Legal · head to head
Clio vs Everlaw
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Clio priced per user per month, so cost scales directly with headcount and adds up for growing firms; Everlaw quote-only pricing, and ediscovery is typically billed on data volume, which makes costs hard to predict in advance
- They diverge on capability: Clio covers Matter management, Everlaw covers Document processing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clio and Everlaw actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Legal).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Clio
- Matter management
- Time and billing
- Trust accounting
- Client intake
- Document management
- Integration directory
Only in Everlaw
- Document processing
- Predictive coding
- Review workflow
- Search and clustering
- Case building
- Cloud-native
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Clio
- Small and mid-sized firms replacing spreadsheets and paper matter filesnot Everlaw
- Firms needing compliant trust accounting without a separate systemnot Everlaw
- Practices billing hourly that lose revenue to uncaptured timenot Everlaw
Everlaw
- Litigation teams reviewing very large discovery document setsnot Clio
- Government and corporate investigations requiring defensible reviewnot Clio
- Firms wanting ediscovery without running on-premise infrastructurenot Clio
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Clio
- Priced per user per month, so cost scales directly with headcount and adds up for growing firms
- Advanced features including some automation and reporting sit in higher tiers rather than the entry plan
- Aimed at small and mid-sized firms; large firms with complex matter structures often need heavier systems
- Strongest in North America, with less depth in other jurisdictions’ compliance requirements
Everlaw
- Quote-only pricing, and ediscovery is typically billed on data volume, which makes costs hard to predict in advance
- Specialist product: outside litigation and investigations there is no use for it
- Predictive coding requires a properly trained review workflow, and poor input produces unreliable prioritisation
- Data volume charges can escalate sharply on large matters
Pricing, plan by plan
Clio
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Clio review.
Everlaw
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Everlaw review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Clio if
- You need matter management.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want time and billing.
Choose Everlaw if
- You need document processing.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want predictive coding.
Questions people ask
- Is Clio or Everlaw better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clio starts at On request and Everlaw at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clio or Everlaw?
- Clio starts at On request and Everlaw at On request.
- Does Clio or Everlaw run on more platforms?
- Clio runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud. Everlaw runs on Web, Cloud.
- What is Clio best used for?
- Clio is most often used for small and mid-sized firms replacing spreadsheets and paper matter files, firms needing compliant trust accounting without a separate system, practices billing hourly that lose revenue to uncaptured time. Of those, small and mid-sized firms replacing spreadsheets and paper matter files and firms needing compliant trust accounting without a separate system are not what Everlaw is typically brought in for.
- What can Clio do that Everlaw cannot?
- Clio covers Matter management, Time and billing, Trust accounting, Client intake. Everlaw covers Document processing, Predictive coding, Review workflow, Search and clustering.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Clio: What does Clio cost?
Clio sells per-user subscriptions across several tiers. Rates change and vary by region, so check the vendor’s current pricing page rather than relying on a third-party figure.
Everlaw: What does Everlaw cost?
Everlaw does not publish rates. Ediscovery is generally priced on data volume and users, which is why costs are quoted per matter or per organisation.
Clio: Does Clio handle trust accounting?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons firms adopt it, because client fund rules are strict and mishandling them is a regulatory matter.
Everlaw: What is ediscovery?
The process of identifying, collecting and reviewing electronic documents as evidence in litigation or investigation.
Clio: Is Clio suitable for a large firm?
It is aimed at small and mid-sized practices. Large firms with complex matter and billing structures usually evaluate heavier enterprise systems.
Everlaw: What is predictive coding?
Machine learning trained on reviewer decisions to prioritise documents likely to be relevant, so a team reviews the important fraction rather than everything.
Clio: Does Clio integrate with existing tools?
Yes. Its integration directory is the largest in legal practice software, covering Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, QuickBooks and many others.
Everlaw: Is Everlaw only for law firms?
No. Corporate legal departments and government agencies use it for investigations as well as litigation.