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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

    SmartVault

    Score7.1 out of 10
    N/ASmartVault is a file syncing and sharing option from the Houston based company of the same name.

    $16

    per user/per month

    Pricing
    ClioSmartVault
    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
    Starter
    $16
    per user/per month
    Professional
    $20
    per user/per month
    Accounting Pro
    $40
    per user/per month
    Enterprise
    Contact sales team
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    ClioSmartVault
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    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.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    ClioSmartVault
    Considered Both Products
    Clio
    No answer on this topic
    SmartVault Corporation
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    59%
    Would buy again
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    59%
    Delivers good value for the price
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    53%
    Happy with the feature set
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    56%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    53%
    Implementation went as expected
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    ClioSmartVault
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Clio and SmartVault
    Feature
    Clio
    -
    Ratings
    SmartVault
    8.3
    2 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Document collaboration00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    File search00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Security & Administration
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Clio and SmartVault
    Feature
    Clio
    -
    Ratings
    SmartVault
    7.0
    2 Ratings
    21% below category average
    User and role management00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    File organization00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Platform
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Clio and SmartVault
    Feature
    Clio
    -
    Ratings
    SmartVault
    5.0
    2 Ratings
    54% below category average
    Performance00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Reliability00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    ClioSmartVault
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Apple iCloud
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    ownCloud
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    ClioSmartVault
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (27 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    9.2
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.4
    (4 ratings)
    2.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    ClioSmartVault
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    SmartVault sends out a cover letter with the tax returns that includes a link for them to download their tax returns, avoiding the insecurity of an email attachment. It does not include a statement retrieval feature but does work very nicely with a third-party app called FileThis. The majority of the users in the office have not been able to install the Outlook plug-in due to "a certificate error." In five years, SmartVault has not addressed this issue.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    • Easy navigation
    • Email notifications
    • Document previews
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    • They have cut back on support as have many SaaS companies recently.
    • The documentation can sometimes be a little difficult to follow.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    No answers on this topic
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    Reaching someone is more difficult than it should be. Also, they don't take possession of known issues always suggesting it is a local PC issue in initial conversations. That, of course, can be frustrating for the end-user.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    Sales team was responsive, price was good, functionality was acceptable
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    SmartVault Corporation
    • has made sharing documents with large numbers of clients easier
    • has forced us into using their service, or spending time to find a better alternative, in my experience.
    • Speaking personally the product has cost us several thousand dollars over predicted budget costs for a 3-year projection
    Read full review
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