Product Comparison 2026
DEPLAW vs. Clio
Clio is one of the most widely used practice-management platforms internationally — but it wasn't designed for the German legal system. DEPLAW was built from the ground up for beA, DATEV and German procedural law, and adds an open workflow editor on top.
Standard
BPMN 2.0 editor
Free, visual process modeling. Clio offers predefined templates instead, with no open workflow editor.
Native
Integrated telephony
Calls placed directly from the case file, logged automatically. Clio only offers this via paid third-party add-ons.
Law
beA, DATEV & RVG/GKG
Built from the ground up for German law. Clio has no concept of beA, DATEV, or German fee schedules.
Portal
Full online case file
Clients see the complete case file in real time. Clio's Client Portal only shows a limited view of the case.
| Kriterium | DEPLAW | Clio |
|---|---|---|
| Origin & Target Market | ||
| Country of development | Germany · built for the German legal system | Canada / USA |
| Target market | DACH / EU | 130+ countries · no dedicated DE/EU focus |
| Contract & support language | German | English only |
| Data Protection & Compliance | ||
| GDPR compliance | Built from the ground up for GDPR | Compliance tools available · primary market is the US |
| Server location | Germany / EU · data never leaves the EU | USA (AWS) |
| beA integration | Full | Not available |
| BRAO / BORA compliance | Full | Not relevant · built for US/CA bar associations |
| Workflow, Telephony & Law | ||
| BPMN workflow editor | Visual process modeling, no IT skills required | Not available · predefined templates only |
| Integrated telephony | Calls from the case file, logged automatically | Not native · paid third-party providers only |
| DATEV compliance | Direct export · compliant accounting entries | Not available · export only to QuickBooks/Xero |
| Online case file (client portal) | Full case-file view, real time | Client Portal · no full case-file view |
| Core Practice Management | ||
| Case management | Yes | Yes · matter management (Clio Manage) |
| Time tracking & billing | Yes | Yes · included in every plan |
| Document management | Yes | Yes · incl. e-signature & template library |
| Client communication | Yes | Yes · client portal, email, SMS |
| Client CRM / intake | Yes | Yes · separate, paid module (Clio Grow) |
| AI assistant | German & built for German law | Manage AI · geared toward English speakers |
| Online payments | Included, at no extra cost | Paid · fee per transaction (Clio Payments) |
| Mobile app | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Support, Pricing & Onboarding | ||
| Support language | German · direct contact in Germany | English only |
| Governing law | German law | US / Canadian law |
| Entry price | On request | From $49/user/month · full feature set from $89–149 |
| Data migration & onboarding | Guided, in German | English-language · support only on higher plans |
Basis: publicly available vendor information, as of 2026. "Clio" is a trademark of its respective provider. This comparison is intended for factual reference only.
See for yourself what's possible.
45 minutes well spent — we'll show you the live platform and answer every question.
Book a demo