AI for Law Firms

Clio vs Smokeball (2026): Plans, Pricing, and Which Fits Your Firm

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure. Plans and pricing checked against the official Clio pricing page and Smokeball pricing page on October 13, 2026.

Clio and Smokeball are two of the most common choices for small and mid-sized law firms that want to move off spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Both handle matters, calendars, documents, time, billing, and trust accounting. They take very different approaches, though. Clio is a cloud-first platform with a huge integration marketplace. Smokeball leans heavily on deep Microsoft Word and Outlook integration, practice-area templates, and automatic time capture. This comparison covers plans, pricing transparency, features, AI, and which firms each one suits best.

Quick verdict

  • Choose Clio if you want published starting pricing, a browser-based system, built-in accounting on every plan, and access to a large app ecosystem.
  • Choose Smokeball if your firm lives in Word and Outlook, does high volumes of form-driven work (such as family, estate, or real estate), and wants automatic time tracking (AutoTime).

See Clio pricing and free trial | Request a Smokeball demo

Pricing: Clio vs Smokeball

Clio pricing

Clio’s pricing page states that plans start at $49 USD per user per month. There are four plans: Starter, Core, Signature, and Elite. Clio did not publish the price of each higher tier on the page when we checked. It directs firms to “Get pricing” or “Book a demo.” The comparison table marks Elite with “Save over 17%,” and Clio says Elite bundles Signature’s practice management with Clio Grow. For the full breakdown, see our Clio pricing guide.

Payment processing rates Clio lists on all plans: 2.95% for credit/debit cards (3.75% Amex), 1% for eCheck and ACH, and 4.95% for Pay Later with Affirm.

Smokeball pricing

Smokeball does not publish dollar prices. Its pricing page lists four plans: Bill, Boost, Grow, and Prosper+. It says pricing “depends on the number of users at your firm, your selected plan, your contract term, and any optional products or services,” and invites firms to request a personalized quote. Migration services and costs are confirmed in that quote.

Clio Smokeball
Published price From $49/user/month Not published (quote only)
Plans Starter, Core, Signature, Elite Bill, Boost, Grow, Prosper+
Accounting Included on every plan Billing, trust accounting, and accounting integrations from the Bill plan
Intake/CRM Clio Grow: add-on for Core/Signature, included in Elite Intake add-on for Boost/Grow, included in Prosper+
Automatic time tracking Manual time tracking on all plans AutoTime included in Prosper+, add-on for Grow
User limit Per-user pricing No limit on users accessing (pricing still depends on user count)

Plan-by-plan features

Clio plans

  • Starter: Clio Manage core: contacts, matters, calendaring, tasks, unlimited document storage, time and expense tracking, invoicing, trust accounting, built-in accounting, 3 e-signatures, self-serve migration.
  • Core: Adds AI-drafted bills, AI-generated client updates, document-to-calendar extraction, the Clio for Clients portal, custom fields, conflict checks, document and matter templates, text-to-pay, QuickBooks/Xero integrations, 15 e-signatures, 3 court calendaring rules, and guided migration.
  • Signature: Adds unlimited custom roles and permissions, matter stages (kanban), automated workflows, custom and scheduled reporting, multi-currency and split billing, unlimited e-signatures, SAML SSO, live onboarding, and priority support.
  • Elite: Signature plus Clio Grow (AI intake agents, intake forms, booking, review requests, referral tracking, email marketing) and a website builder.

If 15 e-signatures is tight on Core, a standalone tool like Signaturely (unlimited signature requests on its Business plan, $40/user/month billed yearly) can cover engagement letters without moving every seat up to Signature.

Learn more in our Clio Manage review and Clio Grow review.

Smokeball plans

  • Bill: Invoicing, time and expense tracking, online payments, trust accounting and reporting, accounting integrations.
  • Boost: Everything in Bill plus fully browser-based client and matter management, tasks and calendar, Microsoft 365 Outlook and Word integration, client portal, automated letterhead, eSignature, eFiling, and “Communicate powered by Smokeball AI.” Add-ons: Intake, Archie AI assistant.
  • Grow (labeled “Best Value”): Everything in Boost plus practice area templates and calculators, advanced document automation, automated forms, email management, and the native desktop app. Smokeball says Grow is designed for firms with three or more staff. Add-ons: Archie AI, AutoTime, FamilyPro, Intake, Workflows.
  • Prosper+: Everything in Grow plus firm insights, lead management, inquiry and advanced matter intake, custom workflows and templates, staff activity and profitability reporting, with AutoTime, Intake, and Workflows included. Add-ons: Archie AI, FamilyPro.

Our full Smokeball review goes deeper.

Head-to-head comparison

Ease of use and platform

Clio is browser-based with iOS and Android apps on every plan. Smokeball offers a browser-based experience from Boost and adds a native desktop application on Grow and above. Firms that prefer working inside desktop Word and Outlook often like Smokeball’s model. Firms that want everything in the browser, on any device, tend to prefer Clio.

Document automation and templates

This is Smokeball’s core strength. Practice-area templates, calculators, and automated forms are central to its Grow plan. Clio includes document and matter templates from Core. Advanced document automation and court forms are an add-on that Clio says requires contacting sales for pricing.

Time tracking

Smokeball’s AutoTime records activity automatically and is included in Prosper+ (add-on in Grow). Clio’s comparison table lists time and expense tracking on all plans but does not advertise automatic passive capture. Firms that leak billable time may find AutoTime the deciding factor.

Intake and CRM

Clio Grow is a mature, dedicated intake/CRM product, included in Elite and available as an add-on for Core and Signature. Smokeball offers Intake as an add-on on Boost and Grow and includes lead management and intake in Prosper+. If client acquisition is your priority, also compare dedicated tools: see Clio Grow vs Lawmatics and Best AI CRM for Law Firms.

AI features

Clio says AI is included on Core and above, with features like automated billing, AI client updates, scheduling automation, smart task prioritization, and AI-built reports on Signature. Clio also states that firm data is never used for AI training. Smokeball lists “Communicate powered by Smokeball AI” on Boost and above, “Intake powered by Smokeball AI” on Prosper+, and the Archie AI assistant as an add-on. See also Clio Work explained.

Integrations

Clio advertises apps and integrations from Core and maintains an App Directory. Smokeball emphasizes Microsoft 365 and InfoTrack (eSignature with InfoTrack is listed on its plans), plus accounting integrations. Firms using niche tools should check each vendor’s integration list before buying.

Payments

Clio publishes its processing rates (above). Smokeball lists online payments on every plan with “Fees apply” but no rates on the pricing page.

Support and onboarding

Clio lists 24/5 live chat, phone, and email support on every plan, with live onboarding and priority support on Signature and Elite. Smokeball says every plan includes “award-winning onboarding” and a local team, with training through live sessions and Smokeball Academy.

Which firms should pick which?

  • Solo attorney, budget-sensitive: Clio Starter is a known starting cost ($49/user/month). Get a Smokeball Boost quote to compare.
  • Family, estate planning, or real estate firm with heavy forms: Smokeball Grow’s templates, calculators, and FamilyPro add-on are built for this.
  • Firm losing billable time: Smokeball Prosper+ (AutoTime included).
  • Firm focused on marketing and intake: Clio Elite (Grow included) or Clio Core plus a CRM.
  • Firm needing many integrations: Clio.
  • Personal injury firm: Clio offers a Clio for Personal Injury add-on. Also see our CasePeer vs Clio comparison.

Questions to ask both vendors

  1. What is my exact per-user price for my user count and contract term?
  2. Is migration included, and what does it cost?
  3. What are payment processing rates?
  4. What happens to price at renewal?
  5. Which AI features are included vs metered or add-on?
  6. How do I export all my data if I leave?

Bottom line

Clio wins on pricing transparency, browser-first flexibility, built-in accounting, and integrations. Smokeball wins on Word/Outlook-centric document automation and automatic time capture. Because Smokeball doesn’t publish prices, get a written quote for the same user count and contract term from both before deciding.

Clio pricing | Smokeball pricing

FAQ

Is Smokeball cheaper than Clio?

We can’t say. Smokeball doesn’t publish prices, and Clio publishes only its starting price ($49/user/month). Request quotes from both.

Does Smokeball work on Mac?

Smokeball’s Boost plan is described as fully browser-based. Confirm desktop app compatibility for Grow and Prosper+ with Smokeball.

Does Clio have automatic time tracking like Smokeball AutoTime?

Clio’s pricing page lists time and expense tracking on all plans but does not list an automatic passive time-capture feature equivalent to AutoTime.

Sources: https://www.clio.com/pricing/ and https://www.smokeball.com/pricing (both checked October 13, 2026). Related: Clio review, Clio vs MyCase.