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Clio Accounting

clio.com

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Spec score 9.2 #1 of 42 in Trust Accounting Software

What it is

Clio Accounting is legal and trust accounting software for legal professionals and law firms. It provides a system of record for firm finances and automates financial workflows, transaction matching, and reconciliation. The software keeps earned and unearned funds separate, reconciles trust and operating accounts, and provides ledger and reconciliation reports. Financial features include accounts receivable and payable, vendor and expense management, cash-flow oversight, and tax reports; bank transactions are matched to the firm's books automatically. Accounting is included with Clio plans from Starter upward, but it cannot be bought on its own and requires a Clio Manage subscription. Starter is listed at $49 a month, billed per user, and includes Clio Manage, legal accounting, and trust and operating reconciliation. Clio supports more than 250 app integrations, including QuickBooks and Xero, and offers an API for custom integrations and workflow automation. It is available on web, Android, iOS, and through an API. Clio was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Spec sheet

What it does
Clio Accounting is cloud accounting and bookkeeping software for law firms, integrated into Clio Manage.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Purpose
Clio Accounting is legal and trust accounting software built for legal professionals and law firms.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Intended users
Clio is designed for law firms of every size and is used by legal professionals in more than 130 countries.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Integrations
Clio advertises more than 250 app integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, NetDocuments, Gmail, Outlook, and Zapier.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Compliance
Clio lists GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA support, and PIPEDA compliance on its security page.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Support
Every plan includes 24/5 live chat, phone, and email support, an online help center, user community access, and training.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Headquarters
Vancouver, CanadaRead 28 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Founded
2008Read 28 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Accounting availability
Clio Accounting cannot be bought separately; a Clio Manage subscription is required.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Accounting method
The product is designed for cash-basis accounting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
API authentication
The Accounting API uses OAuth 2.0 bearer tokens issued through the Clio API Hub and supports dated OpenAPI versions or an unstable version.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.developers.clio.com
API licence
The developer documentation identifies the Clio Accounting API licence as proprietary.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.developers.clio.com
API region
The Accounting API documentation says the service is available in the US region only and uses one production base URL.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.developers.clio.com
Bank feeds
Bank-feed synchronization requires a financial institution supported by Plaid.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Check printing
The pricing comparison lists check printing, automatic transaction matching, cash and accrual reporting, and trust and operating reconciliation in every plan.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Company founding
Clio says Jack Newton and Rian Gauvreau co-founded the company in 2008.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Company legal name
Clio's website footer identifies the maker as Themis Solutions Inc. (Clio).Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Developer access
Clio provides an API for building custom integrations and workflow automation.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Documentation and support
Plans include a help center, online user community, virtual training, and 24/5 live chat, phone, and email support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Encryption and hosting
Clio encrypts data in transit with HTTPS/TLS 1.2 or higher, encrypts stored data with AES-256, and offers hosting in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Extensibility
Clio supports custom integrations through its API, independent developers, consultants, and Zapier workflows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Financial management
Features include accounts receivable and payable, vendor and expense management, cash-flow oversight, and tax reports.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Financial workflows
Clio Accounting automates transaction matching, account reconciliation, bank synchronization, accounts receivable, and accounts payable tracking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Geographic limit
The help center says Clio Accounting is currently for law firms located and practicing in the United States.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Limit: accounting sync
Trustpilot reviewers report problems with QuickBooks or Xero synchronization, duplicate invoices, and slow support on unresolved issues.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Limit: migration and reliability
Gartner reviewers mention migration and app-connectivity difficulties, while some report bugs requiring slow reloads.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Limit: mobile functionality
Gartner reviewers report that the mobile app lacks some desktop capabilities, including document editing and advanced report generation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Limit: pricing
Gartner reviewers say Clio can be expensive for smaller firms, and Capterra reviews mention higher cost for some teams.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Mobile compatibility
Clio's help center lists its mobile app as compatible with iOS 11 or later and Android 8 or later.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Plan inclusion
Accounting is included on every Clio plan from Starter upward without a separate bookkeeping-platform purchase.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Praise: accounting and invoicing
GetApp's review analysis reports positive sentiment about invoice creation, QuickBooks connectivity, customization, and online payments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Praise: integrations
TrustRadius reviewers repeatedly value Clio's extensive API integrations and developer partnership program.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Praise: usability and support
TrustRadius reviewers repeatedly praise convenient timekeeping, an intuitive interface, intuitive billing, and strong customer support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Public API
Clio Accounting exposes a public REST API with JSON endpoints for accounts, users, journal entries, ledgers, bills, payments, reports, vendors, matters, clients, and expenses.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.developers.clio.com
QuickBooks integration
The QuickBooks Online connector syncs contacts, bills, payments, trust transactions, and operating transactions to ledgers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Rating on Apple App Store
4.8 out of 5 from 9K ratings for Clio for Law Firms and Lawyers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Capterra
4.7 out of 5 from 1,750 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
4.6 out of 5 from 1,052 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Rating on GetApp
4.7 out of 5 from 1,700 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Google Play
4.3 out of 5 from 743 reviews for Clio for Law Firms and Lawyers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Trustpilot
3.6 out of 5 from 299 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Rating on TrustRadius
8.2 out of 10 from 119 reviews and ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Reconciliation detail
Operating accounts use two-way reconciliation while trust accounts use three-way reconciliation between bank records, client ledgers, and trust liabilities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Reporting
The product provides financial insights, cash-flow views, vendor and expense management, and tax-reporting outputs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Security certifications
Clio states that it completes annual SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II examinations and annual penetration tests.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Security controls
Clio says data is encrypted with TLS 1.2 or higher in transit and AES-256 at rest, with geo-redundant AWS hosting and monitored backups.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Standalone availability
Clio Accounting cannot be purchased as a standalone product and requires a Clio Manage subscription.Read 30 Sep 2026 · help.clio.com
System of record
The product provides a single system of record for firm finances and automates financial workflows, transaction matching, and reconciliation.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Target firms
Clio says Accounting is most suitable for solo lawyers and firms with up to four attorneys.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.clio.com
Trust accounting
It separates earned and unearned funds, reconciles trust and operating accounts, and provides trust ledgers and reconciliation reports.Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Trust compliance
It keeps earned and unearned funds separate, reconciles trust and operating accounts, and provides reconciliation and ledger reports.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com
Uptime
Clio offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.Read 30 Sep 2026 · clio.com

Plans and prices

Starter $49 a month per user Clio Manage · legal accounting built in · trust and operating reconciliation · time and expense tracking · online payments Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Core Priced on request Everything in Starter · AI billing drafts · secure client portal · automated client updates Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Elite Priced on request Everything in Signature · Grow AI · online intake and scheduling · reputation and referral tracking Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com
Signature Priced on request Everything in Core · unlimited custom roles · matter stages · multi-currency billing · advanced reports Read 15 Oct 2026 · clio.com

Every Clio Accounting plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Separates earned and unearned funds.
  • Includes trust and operating account reconciliation.
  • Automatically matches bank transactions to firm books.
  • Supports QuickBooks, Xero, and an API.

Limits

  • Cannot be purchased without Clio Manage.
  • Starter costs $49 a month per user.
  • Core, Signature, and Elite pricing is by quote.

Who it suits

It suits law firms that need trust and operating account reconciliation alongside general financial workflows. Firms considering it must also be prepared to use Clio Manage.

Verdict

Clio Accounting combines trust accounting with broader financial management and reporting for legal practices. Its requirement for a Clio Manage subscription is central to the buying decision.

Where Specifiction places it

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