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Government · head to head

CityView vs Clerk

CityView logo

CityView

Government

Community Development Software

From
$10000/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Clerk logo

Clerk

Cybersecurity

Drop-in user authentication and management for developers

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Clerk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CityView high implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities; Clerk pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.
  • They diverge on capability: CityView covers Building Permits, Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CityView and Clerk actually diverge.

Attributes where CityView and Clerk differ
AttributeCityViewClerk
Starting price$10000/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebweb, ios, android, api
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1976Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CityView

  • Building Permits
  • Business Licensing
  • Code Enforcement
  • Inspections Management
  • Online Citizen Portal
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • Microsoft Office
  • Payment Gateways

Only in Clerk

  • Prebuilt UI components
  • Organization management
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Social sign-on
  • Billing
  • Enterprise connections

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CityView

  • Citizen Servicesnot Clerk
  • Records Managementnot Clerk
  • Public Safetynot Clerk
  • Civic Engagementnot Clerk

Clerk

  • Adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quicklynot CityView
  • B2B SaaS apps needing organizations and role-based accessnot CityView
  • Startups wanting prebuilt UI instead of building auth in-housenot CityView
  • Apps needing MFA and fraud detection out of the boxnot CityView

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CityView

  • High implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities
  • Complex setup and customization requiring expert assistance

Clerk

  • Pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.
  • Enterprise SSO connections beyond the first are billed as add-ons, adding cost for larger organizations.
  • The Business tier's extra dashboard seats cost $20/month each, which adds up for larger teams.
  • Enterprise-tier features like the 99.99% uptime SLA require annual contracts rather than flexible monthly billing.

Pricing, plan by plan

CityView

$10000/year

No published plan breakdown. See the CityView review.

Clerk

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 50,000 MRU limit per app
    • Up to 3 dashboard seats
    • Unlimited applications
  • Pro$25/month
    • 50,000 MRUs included, $0.02/MRU overage
    • Up to 3 dashboard seats
    • 1 Enterprise Connection included
  • Business$300/month
    • 50,000 MRUs included with volume pricing
    • 10 dashboard seats included
    • SOC2 report and priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing, annual billing
    • 99.99% uptime SLA
    • HIPAA available, dedicated Slack channel

Which should you pick?

Choose CityView if

  • You need building permits.
  • You also want business licensing.
CityView review

Choose Clerk if

  • You need prebuilt ui components.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, api.
  • You also want organization management.
Clerk review

Questions people ask

Is CityView or Clerk better?
Neither clearly leads. CityView starts at $10000/year and Clerk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CityView or Clerk?
Clerk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10000/year for CityView and Free for Clerk.
Does CityView or Clerk run on more platforms?
CityView runs on Web. Clerk runs on web, ios, android, api.
Can I use Clerk for free?
Yes. Clerk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CityView starts at $10000/year.
What is CityView best used for?
CityView is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Clerk is typically brought in for.
What can CityView do that Clerk cannot?
CityView covers Building Permits, Business Licensing, Code Enforcement, Inspections Management. Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Organization management, Multi-factor authentication, Social sign-on.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CityView: Is CityView cloud-based or on-premise?

CityView offers both cloud-based SaaS deployments and on-premise options depending on municipality preference and requirements.

Source
Clerk: What does Clerk cost?

Clerk's Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 MRU limit; Pro is $25/month ($20/month billed annually), Business is $300/month ($250 annually), and Enterprise uses custom annual pricing.

Source
CityView: What modules are included?

CityView Suite includes Property Information, Permits and Inspections, Planning, Code Enforcement, Licensing, Animal Licensing, Service Requests, Rental Housing, Cemetery Management, Parking Management, and Cashiering modules.

Source
Clerk: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 monthly retained user (MRU) limit per app, up to 3 dashboard seats, and unlimited applications, with no credit card required.

Source
CityView: How long has CityView been in the market?

CityView has over 40 years of experience serving local governments with community development and municipal land management solutions.

Source
Clerk: How is usage metered?

Clerk meters by monthly retained users (MRUs) — users who return to the app at least a day after signing up — with overage billed at $0.02 per MRU beyond the included 50,000 on paid plans.

Source
CityView: What is the pricing structure?

CityView pricing ranges from $10,000 to $75,000+ per year for mid-sized municipalities, or approximately $100 to $250 per user per month for SaaS deployments, depending on modules selected.

Source
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