ClerkyLegal for small business — Clerky is best suited for technology startups and venture-backed…

Pricing

Flat pricing per service package. Delaware incorporation starts at $419 (includes state fees). Additional services like stock issuances, board consents, and fundraising documents are priced separately as flat-fee packages ranging from $99 to several hundred dollars depending on complexity.

Overview

Picture a two-person SaaS team preparing to close their first angel round. Their investor asks for a cap table, signed SAFEs, and proof of a clean Delaware C-corp incorporation—all within two weeks. Without a retained law firm, founders often scramble through generic template sites, end up with errors in their charter, or miss critical post-incorporation steps like issuing founder stock with the right 83(b) elections. Clerky exists precisely to close that gap. Clerky is a legal document platform built specifically for technology startups and early-stage companies. It was created by attorneys who previously worked at Orrick, one of Silicon Valley's top startup law firms, which means the documents aren't generic—they reflect real deal-flow experience. The platform walks founders through Delaware incorporation, post-incorporation setup (bylaws, organizational consent, initial equity grants), stock issuances, SAFEs, convertible notes, NDAs, and offer letters. More than 20,000 startups have used Clerky to get their legal house in order. For a first-time founder handling their own admin, Clerky's guided workflows reduce the risk of missing a step that could complicate a future funding round or acquisition. For an operations hire at a seed-stage startup, the platform's corporate maintenance tools help track outstanding tasks like annual report filings and board consents without needing to email a lawyer for every small update. For a CEO preparing fundraising documents, Clerky generates YC-standard SAFEs in minutes, which most institutional seed investors already recognize and accept. Onboarding is straightforward for founders comfortable with online forms. The platform guides you sequentially, so there's no assumption of legal knowledge. That said, Clerky is self-serve by design—if your situation involves unusual equity arrangements, international co-founders with complex visa considerations, or a non-standard corporate structure, you'll still want a startup attorney involved. Companies that should skip Clerky include non-Delaware LLCs or S-corps, brick-and-mortar small businesses with no venture ambitions, and any founder whose legal situation is already complicated enough to require personalized counsel. Clerky is purpose-built for the VC-trackable startup path; it's not a general small business legal tool.

Features

• Guided Delaware C-corp incorporation with attorney-reviewed document templates
• Post-incorporation setup including bylaws, board consents, and initial equity issuances
• SAFE and convertible note generation aligned with YC standard terms
• Founder stock issuance workflows with 83(b) election support built in
• Employee offer letter and NDA templates designed for startup hiring
• Corporate maintenance checklists to track ongoing compliance tasks
• Cap table documentation support for early-stage equity rounds

Best for

Clerky is best suited for technology startups and venture-backed founders incorporating as Delaware C-corps who want institutional-quality legal documents without retaining a full-service law firm from day one. It's particularly valuable for solo founders or small co-founder teams going through Y Combinator, participating in accelerators, or raising a pre-seed or seed round from angel investors who expect standard SAFEs and clean cap tables. Ops-minded early employees tasked with keeping corporate records organized will also find the maintenance features useful. If your startup follows a relatively standard equity compensation and fundraising path, Clerky covers the vast majority of document needs at a predictable cost.

Limitations

Clerky's scope is intentionally narrow: it serves Delaware C-corps on a venture track. Founders forming LLCs, S-corps, or companies in other states will need to look elsewhere. The platform is self-serve, meaning there's no live attorney advising you—if something in your situation is non-standard (international founders, complex IP assignments, prior equity complications), you may not realize you need additional help until it's costly to fix. Pricing for full incorporation packages and ongoing document bundles should be verified on the vendor site, as costs can add up across multiple document types. Clerky also does not file taxes, provide employment law advice, or handle trademark registration.

Frequently asked questions

What is Clerky?

Incorporate your startup in Delaware correctly the first time, with attorney-built legal docs at a fraction of law firm costs. Picture a two-person SaaS team preparing to close their first angel round. Their investor asks for a cap table, signed SAFEs, and proof of a clean Delaware C-corp incorporation—all within two weeks. Without a retained law firm, founders often scramble through generic template sites, end up with errors in their charter, or miss critical post-incorporation steps like issuing founder stock with the…

Who is Clerky best for?

Clerky is best suited for technology startups and venture-backed founders incorporating as Delaware C-corps who want institutional-quality legal documents without retaining a full-service law firm from day one. It's particularly valuable for solo founders or small co-founder teams going through Y Combinator, participating in accelerators, or raising a pre-seed or seed round from angel investors who expect standard SAFEs and clean cap tables. Ops-minded early employees tasked with keeping corporate records organized will also find the maintenance features useful. If your startup follows a relatively standard equity compensation and fundraising path, Clerky covers the vast majority of document needs at a predictable cost.

What are the main limitations of Clerky?

Clerky's scope is intentionally narrow: it serves Delaware C-corps on a venture track. Founders forming LLCs, S-corps, or companies in other states will need to look elsewhere. The platform is self-serve, meaning there's no live attorney advising you—if something in your situation is non-standard (international founders, complex IP assignments, prior equity complications), you may not realize you need additional help until it's costly to fix. Pricing for full incorporation packages and ongoing document bundles should be verified on the vendor site, as costs can add up across multiple document types. Clerky also does not file taxes, provide employment law advice, or handle trademark registration.

Why does AIStackForSMB rate Clerky 7/10 for SMBs?

Clerky scores well on time-to-value and admin overhead reduction for its target user: a first-time startup founder who would otherwise spend weeks coordinating with a law firm or risk getting incorporation wrong with generic templates. The guided workflows dramatically cut the learning curve for legal paperwork that would otherwise require billable attorney hours. Cost predictability is solid for the specific documents Clerky covers, making budgeting easier for pre-revenue teams. However, the score is capped because Clerky's SMB utility is narrow—it only serves Delaware C-corps on a venture path, leaving out the majority of traditional small businesses that are LLCs or S-corps. Support is self-serve, so founders with edge cases bear the risk of not knowing what they don't know. For the right startup profile, it's a strong 8–9; averaged across the broader SMB landscape, a 7 reflects the limited applicability outside venture-backed tech.

How does pricing work for Clerky?

Paid plans from about $419/mo (verify on the vendor site). Flat pricing per service package. Delaware incorporation starts at $419 (includes state fees). Additional services like stock issuances, board consents, and fundraising documents are priced separately as flat-fee packages ranging from $99 to several hundred dollars depending on complexity.

What category is Clerky in?

Clerky is grouped under Legal on AIStackForSMB. Browse more tools in that category on our site under /categories/legal.