Shopping for intake software is confusing because nobody prices it the same way. One vendor charges per user, another per minute, another per call, and a fourth bundles everything and adds fees you only find in the contract.
This guide breaks down the common pricing models, the questions worth asking before you sign and how our own pricing works. If you want the short answer version, see how much does legal intake software cost.
The four pricing models you'll run into
Most intake tools for law firms use one of these, or a mix.
1. Per user (per seat)
You pay a monthly fee for each person who logs in. This is common for CRMs.
It looks cheap when you're small. The cost grows every time you add a paralegal, an associate or a part-time intake person. It also pushes firms to share logins or keep people out of the system, which defeats the point of having one.
Example only: if a tool charged $75 per seat, a 3-person team would pay $225 a month. Grow to 8 people and it's $600 a month for the same software. That's a made-up rate to show how it scales, not anyone's real price.
We wrote a whole post on this model: per-user vs. flat pricing for legal CRMs.
2. Per minute
Common with answering services. You pay for the time an operator spends on your calls.
The catch is that good intake takes time. A thorough intake call that asks the right questions and books a consult runs longer than a message-taking call. Per-minute pricing quietly rewards short calls, which is the opposite of what you want.
Example only: at a hypothetical $1.50 a minute, 200 calls averaging 6 minutes is $1,800 a month. Push the average to 9 minutes so intake is done right and it's $2,700.
3. Per call
You pay a monthly fee that includes a set number of calls, with a per-call rate after that. Call length doesn't change the price, so there's no penalty for running a complete intake.
The thing to check is the overage rate and whether your call volume is seasonal.
4. Flat or bundled
One monthly price for a package. This is easiest to budget for. The thing to check is what's actually in the bundle, and what limits apply to calls, messages or users.
What drives the price
Whatever the model, these are the levers.
- Call or minute volume. Biggest factor for answering and AI tools.
- Number of users. Biggest factor for per-seat CRMs.
- Text message volume. Reminders and follow-ups add up.
- Integrations. Some tools charge extra to connect to your practice management system.
- Setup and onboarding. Some charge a one-time fee, some build it into the plan.
- Contract length. Annual contracts sometimes get a lower rate but lock you in.
- Add-ons. Scheduling, e-signature or reporting may be separate line items.
Questions to ask every vendor
Copy these into your notes before the demo.
- What exactly is included in the monthly price?
- Do you charge per user, per minute, per call or flat?
- What happens when I go over my limit, and what's the overage rate?
- Is there a setup or onboarding fee?
- Who does the setup, you or my staff?
- Does it connect to the practice management software we already use?
- Are text messages included, and how many?
- What's the contract length, and how do I cancel?
- What will my bill look like if we double our call volume?
The last question is the one people forget. Ask the vendor to price out your busiest month, not your average one.
How IntakeGenius is priced
Here's ours, in full. We price per call for the voice agent and flat for the CRM, with unlimited users on every plan and no setup fees.
AI Voice Agent
| Plan | Monthly | Calls included | Overage per call | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Starter | $299 | 300 | $2.00 | | Growth | $799 | 750 | $1.75 | | Scale | $1,699 | 1,500 | $1.50 |
IntakeCRM + Messaging
| Plan | Monthly | Messages included | Users | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Starter | $299 | 3,000 | Unlimited | | Growth | $499 | 6,000 | Unlimited | | Scale | $899 | 12,000 | Unlimited |
Full Intake Stack (agent plus CRM plus messaging)
| Plan | Monthly | | --- | --- | | Starter | $499 | | Growth | $1,099 | | Scale | $2,199 |
Growth is the right fit for most small firms. Everything is on our pricing page.
Working through an overage
Because pricing is per call, it's worth knowing how a busy month plays out.
Say you're on the Growth voice agent and a busy month brings 850 calls. That's 100 over the 750 included. At $1.75 each, that's $175 extra, so $974 for the month. Call length doesn't change that number, whether the intake took four minutes or twelve.
If you're regularly over, the next plan up usually makes more sense. Scale includes 1,500 calls at a lower overage rate.
A quick way to compare quotes
When you've got two or three quotes, put them in one table:
| | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost at your normal volume | | | | | Monthly cost in your busiest month | | | | | Cost if you add two staff | | | | | Setup fee | | | | | What you'd still need to buy separately | | | |
That last row matters. A cheap answering service plus a separate CRM plus a texting tool can cost more than a bundle. We break that down in hidden costs of piecing together intake tools.
Where IntakeGenius fits
We built IntakeGenius so a small firm can see its bill in advance. Per-call pricing means thorough intake doesn't cost extra, unlimited users means your whole team can use the CRM, and setup is part of the product. It also connects to MyCase and Clio.
If you'd like us to price out your busiest month, book a 15-minute call. No slides.