Wardly vs. myCOI
Yes—for general contractors, Wardly is a strong myCOI alternative. Wardly is self-serve and free forever for unlimited subcontractors, and your subs upload their certificate from a link with no account. myCOI (now illumend) is a service-heavy enterprise platform with a managed-analyst model and quote-only pricing.
myCOI (now rebranding to illumend) is a long-running, managed COI compliance platform for large organizations. Wardly is self-serve certificate-of-insurance tracking built for general contractors who just need their subcontractors’ COIs collected, graded, and monitored—without an enterprise sales cycle.
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The clearest difference: Wardly is self-serve and free forever; myCOI is quote-only enterprise software.
Free forever
- Unlimited subcontractors—no credit card
- No setup fees or annual lock-in to try it
- Subs upload with no account
Custom enterprise quote
- Annual contracts, typically with setup fees
- No public pricing; third parties estimate ~$10k–$50k+/yr for mid-market portfolios
- Demo / sales engagement required to start
Feature comparison
Where the two products genuinely differ—and where they overlap.
| Feature | Wardly | myCOI / illumend |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & onboarding | Self-serve in minutes | Guided onboarding + sales engagement |
| Pricing model | Free forever, unlimited subs | Custom enterprise quote, annual contract |
| Subs upload without an account | Vendor portal login | |
| 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—construction, real estate, manufacturing, government & more |
| Managed human analyst service | ||
| Track record & scale | New, focused product | 16 yrs; 45M+ documents, 750K+ third parties (self-reported) |
Where myCOI is strong—and where Wardly wins
Where myCOI / illumend is strong
- A 16-year track record and large scale (self-reported 45M+ documents, 750K+ third parties).
- A managed-analyst model—people review certificates and chase vendors on your behalf.
- Broad industry coverage beyond construction (real estate, manufacturing, transportation, government).
- Established insurance-broker integrations.
Where Wardly wins for GCs
- Live in minutes—no implementation 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.
- Free forever—unlimited subs, no annual lock-in.
- Purpose-built for the GC–subcontractor workflow.
Who should use myCOI?
myCOI / illumend is a strong fit for large enterprises that want to fully outsource insurance compliance to a managed team, operate across many industries beyond construction, and have the budget for an annual enterprise contract. If you want people to review every certificate and chase vendors for you—and you’re comfortable with a sales-led onboarding—the incumbent 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 to get going—without committing to an enterprise platform.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wardly a good myCOI alternative?
For general contractors who want to track subcontractor COIs without an enterprise contract, yes. Wardly is self-serve, free forever for unlimited subcontractors, and your subs upload their certificate from a link with no account to create. myCOI (now illumend) is an established, service-heavy platform built for larger organizations across many industries with a managed-analyst model and custom enterprise pricing.
How much does myCOI cost compared to Wardly?
myCOI does not publish pricing—it is quote-only with annual contracts, and third-party comparisons commonly estimate roughly $10,000–$50,000+ per year for mid-market portfolios. Wardly is free forever—unlimited subcontractors, no credit card—and self-serve, with no sales call required to begin tracking COIs.
Do my subcontractors need to log in with Wardly?
No. With Wardly, subs receive a secure upload link and submit their COI in a few clicks—no account, no password. Vendor-login friction is one of the most commonly cited frustrations with portal-based platforms, because it depresses how reliably certificates get collected.
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.
Can I switch from myCOI 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 a lengthy implementation.
Compare Wardly to other COI trackers
See how Wardly stacks up against other certificate-of-insurance tracking tools.
Try the 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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