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Construction · head to head

Clearstory vs Siteline

Clearstory logo

Clearstory

Construction

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Siteline logo

Siteline

Construction

Pay application and billing workflow built only for speciality subcontractors

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.; Siteline it serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • They diverge on capability: Clearstory covers Digital time and materials tags, Siteline covers Pay application generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clearstory and Siteline actually diverge.

Attributes where Clearstory and Siteline differ
AttributeClearstorySiteline
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Siteline

  • Pay application generation
  • Lien waiver management
  • Compliance document tracking
  • Billing status visibility
  • Accounting system integration
  • Accounts receivable reporting

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 Siteline
  • A general contractor tired of receiving a stack of disputed tags at project closeoutnot Siteline
  • A project team that needs the value of pending extras visible during the job rather than after itnot Siteline
  • A contractor standardising change documentation across trades on a large projectnot Siteline

Siteline

  • A trade contractor whose billing team rebuilds the same pay application in four different general contractor formats each monthnot Clearstory
  • A subcontractor losing a billing cycle to rejected applications over missing lien waiversnot Clearstory
  • A finance director trying to forecast collections across dozens of general contractors and retention balancesnot Clearstory
  • A growing subcontractor whose billing process depends entirely on one person and 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.

Siteline

  • It serves subcontractors only, so a general contractor evaluating it is looking at the wrong side of the transaction entirely.
  • It does not do job costing, project management or payroll, so it is an addition to your systems rather than a consolidation of them.
  • Value depends on a clean integration to your construction accounting system, and contractors with heavily customised or elderly installations should confirm the connection before signing.
  • General contractor portals and billing formats change without warning, and although the vendor absorbs that maintenance you still feel it as occasional friction in a month-end window with no slack.
  • The billing team has to adopt it fully in the first month-end or they revert to spreadsheets under deadline pressure, which makes the implementation timing more delicate than the software suggests.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clearstory

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

Siteline

On request
  • Siteline$undefined/year
    • Pay application workflow
    • Lien waiver and compliance tracking
    • Accounting system integration

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 Siteline if

  • You need pay application generation.
  • You also want lien waiver management.
Siteline review

Questions people ask

Is Clearstory or Siteline better?
Neither clearly leads. Clearstory starts at On request and Siteline at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clearstory or Siteline?
Clearstory starts at On request and Siteline at On request.
Does Clearstory or Siteline run on more platforms?
Clearstory runs on Web, iOS, Android. Siteline runs on Web.
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 Siteline is typically brought in for.
What can Clearstory do that Siteline cannot?
Clearstory covers Digital time and materials tags, Review and signature routing, Change order log, Cost exposure reporting. Siteline covers Pay application generation, Lien waiver management, Compliance document tracking, Billing status visibility.

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.

Siteline: Does it replace our accounting system?

No. It reads from Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Foundation and similar systems and handles the billing workflow those systems handle poorly.

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.

Siteline: What should we measure in a trial?

Days sales outstanding and the number of rejected or delayed pay applications. The case is about cash timing, not headcount.

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.

Siteline: Is it useful for general contractors?

No. It is built for the party submitting pay applications, not the party receiving them.

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