How property managers choose COI tracking software
5 min read · Last updated
Property managers track vendor certificates of insurance (COIs) for many buildings at once, and one vendor often serves several of them. This guide sets out what to compare when you choose COI tracking software, lists published price facts for a few named products and explains where ShowMeTheDocs fits. Product facts are as of 2026-11-03 and can change, so check each vendor's current pricing before you buy. General information, not legal or insurance advice; check your contracts and your insurer.
Start with the job the software must do
Before you compare products, write down what the tool has to do for your portfolio: how many vendors you track, how many properties each vendor serves, which coverages and endorsements your leases and vendor contracts require, and who reviews each document.
Software that suits one contractor's five certificates may not suit forty vendors across twelve buildings. Use your own numbers when you ask for quotes or start a trial.
What to compare
Ask every product the same questions, and ask for the answers in writing.
- Expiry reminders: which days before expiry a reminder goes out, who receives it, and whether a missing document also triggers one. ShowMeTheDocs sends vendor reminders 30, 14 and 7 days before each expiry date, on the expiry date and when a required document is missing (as of 2026-11-03).
- Certificate holder and additional insured checks per property: whether a requirement can differ by property, building or project, and whether the holder name is compared with the one your contract names. CertShield sets requirements per building or per job, BCS describes locations as a site, property or project, and TrackMyVendor and Wardly set requirements per project (as of 2026-11-03). We did not find a per-property holder-name check stated on the vendor pages we read, so ask each vendor to show it working on your own certificates.
- Endorsement checks: whether additional insured and waiver of subrogation wording is checked on the endorsement itself or only read from the certificate. SubDoc, TrackMyVendor's Pro plan, CertShield and Wardly list endorsement checks (as of 2026-11-03). Ask whether each check is automatic or a reviewer's tick.
- Vendor upload: whether a vendor must create an account and log in. COIManager, TrackMyVendor, CertCove, SubDoc and CertShield use a private link without a vendor login; BCS requires a vendor login (as of 2026-11-03).
- Price transparency: whether the plan price, the vendor count band and any per-vendor charge are published, or only a quote. Several enterprise products publish no prices and quote on request (as of 2026-11-03).
- Trial and free tier: how long any trial lasts, whether a card is needed, and what the free plan limits.
- Support model: who answers questions, how you reach them, and how quickly a disputed certificate gets a response. Ask for this in writing before you sign.
Published price facts
The facts below come from each vendor's own pricing page as read on 2026-11-03. Prices change, and some vendors publish only part of their pricing. Third-party listings are not used here. Confirm the current price before you decide.
- COIManager (as of 2026-11-03): Starter at $26 per month for up to 20 vendors, a plan at $38 per month, no free trial, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
- TrackMyVendor (as of 2026-11-03): a free plan at $0 for up to 25 contractors or vendors with no card needed, Starter at $39 per month, and a 30-day trial on Starter and Pro.
- CertCove (as of 2026-11-03): a free plan for up to 3 vendors, $99 per month for up to 50 vendors and $199 per month for up to 250 vendors.
- SubDoc (as of 2026-11-03): a free Starter plan for 3 tracked vendors, Pro at $20 per month for 100 tracked vendors, and a 14-day trial on paid plans.
- CertShield (as of 2026-11-03): Starter at $99 per month for 25 vendors, Pro at $249 per month for 100 vendors and Business at $499 per month for unlimited vendors.
- BCS (as of 2026-11-03): free for up to 25 vendors, and Self-Service at $0.95 per vendor per month. The page does not state a currency.
- TrustLayer (as of 2026-11-03): Starter is free for up to 50 vendors, then $10 per additional vendor per month. Higher plans are quoted.
- Billy for Insurance (as of 2026-11-03): Self-Service plans start at 'as low as $500 / year', with a free trial for up to 25 vendor contracts.
- Wardly (as of 2026-11-03): free, with unlimited subcontractors.
- ShowMeTheDocs (as of 2026-11-03): $49 per month for up to 25 vendors, $129 per month for up to 150 vendors and $299 per month for up to 500 vendors, with a 14-day trial and no card required.
Where ShowMeTheDocs fits
ShowMeTheDocs is a vendor compliance tracker for general contractors, property managers and facility companies. Each vendor gets a private upload link with no account to create, and reminders go out 30, 14 and 7 days before each expiry date, on the expiry date and when a document is missing (as of 2026-11-03).
Certificate reading is rule-based and works only on PDFs with a text layer: scanned images are not read, and a person confirms each suggested value. Endorsement checks are a manual checklist that a reviewer ticks, not an automatic reading of the policy (as of 2026-11-03).
Plans are published at $49, $129 and $299 per month for up to 25, 150 and 500 vendors, and the 14-day trial needs no card. There is no sales call, so you can sign up and start without a demo. The facts used for this guide do not include a per-property holder-name check, so ask us about per-property requirements before you rely on one. To start the trial, use the sign-up button below.
A short decision checklist
Use this list before you sign anything.
- Write down your portfolio numbers: vendors, properties and the coverages each property's contracts require.
- Put the questions above to each product in writing, and ask for a walkthrough on a few of your own certificates.
- Test reminders with a vendor you control, and open the upload page on a phone.
- Compare the yearly cost at your real vendor count, using the published band rather than the cheapest plan.
- Ask how to export vendors, documents and history before you commit.
- Record the decision, the date and the reviewer in your file.
Questions
Do I need COI software if I already use a spreadsheet?
Not always. A spreadsheet can work for a few vendors, but it does not send reminders by itself. Once vendors span several properties, check whether the sheet still shows each expiry date and holder name clearly.
Does a tracker confirm that a vendor's insurance is in force?
No tracker can confirm coverage from a certificate alone. A tracker records what the vendor reported and flags dates. Check the policy and endorsements for the terms that matter to the contract.
Are published prices what I will pay?
Not always. Prices can change, and some products add per-vendor charges or one-time fees. Ask for the total yearly cost at your vendor count in writing.
Should vendors have to create an account?
Not necessarily. Several products use a private upload link, which removes a login step for subcontractors. Ask each product whether the link works without a login.
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