligning with modern law firm expectations. Maverick Costs

Winner: Maverick Costs — designed for the realities of modern legal practice.

5. User Experience

CostMaster remains familiar to many traditional costs teams, but onboarding new users can take time due to its legacy interface. CostsMaster

Maverick Costs offers an intuitive, browser-based workflow that speeds up adoption and supports collaborative drafting across teams. Maverick Costs

Winner: Maverick Costs — easier for teams to adopt and use consistently.

Why UK Costs Draftsmen Are Choosing Maverick Costs

For Costs Draftsmen and Costs Lawyers in England and Wales, the shift to more automated and cloud-centric cost drafting tools isn’t just a trend — it’s a response to evolving practice demands.

With Maverick Costs you get:

• Faster bill production and reduced manual drafting

• Seamless access from any location

• AI-enhanced narrative support (especially for Legal Aid)

• Better integration with existing legal technology

• Improved scalability for growing teams

This combination supports both productivity and quality, helping you stay competitive in a changing legal market.

Final Thoughts: Making the Right Choice

Both CostMaster and Maverick Costs offer capabilities that serve the UK cost drafting community. CostMaster remains a capable and established tool used by many seasoned professionals. CostsMaster

However, for future-focused costs teams looking to maximise efficiency, reduce manual effort and embrace automation, Maverick Costs stands out as a superior solution that aligns with the needs of modern law firms and cost drafting departments. Maverick Costs