A custom alternative to Docketwise & INSZoom — own your platform
Per-seat immigration SaaS gets expensive as your firm grows, and your workflows have to bend to the vendor. I build the same case management, client intake and form automation as a system you own — tailored to your petition types, with your data on your own infrastructure.
Rent forever, or own it once
Illustrative at typical per-seat pricing — your real numbers depend on team size and features.
| Docketwise / INSZoom (per seat) | Custom, owned platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per user, per month — forever | One-time build + minimal hosting |
| 5 users | ~$400–$800 / month | Flat — adding users costs ~nothing |
| 3-year cost | ~$14k–$29k in fees | Build cost, then you own it |
| Your workflows | Bend to the vendor's templates | Built around your petition types |
| Your data | On the vendor's servers | On your infrastructure, encrypted |
| Customisation | Limited to what they ship | Anything you can specify |
| Lock-in | Export on their terms | You own the code and the data |
Your clients' most sensitive records — on your terms
You hold the data
Documents live on your own infrastructure or private cloud, encrypted at rest — not on a shared vendor platform.
Role-based access
Paralegals, senior attorneys and applicants each see only what they should, with full access logging.
No vendor lock-in
You own the code and the database. No export restrictions, no price hikes you can't walk away from.
How the move works
Audit & export
Pull a full data and document export from Docketwise/INSZoom, and map every field and case stage you use today.
Build & map
Stand up the custom schema, form templates and intake portal — shaped around your actual workflow, not a generic one.
Parallel run
Load your data, verify record counts, and run both systems side by side so nothing is lost.
Cutover
Switch over once you've signed off — a zero-downtime move, with the old SaaS kept read-only until you're sure.
Real immigration-tech experience, not a generic dev
I've architected and built a production case management platform for an immigration legal consultancy — secure client intake, relational petition tracking, automated USCIS form population and deadline alerts. You get someone who already understands RFEs, biometric windows and document validation, not a contractor learning your domain on your budget.
Switching from Docketwise / INSZoom — answered
Why build custom instead of using Docketwise or INSZoom?
Per-seat SaaS is simple to start but expensive at scale, and your workflows have to bend to the vendor's. A custom platform is a one-time build you own — tailored to your petition types, with no recurring per-user licensing and your data on your own infrastructure.
Isn't off-the-shelf SaaS cheaper?
For a solo practitioner, often yes. But once you have several paralegals and attorneys, per-seat fees of $80–$160/user/month compound fast. A custom build has a higher upfront cost and then near-zero marginal cost per new user — so it usually pays back as the team grows.
Can you migrate our existing cases and documents off Docketwise/INSZoom?
Yes. Most platforms allow a data export (CSV/Excel plus document archives). I map those into the new schema, verify record counts, and run the two systems in parallel until you're confident — a zero-downtime cutover.
Do we keep control of our data?
Fully. The platform runs on your infrastructure or private cloud, with encrypted document storage, access logging and role-based access. You're never locked into a vendor's export rules again.
What about USCIS form updates and ongoing maintenance?
Form editions change, so form templates and field mappings are built to be updated when a new edition releases. I offer ongoing maintenance plans to keep forms, integrations and security patches current.
How long does a migration take?
A core intake-and-tracking replacement can be live in a few weeks; a full feature-parity migration with form automation is phased over a longer window. You get a milestone roadmap before any work starts.
Stop renting your case management software
Tell me your firm's size and petition mix, and I'll map a migration and a build cost you own outright. Prefer to chat? Message me on WhatsApp.