How much does COI tracking software cost?

For a small roster it can cost nothing. bcs is free up to 25 vendors, TrustLayer's Starter plan is free up to 50, and Checkmate's free plan has no vendor limit. The paid self-serve prices we found are per vendor: bcs's self-service plan is $0.95 a vendor a month, and Evident lists $15 to $25 a vendor a year. TradeGuard is $149 a month for up to 25 subs and one seat, or $299 a month for unlimited subs and five seats.

Every price here comes from the vendor's own pricing page, checked on October 11, 2026. They change, so check them again before you decide.

What the free plans include

bcs says its free tier includes "all software features". Checkmate's free plan lists unlimited projects, vendors and documents, with automatic reading and automated requests to vendors. TrustLayer's Starter plan lists expiration management, messaging and AI document collection.

If those cover what you do today, start there. A tool you don't pay for and do use beats one you pay for and don't open.

What paid plans charge for

• More vendors. Past 25 vendors, bcs's self-service plan is $0.95 a vendor a month. Evident's plans are priced per vendor per year and sized for rosters in the hundreds.
• People doing the chasing. bcs full-service is $17.80 a vendor a year with a $10,000 annual minimum. Checkmate's Serviced plan adds specialists who review documents and follow up with vendors, at a quoted price.
• Integrations. TrustLayer lists Procore, CMiC and Vista on its Pro plan.

What TradeGuard charges for

TradeGuard is built around a job the free plans above don't describe: checking your unpaid QuickBooks Online bills against each sub's coverage before you pay them. It lists the unpaid bills that belong to subs who aren't covered, and one click writes a HOLD note on the bill. QuickBooks can't block a payment, so someone still has to read the note.

It also reads every certificate that comes in, from you or from the sub's upload link, checks the PDF for signs of editing, and can ask the sub's agent to confirm a policy.

If you don't pay subs from QuickBooks Online, try a free plan first. If you do, and paying an uninsured sub is the mistake you can't afford, that check is what the $149 is for.

The cost of not tracking

A spreadsheet costs nothing until your workers' comp premium audit. Insurers that follow NCCI's Basic Manual charge you premium on what you paid any sub who can't show workers' comp for the period, and when the sub has no payroll records they can treat the whole subcontract price as payroll. In 2022 a hearing officer for the Alaska Division of Insurance upheld exactly that charge against a general contractor (Case H 22-01).

That's the number to set against a subscription: what you paid your subs last year, and how many of them you could prove were covered.

How to compare quotes

1. Count active subs, not every sub you've ever hired.
2. Count who needs a login. TradeGuard's Starter plan has one seat and Pro has five; some tools include unlimited users.
3. Run each trial on your real roster, and time how long it takes to get renewals back.
4. Ask what each plan does when you outgrow it.

See how to choose COI tracking software for the questions to ask in a demo, and our comparisons with bcs and TrustLayer. If a spreadsheet is what you'd be replacing, start with TradeGuard vs. a spreadsheet.

FAQ

Are there free COI tracking tools?

Yes. On October 11, 2026, bcs was free up to 25 vendors, TrustLayer's Starter plan was free up to 50 vendors, and Checkmate had a free plan with no vendor limit. Free tiers change, so check each pricing page before you rely on one.

How much does TradeGuard cost?

Starter is $149 a month or $1,430 a year, for up to 25 subs and one seat. Pro is $299 a month or $2,870 a year, for unlimited subs and five seats. The 14-day trial needs no card and is limited to 25 subs.

Is paid COI software worth it for a small general contractor?

Only for something a free plan doesn't do for you. For TradeGuard, that's checking unpaid QuickBooks Online bills against each sub's coverage before they're paid. If that isn't your problem, a free plan may be all you need.

What can a missing certificate cost at a workers' comp audit?

In states that use NCCI's rules, your insurer can charge premium on what you paid that sub, and use the full subcontract price when there are no payroll records. Ask your own insurer how it audits subs who can't show coverage.