Clio vs MyCase
Clio starts at $49 per user per month and runs across four tiers, Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, with each step adding automation. MyCase starts at $50 per user per month billed annually, or $60 monthly, with Pro at $100 annually and $120 monthly. At the entry level they are effectively the same price. The difference shows up in what each tier includes and how quickly you are pushed off the bottom one.
Prices were checked on 20 August 2026 at clio.com/pricing and mycase.com/pricing.
Head to head
| Clio | MyCase | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $49/mo | From $50/mo |
| Entry price | From $49 per user/month | Basic $50 per user/month billed annually ($60 monthly) |
| Second tier | Core | Pro $100 per user/month billed annually ($120 monthly) |
| Number of tiers | Four: Starter, Core, Signature, Elite | Basic, Pro and above |
| Annual saving | Available on annual billing | Up to 16%, shown as $120 to $240 a year per user |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes, no credit card required |
| Trust accounting | Legal accounting built in from Starter | Time entry, invoicing and trust accounting on Basic |
| Client portal | Included | Limited on Basic, fuller on Pro |
The entry prices are a tie, so ignore them
Clio's plans start at $49 per user per month. MyCase Basic is $50 per user per month billed annually, or $60 if you pay monthly. For a two-person firm that is a difference of a few dollars, which is not a reason to choose anything.
What matters is what the entry tier actually does. MyCase Basic covers case and contact management, time entry, invoicing and trust accounting, unlimited document storage, and a client portal it describes as limited. Clio Starter is described as the foundation for running a practice with legal accounting built in.
Both, in other words, will run a small firm. The question is which one makes you upgrade first, and that is where a per-user product gets expensive quietly.
What the second tier costs, multiplied by your firm
MyCase Pro is $100 per user per month billed annually, or $120 monthly, and adds unlimited eSignature and document automation. That is double Basic.
Put a real firm on it. Six users on MyCase Basic annually is $600 a month. The same six on Pro is $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year. The upgrade is not a $50 decision, it is a $7,200 decision.
Clio spreads the same journey over four tiers, Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, with higher tiers adding more automation. More steps means smaller jumps, which is genuinely easier to swallow, but it also means more opportunities to be nudged upward. Ask the sales conversation which tier your specific workflow needs, then price that tier by your headcount, not the entry one.
Annual billing is worth more than it looks
MyCase publishes its annual saving clearly: up to 16%, which it shows as $120 a year per user on Basic and $240 a year per user on Pro. On a six-person firm on Pro, that is $1,440 a year for choosing one billing button over another.
Clio also discounts annual billing. Whichever you choose, price the annual figure, because per-user software is where monthly convenience gets expensive fastest.
The trade is commitment. Annual billing on practice management means a year of paying for a system you may want to leave in month four, and legal software is not something anyone migrates casually. Take the free trial seriously before you take the discount.
What neither price tells you
Practice management software is chosen once and lived with for years, because the migration carries matters, documents, time records and trust ledgers. That makes the subscription the smaller half of the decision.
The larger half is fit: whether your jurisdiction's trust accounting rules are handled cleanly, whether the integrations you already depend on exist, and whether your staff will actually enter their time in it. A system nobody uses properly costs more than either subscription.
Both companies offer free trials without a credit card. Run the same real matter through both, start to finish, including an invoice and a trust transaction. Two afternoons will tell you more than any comparison page, this one included.
Which should you choose?
Choose Clio if…
- You want the larger ecosystem and the wider integration list
- You expect the firm to grow into higher tiers and want room above you
- You want the name most legal consultants already know
- Legal accounting built into the foundation matters to you
Choose MyCase if…
- You want unlimited eSignature and document automation without the top tier
- You prefer a simpler ladder with fewer decisions
- Annual billing suits you and you want the 16% saving
- Your firm is small and likely to stay that way
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At the entry level there is no meaningful price difference: Clio from $49 per user per month against MyCase Basic at $50 billed annually. Choose on fit rather than cost.
Where cost does decide, it is at the second tier. MyCase Pro doubles to $100 per user per month, so a six-person firm pays $7,200 more a year for it. If document automation and unlimited eSignature are what you need, price Clio's middle tiers against that number specifically. And whichever you pick, pay annually once you are sure: MyCase alone puts the saving at $120 to $240 per user per year.
Frequently asked
Is Clio or MyCase cheaper?
At the entry level they are almost identical: Clio starts at $49 per user per month and MyCase Basic is $50 per user per month billed annually, or $60 monthly. The difference appears higher up, where MyCase Pro is $100 per user per month billed annually.
How much does MyCase cost for a small firm?
MyCase Basic is $50 per user per month billed annually, so a six-person firm is $600 a month. MyCase Pro is $100 per user per month billed annually, which puts the same firm at $1,200 a month.
How many plans does Clio have?
Four: Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, with each higher tier adding more automation. Pricing starts at $49 per user per month.
Is there a discount for annual billing?
Yes on both. MyCase publishes up to 16%, shown as $120 a year per user on Basic and $240 a year per user on Pro. Clio also discounts annual billing.
Do both include trust accounting?
Yes. MyCase includes time entry, invoicing and trust accounting on the Basic plan, and Clio describes legal accounting as built into its foundation plan.
Can I try them before committing?
Both offer free trials, and MyCase states no credit card is required. Given that migrating practice management software means moving matters, documents and trust ledgers, running a real matter through both trials is time well spent.