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Compare › Clio
ZealiD vs Clio
Clio runs the whole law firm: matters, time, billing and payments, with a client portal and app on its higher tiers. Trust Circle covers one part of the client relationship: verified identity, shared files and qualified signatures. Here is how they compare.
In short
Clio wins on running the firm.Matters, time, billing and payments sit in one system, and Clio for Clients adds secure messages, document sharing and bill payment. Clio runs an EU instance alongside the US, Canada and Australia.
Its portal comes with the higher tiers.Clio is priced per user, and the portal is not in the entry tier, according to a third-party review. We couldn't verify the prices on Clio's pricing page in November 2026, so check them there. We found no identity check, and Clio doesn't publish its e-signature level.
Trust Circle adds verified clients and QES.Each client verifies once with an ID document and a face check, valid for two years, with no fee per check. They sign with a qualified signature, and it works for accountants and advisers as well as lawyers.
ZealiD and Clio, side by side
Sources: Clio developer docs, regions, aiforlawfirms.org Clio for Clients review (third party) and ZealiD pricing, November 2026. Clio's pricing page couldn't be checked in November 2026.
Where they really differ
Who is behind the portal login
We found no identity verification in Clio for Clients, and Clio doesn't publish the level of its e-signature. In Trust Circle, every client verifies once in the ZealiD app with an ID document and a face check. It stays valid for two years, with no fee per check, and your client doesn't pay either.
A practice system, or a client space
Clio is where a law firm runs its work: matters, time, billing and payments, with the portal attached. Trust Circle covers one part of that: a space per client or matter where files, verified identities and qualified signatures sit together. If you already run matters in a practice-management system, Trust Circle sits next to it.
Nordvik M&A
Check what you can prove about your last new client
Pick the last client you took on. Find the copy of their ID, who checked it and when, and the signed engagement letter. Note where each one is kept and what kind of signature the letter carries.
Then run your next onboarding in one Trust Circle and compare. Micro costs €40 a year.
Your last new client
What each one costs
Clio is priced per user, and the portal comes with its higher tiers. Third-party sources give different prices, and we couldn't verify them on Clio's own page in November 2026, so check Clio's pricing page. Trust Circle is priced per plan, billed yearly, with identity verification included and no limit on how many clients you verify.
Clio
Not verifiable on Clio's page, Nov 2026
See Clio pricing →Trust Circle
A month, billed yearly. ID checks included
See pricing →Which one is right for you?
Choose Clio if:
- You want matters, time, billing and payments in one system
- You are a law firm ready to replace your practice-management tool
- Your clients want to message you and pay bills in one app
- You need data kept in an EU instance of your practice system
Choose Trust Circle if:
- You must know who your client is, and keep that proof
- Your clients sign documents that need a qualified signature
- You are an accounting or advisory firm, as well as or instead of a law firm
- You want to pay per firm, not per user
- You already have a practice-management system and want to keep it
Use both if: you run matters and billing in Clio. Keep Clio for that, and use Trust Circle for client identity, sensitive files and qualified signatures.
What Trust Circle doesn't do
Live sanctions and PEP screening, beneficial ownership checks and the risk decision stay with your firm.
It isn't a practice-management system. Matters, time and billing stay in your own system.
What our customers say
I spend at least an hour a day answering ‘Where is the latest SHA?’ or ‘What is the notice period?’
We’ve searched for a document or client portal for years. SharePoint doesn’t work.
ABN AMROMicrosoftDLA PiperBird & BirdBinderrOyster HRCALIPIA
Verify, share and sign in one place
- Identity verification in every plan, no fee per check
- Verified once, valid for two years
- ZealiD AB is a qualified trust service provider on the EU Trusted List
- Documents stored in Stockholm, EU
Common questions
Does Clio verify a client's identity?
We found no identity verification in Clio for Clients. Trust Circle checks each client's ID document and face once, valid for two years, with no fee per check. How identity verification works.
Does Clio offer qualified electronic signatures?
Clio offers e-signature, but it doesn't publish the signature level. Ask Clio which level and which provider it uses. In Trust Circle every signature is a QES from ZealiD AB, a qualified trust service provider. About qualified signatures.
How much does Clio cost?
See Clio's pricing page. Third-party sources give different figures, and we couldn't verify them on Clio's own page in November 2026. Clio's pricing page.
Does Clio keep data in the EU?
Clio runs a separate EMEA instance for EU customers, alongside the US, Canada and Australia. Trust Circle keeps files in Stockholm, Sweden. Clio regions.
Can I use Trust Circle alongside Clio?
Yes, side by side. There's no direct integration between them. Clio keeps your matters and billing, and Trust Circle invites the client by email to verify, share files and sign with a QES. You'd pay for both, so it makes most sense when you need verified identity or qualified signatures.
Does identity verification cost extra in Trust Circle?
No. It's included in every plan, from Micro to Enterprise, with no limit on how many clients you verify. Your client doesn't pay anything either. See plans.