Clio vs iManage (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 iManage if

• Fits if you run a firm that needs documents, records and conflicts in one platform
• Makes sense if you want AI search over your firm's own documents

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you're a solo practitioner, as it's aimed at firms
• Skip it if you need a price first, since only a demo is offered
• Watch out: Work, Share, Records Manager and Tracker are separate modules
• Skip it if you want a trial, because none is listed

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.

iManage

• No prices are published; the site offers a demo request instead.
• The platform is sold as separate modules such as Work, Share, Records Manager and Tracker, so what a firm gets depends on what it licenses.
• The mobile app's platforms are not named on the page read, so the iOS and Android entries are inferred from the smartphone and tablet description.
• It is aimed at firms and knowledge-work organizations, not solo practitioners.

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.

iManage

Document and email management

iManage Work files documents and email, Share supports file sharing, and Drive stores files from multiple sources in one place.

Mobile access

The Mobility app lets users access, edit, search and share documents from a smartphone or tablet, with device access controlled through Microsoft Intune or other vendors.

Security and governance

Products named on the site include Security Policy Manager, Threat Manager, Records Manager and Disposition Manager for retention and defensible disposition.

Conflicts, intake and transactions

Conflicts and Intake handles business onboarding, and Closing Folders is aimed at legal transaction closings.

Knowledge search and AI

Insight+ covers knowledge search. iManage AI includes AI Enrichment for classification and extraction, the Ask iManage assistant and a Model Context Protocol connection to outside AI tools.

Task and workflow management

Tracker offers project-centric task and checklist management.

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.

iManage

Pricing could not be confirmed. See imanage.com.

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%.

iManage

No public discounts listed.