A Comprehensive Dive into Measuring Customer Satisfaction
- 13 Min read
We are living in times when technology is reinventing professions, and the legal one is no exception.
A law firm has always been associated with a huge amount of paperwork and lots of hard copy documents that are continuously prepared, analyzed, shared and submitted to various state establishments.
Specialized legal practice management software tools have emerged that are designed to meet the specific needs of modern law firms. And the undisputed solution in the field has long been Clio.
Clio is the leading web-based case management software. Originally developed for solo practitioners and small law firms, Clio has now introduced a cloud-based offering, making it suitable for law businesses of all sizes. The main idea behind Clio is to provide a single solution for document management, law practice management, calendar management, legal billing and accounting to cover all the possible needs of a law firm.
Clio has definitely set a high standard in the field and has thousands of happy users. However, some law firms may find its certain features or aspects less suited to their specific needs or practice areas and thus they may need to explore alternatives.
At the heart of a good legal management tool lies the customer portal, essential for facilitating secure, efficient communication and document exchange between lawyers and their clients. In this article, we will explore the best alternatives to Clio currently available in the modern market, with a particular focus on the customer portal feature, which is crucial for this type of software. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started.
Solution | Starting price | Trial | Core features | Best for | |
1 | FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) | Free plan is available. Paid plans start at $9 per month. Contact sales for a customized pricing quote | Free trial is available. | Client portals Document management Knowledge base Collaboration and communication | Client-oriented law firms of all sizes that require an integrated solution |
2 | Smokeball | Smokeball is priced starting at $39.00 per user per month. | Free trial is available. | Legal calendar Accounting functionality Legal billing Client intake and lead management | Small to mid-sized law firms and legal practitioners |
3 | The Tussman Program | One-time fee of $695.00. | Free trial is available. | Legal billing General Ledger Calendar management Document import | Legal professionals and law firms seeking an efficient and comprehensive legal billing software solution |
4 | Actionstep | Pricing is available upon request. | Free trial is unavailable. | Client and matter management Document management Billing and Accounting | Midsize law firms |
5 | SmartAdvocate | Pricing is available upon request. | Free trial is unavailable. | Client portals Document management Automated workflows Custom dashboards and reports | Personal injury law firms and attorneys |
6 | Assembly Trialworks | Free version is available. Pricing is available upon request. | Free trial is unavailable. | Case management Client intake Document management Invoicing and billing | Law firms and legal professionals involved in trial preparation and case management |
7 | CARET Legal | Starts at $79 per user per month when billed annually. | Free trial is available. | Case management Billing and payments Document management Prospect and contact management | Law firms seeking comprehensive document management capabilities. |
8 | TimeNet Law | One-time fee of $299.00. | Free trial is available. | Law firm management Time tracking Invoicing Accounting Reporting | Mac-using attorneys, private investigators, solo practitioners, and small-to-medium law firms. |
9 | Rocket Matter | Starts at $39 per user per month when billed annually. | Free trial is available. | Practice management Billing and payments Legal CRM Calendars and tasks | Solo practitioners and small firms. |
Let’s now look at each solution in more detail.
FuseBase (formerly known as Nimbus) ranks as number one on our list of top alternatives to Clio and here’s why. FuseBase is an AI-powered, universal client collaboration platform designed for client-oriented businesses across various industries. To be frank, it brings to the table much more than just legal practice management features, and this is the primary reason for its high position on our list.
FuseBase boasts a rich set of essential tools for running literally any business: customer portals, knowledge bases, documents creation and sharing, data collection and analytics, project management and communication and, and much, much more.
Key features
Legal practice management companies can greatly benefit from FuseBase’s client portals, which serve as a centralized platform for communication, data sharing and service access. Portals provide a secure and efficient way for a law firm to interact with its clients—just imagine, you can easily create a one-click access branded portal with a custom-made home page.
FuseBase comes with a powerful document management software that allows you to create digital documentation, websites and more, all within a single collaborative workspace. The platform enables the creation of searchable knowledge bases and FAQs that can greatly assist your clients and staff in searching for information.
FuseBase has everything a law company needs to manage tasks, schedules, approvals and workflows efficiently. The platform allows you to consolidate cases within project management dashboards and workflows for better transparency and collaboration.
Capterra rating: 4.6 (163 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.7 (81 reviews).
Next on our list of the top alternatives to Clio is Smokeball, a legal practice management software designed to simplify daily operations of law firms. It comes with comprehensive case management tools that allow lawyers to efficiently organize and track cases, matters and related documents.
Key features
Say goodbye to the stress of missing meetings, arriving late to court hearings or being late for appointments. The legal calendar makes everyone’s life in the firm easier, from secretaries to top executives.
Smokeball comes with fully integrated legal trust accounting tools that allow you to effectively manage invoicing, payments, trust accounts and retainers.
Capterra rating: 4.8 (208 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.8 (251 reviews).
Continuing our exploration of Clio alternatives, we now turn our attention to the Tussman Program which is a legal billing software for attorneys created by attorneys. The software tool aims to simplify legal work and practice by offering tools for case management, client communications, accounting, reports, etc.
Key features
The General Ledger module, which seamlessly integrates with the Tussman program, enables you to print and record checks for client expenses and office overheads, as well as post client expenses to the bookkeeping section of the tool.
A calendar with user-friendly interface allows you to manage all the appointments, meetings and events in a weekly and monthly view. Additionally, you can set event codes and thus schedule an entire series of events that will be triggered by a single master event.
With the Tussman Program law practice management software, you can easily import legal documents and time records into the system.
Capterra rating: 4.8 (33 reviews).
G2 rating: 3.5 (1 review).
Let us move to the next solution on our list of Clio alternatives—Actionstep. It is an adaptable cloud-based legal practice management software for law firms and compliance-focused businesses. Actionstep is a flexible case management platform with easy-to-use interface and world class support. It allows lawyers to create space for delighting clients while streamlining inner processes.
Key features
Actionstep makes law practice management more effective with tasks automation, time management and invoicing. Actionstep will definitely make everyone’s job in the firm easier.
Actionstep’s robust document management system enables you to securely store files of various formats within individual matters. Each matter has its dedicated file system that allows you to create folders, quickly download files and seamlessly upload them using drag-and-drop functionality.
Capterra rating: 4.3 (128 reviews).
G2 rating: 3.8 (13 reviews).
Moving down the list of Clio alternatives, we have SmartAdvocate as the next option. It is an award-winning, fully customizable legal case management software with one of the best client portals specifically designed for law firms. Its main customers are law firms across such practice areas as personal injury, mass torts, workers’ compensation, veteran affairs and social security.
Key features
The software provides a centralized repository for storing and managing documents, making it easy to access, share and collaborate on case-related files.
With the SmartAdvocate law practice management software, you can generate client dashboards with charts and graphs built on case data, including crucial deadlines, medical records, pending tasks and even team activity.
SmartAdvocate allows you to directly send text messages, which appear from a unique phone number. The tool saves all sent and received messages within the associated case.
Capterra rating: 4.8 (97 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.7 (80 reviews).
Progressing through our list of Clio alternatives, we come to Assembly Trialworks powered by Assembly Software. It is the next-generation cloud-based legal practice management software with robust functionality. Assembly TrialWorks was designed to enhance law practice management efficiency. It has been an industry leader for a long time and evolved into a more powerful platform—Neos, renowned for its process automation, communication and health insights features.
Key features
Assembly Trialworks allows its users access important documents and case details from wherever they are. All case information is securely stored in Microsoft Azure’s database, allowing the ability for easy access even for geographically dispersed teams. Furthermore, by storing documents in the cloud, the risk of losing critical documentation, which frequently occurs with physical paperwork, is significantly reduced.
With Assembly Trialworks, legal firms can develop their own intake forms to capture every detail of the case. Efficient intake will help you save time, limit mistakes, fasten client onboarding and improve customer satisfaction. And enhanced client happiness leads to increased profitability and higher revenue.
Capterra rating: 4.4 (87 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.0 (16 reviews).
The next entry in our selection of Clio alternatives is CARET Legal, previously known as Zola Suite. It is a leading SaaS legal practice management platform. It is designed to assist a law business in automating critical processes, effectively managing all practice areas and maximizing billable time.
Key features
Users of CARET Legal claim that they can efficiently manage more cases, streamline their routine processes and enhance client communication. When software manages all aspects of a case, it frees you to focus on what truly matters: collaborating with colleagues and clients and allows you to manage more cases in less time.
Accounting can be a real headache but not with CARET Legal. This legal case management software tool enables you to enhance cash flow with fully integrated payments, accurately record billable hours and access important financial metrics.
Capterra rating: 4.5 (128 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.5 (164 reviews).
TimeNet Law is legal time tracking and billing software for Mac that offers features for hours tracking, invoicing, client management and document management.
Key features
Users highly value TimeNet Law’s invoicing features. It has everything legal professionals might need to manage their work: evergreen retainers, LEDES billing, customizable advanced billing settings for attorneys and remote access.
TimeNet Law places clients and matters at the center of your workflow, enabling you to efficiently manage contacts, leads, tasks, fees and expenses. It also provides conflict avoidance through automatic notifications and allows customization of settings and rules on a per-client or per-matter basis.
Capterra rating: 4.8 (21 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.3 (2 reviews).
The next law practice management solution on our list of Clio alternatives is Rocket Matter. Rocket Matter, a pioneer in cloud-based legal practice management, offers a comprehensive suite of tools for case management, time tracking, invoicing and client communication. It’s particularly favored by mid-sized law firms for its robust feature set and ease of use.
Key features
The primary goal of Rocket Matter’s CRM is to assist its users in building strong relationships with their clients. By sending personalized follow-up messages via email or text, a law business can directly engage with both existing and potential clients, thereby enhancing customer retention.
Rocket Matter boasts a powerful set of organizational features that includes task tracker, calendar and contact management utilities. With Rocket Matter, it has never been easier for a legal business to efficiently manage its daily operations.
Capterra rating: 4.4 (200 reviews).
G2 rating: 4.3 (168 reviews).
Today, with advancements in technology, legal companies are slowly but steadily changing the way they run their practices. They are automating routine tasks, transferring documents and information sharing to the cloud, utilizing secure client communication tools and much, much more.
In the article, we have reviewed popular law practice management tools that can be used as an alternative to Clio, which has long been a leading solution in the area. Out of nine solutions analyzed, FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) sets itself apart by providing a single platform for professional services. Its robust client portals functionality allows for leveling up client interactions and streamlining routing processes.
Get expert opinion on choosing the best Clio alternative
Ready to try it yourself? Get started for free and begin enhancing your client communications today!
Parties other than FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) may provide products, services, recommendations, or views on FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) site (“Third Party Materials”). FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) is not responsible for examining or evaluating such Third Party Materials, and does not provide any warranties relating to the Third Party Materials. Links to such Third Party Materials are for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement of such Third Party Materials.
Found it useful? Share the article with your community
Get weekly tips and insights on how to grow your business