Clio Review Australia 2026

Legal Practice Management
4.0 / 5SoftwareHQ editorial score

Editorial score, not a user-review average. How we score · How we test

Editorial verdict

Only $39 printed floor — most of the stack is now quote

Clio still offers the cheapest printed AU floor here ($39 EasyStart) and NSW-listed trust on every plan, with AU AWS as the default region. The useful stack — Xero, apps, portal, AI — starts on Core, which is Get pricing. Stored Essentials/Advanced dollars are stale. Vincent AI may process outside Australia. Best for firms that will live on EasyStart or will take a Core quote.

Best for
Small AU firms that want a $39 published floor, NSW-listed trust and browser/Mac access, or will quote Core for Xero.
Not ideal for
Firms that need Xero on the cheap plan, a named AU-only AI pin, or LEAP-scale AU precedents.
Visit Clio →

SoftwareHQ does not currently have an affiliate arrangement with Clio. Scores are independent of commercial relationships. Affiliate disclosure

Pricing verified 8 Sep 2026 · Hosting verified 8 Sep 2026

By SoftwareHQ Editorial Team — Updated

Overview

Clio is au easystart from $39/user/mo — core+ quote, aws au default, nsw trust #21. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia; AU contact lists Sydney NSW, it serves Australian businesses.

Feature highlights

These highlights come from vendor documentation and editorial analysis of public sources. They are not firsthand test results or a claim that every listed capability was exercised in a trial.

  • EasyStart from $39 — Core+ quote

    Only printed AU floor (8 Sep 2026). Stored Essentials $219 / Advanced $249 dropped. Cards 1.75% + $0.30 ex GST.

  • NSW-listed trust (#21) on every plan

    Law Society of NSW list Clio #21. Compare table: trust account management including EasyStart.

  • Xero and apps from Core

    EasyStart has no Xero and no app directory. Portal, custom fields and AI also start on Core.

  • AU AWS default — AI may leave

    AU accounts created on the Australia server. Vincent AI may process outside the region transiently.

  • Month-to-month or annual; cancel at term end

    Pricing FAQ: cancel at the end of the current term. No multi-year lock-in printed on that page.

  • AU desk Mon 9–3, Tue–Fri 24hrs

    1800 122 546. 99.9% uptime on the pricing FAQ. SOC 2 Type II + SOC 1 Type II.

AU Compliance Scores

These scores apply to Australian tax, payroll and banking capabilities where they are relevant to Clio. They are SoftwareHQ editorial judgements from public documentation, not firsthand product tests.

Not applicable means this product type is not scored on that dimension (for example BAS lodgement on a CRM). Not supported means the vendor does not offer it. Unknown means we could not verify it from public sources — that is not the same as unsupported.

BAS LodgementNot applicable

Not a BAS lodge product. Practice GST/BAS stays in Xero, MYOB or another accounting file.

STP Phase 2Not applicable

Not a payroll product.

Payday SuperNot applicable

Not a payroll product.

Modern AwardsNot applicable

Not a payroll or HR product.

GST Handling
3/5Verified

Invoicing and trust on every plan. Xero from Core. Payment fees labelled ex GST. No BAS lodge.

Bank FeedsNot applicable

Not an accounting platform. Bank feeds sit in Xero, MYOB or similar.

When this was checked

Status as of (page snapshot) against a 90-day review target. Checked dates are not updated when the site is rebuilt.

Editorial article date: . That is not proof that pricing, hosting, or compliance was re-checked.

  • PricingVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    clio.com/pricing

    EasyStart starting at $39/user/month. Core/Signature/Elite Get pricing. Stored Essentials/Advanced dollars dropped. Cards 1.75% + $0.30 ex GST.

  • HostingVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    help.clio.com/hc/articles

    AU accounts created on the Australia server by default. AWS Australia on subprocessors. Vincent AI may process outside the region. SOC 1/2 Type II. Not AU-only.

  • BillingVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    clio.com/pricing

    Hourly/fixed/contingency, 1.75% + $0.30 ex GST cards, free EFT. Automated billing from Core.

  • Document ManagementVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    clio.com/pricing

    Unlimited storage every plan. Templates/search/drive from Core. Draft is Get pricing.

  • GST handlingVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    clio.com/pricing

    Invoicing/trust on every plan. Xero from Core. Fees labelled ex GST. No BAS lodge.

  • Matter ManagementVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    clio.com/pricing

    Matters/tasks/calendars on EasyStart. Custom fields/stages/workflows from Core/Signature.

  • Trust AccountingVerified

    Verified — checked 8 September 2026.

    lawsociety.com.au/practising-law-nsw/trust-money-and-fidelity-fund

    Law Society NSW list Clio #21. Trust on every compare-table plan.

Pricing (AUD)

All prices below are in Australian dollars and exclude GST. Verified — checked 8 September 2026. Source: clio.com/pricing.

EasyStart
$39/mo
AUD ex GST
Starting at $39/user/month on AU /pricing (8 Sep 2026). Time, matters, documents, calendars, online payments, e-sign, Outlook/Gmail. No Xero, no app directory, no client portal. GST not labelled on the plan card; payment fees are ex GST.
  • Users: per_user
  • Matters: unlimited
Most Popular
Core and above
Quote
AUD ex GST
Core, Signature and Elite are Get pricing. Xero, apps, portal and AI start on Core. Signature adds unlimited roles, matter stages, multi-currency. Elite includes Clio Grow. Stored Essentials $219 / Advanced $249 dropped. One quote row so JSON-LD is not three empty offers.
  • Users: per_user
  • Matters: unlimited

Estimate first-year cost for Clio

Observed price changes

Recorded when a listed price changed. This is not a complete vendor timeline.

  1. EasyStart starting at $39/user/month. Core/Signature/Elite Get pricing. Stored Essentials/Advanced dollars dropped.
  2. Advanced · $249 · Advanced $249 dropped — Signature/Elite are Get pricing.
  3. Essentials · $219 · Essentials $219 dropped — Core/Signature/Elite are Get pricing.
  4. EasyStart · $49 → $39 · EasyStart starting at $39/user/month (stored $49 monthly / $39 annual collapsed to the printed floor).

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Published EasyStart floor $39/user/month on AU /pricing
  • Law Society of NSW list #21; trust on every plan
  • AU accounts default to the Australia AWS environment
  • Cancel at the end of the current term
  • Browser plus iOS/Android — unlike Smokeball’s no-Mac FAQ
  • SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II; 99.9% uptime on the pricing FAQ
  • AU phone 1800 122 546; Tue–Fri 24-hour care on the homepage
  • Xero, InfoTrack and Microsoft named on AU pages (Xero from Core)

Cons

  • Core/Signature/Elite are Get pricing — stored Essentials/Advanced dollars dropped
  • EasyStart has no Xero, no app directory and no client portal
  • GST not labelled on the $39 card (payment fees are ex GST)
  • Vincent AI may process outside Australia transiently
  • Trial length not printed on the pricing FAQ
  • Grow and Draft add-on dollars not reprinted
  • Monday support 9am–3pm only on the AU homepage
  • Canadian-headquartered; smaller AU precedent library than LEAP

How this review was made

Reviews separate vendor documentation, editorial analysis and firsthand records. They are not interchangeable.

  • Vendor documentation — Public pages from Clio and other sites. Recorded HTTP(S) URLs are listed under Sources. A source URL is a document we recorded, not a claim that every sentence on this page was checked against that URL.
  • Editorial analysis — SoftwareHQ's written verdict and scores for Australian buyers. The header score is an editorial assessment, not a user-review average, not a lab result, and not a number derived from how many evidence records exist.
  • Firsthand records — This review has no firsthand observation records, trial walkthroughs, or screenshots from a logged-in SoftwareHQ account. Missing tests stay not tested.

This page does not rank products by speed or security from documentation or from evidence count.

Checked by SoftwareHQ Editorial Team. There is no named author profile for this page; attribution stays with the SoftwareHQ editorial team. How we test and the editorial policy for scoring, independence and affiliate rules.

Sources

Public pages recorded when this review was compiled. They are not a checklist that every claim was verified, and they are not evidence of hands-on product testing.

Clio Alternatives

If Clio doesn’t quite fit your needs, consider these alternatives for Australian businesses:

  • LEAP Legal — AU/NZ AWS Sydney PMS — quote only, Law Society trust #8, SOC 2 Type II.
  • Smokeball — AU floors $59/$129/$249 ex GST — Prosper+ quote, ISO 27001, AWS multi-region. From $59/mo ex GST.
  • Actionstep — Midsize cloud PMS — AU AWS option, SOC 2 Type 2, request pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Clio cost in Australia?
AU /pricing (8 Sep 2026): EasyStart starting at $39 per user per month. Core, Signature and Elite are Get pricing. Stored Essentials $219 / Advanced $249 dropped. Cards 1.75% + $0.30 ex GST; EFT free. Try-for-free CTAs; trial length not on the pricing FAQ.
Is Clio's trust accounting approved for Australian law firms?
Yes. The Law Society of NSW list (checked 8 Sep 2026) includes Clio as certificate #21. The compare table lists trust account management on every plan including EasyStart.
Where does Clio store Australian client data?
Help: AU accounts are created on Clio’s Australia server by default (AWS Australia on the subprocessor list). Vincent AI may use transient processing outside that region. SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II. Not AU-only.
Does Clio integrate with Xero and MYOB?
The AU compare table lists accounting integrations (Xero) from Core — not EasyStart. MYOB is not on that compare table (8 Sep 2026). InfoTrack is named on the AU homepage.
Is Clio Australian-made?
No. Founded in Burnaby, Canada in 2008. Themis Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd; contact lists Sydney NSW and 1800 122 546. AU homepage says customer care based in Australia.
How does Clio compare to LEAP for Australian law firms?
Clio prints EasyStart from $39; LEAP is quote-only. LEAP has the larger AU precedent library and named AWS Sydney. Clio’s Xero/apps start on Core (quote). Smokeball sits between them on published Grow $249.

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