Clio vs CosmoLex (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Clio if

• Fits if you want trust reconciliation and the firm's books in the same tool as billing
• Works for firms that plan to add intake and legal AI from the same vendor later

Look elsewhere if

• Watch out: only Starter has a published price, and Core, Signature and Elite are quoted on request
• Tight if you're on Starter, which has no client portal, texting, conflict checks, document templates, custom fields or integrations
• Pricey if you want workflows, custom reports or SSO, which need Signature or Elite, and Clio Grow intake is an add-on on Core and Signature
• Watch out: card payments cost 2.95% (3.75% for Amex), eCheck 1% and Affirm 4.95%, and court e-filing is paid per filing
• Skip it if you want a long trial, as it's 7 days and there's no free plan

Pick CosmoLex if

• Fits if you're a solo or small firm that holds client money in trust
• Works for firms in the US or Canada that want billing and the books in one app

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're on Launch, which has no bank reconciliation, LEDES or split billing, intake forms, document assembly or AI
• Pricey if you want the general ledger, bank feeds, calendar sync or the open API, which are Pro only at $129 a user
• Watch out: the CRM, websites, Google Ads management and LexShare and LexSign are paid add-ons, and eSignatures may carry fees
• Not for you if you're in Canada and want card payments on invoices, which the pricing page marks as US only
• Skip it if you want a full trial, as the 10 days come with one bank feed and no CRM, LexShare or LexSign

Clio

• Clio publishes a price only for Starter; Core, Signature and Elite are quoted on request or after a demo.
• Starter leaves out the client portal, texting, conflict checks, document templates, custom fields and third-party integrations, which start on Core.
• Card payments cost 2.95% (3.75% for Amex), eCheck and ACH 1%, and Affirm pay-later 4.95%; court e-filing is paid per filing.
• Automated workflows, custom reports and SSO need Signature or Elite, and Clio Grow intake is an add-on on Core and Signature.

CosmoLex

• Launch leaves out bank reconciliation, LEDES billing, intake forms, document assembly and the AI tools, which start on Core at $99 per user / month.
• The general ledger, bank feeds, calendar sync with Outlook and Google, intake automation and the open API are on Pro only.
• The CRM, websites, Google Ads management and LexShare and LexSign are paid add-ons; eSignatures may carry extra fees.
• Card payments on invoices are marked as US only on the pricing page; eCheck is the other option listed.

Clio

Matters, documents and calendars

Every plan stores contacts, matters and unlimited documents, with calendaring, tasks, a firm dashboard and Clio's iOS and Android apps.

Billing and online payments

Hourly, flat-rate and contingency billing, payment plans, UTBMS and LEDES codes, and online payment by card, eCheck, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Legal accounting built in

Bank sync, a chart of accounts, trust and operating reconciliation, check printing and cash or accrual reports on every plan, with a free licence for the firm's accountant.

AI inside Clio Manage

From Core, AI drafts bills on a schedule, writes client updates from matter activity, turns documents into calendar events and tasks, and ranks tasks.

Clio Work

A legal AI workspace that reads a matter's files to build timelines and spot gaps, finds jurisdiction-matched authority checked by a citator, and drafts in Clio Work or Microsoft Word.

Client portal and texting

From Core, clients use the Clio for Clients portal and app to message, share documents, pay and follow their matter, and the firm can text reminders.

CosmoLex

Trust and business accounting

Trust ledgers with automatic transfers and holds and built-in compliance reports on every plan. Pro adds a general ledger and payables across trust, operating and business accounts.

Time, billing and payments

Capture time and expenses, bill against retainers or recurring payments, and take card and eCheck payments on invoices. LEDES and split billing start on Core.

Matters and client portal

Matter management and a secure client portal on every plan. Core adds per-matter budgets, document editing and assembly, and dashboards.

Intake forms

Logic-based intake forms capture leads and turn them into matters from Core; Pro automates intake workflows. A CRM add-on adds email and text drip campaigns.

AI tools

From Core, AI writes summaries of documents, answers plain-English questions to filter matter data, and drafts client intake forms.

Growth add-ons

Paid extras include a firm website built and hosted by CosmoLex, managed Google Ads campaigns, and LexShare and LexSign for document sharing and eSignatures.

Clio

• Starter$49

  per user / month; monthly or annual billing not stated

  Matters, contacts, unlimited document storage, time and billing, online payments, trust accounting and built-in legal accounting. Three eSignatures.

• CoreCustom

  Adds AI billing and client updates, conflict checks, client portal and texting, document templates, integrations and 15 eSignatures. Price on request.

• SignatureCustom

  Adds matter stages, automated workflows, split and multi-currency billing, custom reports, SAML SSO and unlimited eSignatures. Price on request.

• EliteCustom

  Signature plus the Clio Grow intake suite: AI lead handling, intake forms, online booking, review requests and a website builder. Price on request.

CosmoLex

• Launch$49

  per user / month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)

  Time and billing, retainers, online payments, trust ledgers with compliance reports, matter management and a client portal.

• Core$99

  per user / month, billed yearly ($109 billed monthly)

  Adds bank reconciliation, LEDES and split billing, matter budgets, intake forms, document assembly, dashboards and the AI tools.

• Pro$129

  per user / month, billed yearly ($139 billed monthly)

  Adds the general ledger and payables, bank feeds, advanced compliance reports, intake automation, calendar sync and the open API.

Clio

• Other savings

  Elite bundle saving

  Clio's pricing page labels Elite, which bundles Signature with the Clio Grow intake suite, as saving over 17%.

CosmoLex

• Annual discount

  Save $120 per user with yearly billing

  CosmoLex's pricing page shows each plan $10 a month cheaper per user when billed yearly, which it states as a $120 saving per user.

• Other savings

  Lifetime discounts for bar association members

  CosmoLex says members of its state and regional bar association partners get lifetime member discounts; the page does not give the amounts.