The Clio Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Clio in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Clio
The Insider’s Guide
Practice management, legal accounting and legal AI for law firms
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among law practice software, read from Clio’s own pages.
Made by Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio) · checked Oct 24, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Clio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Clio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 9 of the 9 other law practice software we grade
Clio is a cloud platform for law firms. Clio Manage covers matters, contacts, documents, calendars, time, billing, online payments and trust accounting, with legal accounting included on every plan. Clio Grow adds intake and client marketing, and Clio Work is a separate legal AI workspace for case analysis, research and drafting.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Clio, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for small firms that want legal accounting built in
Clio Manage covers matters, documents, time, billing, payments and trust accounting, with legal accounting on every plan, from $49 a user a month on Starter.
- 2
Paid plans start at $49 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $49 per user / month (Starter); billing basis not stated.
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial of Clio Manage, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 9 of 9
That is against the other law practice software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Clio you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Clio at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $49 per user / month (Starter); billing basis not stated
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of Clio Manage, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio), since 2008
- Category
- Law Practice Software
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 9,084 ratings
The report card
Best for small firms that want legal accounting built in
Clio Manage covers matters, documents, time, billing, payments and trust accounting, with legal accounting on every plan, from $49 a user a month on Starter. Only Starter has a public price, and Starter leaves out the client portal, texting, conflict checks, templates and integrations, which start on Core, a plan you have to ask the price of.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 7-day trial of Clio Manage with no card. No free plan, so a week is all you get before paying. |
| Features | B | Matters, 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. |
| Ease of use | A | Clio rates 4.8 on the US App Store from 9,084 ratings, which puts it at A on our ease ladder. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Outlook, Gmail, Word, QuickBooks, Xero, TrustBooks and Affirm, and a developer API. No desktop app on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Clio is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Solo and small firms that want accounting and trust reconciliation in the same tool
- Growing firms that will add intake, marketing and legal AI from one vendor
- Lawyers who need full mobile apps for iPhone and Android
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$49
A month to start, for each person
Clio is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $49 per user / month (Starter); billing basis not stated.
The listing doesn't say if that's billed monthly or yearly, and Core, Signature and Elite are priced on request.
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.
Core
Custom
Adds AI billing and client updates, conflict checks, client portal and texting, document templates, integrations and 15 eSignatures. Price on request.
Signature
Custom
Adds matter stages, automated workflows, split and multi-currency billing, custom reports, SAML SSO and unlimited eSignatures. Price on request.
Elite
Custom
Signature plus the Clio Grow intake suite: AI lead handling, intake forms, online booking, review requests and a website builder. Price on request.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of Clio Manage, no credit card required
Read from web.archive.org on Oct 24, 2026, where its own pages could not be read.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Elite bundle saving
Clio's pricing page labels Elite, which bundles Signature with the Clio Grow intake suite, as saving over 17%.
Stated on web.archive.org
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Practice management, legal accounting and legal AI for law firms. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, time tracking, invoicing, bookkeeping, case management, trust accounting.
The listing shows no gap in the core job.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Microsoft Outlook
- Gmail
- Microsoft Word
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- TrustBooks
- Affirm
Clio is made by Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio), and has been around since 2008.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
9/9
Other law practice software it is graded above
Clio's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 9 of the 9 other law practice software we grade.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 9) and worst on value for money (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $49 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 4 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 law practice software we grade, cut by the letter each got. Clio’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 9
- BFeaturesAbove 7 of 9
- AEase of useAbove 9 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 5 law practice software. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Clio is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Clio you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 9 of the 9 other law practice software we grade. It costs $588 a year.
What you could make
- Case management, time tracking and invoicing: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require.
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail and Microsoft Word among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Clio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
MyCase, PracticePanther, Smokeball, Filevine and Rocket Matter
The 5 tools Clio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
MyCase
Free trial · from $50/mo
Case management, billing and client portal for small law firms.
- Clio also covers bookkeeping.
- MyCase also covers forms and business texting.
- 2.2GPA
PracticePanther
Free trial · from $49/mo
Law practice management with built-in payments and accounting.
- Clio also covers bookkeeping.
- PracticePanther also covers forms and business texting.
- 2.0GPA
Smokeball
Paid
Practice management with automatic time capture and court forms.
- Only Smokeball lists a Windows app.
- Clio also covers bookkeeping.
- Smokeball also covers templates.
- 2.0GPA
Filevine
Free trial
Case management and the LOIS legal AI system, sold by quote.
- Only Clio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Clio also covers bookkeeping and trust accounting.
- Filevine also covers reports and business texting.
- 2.0GPA
Rocket Matter
Free trial · from $59/mo
Legal billing, trust accounting and matter management in the cloud.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Clio free?
No, Clio is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial of Clio Manage, no credit card required.
How much does Clio cost?
Clio lists 4 plans. Starter: $49 per user / month; monthly or annual billing not stated.
What platforms does Clio work on?
Clio is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Clio offer any discounts?
Clio publicly lists the following: Elite bundle saving.
How is Clio rated?
Clio's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9,084 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 24, 2026.
Does Clio have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Clio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Clio have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 24, 2026. Clio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Clio open source?
Clio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 24, 2026.
Does Clio have an API?
Yes. Clio offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Clio integrate with?
Clio's listing names Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Microsoft Word, QuickBooks, Xero, TrustBooks and Affirm.
Who makes Clio?
Clio is made by Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio). It dates from 2008.
What are the alternatives to Clio?
The closest alternatives to Clio in our directory are MyCase, PracticePanther, Smokeball, Filevine and Rocket Matter.
How does Clio compare with other law practice software?
Clio's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 9 of the 9 other law practice software we grade.
Is Clio good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Clio C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $49 a month for each person, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 0 of the 4 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Clio?
To replace Clio you would be making client trust accounts kept the way bar rules require.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Clio’s own pages on Oct 24, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 24, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from archived copies of Clio's own pages on 24 October 2026. Clio's pricing page turned our reader away on 24 October 2026, so its prices are as the listing has them. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio). Prices change, so check clio.com before you buy.
- web.archive.org/web/20261005012636/https://www.clio.com/pricing/
- web.archive.org/web/20261014140406/https://www.clio.com/signup/
- web.archive.org/web/20261014140321/https://www.clio.com/work/
- web.archive.org/web/20261005050319/https://www.clio.com/about/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/clio-for-law-firms-and-lawyers/id686777370
- docs.developers.clio.com/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Clio, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/clio
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Clio: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 24, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/clio
Know someone choosing between law practice software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/clio/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded law practice software after Clio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Law Practice Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 law practice software we grade, compared
- CosmoLex Insider's GuideLaw practice management with trust and business accounting built in2.2 GPA
- MyCase Insider's GuideCase management, billing and client portal for small law firms2.2 GPA
- PracticePanther Insider's GuideLaw practice management with built-in payments and accounting2.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Clio’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Clio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio). Prices and plans change: check clio.com before you buy.