Legal · head to head
Clio vs Smokeball
Smokeball
Legal
Practice management for small law firms with automatic time capture
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; Smokeball requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors
- They diverge on capability: Clio covers Time and billing, Smokeball covers Automatic time capture.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clio and Smokeball 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
- Time and billing
- Trust accounting
- Client intake
- Document management
- Integration directory
Only in Smokeball
- Automatic time capture
- Document automation
- Billing and trust accounting
Both cover
- Matter management
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 Smokeball
- Firms needing compliant trust accounting without a separate systemnot Smokeball
- Practices billing hourly that lose revenue to uncaptured timenot Smokeball
Smokeball
- Firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded timenot Clio
- Small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheetsnot Clio
- Firms needing court form automation for high-volume matter typesnot 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
Smokeball
- Requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors
- Quote-only pricing with no published rates
- Aimed at small firms; larger practices with complex billing arrangements generally outgrow it
Pricing, plan by plan
Clio
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Clio review.
Smokeball
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Smokeball review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Clio if
- You need time and billing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want trust accounting.
Choose Smokeball if
- You need automatic time capture.
- You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want document automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Clio or Smokeball better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clio starts at On request and Smokeball at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clio or Smokeball?
- Clio starts at On request and Smokeball at On request.
- Does Clio or Smokeball run on more platforms?
- Clio runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud. Smokeball runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- 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 Smokeball is typically brought in for.
- What can Clio do that Smokeball cannot?
- Clio covers Time and billing, Trust accounting, Client intake, Document management. Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Document automation, Billing and trust accounting. Both handle Matter management.
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.
Smokeball: What does Smokeball cost?
Pricing is quoted per firm and not published.
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.
Smokeball: How does automatic time capture work?
A desktop application observes work on matters and turns activity into billable entries, rather than depending on someone remembering to start a timer.
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.
Smokeball: Does it run on Mac?
The automatic time capture component is Windows-based, which is the main platform constraint.
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.