TL;DR. Certificial is a certificate of insurance tracking and issuance platform for any industry. Where a vendor’s insurance agency is on Certificial’s network, coverage data comes straight from the agency and updates when the policy changes. Contracts Connected is built only for construction: it sends the subcontract, collects every document the vendor owes against it, and shows who can mobilize and who can be paid. Pick Certificial if live policy data is the job; pick Contracts Connected if the certificate is one line on a contract package.
Every fact about Certificial below comes from Certificial’s own website, read on November 4, 2026. Contracts Connected is our product. We say where Certificial is the better choice, and we hold our own product to the same standard.
At a glance
| Contracts Connected | Certificial | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Construction: general contractors and the teams that send contracts to vendors | Companies that request certificates, and the insurance agencies that issue them, in any industry |
| What it collects | COI, W-9, license, bonds, lien waivers, weekly certified payroll on prevailing wage jobs, closeout documents | Certificates of insurance, policy data and endorsements |
| How a COI gets read | With AI on, the AI reads each certificate and its endorsement pages against the project’s insurance requirements and recommends accept or reject; your team decides | From the agency’s own systems when the vendor’s agency is on Certificial’s network; otherwise AI extracts the data from the PDF certificate |
| Contracts | Built on your own templates, approved inside, sent as one package, redlined and e-signed inside | Not found on their site as of November 4, 2026; insurance requirements from an MSA can be saved as request templates |
| Vendor side | Vendors set up a free account from the link in their email and never pay | Vendors register and add their insurance agent, who answers the request; free for vendors |
| AI | Optional: no AI, or AI COI Review that reads and recommends. The AI agent that chases vendors by email and phone is in beta with a wait list | EndorsementIQ extracts endorsement details, and built-in rules let you accept or reject against your criteria; AI reads certificates from agencies off the network |
| Integrations | Project management, accounting and ERP systems, worked out with each customer, case by case | A free Applied Epic plugin for agencies, partner platforms such as Yardi, VenLink and Aravo, and APIs; Procore, Sage and Vista not found on their site |
| Pricing (as published) | Foundation from $416 a month; Core and Max quoted | Basic free up to 5 suppliers; Professional from $99 a month; Enterprise quoted |
Where Certificial is the better pick
- You want coverage status from the agency itself. Certificial says its network includes more than 25,000 insurance agencies. When a vendor’s agency is on it, you’re notified if the policy lapses, is canceled or no longer meets your required limits. Certificial estimates that 80 to 85% of the agencies a vendor is likely to use are already on the network.
- You want to start free or small. Basic is free for up to 5 suppliers, and Professional starts at $99 a month.
- You track vendors outside construction. Certificial isn’t built for one industry, so one team can run every supplier through one tool.
- Your vendors’ agencies run Applied Epic. A free plugin lets agencies receive certificate requests inside Epic.
Where Contracts Connected is the better pick
- The certificate belongs to a contract. In Contracts Connected the insurance requirement comes from the project, the certificate is tied to the vendor’s subcontract, and an expired COI keeps that vendor from being cleared to mobilize.
- You collect more than insurance. W-9s, lien waivers with every pay application and weekly certified payroll on prevailing wage jobs live in the same vendor file as the COI. We didn’t find them on Certificial’s site.
- You send the contract too. Contracts are built on your own templates with the project’s data entered once, routed through your approvals, sent as one package and signed inside. E-signatures are built in. No separate signing app.
- Your vendors’ agencies aren’t on a network. Certificial’s FAQ says agencies off its network need you to request an updated certificate by hand. Contracts Connected reminds vendors on Monday and Wednesday mornings until every document is in, whatever agency they use.
- You want the description of operations checked. Certificial’s FAQ says fields such as the description of operations may need your review. With AI on, Contracts Connected checks the description of operations against the project, and your team still decides.
What they share
Both read endorsement documents with AI and pull out the form number. Both are free for vendors. Both read the certificate against a requirement instead of only watching the expiration date. If you’re comparing the wider field of certificate tools, our COI tracking software guide covers eight of them.
How we compared
We read Certificial’s home page, pricing page, FAQ, requestor, agent and broker, EndorsementIQ, partner, software partner, company and Applied plugin pages on November 4, 2026. We recorded what each says about documents, how coverage is verified, AI, integrations and pricing. Where Certificial’s site didn’t mention a feature, we wrote “not found on their site” rather than claiming it doesn’t exist. Network sizes and estimates are Certificial’s own. We didn’t use review sites or other vendors’ comparison pages. Our co-founder ran a large federal general contracting firm for 15 years, about 100,000 documents a year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Certificial built for construction?
Certificial serves companies that request certificates, and the agencies that issue them, across industries. Construction is one of them. Contracts Connected is built only for construction contracts and the documents behind them.
How does Certificial verify insurance?
When the vendor’s insurance agency is on Certificial’s network, coverage data comes from the agency’s systems and the certificate updates when coverage changes. When the agency isn’t on the network, Certificial processes the PDF certificate and AI extracts the data, and you request updated certificates by hand.
Does Certificial track lien waivers and certified payroll?
We didn’t find lien waivers, certified payroll or W-9s on Certificial’s site as of November 4, 2026. Contracts Connected collects all three, in the same vendor file as the certificate of insurance.
Can Certificial send subcontracts for signature?
We didn’t find contract creation or e-signature on Certificial’s site. Insurance requirements from an MSA can be saved as request templates. In Contracts Connected the subcontract is built on your template, approved, sent and signed inside the same system.
Does Certificial integrate with Procore?
We didn’t find Procore, Sage or Vista on Certificial’s site. It names an Applied Epic plugin for agencies, partner platforms such as Yardi, VenLink and Aravo, and APIs. Contracts Connected works out each integration with the customer, case by case, for the project management and accounting systems they run.
How much does Certificial cost?
Certificial’s pricing page lists Basic free for up to 5 suppliers, Professional from $99 a month and Enterprise by quote, and says it’s free for insureds, agents and brokers. Its agent page also lists paid agent plans at $249 and $639 a year. Contracts Connected’s Foundation plan starts at $416 a month with unlimited vendors; see pricing.
Do vendors need an account?
Certificial asks vendors to register and add their agent, who answers the request. Contracts Connected vendors set up a free account from the link in their email and never pay, not to register, not to upload, not to sign.
See it on your own templates
Read how the AI reviews a COI inside Contracts Connected, then book a demo. Setup is three 30-minute meetings, on your templates, with the person who will run it.