Softwr

Construction · head to head

Clearstory vs Kojo

Clearstory logo

Clearstory

Construction

Digital change order and time and materials tag exchange between subcontractors and general contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kojo logo

Kojo

Construction

Materials procurement and inventory for speciality trade contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clearstory value depends on the counterparty using it, so a subcontractor whose general contractors have not adopted it ends up running the digital process and the emailed one at the same time.; Kojo benefits depend on distributors providing electronic catalogues and pricing, and a contractor whose main supplier will not participate is left keying quotes by hand.
  • They diverge on capability: Clearstory covers Digital time and materials tags, Kojo covers Field material requests.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clearstory and Kojo actually diverge.

Attributes where Clearstory and Kojo differ
AttributeClearstoryKojo

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

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 Clearstory

  • Digital time and materials tags
  • Review and signature routing
  • Change order log
  • Cost exposure reporting
  • Field mobile capture
  • Document export

Only in Kojo

  • Field material requests
  • Multi-supplier quoting
  • Purchase order management
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Committed cost visibility
  • Enterprise resource planning integration

What people use each for

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

Clearstory

  • A speciality subcontractor that regularly performs extra work and struggles to get tags signednot Kojo
  • A general contractor tired of receiving a stack of disputed tags at project closeoutnot Kojo
  • A project team that needs the value of pending extras visible during the job rather than after itnot Kojo
  • A contractor standardising change documentation across trades on a large projectnot Kojo

Kojo

  • An electrical or mechanical contractor where materials are close to half of job cost and buying happens dailynot Clearstory
  • A trade contractor that cannot see committed material cost against a job until the invoice arrivesnot Clearstory
  • A contractor consolidating purchasing across branches to negotiate better distributor pricingnot Clearstory
  • A subcontractor tracking warehouse stock and job transfers that currently live in a spreadsheetnot Clearstory

Where each one falls short

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

Clearstory

  • Value depends on the counterparty using it, so a subcontractor whose general contractors have not adopted it ends up running the digital process and the emailed one at the same time.
  • It documents extra work but does not settle it; a general contractor determined not to pay is not persuaded by better paperwork, only better positioned to be argued with.
  • Field staff have to complete tags properly for the record to hold up, and the discipline required is the same discipline that was failing on paper.
  • Poor connectivity in basements, plant rooms and lift shafts is exactly where extra work gets documented, so offline reliability needs testing before rollout rather than after.
  • It overlaps with change management already present in Procore and similar platforms, so buyers must be clear about which system holds the authoritative log or they will maintain two.

Kojo

  • Benefits depend on distributors providing electronic catalogues and pricing, and a contractor whose main supplier will not participate is left keying quotes by hand.
  • It serves speciality trade contractors; general contractors procure subcontracts rather than materials and get almost nothing from it.
  • Enterprise resource planning integration quality varies by system and version, so confirm the depth for your exact configuration rather than accepting the logo on the website.
  • Field adoption is the whole game, and foremen who lose signal in a plant room or basement revert to phoning the office within days unless offline capture genuinely works.
  • It changes purchasing process as well as software, so contractors whose buying authority is informal have to formalise who can commit money before the system produces clean data.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clearstory

On request
  • Clearstory$undefined/year
    • Digital time and materials tags
    • Change order log
    • Mobile field capture

Kojo

On request
  • Kojo$undefined/year
    • Materials procurement workflow
    • Supplier quoting and purchase orders
    • Inventory tracking

Which should you pick?

Choose Clearstory if

  • You need digital time and materials tags.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want review and signature routing.
Clearstory review

Choose Kojo if

  • You need field material requests.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-supplier quoting.
Kojo review

Questions people ask

Is Clearstory or Kojo better?
Neither clearly leads. Clearstory starts at On request and Kojo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clearstory or Kojo?
Clearstory starts at On request and Kojo at On request.
Does Clearstory or Kojo run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Clearstory best used for?
Clearstory is most often used for a speciality subcontractor that regularly performs extra work and struggles to get tags signed, a general contractor tired of receiving a stack of disputed tags at project closeout, a project team that needs the value of pending extras visible during the job rather than after it, a contractor standardising change documentation across trades on a large project. Of those, a speciality subcontractor that regularly performs extra work and struggles to get tags signed and a general contractor tired of receiving a stack of disputed tags at project closeout are not what Kojo is typically brought in for.
What can Clearstory do that Kojo cannot?
Clearstory covers Digital time and materials tags, Review and signature routing, Change order log, Cost exposure reporting. Kojo covers Field material requests, Multi-supplier quoting, Purchase order management, Inventory and warehouse.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clearstory: Is Clearstory for subcontractors or general contractors?

Both, because the workflow crosses between them. The subcontractor originates the tag, the general contractor reviews it, and adoption works best when the general contractor mandates it.

Kojo: Is this for general contractors?

No. It is built for speciality trade contractors buying materials. General contractors procure subcontracts and would get little from it.

Clearstory: Does it replace change management in Procore?

It can, for time and materials tags and the change order log, but you must decide which system is authoritative. Running both without that decision creates reconciliation work.

Kojo: What if our suppliers will not connect?

You lose most of the quoting benefit and keep only the internal workflow. Check distributor participation before purchase, because it determines the return.

Clearstory: What happens on sites without signal?

Tags are captured on the device and synchronised later. Test that path with photographs attached before relying on it.

Kojo: Does it work without signal on site?

Field requests are designed for site use, and offline behaviour should be tested with your own crews in your worst locations, because that is where adoption is won or lost.

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