Copyright 2026 Breichbilt LLC
Comparison · Updated October 2026
The Best Client Portals for Law Firms and Accountants in 2026
The best client portal for a law firm or accounting firm depends on two things: how many people on your team need access, and how comfortable your clients are with technology. For tax and accounting firms that want to run their whole practice in one system, TaxDome is the strongest all-in-one, and SmartVault is the usual choice for firms on Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax. For small law firms that already use Clio or MyCase, the portal bundled with that software is often enough. ShareFile is the safe large-vendor pick, and TitanFile is the lowest-cost credible option for a one- to three-person firm. Zapa Client Portals is the best fit when clients are older or less technical: they sign in from an emailed link with no password or app, and can send a paper document by photographing it. A firm can also require a password and multi-factor authentication. Its flat price of $140/month billed annually ($175 monthly) covers unlimited staff, so it costs less than per-user portals from about two to six staff, depending on the vendor.
Zapa is our product. We've tried to be fair to everyone on this list: prices come from each vendor's own pricing page, checked October 2026, and we say plainly where Zapa is not the right choice.
The demo invites you into a portal as your client would see it. No credit card and nothing to install.
How we compared them
Four questions decide whether a portal works for a professional firm, so every entry below answers the same four:
What does it cost for your team size?
Per-user pricing looks cheap for one person and expensive for fifteen. We show the monthly cost at 1, 5 and 15 staff.
How do clients get in?
A portal clients can't log into is a portal nobody uses. We note whether clients need an account and password.
What's included and what's an add-on?
E-signatures, request lists, branding and HIPAA support are often tier-gated.
Who is it actually built for?
Some of these are practice-management suites with a portal attached; others are portals first.
The comparison at a glance
| Portal | Best for | Pricing model | Starting price (billed annually) | Client login |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapa Client Portals | Best forFirms whose clients are older or less technical; firms with several staff | Pricing modelFlat, unlimited staff and clients | Starting price$140/mo ($175 monthly) | Client loginEmailed link, no password or app required; password and multi-factor authentication available |
| TaxDome | Best forAccounting and tax firms wanting an all-in-one practice system | Pricing modelPer seat per year, paid upfront | Starting price$1,000/seat/yr on Pro (Essentials $800, solo only) | Client loginAccount with a password (12+ characters) |
| SmartVault | Best forTax firms on Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax | Pricing modelPer user, 2-user minimum on accounting plans | Starting price$65/user/mo (Accounting Pro) | Client loginAccount with a password and phone number |
| ShareFile | Best forFirms that want a large, established vendor | Pricing modelPer user, 3-user minimum | Starting price$16.50/user/mo (Advanced); $26 on Premium | Client loginPassword, Google or Microsoft sign-in; the firm can switch on emailed one-time codes |
| TitanFile | Best forVery small law firms and regulated practices on a budget | Pricing modelPer user, 2-user minimum (solo plan available) | Starting price$16/user/mo (Business Starter); $22 solo | Client loginOne-time PIN, then the client sets a password |
| Clio | Best forLaw firms already running on Clio | Pricing modelPer user; portal needs Core or higher | Starting priceCore is quote-only (Starter, from $49/user, has no portal) | Client loginEmailed one-time sign-in link, no password |
| MyCase | Best forLaw firms already running on MyCase | Pricing modelPer user | Starting price$100/user/mo on Pro ($50 Basic, limited portal) | Client loginActivation email, then the client creates a password |
| SuiteDash | Best forBudget-first firms willing to invest in setup | Pricing modelFlat, unlimited staff and clients | Starting price$15/mo ($180/yr Start); $80/mo ($960/yr Pinnacle) | Client loginPassword; the firm can turn on magic-link login |
| Assembly | Best forModern service businesses and agencies | Pricing modelTiers by contact count and included users | Starting price$29/mo Starter (50 contacts, 1 user); $99 Professional | Client loginPassword, Google, or an emailed magic link (on by default) |
The portals, one by one
Zapa Client Portals – best when your clients are older or less technical
Who it's for: Law firms, accounting and tax practices, and fiduciary and estate practices whose clients struggle with logins and apps.
What it costs: Professional $175/month, or $140/month billed annually; Large Firm $350/month, or $280/month billed annually. Unlimited staff and unlimited clients on every plan; clients never pay.
Why firms pick it: The whole client side is built for people who don't use much software. Clients sign in from a link in an email, with no password to create and no app to install. If they want a password, they get seven days to set one, and a firm can require a password and multi-factor authentication. They can photograph a paper document with an iPhone and Zapa names the file. E-signatures, PDF editing, templates and bulk uploads are built in, and Large Firm adds built-in video calls where a client can fill in and sign a document live. It integrates with Clio and with Zapier. About 80% of estate-practice signups become paying firms, and firms have moved over a million client files through Zapa portals.
Watch out for: For a one-person firm, Zapa costs more than most of the per-user options below, and SuiteDash is cheaper at any size. It does not replace practice-management or tax software.
TaxDome – best all-in-one for accounting and tax firms
Who it's for: Solo to mid-size tax, bookkeeping and accounting firms that want CRM, workflow, billing and the client portal in one system.
What it costs: Per seat per year, paid upfront: Pro $1,000, Business $1,200 (about $83 and $100 per seat per month), with small discounts on a two-year term. Essentials is $800 a year for a solo practitioner only.
Why firms pick it: Organizers, e-signatures and a client mobile app come in the same subscription, so there is one system for the whole tax season.
Watch out for: It is a practice-management system, not just a portal, so getting value means moving your workflow into it. The whole year is paid upfront, and clients create an account with a 12-character password.
SmartVault – best for tax firms on Intuit tax software
Who it's for: US tax preparers with two or more staff who live in Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax.
What it costs: Per user per month, billed annually: Accounting Pro $65, Accounting Unlimited $85 (both with a two-user minimum); Business Pro $65 with a three-user minimum. Trials are by request.
Why firms pick it: Deep tax-software integrations make it the default document system for many Intuit-based firms.
Watch out for: Per-user pricing with a seat minimum adds up quickly as the team grows, and unlimited e-signatures and identity checks (KBA) come with the Unlimited plan. Clients create an account with a password and a phone number.
ShareFile – best if you want the established big-name vendor
Who it's for: Professional and financial-services firms that want a long-established vendor with broad integrations.
What it costs: Per user per month, billed annually, three-user minimum: Advanced $16.50, Premium $26, Enterprise $35. Monthly billing runs about 10% higher.
Why firms pick it: Mature product, unlimited client users, a self-serve trial, and a firm-wide option to let clients sign in with an emailed one-time code instead of a password.
Watch out for: E-signature and the fuller portal features sit in Premium and above, and with the three-user minimum even a solo firm pays for three seats. See our Zapa vs ShareFile comparison.
TitanFile – cheapest credible option for a very small firm
Who it's for: Small law firms and regulated organizations that need secure exchange on a tight budget.
What it costs: Per user per month, billed annually: Business Starter $16, Business Pro $24 (two-user minimum), or $22 for a single-user Individual plan. External contacts are free.
Why firms pick it: Low per-user price, free external contacts, and data-residency options in the US, Canada and EU.
Watch out for: Clients confirm a one-time PIN and then set a password. The per-user price advantage shrinks as the team grows: at six staff on Business Pro, a flat-priced portal is cheaper.
Clio and MyCase – best if you already run your law firm on them
Who it's for: Law firms already paying for Clio or MyCase.
What it costs: Clio's client portal needs the Core plan or higher, which Clio prices by quote (Starter, from $49 per user, has no portal). MyCase is $50, $100 or $130 per user per month billed annually; the Basic plan's portal is labeled "limited".
Why firms pick it: The portal comes with software the firm already uses, linked to matters and billing. Clio clients sign in from an emailed one-time link with no password.
Watch out for: The portal is a feature of the practice software, not the product, and it is priced per user. MyCase clients create a password when they activate.
SuiteDash – lowest flat price, if you'll invest in setup
Who it's for: Cost-conscious firms and solo practitioners who want one low-cost tool for portal, CRM and invoicing.
What it costs: Flat, billed annually: Start $180, Thrive $480, Pinnacle $960 a year ($15, $40 and $80 a month). Monthly billing is $19, $49 and $99.
Why firms pick it: Flat pricing with unlimited staff and clients, at a fraction of most per-user tools. The firm can turn on magic-link login for clients.
Watch out for: Reviewers consistently describe a steep setup curve and a dense interface, for the firm and for clients.
Assembly – modern portal for service businesses
Who it's for: Agencies and modern service firms (formerly sold as Copilot).
What it costs: Billed annually: Starter $29 a month (50 contacts, one user), Professional $99 (500 contacts, three users), Advanced $499 (unlimited contacts, five users). A free plan covers five contacts.
Why firms pick it: Polished, modern client experience, and clients sign in from an emailed magic link by default.
Watch out for: Plans cap active contacts and included users, and the HIPAA BAA is only on the $499 Advanced plan.
What it costs at 1, 5 and 15 staff
Monthly cost on annual billing, with each vendor's seat minimum applied. Each vendor is shown on the plan it sells for a full client portal with e-signature.
| Team size | Zapa Professional | ShareFile Premium ($26/user, 3 min) | TitanFile Business Pro ($24/user, 2 min) | SmartVault Accounting Pro ($65/user, 2 min) | TaxDome Pro ($1,000/seat/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 staff | Zapa Professional$140 | ShareFile Premium$78 | TitanFile Business Pro$48 ($22 on the solo plan) | SmartVault Accounting Pro$130 | TaxDome Pro$83 ($67 on solo Essentials) |
| 5 staff | Zapa Professional$140 | ShareFile Premium$130 | TitanFile Business Pro$120 | SmartVault Accounting Pro$325 | TaxDome Pro$417 |
| 15 staff | Zapa Professional$140 | ShareFile Premium$390 | TitanFile Business Pro$360 | SmartVault Accounting Pro$975 | TaxDome Pro$1,250 |
For a solo firm, almost every per-user portal is cheaper than Zapa. Zapa's flat price becomes the cheaper option at two staff against TaxDome, three against SmartVault, and six against ShareFile and TitanFile, and the gap grows with every hire after that. SuiteDash, at $15 to $80 a month flat, is cheaper than Zapa at every size.
When Zapa is the wrong choice
You're a solo firm and price decides it. TitanFile's $22 solo plan, ShareFile, or the portal bundled with your practice software will cost less.
You want the lowest price at any size and don't mind setup work. SuiteDash is cheaper.
Your season runs on Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax. SmartVault or TaxDome go deeper into tax workflows than a standalone portal.
You already use Clio or MyCase and your clients log in without trouble. The bundled portal is probably enough.
Your main need is emailing documents out for signature. Zapa's e-signatures happen inside the portal and live on video calls today; a dedicated e-signature tool fits an email-first signing workflow better.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best client portal for a small law firm?
If you already use Clio or MyCase, start with the portal included in it. If you don't, or your clients struggle with logins, a standalone portal fits better: TitanFile is the lowest-cost credible option for one to three people, and Zapa is the best fit when clients are older or less technical, because they sign in from an email link with no password.
What is the best client portal for accountants and tax firms?
TaxDome if you want one system for the whole practice, and SmartVault if your firm runs on Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax. A standalone portal such as Zapa or ShareFile fits firms that want to keep their existing tax software and only need secure file collection, signatures and requests.
How much does a client portal cost?
Per-user portals run from about $16 to $130 per staff member per month on annual billing, and several require two or three seats minimum. Flat-priced portals cost the same however many staff you add: SuiteDash runs $15 to $80 a month and Zapa $140 a month, both billed annually. For one person, per-user pricing is usually cheaper; from about two to six staff, depending on the vendor, Zapa's flat price is cheaper than the per-user portals.
What is the easiest client portal for elderly clients?
The one that never asks them for a password or an app. Zapa, Clio's client portal and Assembly all sign clients in from an emailed link, and ShareFile and SuiteDash let the firm turn that on. Zapa can also require a password and multi-factor authentication when the firm wants that, and it lets clients send a paper document by photographing it with an iPhone. Our guide to client portals for older clients covers the five things that decide whether a portal works for elderly clients.
Do my clients have to pay for the portal?
No. On every portal in this list, the firm's subscription covers its clients. What differs is how clients sign in: Zapa, Clio and Assembly use an emailed link, and Zapa can also require a password and multi-factor authentication. TaxDome, SmartVault, TitanFile and MyCase have clients create a password. Some plans also cap how many clients you can invite (Assembly counts active contacts).
Does Zapa integrate with Clio?
Yes. Zapa integrates with Clio and with Zapier. It still does not replace practice-management software: the portal sits alongside the system the firm already runs.
See it the way your clients will.
The demo invites you into a portal as your client would see it. No credit card and nothing to install.
