Softwr

Legal · head to head

Clio vs Filevine

Clio logo

Clio

Legal

Cloud practice management software for law firms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Filevine logo

Filevine

Legal

Configurable case management for plaintiff litigation, intake and mass tort firms

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Filevine there is no built-in general ledger or three-way trust reconciliation, so the firm still pays for and reconciles QuickBooks separately, which undermines the single-system argument used during the sale.
  • They diverge on capability: Clio covers Matter management, Filevine covers Project templates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clio and Filevine actually diverge.

Attributes where Clio and Filevine differ
AttributeClioFilevine
Pricing modelPer-user subscription with published tiers; contact vendor for current ratesquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, CloudWeb, iOS, Android

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 Filevine

  • Project templates
  • Lead Docket intake
  • Document assembly
  • Vinesign
  • Case texting
  • Reporting and dashboards

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 Filevine
  • Firms needing compliant trust accounting without a separate systemnot Filevine
  • Practices billing hourly that lose revenue to uncaptured timenot Filevine

Filevine

  • A personal injury firm that wants advertising spend, intake conversion and settlement value reported in one placenot Clio
  • A mass tort practice managing thousands of claimants against shared case phases and bulk document generationnot Clio
  • A firm replacing spreadsheets and shared drives where each practice area has different deadline rulesnot Clio
  • An immigration or workers compensation practice that needs form-heavy document assembly from case datanot 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

Filevine

  • There is no built-in general ledger or three-way trust reconciliation, so the firm still pays for and reconciles QuickBooks separately, which undermines the single-system argument used during the sale.
  • Pricing is quoted per user with an implementation fee, so a firm with paralegals and case managers who log in occasionally pays full seat cost for light users.
  • Configuration flexibility becomes a liability without an internal owner, and firms that skip that role commonly end up with duplicate fields and reports nobody trusts.
  • It is built around contingency and litigation workflow, so corporate, conveyancing and other transactional practices find the project model a poor fit.
  • Implementation commonly runs weeks to months with paid professional services, and the annual contract starts before the firm is live, so the first year buys less usable time than it appears to.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clio

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Clio review.

Filevine

On request
  • Filevine$undefined/year
    • Quoted per user per month on an annual contract
    • Separate one-off implementation and configuration fee
    • Lead Docket, Vinesign and AI drafting priced as add-on modules

Which should you pick?

Choose Clio if

  • You need matter management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want time and billing.
Clio review

Choose Filevine if

  • You need project templates.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want lead docket intake.
Filevine review

Questions people ask

Is Clio or Filevine better?
Neither clearly leads. Clio starts at On request and Filevine at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clio or Filevine?
Clio starts at On request and Filevine at On request.
Does Clio or Filevine run on more platforms?
Clio runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud. Filevine runs on 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 Filevine is typically brought in for.
What can Clio do that Filevine cannot?
Clio covers Matter management, Time and billing, Trust accounting, Client intake. Filevine covers Project templates, Lead Docket intake, Document assembly, Vinesign.

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.

Filevine: Does Filevine handle trust accounting?

No. It tracks case costs and settlement disbursement but has no legal general ledger, so trust accounting is done in QuickBooks or a dedicated legal accounting product.

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.

Filevine: Is pricing published?

No. Filevine quotes per user per month on an annual contract and adds an implementation fee, so compare total first-year cost rather than the seat rate.

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.

Filevine: Is it suitable for a two-person firm?

Rarely. The configuration overhead and contract minimums suit firms with dedicated intake and case management staff.

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.

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