Clio vs Rocket Matter (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 Rocket Matter if

• Fits if your firm's main need is time capture and billing
• Works for firms that want document assembly, conflict checks and a client portal on the entry plan

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you'd rather pay monthly: prices are yearly only, and Essentials at $59 a user is the dearest published start here
• Tight if you're on Essentials: 25 GB of documents, and no eSignatures, LEDES billing, matter templates or Google Calendar sync
• Watch out: built-in business accounting is Elite only at $145 a user, and then the QuickBooks Online link can't be used
• Watch out: the Legal CRM add-on, for Pro and Premier only, is $39 a user billed yearly plus a $399 setup fee, with a 3-user minimum
• Watch out: eSignatures start on Pro with a monthly allowance per user, and extra envelopes are $2 each

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.

Rocket Matter

• Prices are for annual payment; the pricing page lists no monthly-billed rate.
• Essentials stores up to 25 GB of documents and has no eSignatures, LEDES billing, matter templates or Google Calendar sync.
• Built-in business accounting is on Elite only, and the QuickBooks Online link cannot be used alongside it.
• The Legal CRM add-on, for Pro and Premier only, is $39 per user / month billed annually plus a $399 setup fee, with a 3-user minimum.

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.

Rocket Matter

Time tracking and billing

Multiple timers, a desktop time tracker and an automatic time card, with flat-fee, batch and evergreen retainer billing and paperless prebills on every plan.

Trust accounting

Matter-based trust accounts with automatic trust transfers on every plan. Elite adds reconciliation of operating, trust and credit card accounts with compliance reporting.

Rocket Matter Pay

Online card and eCheck or ACH payments for US firms, with payment links and optional card surcharging, included on every plan.

Matter workflows

From Pro, matter templates set up tasks, events and custom fields, with dependent task logic, status-driven automation and a matter status board.

Documents, portal and eSignature

Document assembly and a client portal on every plan. Secure file sharing and eSignatures start on Pro, with extra envelopes at $2 each.

Mobile apps

Native iPhone and Android apps for checking matters, messaging clients and viewing documents, secured by fingerprint, face or PIN.

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.

Rocket Matter

• Essentials$59

  per user / month, paid annually

  Time and expenses, batch billing, trust accounting, Rocket Matter Pay, document assembly, conflict checks, client portal and 25 GB of storage.

• Pro$95

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds unlimited storage, LEDES e-billing, matter templates and workflows, Google and Office 365 calendar sync, and 5 eSignatures per user a month.

• Premier$115

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds split billing, fee allocation, full financial reports, unlimited dashboards, Zapier and NetDocuments, and 15 eSignatures per user a month.

• Elite$145

  per user / month, paid annually

  Adds built-in business accounting: a legal chart of accounts, bank feeds, payables, reconciliation of all accounts, compliance reports and matter budgets.

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%.

Rocket Matter

No public discounts listed.