Softwr

Government · head to head

Clariti vs Polco

Clariti logo

Clariti

Government

Permitting, licensing and land management for local government, built natively on Salesforce

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Polco logo

Polco

Government

Civic Engagement and Polling Platform

From
$300/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clariti salesforce platform licences sit underneath the subscription and are not always visible in the initial quote, so the fully loaded cost can be materially higher than the comparison against Accela or Tyler suggests.; Polco interface has a formal, academic tone compared to modern civic engagement platforms
  • They diverge on capability: Clariti covers Permitting workflows, Polco covers Scientific Surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clariti and Polco actually diverge.

Attributes where Clariti and Polco differ
AttributeClaritiPolco
Starting priceOn request$300/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government).

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 Clariti

  • Permitting workflows
  • Business licensing
  • Inspections
  • Code enforcement
  • Public portal
  • Salesforce platform tooling

Only in Polco

  • Scientific Surveys
  • Live Polling
  • Community Benchmarking
  • Priority-Based Budgeting
  • Demographic Analysis
  • NRC Surveys
  • ArcGIS
  • Social Media

What people use each for

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

Clariti

  • A city already standardised on Salesforce that wants permitting inside the same platformnot Polco
  • An agency replacing a legacy permitting system whose vendor was acquired and whose roadmap stallednot Polco
  • A county needing configurable workflows across permits, licensing and code enforcementnot Polco
  • An IT department that wants to configure and report on its own permitting workflows without vendor ticketsnot Polco

Polco

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

Where each one falls short

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

Clariti

  • Salesforce platform licences sit underneath the subscription and are not always visible in the initial quote, so the fully loaded cost can be materially higher than the comparison against Accela or Tyler suggests.
  • Building on Salesforce means the agency inherits Salesforce release cycles and pricing changes, neither of which Clariti controls.
  • It has far less accumulated edge case handling than the incumbents, so unusual fee schedules, historic district rules or state mandated reporting can become configuration projects.
  • Professional services dominate the first year cost, as with every permitting implementation, and agencies that budget only for licence are the ones whose projects stall.
  • The install base is smaller than Accela or Tyler, so there are fewer peer agencies to call for reference and fewer trained implementation consultants in the market.

Polco

  • Interface has a formal, academic tone compared to modern civic engagement platforms
  • Emphasizes surveys and benchmarking over open discussion forums and idea boards
  • Pricing is custom quote-based without transparent pricing on the website

Pricing, plan by plan

Clariti

On request
  • Clariti$undefined/year
    • Quoted by agency size and module scope
    • Salesforce platform licences are a separate cost underneath the subscription
    • Implementation and configuration services typically exceed first year licence cost

Polco

$300/month
  • Community Engagement$300/month
    • Community Surveys
    • Live Polling
    • Benchmarking

Which should you pick?

Choose Clariti if

  • You need permitting workflows.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want business licensing.
Clariti review

Choose Polco if

  • You need scientific surveys.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live polling.
Polco review

Questions people ask

Is Clariti or Polco better?
Neither clearly leads. Clariti starts at On request and Polco at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clariti or Polco?
Clariti starts at On request and Polco at $300/month.
Does Clariti or Polco run on more platforms?
Clariti runs on Web, iOS, Android. Polco runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Clariti best used for?
Clariti is most often used for a city already standardised on salesforce that wants permitting inside the same platform, an agency replacing a legacy permitting system whose vendor was acquired and whose roadmap stalled, a county needing configurable workflows across permits, licensing and code enforcement, an it department that wants to configure and report on its own permitting workflows without vendor tickets. Of those, a city already standardised on salesforce that wants permitting inside the same platform and an agency replacing a legacy permitting system whose vendor was acquired and whose roadmap stalled are not what Polco is typically brought in for.
What can Clariti do that Polco cannot?
Clariti covers Permitting workflows, Business licensing, Inspections, Code enforcement. Polco covers Scientific Surveys, Live Polling, Community Benchmarking, Priority-Based Budgeting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clariti: Do we need Salesforce licences as well?

Yes. Clariti runs on the Salesforce platform, and those licences are a separate line item. Insist on a fully loaded quote.

Polco: How does Polco ensure survey data quality?

Polco uses scientific survey methodology through the National Research Center, with pre-tested survey questions and verification that participants live in the surveyed area to eliminate outside interference and bad-faith responses.

Source
Clariti: How does it compare with Accela?

Accela has far deeper accumulated handling of edge cases. Clariti offers a more modern and configurable platform, at the price of Salesforce underneath.

Polco: What's the difference between Polco and open discussion platforms?

Polco emphasizes scientific surveys and benchmarking over open forums or suggestion boards, prioritizing rigorous data collection for policy decisions over broad community brainstorming.

Source
Clariti: Can we see what other agencies paid?

Yes. Permitting contracts are public records and award notices routinely list implementation and annual subscription values.

Clariti: Is it suitable for a small town?

Usually not. The platform cost and implementation effort suit mid sized and larger agencies.

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