Clio
Category-leading legal practice management — matters, billing, client portal, court rules, and mobile app in Clio Manage. Intake CRM (Clio Grow) is a higher-tier include or add-on, not the base Manage SKU.
- Best for
- Small and midsize firms that want a broad cloud practice-management platform
- Price
- From $49/user/mo (US starter tier); UK from £69/user/mo billed annually
- HQ
- Canada (global product; US and UK plans)
- Profile updated
- September 26, 2026
Worth it for your operation?
Pros
- Public starting price in USD and GBP with trial messaging
- Broad ecosystem — payments, court rules, Clio for Clients portal, mobile app
- Strong US and UK regional product pages and support footprint
- Matter, time, billing, and document workflows in one Manage product
Watch-outs
- Clio Grow intake CRM is a sibling/add-on — `crm_captacao` stays false on Manage-first reading
- Higher tiers and add-ons often push you into sales quotes
- No Meta WhatsApp inbox
- Full stack cost rises when Grow, Draft, and payments stack
Score by criterion
The dark mark on each bar is the average of the 12 systems in this ranking. Criteria with higher weight pull the overall score more.
Matter intake, case status, and deadline or court-rules calendaring without a parallel spreadsheet.
Time, invoices, trust or client accounting, and collections in the same system as the matter — not a parallel bookkeeping tool.
Client portal, post-engagement updates, and a native path from lead to hired matter — not only a “won” stage.
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the matter or contact card, with team history. WhatsApp Business API also counts. Portal-only chat and marketplace apps do not.
Public plan in USD or GBP, trial, and what sits outside the monthly fee. Mandatory add-ons for day-to-day work lower the score.
English UI, matter and billing vocabulary, and time until a fee earner can work without a long implementation project.
What ships natively
We only mark “yes” when the feature is part of the product — marketplace integrations or third-party apps do not count.
- Yes
Matters & case tracking
Matter intake and case-status tracking inside the product
- Yes
Deadlines & dockets
Deadlines, publications, and notices captured automatically, without a parallel spreadsheet
- Yes
Fees & billing
Fees, invoices, cash, and collections in the same system as the matter
- Yes
Documents & filings
Filing templates, DMS, or document generation in the product, not another editor
- Yes
Client portal
The client follows the case in a vendor-owned login, not only by email
- Yes
Native messaging
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the lead/contact card (history preserved). WhatsApp Business API also counts. Marketplace apps, Zapier, browser extensions, website chat buttons, and sibling-SKU modules do not
- No
Intake CRM
Native intake or sales pipeline, from lead to engagement letter
- Yes
Vendor mobile app
App published by the vendor itself
Editorial analysis
Clio in detail
Clio is the default shortlist for firms that want one cloud vendor for matters and money. US plans start at $49/user/month on the public pricing page; UK plans publish from £69/user/month billed annually. Grow is the intake story next door — do not assume every Manage seat includes lead CRM.
Who it is for
General practice and growing firms that value integrations and a client portal more than a bespoke workflow engine. PI-heavy shops may still shortlist Filevine; document-automation shops may shortlist Smokeball or LEAP.
What drives the score
Matters/deadlines and fees are excellent. Relationship is strong on portal, tempered because native intake CRM is Grow. Messaging scores for native SMS/inbox on the record. Price rewards the published floor, not Elite total cost.
How we read the sources
Based on Clio US/UK pricing pages, mobile app marketing, and court-rules help docs.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t Clio get a perfect intake score?
Clio Grow is the intake and legal CRM product. On this yardstick, sibling SKUs stay false for `crm_captacao` even when the brand sells them together on Expand/Elite. The profile credits Manage for matters, fees, portal, and deadlines.
Does Clio work for UK solicitors?
Yes — Clio publishes UK plans and GBP pricing. Court-rules depth still varies by jurisdiction; confirm your practice areas in the demo.
Sources consulted
Everything on this profile comes from the pages below. We did not lab-test the platform.
- Clio pricing (US)(www.clio.com)
- Clio UK pricing(www.clio.com)
- Clio mobile app(www.clio.com)
- Court rules help(help.clio.com)
Profile updated September 26, 2026. Found something outdated? Corrections are welcome.