CounselStack

Clio vs Filevine

Which legal practice management software is right for your firm?

Quick Answer

Clio is the better choice for general practice firms, solos, and those who need transparent pricing and 200+ integrations. Filevine excels for plaintiff law, personal injury, and mass tort firms that handle high case volumes and need deeply customizable case workflows. Filevine's custom pricing model means it can scale, but you'll need to contact sales for a quote.

At a Glance

ClioFilevine
Price Range$39-$129/user/moCustom pricing (from ~$39/user/mo)
Best ForGeneral practice with broad integrationsHigh-volume plaintiff & PI firms

Feature Comparison

FeatureClioFilevine
Time Tracking
Billing & Invoicing
Client Portal
Trust Accounting (IOLTA)Limited
Document Management
Customizable Case PipelinesLimited
AI Document ReviewBasic (Clio Draft)Advanced (Filevine AI)
Integrations200+Focused ecosystem
Mobile App
eSignatureAdd-on
Mass Tort Management
Transparent Published Pricing
Intake & Lead ManagementClio Grow (add-on)

Pricing Comparison

Clio Pricing

EasyStart$39/user/mo
  • Basic matter management
  • Time tracking
  • Basic billing
Essentials$79/user/mo
  • Trust accounting
  • Client portal
  • Custom fields
Advanced$109/user/mo
  • Workflow automation
  • Custom reports
  • Custom permissions
Complete$129/user/mo
  • Clio Grow CRM
  • Client intake
  • AI drafting features

Filevine Pricing

StandardCustom (contact sales)
  • Case & contact management
  • Task management
  • Document management
  • Reporting
EnterpriseCustom (contact sales)
  • Everything in Standard
  • Advanced integrations
  • Priority support
  • Custom workflows
  • Mass tort tools

Who Should Choose What?

✅ Choose Clio if...

  • You want transparent, published pricing without a sales call
  • Your firm needs 200+ integrations with tools like Outlook, QuickBooks, Dropbox
  • You handle transactional, family, estate, or general practice matters
  • You want Clio Grow as an integrated client intake CRM
  • You're a solo or small firm looking for quick setup

✅ Choose Filevine if...

  • Your firm focuses on personal injury, mass tort, or plaintiff-side litigation
  • You need deeply customizable case pipelines and workflows per practice area
  • You handle high-volume cases where tracking settlement stages matters
  • You want advanced AI for document review and case insights
  • You need intake, referral tracking, and settlement management in one place

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Filevine or Clio better for personal injury firms?

Filevine is consistently preferred by personal injury and plaintiff firms. Its case pipeline tools, settlement tracking, demand letter generation, and mass tort features are purpose-built for contingency-fee practices. Clio can manage PI cases but requires more customization to achieve comparable workflows. If PI is your primary practice area, Filevine's specialized toolset usually wins.

How does Filevine's pricing work?

Filevine uses custom pricing negotiated with their sales team. While some sources report starting prices around $39-$79/user/month, your actual cost depends on firm size, required features, and contract term. Unlike Clio's transparent tier pricing, Filevine requires a demo and sales conversation to get a quote. This makes direct price comparison difficult but gives Filevine room to tailor pricing to larger firm needs.

Which has better document management?

Both offer solid document storage and management. Filevine tends to win for high-volume document workflows with better version control and its AI-assisted document review (Filevine AI). Clio's document management is robust with integrations to Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and NetDocs. For firms focused on document-heavy litigation, Filevine's document tools are often rated higher.

Does Clio have any features Filevine lacks?

Clio's main advantages over Filevine include: (1) transparent published pricing, (2) broader integration ecosystem (200+), (3) mature trust accounting compliant with all US and Canadian bar requirements, and (4) Clio Grow as a standalone intake CRM. Clio also has a larger user community (150,000+ legal professionals) which means more peer support and third-party resources.

Can I switch from Clio to Filevine?

Yes. Filevine offers onboarding and implementation services, including data migration from Clio. Filevine has a network of Certified Implementation Partners who specialize in firm migrations. Given Filevine's customization depth, plan 4-8 weeks for a full implementation including workflow configuration, not just data import.

The Verdict

Clio wins for general practice, transactional, and mixed-practice firms that want transparent pricing, extensive integrations, and quick setup. Filevine wins for personal injury, mass tort, and plaintiff-focused firms that need customizable case pipelines, settlement tracking, and AI-assisted document workflows. The right choice depends heavily on your practice area mix.

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