Wardly vs. CertFocus
Yes—for general contractors, Wardly is a strong CertFocus alternative. Wardly is self-serve and free forever for unlimited subcontractors, with no minimums or implementation fee. CertFocus (part of Vertikal RMS) is an enterprise managed-service platform priced per vendor with annual minimums.
CertFocus (part of Vertikal RMS) is a long-running, enterprise COI compliance platform with a managed, analyst-led service model. Wardly is free, self-serve certificate-of-insurance tracking built for general contractors who just need their subcontractors’ COIs collected, graded, and monitored—without enterprise minimums or a sales cycle.
Get started freePricing comparison
The clearest difference: Wardly is free forever and self-serve; CertFocus is quote-based enterprise software with per-vendor fees and annual minimums.
Free forever
- 100% free—unlimited subcontractors, no credit card
- No per-vendor fees, minimums, or implementation charge
- Self-serve—subs upload with no account
Quote-based, per-vendor
- Vertikal RMS lists ~$6–$8/vendor/yr self-service, ~$13–$29/vendor/yr full-service
- Implementation fee plus annual minimums (commonly cited ~$7,500–$10,000+); vendor-pay option ~$85–$150/vendor/yr
- Demo / sales engagement required to start
Feature comparison
Where the two products genuinely differ—and where they overlap.
| Feature | Wardly | CertFocus |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & onboarding | Self-serve in minutes | Implementation project + sales engagement |
| Pricing model | Free forever, no minimums | Quote-based per-vendor, annual minimums |
| Subs upload without an account | Vendor portal collection | |
| Compliance grading | Instant, automated A–F vs. your rules | Managed analyst review |
| Additional insured, waiver & ACORD 25 checks | ||
| Expiration monitoring & reminders | ||
| Focus | Purpose-built for GCs tracking subs | Broad enterprise—retail, property, construction, hospitality & more |
| Managed credentialed-analyst service | ||
| Track record & scale | New, focused product | 20+ yrs (parent S2000 Corp. founded 1999; CertFocus est. 2004) |
Where CertFocus is strong—and where Wardly wins
Where CertFocus is strong
- A 20+ year track record with established RMIS backing from Vertikal RMS.
- A managed-service model—credentialed insurance professionals (CIC, CPCU, CISR, CRIS) review certificates and chase vendors on your behalf.
- Broad enterprise experience across construction, real estate and property management, retail, hospitality and more.
- Periodic verification and a vendor-pay option that can shift program cost to suppliers.
Where Wardly wins for GCs
- 100% free, forever—no per-vendor fees, minimums, or implementation charge.
- Live in minutes—no implementation project or sales cycle.
- Subs upload from a link with no account, so COIs actually come in.
- Instant, automated A–F grading against your own requirements.
- Purpose-built for the GC–subcontractor workflow.
Who should use CertFocus?
CertFocus is a strong fit for large enterprises that want to fully outsource insurance compliance to a managed team of credentialed professionals, operate across many industries beyond construction, and have the budget for per-vendor pricing with annual minimums and an implementation project. If you want people to review every certificate and chase vendors for you—and you value the established RMIS backing of Vertikal RMS—the enterprise model makes sense.
Wardly is the better fit ifyou’re a general contractor (or similar) who wants to start today, keep it simple for your subs, grade COIs automatically, and pay nothing—without committing to an enterprise platform, minimums, or a sales cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wardly a good CertFocus alternative?
For general contractors who want to track subcontractor COIs without an enterprise contract, yes. Wardly is self-serve, free forever, and your subs upload their certificate from a link with no account to create. CertFocus (part of Vertikal RMS) is an established, enterprise managed-service platform built for large organizations across many industries, with credentialed analysts and quote-based pricing that carries annual minimums and an implementation fee.
How much does CertFocus cost compared to Wardly?
Vertikal RMS lists CertFocus pricing at roughly $6–$8 per vendor per year for self-service and $13–$29 per vendor per year for full-service, plus an implementation fee (commonly cited around $3,500–$4,800) and annual minimums (often $7,500–$10,000+). A vendor-pay option that passes costs to your suppliers is estimated at $85–$150 per vendor per year. Wardly is free, forever—no per-vendor fees, no minimums, no implementation charge, and no sales call to begin.
Is there a free CertFocus alternative?
Yes—Wardly. CertFocus is a paid enterprise platform with per-vendor pricing, annual minimums, and an implementation fee. Wardly is 100% free for unlimited subcontractors with no credit card and no trial period, so a general contractor can start tracking, grading, and monitoring COIs today without a contract.
CertFocus is a managed enterprise service—how is Wardly different?
CertFocus can fully outsource compliance to credentialed insurance professionals (CIC, CPCU, CISR, CRIS) who review certificates and run periodic verification on your behalf—valuable if you want to hand the work to a managed team. Wardly takes a self-serve, software-first approach: you set your requirements, your subs upload from a no-login link, and Wardly reads each ACORD 25 and grades it A–F automatically. There is no analyst queue and no enterprise onboarding—you are live in minutes.
Does Wardly check endorsements like additional insured and waiver of subrogation?
Yes. Wardly reads ACORD 25 certificates and verifies coverage limits, additional insured endorsements (including the form, like CG 20 10), waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory language against the requirements you set—then grades each certificate A–F automatically, with 24/7 expiration monitoring and reminders.
Can I switch from CertFocus to Wardly?
Yes. You can set up your requirements and add subcontractors in minutes, then send upload links to collect current certificates. Because Wardly grades each COI automatically against your standards, you get a clear compliance picture without an implementation project, annual minimum, or sales engagement.
Compare Wardly to other COI trackers
See how Wardly stacks up against other certificate-of-insurance tracking tools.
Try the free, self-serve COI tracker built for GCs.
Add a sub, send an upload link, and get an automatic A–F grade—free forever, no sales call.
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