Clio vs MyCase

Clio and MyCase both start at the same price point of $39 per user per month billed annually, and both are cloud-based legal practice management platforms…

Best for Clio: Clio fits firms that want dedicated trust accounting, automated court-form generation through Clio Draft, and access to a large third-party integration marketplace, even if that means paying more for the top tier to unlock intake and CRM.
Best for MyCase: MyCase fits solo and small firms that want client intake bundled at a lower top-tier price point and value built in court rules calendaring for automatically tracking jurisdiction-specific deadlines.

At a Glance

 ClioMyCase
Primary categoryLegalLegal
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelSubscriptionSubscription
Starting price$49/user/month (EasyStart, billed annually)$50/user/month (billed annually)
Free planNot documentedNot documented
Free trialYesYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresYesNot documented
Public APIYesNot documented

Key Differences

Company origin and headquarters

Clio: Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada

MyCase: Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, USA

Firms with data residency preferences or that want a vendor aligned with a specific country's legal market context may weigh headquarters location when comparing support and compliance posture.

Entry-tier pricing

Clio: EasyStart plan starts at $39 per user per month billed annually, including time and expense tracking, billing, case management, and Outlook and Gmail integration

MyCase: Basic plan starts at $39 per user per month billed annually, including case and document management, calendaring, client portal, and basic invoicing

Both tools share the same entry price, so the deciding factor is what is actually included at that price rather than the sticker price itself

Top-tier price ceiling

Clio: Complete plan reaches $129 per user per month and includes Clio Grow client intake and CRM, automated intake forms, and referral source reporting

MyCase: Advanced plan tops out at $99 per user per month and includes lead and client intake tools, advanced reporting, and priority support

MyCase reaches full intake and reporting capability at a lower top-tier price than Clio does

Trust accounting

Clio: Lists a dedicated Trust Accounting feature built to help firms track client retainer funds under IOLTA and similar compliance rules

MyCase: Supports trust-accounting-compliant transactions through its LawPay integration rather than a standalone trust accounting feature

Firms handling client retainers directly inside the platform may need explicit, built in trust accounting tools rather than relying on a third-party payment integration

Document automation versus court calendaring

Clio: Clio Draft automatically generates court forms and templated documents from matter data

MyCase: Court Rules Calendaring automatically calculates and populates key deadlines and hearing dates based on jurisdiction and case type

Each tool automates a different part of litigation workflow, so the better fit depends on whether a firm's biggest time drain is drafting paperwork or tracking deadlines

Client intake and CRM bundling

Clio: Client intake and CRM live in a separate product, Clio Grow, included only at the Complete tier

MyCase: Lead and client intake tools are built into the core product and included at the Advanced tier

How intake is packaged affects both cost and how integrated the intake workflow feels with the rest of the platform

Integration ecosystem breadth

Clio: Documents 200 plus integrations available through its app marketplace at the Essentials tier and above, including Outlook, Gmail, and QuickBooks

MyCase: Documents integration with LawPay for payments plus unspecified additional integrations for accounting and document workflows depending on plan

A firm already using a specific set of third-party tools needs to know whether its stack is supported before committing

API access

Clio: Tagged as offering API access

MyCase: No API access is documented in the available facts

Firms that want to build custom integrations or connect internal tools need confirmed API availability

Reporting and analytics tier gating

Clio: Matter profitability analytics and staff workload management are reserved for the Advanced tier at $99 per user per month

MyCase: Reporting appears at the Pro tier at $79 per user per month, with advanced reporting added at the $99 per user per month Advanced tier

Firms that need profitability or productivity reporting early in their growth should check which tier unlocks it rather than assuming it comes standard

Feature-by-Feature

Case and Matter Management

FeatureClioMyCase
Centralized matter record for documents, contacts, and tasksAvailableAvailable
Task and workflow assignmentAvailableAvailable
Automated court deadline and hearing date calendaring by jurisdictionNot documentedAvailable

Billing and Payments

FeatureClioMyCase
Time and expense trackingAvailableAvailable
Online invoicing and paymentsAvailableAvailable
Dedicated trust accounting featureAvailableLimited

Client Communication

FeatureClioMyCase
Client portal with secure messagingAvailableAvailable
Online invoice payment for clientsAvailableAvailable

Client Intake and CRM

FeatureClioMyCase
Lead capture and intake formsAvailableAvailable
Referral source reportingAvailableNot documented

Document Management and Automation

FeatureClioMyCase
Document storage and organization by matterAvailableAvailable
Version tracking and reusable templatesNot documentedAvailable
Automated generation of court forms and templated documentsAvailableNot documented

Reporting and Analytics

FeatureClioMyCase
Billing and matter profitability reportingAvailableAvailable
Staff utilization or productivity trackingAvailableAvailable

Platform and Integrations

FeatureClioMyCase
Native iOS and Android mobile appsAvailableAvailable
Third-party integration marketplaceAvailableLimited
API accessAvailableNot documented

Pricing and Trial

FeatureClioMyCase
Free trialAvailableAvailable
Permanent free planUnavailableUnavailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Clio

EasyStart — $49/user/month annual
Essentials — $89/user/month annual
Advanced — $119/user/month annual
Complete — $149/user/month annual

MyCase

Basic — $50/user/month annual ($60 monthly) Monthly or annual
Pro — $100/user/month annual ($120 monthly) Monthly or annual
Advanced — $130/user/month annual ($150 monthly) Monthly or annual

Pros & Cons

Clio

Pros

  • Purpose-built trust accounting compliance features not found in general practice management tools.
  • Wide adoption (400,000+ legal professionals) and a large integration ecosystem.
  • Tiered pricing lets solo attorneys and larger firms both find an appropriate plan.
  • Companion products (Clio Grow) extend the platform into client intake without switching tools.

Cons

  • Pricing rises significantly between tiers, with AI drafting and full intake automation reserved for the top Complete tier.
  • Monthly (non-annual) billing carries a notable price premium over annual billing.
  • Additional costs such as payment processing fees and third-party integrations add to total cost of ownership.
  • Feature scope may be more than very small or informal legal practices need.

MyCase

Pros

  • All-in-one billing, trust accounting, and case management in one subscription
  • Client portal streamlines attorney-client communication
  • Tiered pricing lets small firms start affordably and scale up features
  • AI-assisted document and case tools on higher tiers
  • Backed by AffiniPay/8am's broader legal and payments ecosystem

Cons

  • No free tier; pricing is per-user and can add up for larger firms
  • Most automation and AI features are gated behind the Pro and Advanced tiers
  • Company has changed ownership multiple times, which can affect roadmap continuity
  • Some advanced features (open API, capacity-style reporting) are limited to the top tier
  • Pricing is higher than the most basic legal software alternatives

Use Cases

Choose Clio: Clio fits firms that want dedicated trust accounting, automated court-form generation through Clio Draft, and access to a large third-party integration marketplace, even if that means paying more for the top tier to unlock intake and CRM.
Choose MyCase: MyCase fits solo and small firms that want client intake bundled at a lower top-tier price point and value built in court rules calendaring for automatically tracking jurisdiction-specific deadlines.
Need both: A firm evaluating vendors during a transition, or one that wants to compare trust accounting workflows against LawPay-based payment processing before migrating historical billing data, could reasonably trial both during their respective free trial periods before standardizing on one.

Clio

  • Solo attorney practice management — Solo practitioners use Clio's EasyStart plan for basic time tracking, billing, and trust accounting.
  • Growing multi-attorney firms — Established small-to-mid-size firms use Advanced or Complete for e-signatures, advanced reporting, and AI drafting.
  • Client intake automation — Firms use Clio Grow to capture and automate lead intake before matters are opened in Clio Manage.

MyCase

  • Solo and small law firm management — Solo practitioners and small firms use MyCase to consolidate case tracking, billing, and client communication.
  • Trust accounting compliance — Firms use MyCase's built-in IOLTA trust accounting to stay compliant with bar requirements.
  • Client communication and intake — Firms use the client portal, texting, and intake forms to streamline new client onboarding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clio or MyCase cheaper?

Both start at the same entry price of $39 per user per month billed annually, but their top tiers diverge, with Clio's Complete plan reaching $129 per user per month for full intake and CRM versus MyCase's Advanced plan topping out at $99 per user per month for a comparable feature set.

Does Clio or MyCase have better trust accounting support?

Clio lists a dedicated Trust Accounting feature built for IOLTA and similar compliance rules, while MyCase supports trust-accounting-compliant transactions through its LawPay integration rather than a standalone trust accounting feature.

Can MyCase generate court forms automatically like Clio?

This is not documented for MyCase; MyCase's confirmed automation is Court Rules Calendaring, which auto-populates deadlines and hearing dates, whereas Clio Draft is the feature documented for automated document and court-form generation.

Which is better for solo attorneys, Clio or MyCase?

Both are positioned for solo and small firms with entry plans starting at $39 per user per month, so the choice comes down to whether a solo attorney values Clio's dedicated trust accounting and document automation or MyCase's lower-cost path to intake tools and built in court deadline calendaring.

Does Clio or MyCase offer a free plan?

Neither offers a permanent free plan; both provide a free trial period before requiring a paid subscription.

Which has more integrations, Clio or MyCase?

Clio documents a larger integration ecosystem, citing 200 plus integrations through its app marketplace including Outlook, Gmail, and QuickBooks, while MyCase's documented integrations center on LawPay for payments plus unspecified additional accounting and document workflow integrations.

Read the full Clio review · Read the full MyCase review