Compass by Rulng and Clio, side by side
What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026.
The short answer
Clio is the larger platform, with trust accounting, time tracking, e-signature, court-rules calendaring, two-way calendar sync and a large set of integrations. Compass by Rulng includes what Clio sells only on its top tier or does not show on its pages: the firm's website on every build, Google profile tracking and reports on search and AI answers. Both read court notices: Clio's AI drafts calendar events from one, and Compass files the notice on the matter and raises a step to enter the date.
At a glance
| Compared | Compass by Rulng | Clio |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense | Solo practices to large firms and legal departments |
| The firm's website | Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page | A website builder on the Elite tier: three themes, hosted by Clio |
| Lead management and CRM | Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks | Clio Grow, on the Elite tier or as an add-on |
| Google profile and local rank | Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked | Review requests to the Google profile, on the Elite tier |
| Reports on search and AI answers | Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI | Not found |
| Court notices | One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date | AI drafts calendar events from a notice or order for you to confirm |
| Court-rules deadlines | No | Yes: 3 jurisdictions on Core, 10 on Signature, more at $10 a month each |
| Legal research | One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited | Clio Work, sold separately: case law, statutes and regulations with citations; jury instructions not found |
| Client portal | Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only | Core tier and up |
| Billing and payments | Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on | Billing and Clio Payments |
| Trust accounting | No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers | Yes, on every plan |
| Time tracking | Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer | Yes |
| E-signature | No | Yes; capped on the two lower tiers, unlimited above |
| Spanish | Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices | Portal messages and case status |
| Security | Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II audits, ISO 27001, AES-256 encryption, geo-redundant backups |
| Price | Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough | Starter from $49 a user a month; Core, Signature and Elite by quote |
| Trying it | A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial | 7-day free trial |
Where Clio is stronger
- Trust accounting on every plan, with time tracking and e-signature built in.
- Court-rules deadline calculation for the jurisdictions you choose, two-way calendar sync with Google and Outlook, and e-filing in a few states.
- A large set of integrations, published security audits, and a 7-day trial.
- Research across case law, statutes and regulations in Clio Work, for firms that buy it.
- A client portal in use at firms today.
Where Compass is different
- The website is part of every Compass build, not a top-tier feature.
- Google profile tracking, directory listings and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included.
- The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today.
- The law library holds jury instructions beside statutes and decisions for the state it covers today, and its answers cite every point.
- Every staff screen is in English and Spanish, and so are the firm's invoices.
Which to choose
Choose Clio if trust accounting, time tracking and court-rules deadlines must live in the same system, or if you need its integrations. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you, and can keep the trust ledger in your accounting software.
Sources and corrections
Read on 31 October 2026 from Clio's own pages:
- https://www.clio.com/pricing/
- https://www.clio.com/features/law-firm-website-builder/
- https://www.clio.com/features/legal-calendaring-software/
- https://www.clio.com/work/ai-legal-research/
- https://www.clio.com/features/legal-client-portal-software/
- https://www.clio.com/security/
- https://www.clio.com/practice-types/criminal-law-software/
Products change. If something here about Clio is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date.
Questions
Is Compass a good Clio alternative?
Compass by Rulng is a Clio alternative for small and mid-size firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system and keep trust accounting in their accounting software. Firms that need trust accounting, time tracking or court-rules deadlines in one product are better served by Clio today.
What does Clio have that Compass does not?
Clio has trust accounting, a timer, e-signature, court-rules deadline calculation, two-way calendar sync, a client portal in use today and published security audits, and Compass by Rulng has none of these today.
What does Compass include that Clio does not?
Compass by Rulng includes the firm's website on every build, Google profile tracking and reports on search and AI answers, none of which Clio offers below its Elite tier or shows on its pages read on 31 October 2026. Clio sells its website builder and review requests on that tier.
How do Clio and Compass compare on price?
Clio publishes a starting price of $49 per user per month for its Starter tier and quotes its other tiers, while Compass by Rulng is built to order and quoted after a walkthrough.
Can we move from Clio to Compass?
Yes for your client records, which WattReach loads during setup; the walkthrough settles which matters, documents and notes come across, and there is no import button to run yourself.
Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Clio.
We will tell you where it is the better fit, too.