Best CRM for law firms
Legal software splits into case management with trust accounting, and intake/CRM tools for winning new clients. Compared on price and which tier actually includes what.
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Clio wins for a firm that wants the most established case management platform and is willing to add Clio Grow for intake once the budget allows it. MyCase wins instead for a firm that wants trust accounting included at every tier, including the cheapest, without gating it to the top plan the way PracticePanther does.
The short answer
- Clio Manage's Starter tier is $49/user/month, the only tier with a public price. Core, Signature and Elite need a quote. Clio Grow (intake and CRM) is sold only as an add-on to Manage or as part of Elite, per clio.com/pricing.
- MyCase starts at $60/user/month ($50 billed yearly) on Basic, with trust accounting on every tier. Its Legal CRM intake tools start at Pro and Advanced, not Basic, per mycase.com/pricing.
- PracticePanther starts at $59/user/month ($49 billed yearly) on Solo, but trust accounting sits on its top Business Pro tier at $124/month. Lawmatics is priced by quote only and covers intake and CRM, not case work, per practicepanther.com/pricing and lawmatics.com/pricing.
Law firm case management and intake tools compared
| Tool | Starting price | Seats model | Trust accounting included from | Own database? | Intake/CRM? | Best for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clio Manage | $49/user/mo (Starter) | Per user; Core/Signature/Elite are quote-only | Included at Starter | No, hosted multi-tenant SaaS | Not in Manage; Clio Grow sold separately or bundled at Elite | A firm wanting the most established case management platform, with Grow added later | A firm wanting intake/CRM included at the entry price |
| MyCase | $60/user/mo (Basic, monthly; $50 annual) | Per user | Included at every tier, including Basic | No, hosted multi-tenant SaaS | Legal CRM (intake forms, pipeline) gated to Pro and Advanced tiers | A firm wanting trust accounting on the cheapest tier without an upgrade | A firm wanting intake/CRM features without upgrading past Basic |
| PracticePanther | $59/user/mo (Solo, monthly; $49 annual) | Per user | Gated to the top Business Pro tier ($124/mo monthly) | No, hosted multi-tenant SaaS | Intake forms and texting from Business tier up, not Solo or Essential | A firm that doesn't need trust accounting and wants the lowest entry price | A firm needing trust accounting without paying for the most expensive tier |
| Lawmatics | Pricing on request (custom quote, 3-user minimum) | Custom quote, contact-volume-based | Not applicable, intake/CRM only, no case management | No, hosted multi-tenant SaaS | Yes, its core product: pipeline stages, drip campaigns, automated follow-up | A firm wanting a dedicated intake/CRM tool alongside existing case management | A firm wanting one all-in-one tool instead of pairing two systems |
Figures checked on clio.com/pricing, mycase.com/pricing, practicepanther.com/pricing and lawmatics.com/pricing, September 2026.
How each one fits a law firm
Clio
The best-known name in legal practice software. Starter gives you matters and contacts, unlimited document storage, and built-in trust and operating account reconciliation. Only the Starter tier has a public price; everything above it, and Clio Grow for intake, requires a sales conversation. Not for: a firm wanting a fully self-serve price across every tier.
MyCase
Trust accounting comes with the cheapest Basic tier, a real edge over PracticePanther. Its Legal CRM (intake forms and pipeline) only appears from Pro up, alongside 8am IQ, an AI writing assistant. Not for: a firm wanting intake and CRM features without paying above the Basic tier.
PracticePanther
The lowest published starting price of the case management tools, with a 7-day free trial. The catch: trust accounting, intake forms, built-in e-signature and two-way texting all sit on higher tiers. Trust accounting is kept for the top Business Pro plan. Not for: a firm on a budget that specifically needs trust accounting.
Lawmatics
Built around intake and the new-client pipeline. You get your own pipeline stages, conflict checks at intake, drip emails set off by rules, and booking. It has no case management of its own and integrates with tools like Clio and MyCase instead. Not for: a firm wanting one system instead of pairing an intake tool with case management.
How to choose
Choose Clio if you want the best-known case tool and can add Clio Grow for intake. Choose MyCase if you need trust accounting on the cheapest plan. Choose PracticePanther if you want a low start price and don't need trust accounting yet. Choose Lawmatics if intake is your gap and you already have a case tool.
Disclosure: SalesCrew is our product. It fits the intake side, closer to what Lawmatics does: outbound and a pipeline for prospective clients. It sits beside a case management system, which keeps matters, trust accounting and conflict checks. Every tier has unlimited seats; the SalesCrew pricing page lists what each one includes.
Questions
- What's the difference between Clio Manage and Clio Grow?
- Clio Manage runs your cases and practice: matters, calendar, document storage and trust accounting. It starts at $49/user/month on Starter. Clio Grow is the intake and CRM side, with a pipeline dashboard and automated workflows, but it isn't sold standalone; it's available to Clio Manage customers or as part of the top Elite plan, per clio.com/pricing.
- Which of these has trust accounting included at the entry tier?
- MyCase and Clio Manage both include trust accounting on every tier, including their cheapest. PracticePanther keeps trust accounting for its top Business Pro tier, at $124/month (monthly) or $114/month (yearly). Check this closely if you need trust accounting from day one.
- Does Lawmatics replace case management, or just handle intake?
- Just intake and CRM. Lawmatics covers client intake, marketing emails and the pipeline. It links to case tools like Clio and MyCase; it doesn't replace them. A firm considering Lawmatics needs a separate case management system alongside it.
- What does 'Legal CRM' mean on MyCase's pricing page?
- MyCase uses that term for client intake forms and pipeline features, and they're gated: available on the Pro and Advanced tiers, not on the cheapest Basic tier at $60/month (monthly) or $50/month (annual). If you compare MyCase's headline price to Clio or PracticePanther, check which tier has intake and CRM before you assume it's there.