Quick Answer: For a 10-lawyer firm, Clio Grow costs $48,801 over 3 years. MyCase costs $14,754. PracticePanther costs $18,537. Custom software costs $124,000 over 3 years but drops to $12,000/year ongoing — beating all SaaS options by year 6 and saving $7,000–$14,000/year permanently thereafter. If you're planning to operate for 7+ years, custom software is the financially optimal choice for most 10-lawyer firms.
A 10-lawyer firm is exactly the size where the legal software decision gets interesting. You're too big to not care about $15,000/year in software costs. You're big enough that custom software starts to pencil out. And you're probably using Clio right now because that's what you switched to when you outgrew paper-based systems — not because you rigorously evaluated the alternatives.
This guide gives you the actual numbers across every option for a 10-attorney firm, with honest assessments of what each delivers and clear break-even math.
The Full 3-to-6-Year Cost Comparison
*All SaaS options assume 5% annual price increases (Clio's historical average). Custom assumes $100,000 build cost and $12,000/year fixed maintenance. No transaction fees on custom.
Why Clio Costs So Much More Than the Alternatives
Clio Grow at $129/user/month is genuinely expensive compared to MyCase ($39) and PracticePanther ($49). The premium funds:
Integration ecosystem: 250+ integrations vs 40–50 for alternatives
Customer support: Clio's support quality and response time are consistently rated highest in the category
Feature depth: Advanced billing (LEDES, split billing), comprehensive reporting, strong mobile app
Brand recognition: Clio is the recognized platform in the industry, which matters for lateral hires who already know it
The question for a 10-lawyer firm: is that ecosystem worth $30,000–$60,000 more over 3–5 years? For most firms doing general practice without heavy integration dependencies, the answer is no.
What MyCase Actually Delivers for $4,680/Year
MyCase at $39/user/month isn't a stripped-down Clio. It covers the core workflows that 80% of law firms use daily:
Case management and matter tracking — solid
Time tracking and billing — good, including LEDES billing
Client portal — functional and well-designed
Document management — basic but workable for most firms
Calendar and deadline tracking — straightforward
What you lose vs Clio: the integration breadth (50 vs 250+ integrations), the depth of advanced billing features, the reporting sophistication, and the support quality. For a general practice firm that isn't deeply integrated into niche legal tech tools, these trade-offs are worth $30,000+ over 5 years.
When Custom Software Is the Right Choice
For a 10-lawyer firm planning to operate for 7+ years, custom software is the financially dominant option. After year 6, you're paying $12,000/year vs $20,000+/year for Clio — with software built exactly for your firm, no per-user fees as you grow, and zero annual price increases.
The non-financial case is equally strong: custom software means your intake workflow, your specific practice area templates, your billing rules, your reporting format — all built in from day one, not configured around a generic template.
What custom software gets you that Clio never will:
No per-user fee increase when you hire — grow from 10 to 15 lawyers with no software cost change
Practice-specific document automation built for your exact matter types
Integrated accounting if you want to eliminate QuickBooks entirely
Custom client portal branded to your firm
Reporting built for your specific metrics (not Clio's standard reports)
Build takes 4–6 weeks — you're not waiting months
The Decision Framework for a 10-Lawyer Firm
Stay on Clio if:
You're heavily integrated into the Clio ecosystem (Fastcase, Caret, specific e-filing integrations)
You're planning to sell or merge in 2–3 years — don't add migration complexity
Your team is trained and the switching cost is high
Switch to MyCase or PracticePanther if:
You're spending $15,000+/year on Clio and don't use its integrations or advanced features
Budget is a primary concern and you can absorb 4–8 weeks of migration work
Build custom if:
You're operating for 7+ years, spending $12,000+/year on Clio, and have workflows the platform can't accommodate
You're growing past 10 lawyers — per-user SaaS fees compound while custom maintenance stays flat
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Clio to MyCase migration actually involve?
Data export from Clio: contacts, matters, time entries, documents, billing history. Import into MyCase: most structured data imports cleanly, documents require re-upload or bulk import. Timeline: 4–8 weeks for full migration including parallel operation. Staff training: 2–3 weeks. Recommend starting migration 8 weeks before planned cutover to avoid billing disruptions.
Do clients notice when you switch software?
Clients may notice a new client portal (new login, new interface). Most find the transition straightforward — send a brief email explaining the switch and provide new portal login instructions. Client-facing disruption is typically 1–2 weeks of confusion, not a material relationship issue.
Can custom software replicate Clio's specific integrations?
Custom software is built to integrate with whatever you specify. If you rely on a specific Clio integration (e.g., your e-filing system, your payment processor), that integration is built into the custom system during development. You don't lose integrations — you choose which ones to include.
What's the risk if the custom software developer closes?
You own the code outright. If a developer closes, the software continues running indefinitely on your servers. You can hire any developer to maintain or enhance it — you're not locked to the original developer. This is fundamentally different from SaaS, where a vendor closing means your data is at risk.
Running 10 lawyers on Clio and spending $15,000+/year? The break-even math on custom software is almost always in your favor within 5–7 years — and the annual savings after that are permanent. We'll run your firm's specific numbers and show you exactly what custom would include.