Clio vs NetDocuments (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Clio: it is first in our ranking of law practice software, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Clio grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Clio
Practice management, legal accounting and legal AI for law firms
Which one is for you
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 NetDocuments if
- Fits if you want filing by client and matter inside Outlook and Word
- Works for firms and legal departments that need security controls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a price first, because quotes come after a form and a call
- Watch out: legal AI and workflow tools are priced in the quote, not shown apart
- Watch out: migration volume and training add to the cost of a rollout
- Watch out: the pages read don't name desktop or mobile apps
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClioGood | 2.0GPANetDocumentsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $49 a user a month, the price this category mostly starts at: its cheaper quarter and middle are both $49. The listing doesn't say if that's billed monthly or yearly, and Core, Signature and Elite are priced on request. | CNo price is published; the quote depends on team size, products, security needs and migration scope. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial of Clio Manage with no card. No free plan, so a week is all you get before paying. | FNo free plan and no free trial are listed anywhere on the pages we read. |
| Features | BMatters, unlimited documents, calendars, hourly, flat and contingency billing, online payments, trust accounting and legal accounting with bank sync, plus a client portal from Core and Clio Work for AI research and drafting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BDocument and email management, Microsoft tools, security controls, collaboration and legal AI. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | AClio rates 4.8 on the US App Store from 9,084 ratings, which puts it at A on our ease ladder. | CNo store rating on record. A rollout involves migration and training. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Outlook, Gmail, Word, QuickBooks, Xero, TrustBooks and Affirm, and a developer API. No desktop app on record. | BWeb with Outlook, Word and Teams. Regional logins are listed, but no desktop or mobile apps are named. |
| Best for | small firms that want legal accounting built in | cloud document and email filing for law firms |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Clio and NetDocuments. How we grade
Where they differ
- Clio also covers time tracking, invoicing, bookkeeping, case management and trust accounting.
- NetDocuments also covers workflow automation, documents, file sharing and reports.
At a glance
| Clio | NetDocuments | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $49 per user / month (Starter); billing basis not stated | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Clio Manage, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio) | NetDocuments |
| Price read from | web.archive.org (not the vendor's own page) | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
NetDocuments
- No prices are published. The vendor says pricing depends on team size, products chosen, security needs and migration scope, and is given after a form and a call.
- Legal AI and workflow tools are described as part of the product choice, and are priced in the quote rather than shown separately.
- Migration volume and training shape the cost of rollout.
- The pages read list regional logins for the US, UK, Germany, Australia and Canada but do not name desktop or mobile apps.
Key features
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.
NetDocuments
- Document and email management
- Documents and email are organized by client and matter, with version control and search built for legal work.
- Microsoft tools
- Users can work from Outlook, Word and Teams while documents stay filed in NetDocuments. The vendor also lists Microsoft Teams integration and document collaboration sites.
- Legal AI
- A Legal AI Assistant answers questions about documents and summarizes content. The site also lists an AI app builder, tabular review, AI search and MCP integrations.
- Security controls
- Ethical walls and data loss prevention are listed, along with advanced security and data governance options. Data residency requirements can affect the package.
- Collaboration
- Files can be shared with colleagues or clients, with real-time edits, version history, eSignature and document bundling.
Plans
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.
NetDocuments
Pricing could not be confirmed. See netdocuments.com.
Ways to pay less
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%.
NetDocuments
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clio or NetDocuments?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clio starts at $49 per user / month (Starter); billing basis not stated, and NetDocuments has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Clio or NetDocuments?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Clio nor NetDocuments has a free plan. Clio has a free trial.
Which platforms do Clio and NetDocuments run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Clio lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.