Guides / COI tracking
COI tracking software for small contractors, compared
Spreadsheets, free tiers, flat-price tools and done-for-you services, compared on what matters: who chases renewals, whether subs need a login, and what it costs.
If you're a small GC or property manager with somewhere between five and a hundred subs or vendors, you don't need an enterprise compliance platform. You also probably shouldn't be living in a spreadsheet forever. Here's an honest look at the options. We build one of them (CertRally, not live yet), so read this knowing we're biased. We've tried to be fair. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page, or a published third-party comparison where marked.
Prices checked 19 October 2026 from the linked pages. BCS, TrustLayer and CertChase figures are from CertChase's published comparison (Oct 2026), so treat them as third-party. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy. We have no affiliation with any vendor listed except CertRally.
The short version
| Option | Free tier | Paid (as published) | Who chases renewals | Good fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet (+ our template) | Free | — | You | Under ~10–20 subs, one owner |
| SubCover | Up to 5 active subs | $29/mo unlimited subs | Automatic emails | Small residential GCs |
| TrackMyVendor | Up to 25 subs (you send reminders) | $39/mo Starter (automatic reminders), $59/mo Pro | Automatic on paid | GCs who also want license checks |
| SubDoc | Up to 3 vendors | $20/mo Pro (up to 100), $55/mo Advanced | Automatic emails | GCs wanting pay-hold workflow |
| PaperBoss | Free plan | $23/mo Starter, $63/mo Pro, $119/mo Business (billed annually) | Expiry alerts | GCs tracking COIs + W-9s |
| BCS (self-service) | Up to 25 vendors | $0.95 per vendor/month | You / automated | Teams needing integrations |
| TrustLayer | Up to 50 vendors | Quoted on request | Automated | Construction/property teams growing fast |
| CertChase (done-for-you) | Up to 12 subs | $2 per sub/month up to 100 (max $175) | Their team | Nobody in the office has time |
| myCOI, Jones, CertFocus, BCS full-service | — | Quote-based / annual minimums | Often their team | Commercial GCs, large portfolios |
| CertRally (in development) | — | $39/mo founding price (planned), up to 100 subs | Automatic emails + AI reading | Small GCs/PMs, 5–100 subs |
What actually matters when you compare
1. Who does the chasing?
This is the real job. Some free tiers track dates but leave the reminder emails to you. Check whether the plan you'd use sends renewal requests to the sub automatically, and on what schedule.
2. Do subs need an account?
Subs won't create logins for your software. Look for an emailed upload link that works without an account. Most tools above offer this.
3. Does it read the certificate, or do you type it in?
Some tools extract dates, limits and policy numbers from the PDF (often called OCR or AI parsing); others rely on you or the sub typing the values. Reading saves time, but it should flag anything it's unsure of rather than guess, and you should still approve.
4. Does it check your requirements, and how honestly?
Comparing limits to your minimums is straightforward. Endorsements are harder: a "Y" in the additional-insured box isn't the endorsement (see what to check on a COI). Be wary of any tool that claims to declare coverage "compliant" on its own. Treat its flags as prompts, not verdicts.
5. Pricing model
Per-vendor pricing is cheap when you're small and adds up as you grow; flat plans are predictable. Watch for annual minimums and setup fees on enterprise tools.
6. Audit history and export
Can you pull every certificate for a past policy period, and export your data if you leave? You'll want both at your next premium audit.
Our honest recommendations
- Under ~10 subs and one organised person: use a spreadsheet. Grab our free template.
- Up to 25–50 subs, want to pay nothing: try the free tiers from TrackMyVendor, BCS or TrustLayer and see which your subs actually respond to.
- Want automatic chasing at a low flat price: SubCover and SubDoc are worth a look.
- Nobody has time to review anything: a done-for-you service like CertChase, or an enterprise provider if you're large.
- Want automatic chasing and AI that reads each certificate against your requirements: that's what we're building with CertRally. It isn't available yet. If that's the combination you need, join the waitlist and tell us what you'd need from it.
Whatever you pick, keep the habits in how to track subcontractor COIs: one record per policy, renewals chased before expiry, and payment tied to current coverage.