Aequis vs Clio
for family law
Clio is a general-practice platform; Aequis is built for family law. Every claim about Clio below cites clio.com and the date we checked it. Anything we could not verify is left out.
| Feature | Aequis (every plan) | Clio |
|---|---|---|
| AI assistant | Included on every plan. Deep research has a monthly allowance by plan (25 more runs for $25 a month); Premium AI is optional and billed per use | Add-on (Manage AI), quote-priced; not available on the entry tier † |
| Trust ledger & trust account management | Included | Included |
| Full legal accounting with trust & operating reconciliation | IOLTA three-way reconciliation on every plan; operating books sync to QuickBooks Online or Xero | Add-on (Clio Accounting), quote-priced, US only † |
| Court forms & document automation | On every plan: the court’s own fillable PDF for FL, OH, TX, and VA forms, plus working drafts | Add-on (Clio Draft), quote-priced † |
| Client intake & CRM | Included | Add-on (Clio Grow), quote-priced; bundled only on the Elite tier † |
| E-signature | Unlimited on every plan | 3 on Starter, 15 on Core; unlimited from Signature † |
| Workflow automation | Included | Signature tier and up † |
| Split billing | Included | Signature tier and up † |
| Client portal | On every plan; $15/mo per client portal account | Core tier and up † |
| Built-in e-filing submission | Not available. Aequis assembles and checks the filing; you submit it to the court | Available, pay per filing (supported courts not listed on the pricing page) † |
| Pricing model | Flat per firm: $149/mo covers 2 users with every feature | Per user, from $49/user/mo (Starter); Core, Signature and Elite are quote-priced † |
† clio.com/pricing, checked September 28, 2026. Rows we could not verify are left out.
Where Clio is stronger
Clio ships unlimited document storage on all plans, native iOS and Android apps, built-in court e-filing on every plan (pay per filing), a 300+ app integration marketplace, and 24/5 support (all per clio.com/pricing, September 28, 2026). Aequis offers 50 GB to 1 TB of storage by plan (extra storage is $10/mo per 50 GB), an installable web app (PWA) and Field, the phone companion, rather than native app-store apps, and connectors for Zoho Mail, Google and Outlook calendars, QuickBooks, Xero, Clio, and Zapier, plus a developer API and webhooks. Gmail and Outlook mail sync are not available yet. If most of your practice is outside family law, Clio may be the better fit.
Flat price vs per-user tiers and add-ons
Compare the total for the tools you would use, not the entry price.
Aequis: 2-person family law firm
$149/mo
or $1,490/yr (about $124/mo). Grow to 4 users at $69/mo per added professional seat ($35/mo staff).
- Every feature on every plan; nothing is tier-gated
- AI assistant included; deep research has a monthly allowance (100 runs on Solo Attorney)
- Support calculators for all 50 states + DC, with citations
- IOLTA trust with three-way reconciliation
- Court forms, e-signature, intake and CRM, client portal
- Co-parent portal and custody scheduling
- Field, the phone companion, for each member you give a seat
- Optional extras: client portal accounts ($15/mo each), Ask AI in Field, extra deep-research runs, extra storage
Clio: 2-person family law firm
$98/mo+
2 × $49/user on Starter, Clio's published entry price (September 28, 2026), before any add-ons †
- Client portal requires Core or higher †
- Unlimited e-signature and workflows require Signature †
- AI (Manage AI), intake and CRM (Grow), document automation (Draft), and accounting are separate quote-priced add-ons †
Switching from Clio
Connect your Clio account and Aequis imports your records through the Clio API. No spreadsheets to map.
The import runs in resumable batches, so a large account can come over across several sessions, and you can keep working in Clio until you are ready to switch. Prefer CSV? That works too.
Aequis vs Clio FAQ
Can I import my Clio data into Aequis?
Yes. Connect your Clio account from the Aequis import wizard and it pulls contacts, matters (with client links preserved), tasks, time entries, bills, calendar events, and your document list directly through the Clio API; the document files stay in Clio, so upload them in bulk afterward. Re-runs skip records already imported. You can also import by CSV if you prefer.
Can Aequis replace Clio in a family law practice?
For the core of a family law practice (matters, contacts, calendaring with court-deadline rules, time and billing, IOLTA trust with three-way reconciliation, documents, e-signature, intake, and a client portal), yes. Aequis also includes support calculators for all 50 states and DC, custody scheduling, and a monitored co-parent portal on every plan. Clio offers built-in e-filing (pay per filing), native iOS and Android apps, unlimited document storage, and a 300+ app marketplace (per clio.com/pricing, September 28, 2026). If those are must-haves today, weigh them.
What does Aequis cost compared to Clio?
Aequis is a flat $149/mo for a 2-person firm (attorney and paralegal) with every feature included, growing to 4 users at $69/mo per added professional seat. Clio prices per user starting at $49/user/mo for its entry tier (clio.com/pricing, September 28, 2026), with its higher tiers quote-priced, and AI, intake and CRM, document automation, and accounting each sold as separate quote-priced add-ons. Aequis has no feature-gated tiers. Beyond seats and storage, the extras are client portal accounts ($15/mo each), Ask AI in Field ($10/seat/mo), and extra deep-research runs.
How does Aequis take online payments?
Aequis takes online payments through your own Stripe account, and Stripe payments deposit to your operating account. LawPay, which supports trust deposits, is awaiting AffiniPay partner certification. Square and PayPal are not available yet.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 14 days with every feature included on every plan. A credit card is required, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends. The public child support calculator is free to use without an account.
Built for family law
Connect your Clio account, bring your records over, and try every Aequis feature on your own matters.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Every feature included. Credit card required; cancel anytime before the trial ends.