MatterFirst vs Clio

Built for Australian firms from day one.

Clio is North America's market leader. MatterFirst is built specifically for Australian firms — with Sydney-default data residency, AUD pricing and a support team in your time zone.

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Why firms switch

What Clio users are saying.

North American focus

Clio's features, integrations, and support are designed for the US and Canadian market. MatterFirst is built for Australian firms from day one.

No data residency guarantee

Clio doesn't offer region-locked data storage or AI processing. MatterFirst keeps everything in your chosen AWS region — documents never leave your jurisdiction.

AI is an expensive add-on

Clio's AI features require a premium tier. MatterFirst includes AI assistance and monthly Document AI credits in every paid workspace.

Complex setup and high cost

Clio's full platform with AI, portal, and trust accounting can become hard to predict. MatterFirst keeps the core platform, included users, and credits together in one workspace plan.

Feature comparison

MatterFirst vs Clio, line by line.

Feature MatterFirst Clio
Modern UI Included Included
Visual Workflow Builder Included Partial
Built-in AI Assistant Included Partial (Add-on)
AI Document Analysis Included Not available
Client Portal (built-in) Included Included
No-code Automation Engine Included Partial
Full REST API Included Included
Webhooks (every mutation) Included Partial
Trust Accounting Partial (Enterprise) Partial (Add-on)
Data Residency (all plans) Included Not available
Australian Data Centres Included Not available
InfoTrack / PEXA Integration Included Not available
Pricing (approx) From $149/workspace ~$89/user

Competitor data sourced from publicly available pricing and feature pages as of March 2026. Feature availability may vary by plan.

SOC 2 Type II
AES-256 encryption
Australian data residency
99.99% uptime
No lock-in contracts
Guided setup available

Questions

Switching, answered.

The questions firms ask before moving from Clio.

Where is our data stored?
In your chosen AWS region, with Sydney as the default for Australian firms. Data residency is included on all plans — documents never leave your jurisdiction.
Is AI an extra cost?
No. AI assistance and monthly Document AI credits are included in every paid workspace.
Is pricing in Australian dollars?
Yes. MatterFirst is priced in AUD from $149 per workspace, with users, automations, the portal and Document AI credits kept together in one plan.
Can we try MatterFirst before committing?
Yes. Start with a 7-day guided trial using your own matters. There are no lock-in contracts, and guided setup is available when you're ready to move.

Ready to switch from Clio?

Start with a 7-day guided trial and a workspace plan that includes users, automations, portal and monthly Document AI credits.

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