Choosing between on-premise software and Clio

Because on-premise systems are tied to your physical office, they’re more vulnerable to local events like power failures or water damage. System uptime depends heavily on your in-house IT setup and backup plans.

Clio guarantees 99.9% uptime and handles all hosting in secure, geo-redundant data centres—so your access to files isn’t tied to your office location or infrastructure.

Remote work typically requires extra tools like VPNs or remote desktop software, which can be clunky, expensive, and unreliable.

You can log into Clio from any device with a browser and internet connection. There’s no extra setup required, and mobile access is seamless through our iOS and Android apps.

Many on-premise tools are built on older systems and interfaces. They often feel outdated and require more training and IT support to use effectively.

Clio is designed to be intuitive, with a clean interface that most firms can adopt quickly. It’s used by thousands of firms across Canada and globally, and consistently ranks high for usability.

The initial licence may seem like a one-time expense, but it usually comes with ongoing costs: servers, IT support, hardware, physical storage space, electricity, and annual maintenance packages.

Clio is subscription-based and includes hosting, updates, and support in the monthly cost. You don’t need to maintain physical infrastructure, which helps reduce overhead and simplify your operations.

Support can be slow and inconsistent—especially if issues are tied to your specific IT setup. Fixing server problems often requires a paid technician or in-house IT team.

Clio includes support with your subscription. You can reach our Canadian and global support teams by phone, email, or chat, Monday to Friday. You also get access to training tools and how-to guides.

Security is entirely on you. That means handling firewalls, encryption, and regular backups yourself—or paying someone to do it. Physical access to your office is also a factor.

Clio follows strict industry standards and has a full-time security team. Data is encrypted, backed up automatically, and stored in secure data centres. This lets firms focus on legal work—not IT.

Updates are manual and often require paid maintenance agreements. If you skip them, you may lose support or run into compatibility issues later.

Updates happen automatically in the background. New features are added regularly, and you get access right away—with no extra fees.