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Clio, MyCase, and Filevine are three of the most popular legal practice management platforms - and they're not really competing for the same firm. Picking between them isn't about which is "best" in the abstract; it's about which is built for how your firm works. Choose wrong and you'll either pay for power you never use or hit a ceiling as you grow.
This comparison breaks down what each platform is for, how they price, their strengths and weaknesses, and a clear decision guide - plus the one capability all three leave out.
The rest of this guide explains how to choose between them.
Clio is the most widely used legal practice management platform, with 150,000+ users, 250+ integrations, and well over a decade of refinement. It does a little of everything well - matter management, billing, IOLTA-compliant trust accounting on every plan, document management, and a clean, easy-to-learn interface.
Pricing: Four tiers from roughly $49/user/month (EasyStart) to $149/user/month (Complete), billed annually. Add-ons like Clio Grow and document automation can push the real cost higher.
Best for: Firms that value the deepest integration ecosystem, advanced reporting, and a platform they won't outgrow. Our full Clio review goes deeper.
Watch out for: Add-on costs compound, and the most powerful reporting is gated to higher tiers.
MyCase is an all-in-one platform that bundles most features into a single subscription instead of selling them as modules. Case management, built-in intake, document automation, passive time tracking, billing with built-in LawPay payments, a client portal, and AI writing tools all come standard.
Pricing: All-inclusive, per-user, starting around $39/user/month. Because features are included rather than added on, the all-in cost is often lower than equivalent Clio functionality.
Best for: Solo and mid-market firms (roughly 5-25 attorneys) that want simplicity, fast onboarding, and predictable pricing. Independent surveys consistently rate MyCase highly on value at the mid-market. Our full MyCase review has the detail.
Watch out for: Fewer integrations than Clio, and it lacks some of Clio's advanced analytics and trust-accounting depth.
Filevine is built for firms that run high volumes of process-heavy cases. Its defining strength is deep customization: configurable phased workflows, deadline chains, custom fields, document automation, 2-way client texting, and reporting tailored to a firm's exact processes. It's a living case-management system rather than a static repository.
Pricing: Not published - Filevine is quote-based, and typically lands higher than Clio or MyCase once implementation is counted.
Best for: Personal injury, mass tort, workers' comp, and litigation firms with strong internal processes and enough volume to justify the customization and cost. It's powerful for growing, process-oriented teams - and usually overkill for a solo.
Watch out for: The customization has a setup cost and learning curve, and some users cite billing limitations and integration gaps (e.g., no native QuickBooks). Confirm your must-have integrations before committing.
Match the platform to your firm's reality:
Choose Clio if you want the safest, most flexible all-rounder, depend on a wide stack of integrations, or want advanced reporting and room to scale to a larger firm.
Choose MyCase if you're a solo or mid-market firm that wants low all-in cost, fast setup, and most features included out of the box - without managing add-ons.
Choose Filevine if you run a high-volume, process-driven practice (especially personal injury or litigation) and will actually use the deep customization to standardize your workflows.
Still torn between the two generalists? Our head-to-head MyCase review and Clio review dig into the specifics. And if your practice area is narrow enough, a purpose-built platform may beat all three generalists. For claims-driven work, see our detailed comparison of the best workers' compensation law software before you decide. For workplace disputes, related reading: best employment law case management software.
Here's the capability none of them include - and it's the one that actually grows your firm. Clio, MyCase, and Filevine all manage the work after a client hires you. Not one of them helps the next client decide to hire you. That decision is made on Google, on the strength of your reviews.
Reviews are among the strongest signals deciding which firms appear in Google's local 3-pack, and they're the first thing prospects read before calling. (See our guides to getting more Google reviews and SEO for lawyers.) Yet all three platforms know the exact moment a matter closes - the single best moment to ask for a review - and do nothing with it.
The fix works the same regardless of which platform you choose. Connect Clio, MyCase, or Filevine to a review tool through Zapier, and have the matter-closed event trigger an automated, bar-compliant SMS or email review request to the former client. The ask goes out at peak satisfaction, every time, on autopilot - building the review base that wins your next case.
A compliance note specific to law firms: attorney review requests are governed by your state bar and ABA Model Rule 7.1. Ask former clients only, never offer anything of value in exchange (Rule 7.2(b)), and never script the review. A review tool built for law firms keeps the timing and templates inside these lines automatically.
