Free Plan
Free COI Tracking Software That Actually Works
COI File's free plan isn't a trial. It's a permanently free tier with AI-powered certificate extraction, expiration alerts, a vendor upload portal, and a compliance dashboard — for up to 5 vendors with no time limit and no credit card.
Most "free" COI tools are either 14-day trials or require a sales call before you can upload a single certificate. We built our free plan for the 85% of property managers and contractors who manage fewer than 5 vendors — because you shouldn't need a $300/month enterprise contract just to track basic compliance.
No credit card required. Free forever for up to 5 vendors.
What's Included in the Free Plan
Every feature you need to track vendor insurance — no paywalls, no feature limits, no "upgrade to unlock."
AI-Powered Certificate Extraction
Upload any COI and our AI reads coverage limits, dates, additional insured status, and policy numbers instantly. No manual data entry.
Automatic Expiration Alerts
Get email alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days before any certificate expires. Never be caught off guard by lapsed coverage again.
Vendor Upload Portal
Send each vendor a link to upload their own COI directly. Stop chasing certificates by email and phone.
Compliance Dashboard
See every vendor's status at a glance. Green = compliant. Yellow = expiring soon. Red = expired. No more guessing.
CSV Import
Bulk import your existing vendors and certificates from spreadsheets. No manual re-entry required.
Up to 5 Vendors — No Time Limit
Track up to 5 vendors permanently. No 14-day trial. No "contact sales" after 30 days. Use it for as long as you need.
All core features included in every plan
Whether you're on the Free, Pro, or Business plan, you get the same AI extraction, expiration alerts, vendor portal, and compliance dashboard. Paying plans add more vendor capacity, team seats, and advanced reporting — not gate access to core functionality.
Free Plan vs Paid Plans
All plans share the same core features. Upgrade when you need more capacity or team access.
| Feature | Free | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $29/mo | $79/mo |
| Vendors | Up to 5 | Up to 100 | Unlimited |
| AI certificate extraction | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Expiration email alerts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vendor upload portal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance dashboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CSV import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team members | 1 | Up to 3 | Up to 10 |
| Advanced compliance reports | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| CSV export | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priority support | — | — | ✓ |
All plans include 256-bit encryption. Your data is yours — no vendor lock-in.
Best Free COI Tracking Software Compared
Here's how the genuinely free COI tracking options — and the default alternative, spreadsheets — compare. COI File Free is highlighted because it's the only free tier that includes AI extraction and a full-featured vendor portal without hidden upgrade costs.
| Feature | Feature | COI File Free | TrustLayer Starter | BCS Free Tier | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Vendors (Free) | Up to 5 | Up to 50 | Limited | Unlimited (manual) | |
| AI Certificate Extraction | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Expiration Alerts (30/14/7d) | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Vendor Upload Portal | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Compliance Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (basic) | ✗ | |
| CSV Import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Truly Free Forever | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Hidden Upgrade Costs | No | Yes (demo required) | Some features locked | N/A | |
| Pricing Transparency | Full | Hidden | Partial | N/A | |
| Self-Service Signup | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | N/A |
COI File Free
The only free COI tracking plan that includes AI extraction, expiration alerts, vendor upload portal, and CSV import — with no time limit, no credit card, and transparent upgrade pricing at $29-79/month. Best for property managers and contractors who want real software without hidden costs.
TrustLayer Starter
Free for up to 50 vendors with AI extraction and vendor portal. Well-reviewed and capable — but paid plan pricing is hidden behind a demo call. If you outgrow the free tier, you'll need to sit through a sales presentation to learn upgrade costs. Good for mid-size teams who don't mind the sales process.
BCS Free Tier
Offers a free entry point and self-service per-vendor pricing. However, the free tier lacks AI extraction and expiration alerts — the two features that save the most time in COI tracking. Suitable for teams with very basic needs who don't mind manual data entry.
Spreadsheets
Free and familiar — but that's where the advantages end. No AI extraction (manual typing for every COI), no automatic alerts (you must track expiration dates yourself), no vendor portal, and no audit trail. Spreadsheets work for 1-10 vendors. Beyond that, they create more risk than they prevent.
Why Most "Free" COI Tools Aren't Actually Free
We tried every COI tracking platform on the market. Here's what we found.
When you search for "free COI tracking software," most results fall into one of three buckets:
14-Day Trials Disguised as "Free"
Most platforms offer a time-limited trial that expires before you've even finished uploading your certificates. When the trial ends, your data is locked until you enter a credit card. That's not free — that's a sales funnel.
"Free Demo" That Requires a Sales Call
Some platforms advertise a "free demo" but won't let you use the software until you sit through a 45-minute sales presentation. You can't upload a certificate, can't test the AI extraction, and can't see if the dashboard actually works for your workflow.
Stripped-Down Free Plans That Are Useless
A few platforms offer a free tier — but it's limited to 1 vendor, lacks email alerts, or disables the AI extraction that makes the software useful. These aren't free plans; they're teasers designed to frustrate you into paying.
How COI File Is Different
Our free plan includes every core feature — AI extraction, expiration alerts, vendor portal, compliance dashboard, and CSV import — for up to 5 vendors, permanently. No credit card. No sales call. No expiration date. You can use it for a week or five years; the free plan stays free. When you're ready for more, upgrade takes 30 seconds. No migration. No data loss. Just more capacity.
Why COI File Is the Best Free COI Tracking Software
Four reasons the COI File free plan is the best option for teams that want real COI tracking at no cost.
Permanently free, not a trial
COI File's free plan has no time limit. It's a permanent tier — not a 14-day trial, not a "free demo" behind a sales call, and not a promotional offer that expires. You can use the free plan for one month or five years. The only thing that changes is when you decide you need more vendor capacity.
AI extraction included on the free plan
Most COI tracking platforms reserve AI extraction for paid plans — or don't offer it at all. COI File includes full AI-powered certificate reading on every plan, including Free. Upload any COI (PDF, scan, or photo) and our AI extracts coverage limits, dates, additional insured status, and policy numbers automatically. No manual data entry, even on the free tier.
Transparent upgrade pricing
When you outgrow the free plan, you know exactly what upgrading costs: $29/month (Pro, 100 vendors) or $79/month (Business, unlimited vendors). No "contact sales." No custom quotes. No hidden enterprise pricing. Compare that to TrustLayer (upgrade pricing hidden behind demo), myCOI ($500+/month), or Jones (enterprise only). COI File is the only free COI tool where the full pricing path is public.
Self-service signup — no demo required
You don't need to talk to anyone to start tracking COIs. Create an account, upload your first certificate, and see the compliance dashboard working — all in under 5 minutes. No 45-minute sales presentation. No "request a demo" form. No gatekeeping. Just sign up and start. If the software works for you, great. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing.
No credit card required. Free forever for up to 5 vendors.
How to Start Tracking for Free in Under 5 Minutes
No demo calls. No credit card. No waiting. Start tracking vendor insurance compliance right now.
Create Your Free Account
Click "Start Free" and create your account in 60 seconds. No credit card. No sales call. You'll land on your compliance dashboard — ready to add your first vendor.
Upload Your First Certificate
Drag and drop any COI — PDF, scan, or photo. Our AI extracts coverage limits, policy dates, additional insured status, and carrier details automatically. Or send your vendor a link to upload their own COI through the vendor portal. No manual data entry required.
Set Your Requirements and Relax
Define your insurance requirements — minimum coverage limits, additional insured requirements, waiver of subrogation — and COI File flags any certificate that falls short. Expiration alerts kick in automatically at 30, 14, and 7 days. Your dashboard shows green/yellow/red status at a glance. Done.
No credit card required. Free forever for up to 5 vendors.
When to Upgrade from the Free Plan
The free plan is designed to be genuinely useful. Here's when it makes sense to upgrade.
You need more than 5 vendors
If you're tracking vendors for a growing property portfolio or multiple job sites, upgrading to Pro ($29/mo, 100 vendors) or Business ($79/mo, unlimited) gives you the capacity you need.
You need team access
The free plan is single-user. If your property manager, compliance officer, or assistant needs their own login, upgrade to Starter (3 team members) or Pro (10 team members).
You need bulk uploads and advanced reports
On paid plans, you get unlimited uploads, advanced compliance reports for auditors and property owners, and CSV export for external reporting. These features are built for teams managing 50+ vendors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the free COI tracking plan.
Yes. COI File's free plan is permanently free — not a limited trial. You can track up to 5 vendors with no time limit, no credit card required. The free plan includes AI-powered certificate extraction, expiration alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days, a vendor upload portal, compliance dashboard, and CSV import. We built the free tier because we believe you should be able to try real COI tracking software — not a stripped-down demo — before deciding whether to upgrade.
When you reach the 5-vendor limit on the free plan, you'll see an in-app prompt to upgrade. Your existing data stays intact — nothing is deleted or locked. You can upgrade to our Pro plan ($29/mo for 100 vendors) or Business plan ($79/mo for unlimited vendors) at any time. There's no pressure to upgrade unless your team actually needs more capacity.
Absolutely. You can use our CSV import feature to bulk-import your existing vendors and certificates into the free plan. If you're migrating from spreadsheets, simply download your data as a CSV and upload it directly. If you're coming from another COI tracking platform, export your vendor list and we'll handle the rest. The free plan is a great way to test whether COI File fits your workflow before committing to a paid migration.
Yes. The free plan sends automatic email alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days before any certificate expires. These alerts go to the account owner's email address. On paid plans, you can configure alerts to go to additional team members and customize the alert schedule. But the core alert functionality — the feature that prevents lapsed coverage — is included in the free tier.
Yes. The free plan is a permanent part of our pricing, not a promotional offer that expires. We designed COI File so that small teams and independent contractors can always track vendor insurance at no cost. As your business grows and you need more vendors, team access, or advanced features, you can upgrade — but the free tier isn't going anywhere. Read our pricing page for the latest details.
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Join property managers and contractors who track vendor insurance with COI File. AI extraction, expiration alerts, vendor portal, and compliance dashboard — all free for up to 5 vendors, forever.
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