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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Clio

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AClio is web-based legal practice management software for solo practitioners and small firms. It is designed to replace multiple different systems (like document management, case management, and accounting software) to streamline the amount of technology that small firms need to manage.

    $49

    per month

    Smartsheet

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/ASmartsheet is an online project management and collaboration tool. It includes automated alerts, instantaneous updating and sharing across team members, resource management, nested tasks organized in a hierarchy, a Gantt chart view, exportable and automated reports, and integration with email.

    $12

    per month per user (up to 10 users)

    Pricing
    ClioSmartsheet
    Editions & Modules
    EasyStart
    $49
    per user/per month
    Clio Grow
    $59
    per user/per month
    Essentials
    $89
    per month per user
    Advanced
    $129
    per month per user
    Complete
    $159
    per month per user
    Pro
    $12
    per month per user (up to 10 users)
    Business
    $24
    per month per user (3 user minimum)
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Advanced Work Management
    Contact Sales
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    ClioSmartsheet
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsAll pricing tiers have a 7-day free trial. Discount available for annual pricing.A discount is offered for annual billing.
    More Pricing Information
    Features
    ClioSmartsheet
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Clio and Smartsheet
    Feature
    Clio
    -
    Ratings
    Smartsheet
    9.1
    129 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Task Management00 Ratings9.8126 Ratings
    Resource Management00 Ratings10.0108 Ratings
    Gantt Charts00 Ratings9.0109 Ratings
    Scheduling00 Ratings9.8111 Ratings
    Workflow Automation00 Ratings9.2100 Ratings
    Team Collaboration00 Ratings10.0122 Ratings
    Support for Agile Methodology00 Ratings8.981 Ratings
    Support for Waterfall Methodology00 Ratings9.079 Ratings
    Document Management00 Ratings9.2101 Ratings
    Email integration00 Ratings9.0100 Ratings
    Mobile Access00 Ratings8.096 Ratings
    Timesheet Tracking00 Ratings9.762 Ratings
    Change request and Case Management00 Ratings8.169 Ratings
    Budget and Expense Management00 Ratings8.075 Ratings
    Professional Services Automation
    Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Clio and Smartsheet
    Feature
    Clio
    -
    Ratings
    Smartsheet
    7.9
    66 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Quotes/estimates00 Ratings8.144 Ratings
    Invoicing00 Ratings7.537 Ratings
    Project & financial reporting00 Ratings8.760 Ratings
    Integration with accounting software00 Ratings7.332 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    ClioSmartsheet
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    Any.do
    Score8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    KanbanFlow
    Score7.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft To Do
    Score7.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    ClioSmartsheet
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (27 ratings)
    9.3
    (146 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    9.2
    (5 ratings)
    9.2
    (17 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.4
    (4 ratings)
    8.1
    (45 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    ClioSmartsheet
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Clio
    Clio allows our law firm to track all aspects of a matter, such as documents, emails, time entries, tasks, and notes, in one place. This is ideal for our mid-sized law firm, which handles general litigation, personal injury, and family law. A feature we appreciate is the client portal's secure way to share updates, documents, and invoices.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    Smartsheet shines for collaboration. When you have multiple people involved with planning events Smartsheet makes it easy to share and collaborate. For instance, multiple people can be in Smartsheet working at the same time. Also setting permissions for exactly those who need to know is quite easy with Smartsheet. For data analytics and general spreadsheet purposes Excel is better but for project management and event planning Smartsheet is superior
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Clio
    • Provides an interface with NextChapter Bankruptcy.
    • Provides an interface with the forms on our website and landing pages to allow for easy transmission of potential clients into our Clio system from these sources with little human intervention.
    • Its billing, invoicing and payment integration makes the billing cycle for clients easier.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    • Its hard to overstate the value of familiarity. Being able to use a tool that has some familiarity takes away the time needed to train and orient employees on a new tool and allows an organization to hit the ground running.
    • Smartsheet covers most of the basics of a project management tool, the usual tasks, milestones and project viewing options.
    • For data viewing, you get multiple data viewing options including a calendar view (good for marketing teams and those who work around scheduling), Kanban, Gaant etc
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Clio
    • Document management. It's still far easier for me to create Word templates and just use Word.
    • Centralized filing of client files. Like I said, I use Word. I work on a Mac and use Mac's tag structure. Clio should find a way to gather all files that have a certain tag and allow me to access them through Clio. Instead, I use Hazel and DropBox.
    • Case planning and budgeting. I use OmniFocus for project management, a self-created Excel spreadsheet for project budgeting and a cloud-based service for Gantt charts. How hard would it be to add robust project management tools to Clio?
    • Search feature for stored documents and information. Evernote has Clio beat hands-down, but I don't put client-sensitive information (only caselaw) on Evernote.
    • Case notes. This feature may be useful for high-volume practices, but I never use it.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    • Smartsheet set up is similar to Excel, yet when you upload an Excel file, things like conditional formatting are lost. Smartsheet has its own conditional formatting, and you have to reinstate the rules. It would be great if those would apply automatically once a file is uploaded
    • Some Smartsheet management and access rules can take some tweaking to work properly. This may be a case of offering more info to admins so they can apply these better and with more efficiency
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Clio
    We have been able to streamline our task management and everyday office procedures by using Clio to its fullest potential. We have a hire client retention rate because we can easily keep track of leads and follow ups. Clio Draft is saving us time on drafting legal documents and correspondence espondence. Overall, we are able to save time and money on everything tasks
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    It definitely meets our needs as far as organizing and archiving our tasks and files. As we train more staff to view it, I see opportunities for more improvement, which I am sure this program can handle. I look forward to seeing continued improvement from Smartsheet on their capabilities and functionality.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Clio
    Clio is intuitive and easy to learn. Even new staff or attorneys with limited tech experience can quickly navigate through tasks, matters, billing, and calendars. This reduces training time and increases productivity, especially in a busy mid-sized law firm. Because it’s cloud-based, Clio can be accessed from any device, anywhere. Whether I am working in the office, at home, or in court, I have full access to my cases, documents, and time entries.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    Smartsheet is very easy to learn. However, while I have been able to pick it easily, Microsoft Excel and Project super users that I have trained on Smartsheet get bogged down in the differences and can find it frustrating. Explaining the differences ahead of time and why Smartsheet is being chosen instead of a different software seems to counteract those reactions
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Clio
    When I contact them, I am told that the person who can help me cannot be reached but that I should call back. When I call, I cannot get ahold of anyone who can help. Sales/support does not respond to my emails. Maybe if you are part of a large firm they treat you differently.
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    Smartsheet
    I give this rating because it fills a niche in the market. MS Project scares many away from proper task management but there are limited tools our there, especially cloud-based that are mobile-friendly. Smartsheet fills this market gap, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. IT is not fair to compare it to MS Project, but fairer to see what gaps it fills.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Clio
    No answers on this topic
    Smartsheet
    It's absolutely paramount to take a few minutes to actually play with the software. It's nearly impossible to do anything wrong or make a mistake which cannot be fixed easily. Under the help menu is Live Training option. After you familiarize yourself with the commands, watch the live training for some in depth understanding of how to make the software fit your needs perfectly.
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    Alternatives Considered
    Clio
    We did not use any other practice management software, but I did evaluate Rocket Matter as a potential alternative. Rocket Matter does not have the same robust intake software that Clio Grow does and therefore it was not even a plausible alternative for us to implement. Clio is constantly updating and evolving based on feedback from users and that makes it the kind of program that can grow with your business needs.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    Jira and Redmine are much more robust and technologically advanced project management solutions. I enjoy using either when managing a very large project. However, I prefer to use Smartsheet for my smaller to medium sized projects. As for Google Drive - I would say that Google sheets and Smartsheet are almost identical in my opinion when it comes to functionality. Personally I prefer to manage smaller projects via Google Drive, but it is a personal preference!
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Clio
    • Hard to judge ROI, but it saves us money compared to our old server based system (ProLaw)
    • More accessible from more places. I was able to continue working during a two week trip to the beach.
    • The Client Portal (Clio Connect) is a positive way to send clients document securely, avoids the forwarded email / forwarded attachment problem.
    Incentivized
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    Smartsheet
    • This has really opened up collaboration across teams. A lot less working in silos.
    • It hasn't fully replaced any one tool so it means having to go to another place. Hopefully, we can eliminate a tool or two in the next six months.
    Incentivized
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