Legal · head to head
Smokeball vs Clio
Smokeball
Legal
Practice management for small law firms with automatic time capture
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Smokeball requires a Windows desktop component for automatic time capture, so it is not browser-only like its competitors; Clio priced per user per month, so cost scales directly with headcount and adds up for growing firms
- They diverge on capability: Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Clio covers Time and billing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Smokeball and Clio 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 Smokeball
- Automatic time capture
- Document automation
- Billing and trust accounting
Only in Clio
- Time and billing
- Trust accounting
- Client intake
- Document management
- Integration directory
Both cover
- Matter management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Smokeball
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Smokeball review.
Clio
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Clio review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Smokeball if
- You need automatic time capture.
- You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want document automation.
Choose Clio if
- You need time and billing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want trust accounting.
Questions people ask
- Is Smokeball or Clio better?
- Neither clearly leads. Smokeball starts at On request and Clio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Smokeball or Clio?
- Smokeball starts at On request and Clio at On request.
- Does Smokeball or Clio run on more platforms?
- Smokeball runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Clio runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- What is Smokeball best used for?
- Smokeball is most often used for firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded time, small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheets, firms needing court form automation for high-volume matter types. Of those, firms billing hourly that lose revenue to unrecorded time and small practices replacing paper matter files and spreadsheets are not what Clio is typically brought in for.
- What can Smokeball do that Clio cannot?
- Smokeball covers Automatic time capture, Document automation, Billing and trust accounting. Clio covers Time and billing, Trust accounting, Client intake, Document management. Both handle Matter management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Smokeball: What does Smokeball cost?
Pricing is quoted per firm and not published.
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: 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: 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: Does it run on Mac?
The automatic time capture component is Windows-based, which is the main platform constraint.
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.
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.