Buyer's guide

Best COI tracking software for general contractors (2026)

There is no single best COI tracking tool, only the best fit for your size and what you are actually trying to solve. This guide compares the leading options honestly, including where each one is strong and where it is not, so you can pick the right tool for your GC.

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What to weigh when you are a GC choosing

Collection without subcontractor logins

Email is the only channel with near-total adoption. Tools that make subs create and maintain a login tend to see lower collection rates, because a sub working for six GCs will not keep six portals current.

Does it actually read the certificate?

The hardest part is getting data off the ACORD form. Look for AI extraction that prefills dates, limits, and the named insured, rather than asking you to retype, and confirm a person still approves each cert.

Expiration and renewal alerts

Coverage lapses silently. The tool should track each policy's expiration and warn you ahead of time, not just store a snapshot that goes stale at the next renewal.

Pricing fit and how you buy

Match the price and buying motion to your size. A small GC rarely needs a demo, an annual contract, or a certificate minimum. Watch for fees pushed onto your subs, common with prequalification networks.

Scope: tracking vs verification vs prequalification

Decide what problem you are solving. Certificate tracking, carrier-direct verification, and full safety prequalification are three different products at three different price points. Buying more than you need is a common and costly mistake.

The options at a glance

Tool	Best for	Reads cert	Managed review	Starting price
CoiLoop	Small-to-midsize GCs who want AI and no-login collection, free to start	AI extraction	You approve each cert	Free, then paid plans
Billy	Construction GCs who want managed plus self-service with deep Procore		Optional	Around $200 to $800 per month
Jones	Commercial real estate and construction at scale		Yes, sub-24h SLA	Quote based, typically $200+ per month
myCOI	Established mid-market firms that want a managed review team	OCR-based	Yes	Quote based, around 200 certificate minimum
CertFocus by Vertikal RMS	Teams wanting low-cost self-serve or full-service with carrier checks	Hawk-I AI	Optional full-service	Self-serve about $6 to $8 per vendor
SmartCompliance	Multi-industry organizations wanting a full-service compliance team	OCR-based	Optional full-service	Component-based, demo required
TrustLayer	Teams that want a modern interface plus carrier verification		Add-on (TrustLayer+)	Quote based
ISNetworld and Avetta	Industrial supply-chain prequalification, not COI tracking alone	Managed	Yes	Subs pay roughly $450 to $3,000 per year

CoiLoop is listed first because this guide is written for small-to-midsize general contractors. For a different profile, another tool below may fit better.

The tools in detail

1. CoiLoop

Free, then paid plans

Best for: Small-to-midsize GCs who want AI and no-login collection, free to start

CoiLoop is built specifically for general contractors tracking 5 to 100 subcontractors, the band where spreadsheets break but an enterprise risk platform is overkill. Subs upload their COI and W-9 through a no-login link, AI reads each certificate, and you get warned before anything expires.

It is the most self-serve option here: free to start, transparently priced, and live in about ten minutes with no sales call. The trade-off is scope. CoiLoop focuses on collecting, reading, and tracking certificates, and does not do carrier-direct verification or full prequalification.

Strengths

AI reads every certificate and prefills dates, limits, and named insured
Subs upload through a no-login magic link, no portal or password
Transparent pricing with a genuine free tier
Live in about ten minutes, no demo or implementation project

Watch-outs

No carrier-direct or live policy verification
No state-license verification
Not a full safety or financial prequalification suite

2. Billy

Around $200 to $800 per month

Best for: Construction GCs who want managed plus self-service with deep Procore

Billy is a strong, modern, construction-native platform that pairs COI tracking with prequalification and a Procore side-panel integration. It offers both self-service and managed review, and subs upload without a login.

For a mid-market GC that lives in Procore and wants prequalification alongside certificate tracking, Billy is a genuinely good fit. It does not have a free tier, and it is more tool than a very small GC needs.

Strengths

Construction-native, with a Procore side-panel integration
No-login document collection from subs
Built-in subcontractor prequalification
Both managed and self-service options

Watch-outs

No free tier to start
More platform than a small GC tracking a handful of subs may need

3. Jones

Quote based, typically $200+ per month

Best for: Commercial real estate and construction at scale

Jones is a capable AI-powered compliance platform built for scale across commercial real estate and construction, with deep Procore and MRI integrations and a large pre-audited subcontractor network.

That enterprise focus is the catch for smaller teams. Pricing is quote-based after a demo, and Jones is more than a lean GC back office needs.

Strengths

AI verification with a managed review SLA under 24 hours
Deep Procore and MRI integrations
Large network of pre-audited subcontractors

Watch-outs

Demo-gated, enterprise-oriented pricing
Overkill for a small GC that just needs certificate tracking
Reviewers note it is a poor fit for cost-conscious small-to-mid businesses

4. myCOI

Quote based, around 200 certificate minimum

Best for: Established mid-market firms that want a managed review team

myCOI is one of the oldest names in certificate tracking, with a managed review team and a comfortable track record for larger mid-market firms that want to outsource review.

For a small GC, the friction shows up early: a certificate minimum to onboard, required vendor logins, and review times measured in days. See our full head-to-head on the link below.

Strengths

More than 15 years in the COI tracking market
Managed review team and an agent portal for renewals
Solid high-volume collection and renewal workflow

Watch-outs

Roughly a 200-certificate minimum to onboard
Required vendor logins, which slows collection
Review turnaround often runs days to weeks at renewal season

Read the full CoiLoop vs myCOI comparison →

5. CertFocus by Vertikal RMS

Self-serve about $6 to $8 per vendor

Best for: Teams wanting low-cost self-serve or full-service with carrier checks

CertFocus, from Vertikal RMS, is a well-priced option that publishes its rates, offers both self-service and full-service review, and goes a step further than most by calling carriers quarterly to catch cancellations between renewals.

It is a serious choice if you want verification beyond what a document tells you. It spans many industries rather than focusing purely on the GC workflow.

Strengths

Transparent, low per-vendor pricing with unlimited users
Hawk-I AI extraction plus an optional full-service review team
Quarterly carrier calls to catch mid-term cancellations

Watch-outs

Broader than a contractor-only COI tool
Verification is a periodic carrier call, not a live data feed

6. SmartCompliance

Component-based, demo required

Best for: Multi-industry organizations wanting a full-service compliance team

SmartCompliance has a long track record across many industries and offers a fully managed, outsourced option for teams that want the work done for them.

For a GC, it is broad rather than built for subcontractor certificates, OCR-based, and component-priced. See our full head-to-head on the link below.

Strengths

In market since 2010 with full-service and self-service options
OCR document handling and customizable risk reporting
Serves many industries beyond construction

Watch-outs

Not contractor-native; workflow spans many verticals
Component-based pricing tends to run on the expensive side
OCR rather than modern AI extraction

Read the full CoiLoop vs SmartCompliance comparison →

7. TrustLayer

Quote based

Best for: Teams that want a modern interface plus carrier verification

TrustLayer is a modern platform known for a clean interface and carrier-direct verification, which is a different and stronger guarantee than reading a certificate.

If live verification is your priority, it is worth a look. Note that human review sits in a paid add-on, and pricing is quote-based.

Strengths

One of the cleaner interfaces in the category
Carrier-direct verification capabilities

Watch-outs

Human document review is not in the base tier; it requires an upgrade
Quote-based pricing, no free tier

8. ISNetworld and Avetta

Subs pay roughly $450 to $3,000 per year

Best for: Industrial supply-chain prequalification, not COI tracking alone

ISNetworld and Avetta are prequalification networks that bundle COI verification into a much wider qualification process covering safety, training, and financials. They are built for large industrial supply chains.

If all you need is subcontractor insurance tracking, they are expensive overkill, and the per-sub fees land on the trades you want to hire. See our full head-to-head on the link below.

Strengths

Full prequalification: safety records, training, OSHA logs, financials
Large shared contractor networks
Strong in oil and gas, utilities, and heavy industrial

Watch-outs

Subcontractors pay an annual fee to join, which creates friction
Far broader and heavier than certificate tracking
Built for industrial operators, not small building GCs

Read the full CoiLoop vs ISNetworld comparison →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best COI tracking software for general contractors?

It depends on your size and scope. For small-to-midsize GCs who want AI extraction, no-login collection, and a free start, CoiLoop is built for exactly that. Construction GCs who want deep Procore integration and prequalification often prefer Billy, while larger real estate and construction portfolios lean toward Jones. There is no single best tool, only the best fit for your situation.

How much does COI tracking software cost?

It ranges widely. Self-serve tools can start free or at a few dollars per vendor, mid-market platforms commonly run a few hundred dollars per month, and prequalification networks push annual fees onto subcontractors. Many enterprise tools are quote-based and require a demo. CoiLoop publishes its pricing and has a free plan so you can see the cost up front.

Do I need carrier-direct verification?

Sometimes. Carrier-direct or periodic carrier checks (offered by tools like TrustLayer and CertFocus) confirm a policy is in force beyond what a certificate shows, which matters on high-risk work. Many GCs are well served by collecting, AI-reading, and tracking certificates with a person approving each one. CoiLoop does the latter and is upfront that it does not contact carriers.

Is a spreadsheet good enough?

For fewer than about 10 to 15 subs with no audit pressure, maybe. Past that, a spreadsheet cannot collect documents, store the PDFs, read an ACORD form, or warn you before a policy expires, which is how coverage lapses unnoticed. See our spreadsheet comparison for the detail.

Try the option built for small-to-midsize GCs

CoiLoop collects COIs and W-9s through no-login links, uses AI to read each certificate and check it against your requirements, and warns you before anything expires. Free to start, no demo required.

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Comparison based on publicly available information as of June 2026. Product details and pricing for other vendors can change; check their sites for the latest. CoiLoop organizes documents and reminders and does not provide insurance advice or certify coverage.