The verdict in three sentences
Clio and vertical suites like Secib or Jarvis Legal structure the market but bill 39-129 USD/user/month (45-85 EUR in France), a cost that climbs with every seat. Custom software costs 55,000 to 120,000 EUR upfront plus 15% annual maintenance, but natively integrates your document templates, conflict detection and client-account integration. Break-even sits around 20 seats and a 5-7 year horizon, especially when your business processes fall outside vendor standards.
2026 suite comparison
Vertical suites include compliance and templates, but impose their ergonomics and a rising per-user cost.
| Criterion | Secib / Jarvis | Clio | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price /user/month | 45-85 EUR | 39-129 USD | 0 |
| Upfront cost | 1,500-5,000 EUR | 0-2,000 USD | 55,000-120,000 EUR |
| Conflict-of-interest detection | standard | standard | custom |
| Document templates | library | library | fully tailored |
| Accounting / client-funds integration | connector | connector | native |
| Historical migration | paid | paid | included in project |
| Data ownership | vendor | vendor | firm |
Five-year TCO for 20 seats
At 65 EUR/user/month, 20 seats mean 15,600 EUR/year, or about 82,000 EUR over 5 years with increases. Here is the full comparison.
| Scenario, 20 seats | Upfront | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Secib/Jarvis 65 EUR/month | 3,000 EUR | 82,000 EUR |
| Secib/Jarvis 85 EUR/month | 5,000 EUR | 107,000 EUR |
| Custom 85,000 EUR + 15% | 85,000 EUR | 148,750 EUR |
| Custom 60,000 EUR + 15% | 60,000 EUR | 105,000 EUR |
At 20 seats, custom at 60,000 EUR catches up with premium SaaS around year 5-6. Beyond that, the gap tips toward custom.
The real decision criteria
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The choice depends on: automated conflict-of-interest detection (critical for ethics), your specific document templates, native accounting/client-funds integration, the cost of historical migration, and the trade-off between per-file cost (SaaS) and fixed cost (custom).
Mini case study
Me Roux, partner at a 20-seat Marseille firm, pays Secib 78 EUR/user/month (18,720 EUR/year), or about 98,000 EUR over 5 years. Custom is quoted at 82,000 EUR + 15% maintenance (143,500 EUR over 5 years). The 45,000 EUR gap is real, but custom removes per-file fees and automates conflict detection across his 3,000 active files, cutting ethics risk, a stake TCO alone does not capture.
FAQ
At how many seats does custom pay off? Around 20 seats with a 5-7 year horizon. Below that, Secib, Jarvis or Clio remain cheaper.
Is conflict detection better in custom? It is above all tailored to your real rules: search scope, history, related parties. In SaaS, it stays standardised.
How much does migration from Secib cost? Expect 4,000-12,000 EUR in SaaS; in custom, historical migration is generally included in the project.
Can you integrate client funds in custom? Yes, client-funds and accounting integration is native, with no third-party connector to maintain, reducing reconciliation errors.
How long for custom legal software? Expect 5 to 9 months for a case + conflicts + billing + client-funds core, delivered in batches so the firm is never blocked.
Let's scope your project. Firm of 15 to 40 seats looking to leave Secib, Jarvis or Clio, indicative budget 55,000-120,000 EUR + maintenance. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
