Best Legal Software 2021

Clio Manage vs. CosmoLex

Is Clio Manage or CosmoLex the better solution for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best legal practice management software to help grow your law firm.

Legal practice management software assists legal professionals with important tasks and helps increase revenue. There are a considerable number of solutions on the market today, and selecting the best one can be difficult.

This guide compares Clio Manage versus CosmoLex, two very popular legal practice management solutions. We offer a walkthrough of each product, and analyze their unique features, to help you decide which solution is the best fit for your law firm.

Comparison Summary

Clio Manage and CosmoLex are popular legal practice management solutions used by thousands of customers each. Law firms use these solutions to automate common tasks and increase operational efficiency. Features found in these solutions include contact management, case management, time tracking, billing, invoicing, and reporting.

Clio Manage is the more expensive solution when comparing the most commonly purchased subscription plans between these vendors. Additionally, there are clear differences when comparing the unique features found in these solutions:

  • Clio Manage offers more practice management features, and integrates with more third-party solutions.
  • CosmoLex includes built-in accounting in its platform.

When comparing the two, it's important to focus on the specific tools offered by each vendor, and the corresponding subscription price. Here's a quick test to determine which solution is best for you:

You'll prefer Clio Manage if:

  • You desire a solution that integrates with over 200 third-party platforms
  • You use a third-party accounting solution
  • Built-in court rules is a must-have feature

Try Clio Manage Today

You'll prefer CosmoLex if:

  • You desire a solution with built-in accounting tools
  • You desire working with less software vendors
  • Your law firm employs in-house accountants

Try CosmoLex Today


Table of Contents

Clio Manage & CosmoLex Price Comparison

Clio Manage and CosmoLex are both subscription-based solutions that charge monthly fees. Clio Manage charges a monthly fee of $49 to $125 per user per month. CosmoLex charges $89 per user per month. Both companies offer discounts for annual contracts that are paid upfront.

Clio Manage Pricing Details

Clio Manage pricing ranges from $49 to $125 per user per month. The company offers a 8% to 22% discount for annual contracts that are paid upfront. Here’s an overview of Clio Manage’s pricing plans:

  • Starter plan: $49 per user per month
  • Boutique plan: $69 per user per month
  • Elite plan: $109 per user per month
  • Suite plan: $125 per user per month

CosmoLex Pricing Details

CosmoLex pricing ranges from $79 to $89 per user per month. CosmoLex charges $89 per user per month for annual contracts, and $79 per user per month for monthly contracts.

Clio Manage & CosmoLex Feature Comparison

Clio Manage and CosmoLex both include features that help law firms operate more efficiently and increase revenue. Features found in these solutions include contact management, case management, time tracking, billing, invoicing, and reporting.

Here are the main feature differences in these solutions:

  • Clio Manage includes more practice management features in its platform, and integrates with more third-party solutions.
  • CosmoLex offers built-in legal-specific accounting in its platform.

For a full analysis of their features, read our Clio Manage and CosmoLex reviews.

FeatureClio ManageCosmoLex
DashboardYesYes
Contact managementYesYes
CalendarYesYes
Built-in court rulesYesNo
Task managementYesYes
Document managementYesYes
Document StorageYesLimited
Time and expense trackingYesYes
Billing and invoicingYesYes
Online paymentsYesYes
ReportingYesYes
IntegrationsYesYes

Clio Manage's Unique Features

Clio Manage offers several features not found in CosmoLex. It's important to understand the features below to determine if Clio Manage is ideal for your business.

Integrations

Both solutions offer many integrations with third-party solutions. However, Clio Manage offers over 200 integrations. In contrast, CosmoLex only offers 15 integrations in its platform.

One of the most significant integrations not found in CosmoLex is with accounting software. Clio Manage integrates with several third-party accounting solutions including QuickBooks and Xero. Additionally, Clio Manage offers specific accounting integrations with Trust Books, Klyant, and Digitory Legal. Conversely, CosmoLex includes an accounting suite in its platform, but does not integrate with any accounting software. For a full list of integrations, check out our in-depth reviews for Clio Manage and CosmoLex.

Built-in Rules-based Calendaring

Clio Manage’s calendar includes built-in court rules that help law firms meet specific deadlines for submitting items to court. With this feature, you can apply court rules to a matter, and Clio will automatically generate relevant events that will populate in your calendar. Court rules can be customized, and you can add up to 10 different jurisdictions for court rules in Clio Manage.

CosmoLex also allows you to automatically populate calendar events based on court rules with its workflow feature. However, CosmoLex does not include a built-in database that includes rules and deadlines from U.S. courts. All rules and deadlines must be inputted manually by your law firm.

Document Storage

Both Clio Manage and CosmoLex include unlimited document storage in their platforms. However, Clio Manage allows you to store individual files of any size in its database. In contrast, CosmoLex enforces a maximum of 100mb per file. If you plan to store individual files larger than 100mb in CosmoLex, you will need to purchase a third-party document management solution.

CosmoLex's Unique Features

CosmoLex offers several features not found in Clio Manage. It's important to understand the features below to determine if CosmoLex is ideal for your business.

Built-in Legal Accounting Software

Both solutions include features that help law firms with basic bookkeeping, invoicing, and billing. However, only CosmoLex includes a full legal-specific accounting suite in its platform. Features included in CosmoLex’s accounting suite include:

  • Accounts payable tracking
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reporting
  • General ledger

If you prefer working with less software vendors, and would like to use one unified solution for your practice management and accounting needs, CosmoLex is the best solution for you. If you outsource your accounting to a third-party firm, or prefer using a third-party accounting solution, we strongly recommend Clio Manage.

Bottom Line

Clio Manage and CosmoLex are two widely-used cloud-based legal practice management solutions. These solutions are most commonly used by small to medium sized law firms. Features found in these tools include contact management, case management, time tracking, billing, invoicing, and reporting.

The best legal practice management solution for your law firm will likely depend on which features you prefer:

  • If you desire the solution with more robust practice management features that integrates with a complex tech stack, then we strongly recommend Clio Manage.
  • If you are searching for a solution that includes built-in legal-specific accounting, consider testing CosmoLex.

If you’re interested, visit Clio Manage or CosmoLex today to get started.

Lloyd Park

Lloyd Park is a Research Analyst at SoftwarePundit, where he conducts in-depth analyses of software markets and products. Lloyd also has experience managing the development of software platforms and is an expert in content production & media software. You can connect with Lloyd on LinkedIn.

Lloyd is an expert in several software categories including:

  • Dental software
  • Email marketing software
  • Field service management software
  • Legal software
  • Property management software

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