Nexl vs Foundation 365 (formerly Peppermint): How to choose a legal CRM in 2026

Foundation 365, formerly known as Peppermint CX365, is a modular platform built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. It offers CRM, matter management, document management, and work management for large law firms. Acquired by Litera in early 2025, Foundation 365 delivers deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem including Outlook, Teams, and Power BI.

The platform leverages Microsoft’s infrastructure for security, compliance, and scalability. Foundation 365's strength lies in its ability to unify client engagement, matter lifecycle and business operations on a single Microsoft foundation.

For firms already set up in the Microsoft ecosystem, it represents a way to unify client engagement and operations on a single technology foundation.

Feature comparison

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Foundation's 365 Microsoft advantage

Foundation 365's core strength is its foundation on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Firms that already use Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Power BI get native integration across their technology stack. The platform offers client engagement (CRM), matter management, work management, and case management as modular components that share a single data source. For large UK and international firms that want CRM and practice management on one platform, Foundation 365 provides a comprehensive solution.

The trade-offs

Foundation 365's reliance on Dynamics 365 is both its strength and its limitation. Deployment requires Microsoft licensing, partner involvement, and significant configuration. Firms need internal IT capability or an external partner to implement, maintain, and evolve the system. Implementation timelines of several months are common.

Relationship intelligence is an optional feature with an additional cost. Firms that want “who knows who” mapping and automatic engagement tracking will need to pay for access. Built-in email marketing requires Dynamics Marketing, another add-on with its own licensing and configuration.

What Nexl offers instead

Nexl combines CRM, relationship intelligence, email marketing, event management and collaboration in a single cloud-native platform designed for law firms. All these features are included out of the box rather than requiring separate add-ons or Microsoft licensing.

With zero data entry and automatic interaction capture, Nexl removes the adoption barriers that undermine most legal CRM projects.

The platform is designed to work for lawyers, marketers and business development professionals alike, with a modern interface that surfaces actionable insights without requiring specialist training.

How to compare the platforms

The choice between Nexl and Foundation 365 often comes down to what a firm is trying to achieve. Foundation 365 appeals to firms that want to consolidate CRM, matter management, and document management on a single Microsoft platform. The investment is larger, but the scope is broader. Nexl appeals to firms that want a dedicated, purpose-built CRM and growth platform that can be deployed quickly, with relationship intelligence and email marketing included rather than added on.

Which firms should choose which

Foundation 365 suits large firms that want CRM and practice management unified on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and have the IT resources to support systems investment.

Nexl is the better option for medium to large enterprise firms that want a focused CRM platform that can be deployed quickly, with relationship intelligence and email marketing included rather than added on.

Foundation 365 is a strong choice for large UK and international firms committed to the Microsoft ecosystem that want CRM and practice management on a single platform. Nexl offers a faster, more focused solution for firms that want a relationship-driven CRM, marketing, and business development tools without the complexity and cost of a Dynamics 365 build.