SmartGov vs OpenGov Permitting & Licensing

GeoCivix

CityReporter

Trimble Cityworks

GeoCivix is a modern, cloud based platform that's easy to use, and built specifically for small to mid-sized government agencies. This comprehensive solution streamlines permitting, plan review, and inspections to improve operational efficiency, automate routine tasks, and promote transparency.

CityReporter is a cloud-based municipal inspection and workflow management platform that helps local governments streamline operations, improve compliance, and manage assets and permits efficiently with real-time reporting and secure data access from any device.

CityWorks is a cloud-based solution designed to help local governments manage capital assets, communication, and licensing. The GIS-centric platform lets users record infrastructure data in a geodatabase, monitor historical work, identify associated costs, and schedule preventative maintenance.

SmartGov simplifies permitting and licensing through a public portal that brings together permit applications, public notices, maps, online payments and more in a single information hub.

Activity Dashboard

Appointment Management

Automated Routing

Building Permits

Business License

Case Management

Code Enforcement

Code Maintenance

Compliance Management

Customer Database

Customer Portal

Customizable Forms

Dispatch Management

Document Management

Expiry Notifications

Failed Inspection Tracking

Fee Management

GIS Integration

Image Capture

Inspection Management

Job Management

Mobile Access

Monitoring

Online Applications

Online Payments

Performance Metrics

Permit Issuance

Photo Management

Planning & Zoning

Purchasing & Receiving

Renewal Management

Reporting/Analytics

Report Templates

Routing

Self Service Portal

Status Tracking

Subcontractor Management

Taxation & Assessment

Violation Tracking

Weed Abatement Control

SmartGov

Web-based

iPad

Android

iPhone

OpenGov Permitting & Licensing

Basic

Codes Enforcement Officer 

It helps us keep track of when case files need to be checked on, holds all documents that we attach to each file in case something where to go missing we always have smart gov to fall back on.

Inspector

We cannot easily drag and drop electronic documents as we could with our previous program.

Secretary/Treasurer

We are experiencing much more transparency with our permits than we would without SmartGov.  Documents can readily, be downloaded, printed and shared amongst our group with ease - again, something that would be delayed with no SmartGov.  

The system takes us longer now to process a permit with so many added steps.

The portal doesn't seem to be very user friendly for contractors in the field.

Permit Manager

For first time users, I find that they struggle to properly navigate the site, as a lot of assumptions are implied as to where they need to go to submit certain items.

Building Technician

The program when used by many staff members should give alert when in a permit, thereby the other users not in  the same permit .  

Admin Clerk III

I enjoy the dashboard and the ability to create short-cuts to the sections I use the most.

Engineer 2

Tracking permits through multiple department's inputs, seems to work well.  

Director

My County has been a user of Smartgov for a  coupe of years now.   Despite this, a recent interaction a a conference asking for help with creating reports and helping with back end workflows resulted in my information being sent to the sales team where I go three weeks of daily sales calls.  

Draftsman

I wish there could be an option to turn off notifications per each Building Permit.

Owner

On multi contactor projects it's to easy for the general contactor to schedule an inspection without you knowing

Programmers, especially the new Brightly programmers are making changes without consulting end users and creating workflow problems by adding features that create confusion.

I currently submit projects across the state and use several online portals.

The only way for me to no longer receive them is by emailing a Permit tech.

Project Manager

Good for tracking and calling inspections.

Permit Technician

Being able to easily edit permit types, steps, submittals, inspections, workflow, etc. is huge.

OFFICE MANAGER

occasionally is will take a minute to load but that could be our internet.

Processing

I have been told by the city that the site didnt alert them of any info uploaded.

Building and Zoning Administrative Assistant

Contractors need to see pictures in the details.  

Permitting and Engineering Department Manager

User Friendly, Very clean work platform with easy directions on how to navigate the program if any questions.

PERMIT SPECIALIST

If we ever have to switch from smartgov, I will pose a formal protest.

Locating individual projects was not initially clear

Teacher

Love how Easy it is to use and find out how the statuses on your applications.

Code Enforcement Officer

My overall observation is many updates are not being managed by SmartGov and the City is having to go out on their own and handle updates it seems SmartGov should be doing.  

office manager

Time consuming when i am trying to just pay my taxes

A lot of the time support asks for screenshots when that's just not feasible given how remote some of the building sites are.

We need better assistance and clarity from SmartGov as well as the timing with the actual assistance not just a response, but actual assistance.

Codes Enforcement Officer

Use, once you get the hang of using the features it seems to flow.

The ease of finding things and how you can look up permits easily.

site rarely has technical issues which is always a plus!

Business Operations Specialist

For our staff customizable workflow steps and actions ensure that permits appear on their user to do list at the right time and trigger the next review or administrative step once they are complete.  

General Manager

It is very user friendly and the customer support is readily available.

I've worked with them and shown them SmartGov and just how easy it is to edit and change things, and that's allowed us to streamline processes extensively.

Found the more I get into the program it wasn't  that complicated.

Registrar

Right now we do not accept cards and cannot do anything online, so this is going to bring us out of the stone age and I am pretty excited to see how this goes for us.

It frequently crashes and we have certain open issues that we haven't had addressed yet by engineering.

Project Coordinator

Getting on to upload documentation for review of fire alarm plans.  

general contractor

often the employees separately provide their email either in smartgov fields or personally to the public user

Overall experience with SmartGov was pleasant and rather self explanatory.

smartgov is easy to use and makes the permitting process quick and easy.

Plans Examiner

Case history, communication history, document sharing.

Excellent portal for users and ease of use

Manager

I can just go online line submit my permit app and be done.  

Office Manager

SmartGov is relatively easy to use and navigate.

It is a sad excuse when the sales team doesn't even know who their own customers are.  

Adminstrater Assisant/Office Clerk

the fact that our resident can't pay for an reinspection on this site

The program is easy to navigate for day to day tasks.

Shortening this would be more user friendly.

Ease of Use

Permit Management

Customer Support

Contractor Portal

Email Notifications

Project Tracking

Inspection Scheduling

Bugs and Issues

Updates

Small Business

Mid-size Business

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Granicus

Comcate Code Enforcement Software

Cloud-based code enforcement software that allows code enforcement departments report and track cases, schedule follow-up inspections, assign cases, create instant KPI reports, and more.

TEKConnectGov

We built TEKConnectgov to Move Government Forward — Not Just Digitize It.

OpenGov Permitting & Licensing is code enforcement and permit management software that helps governmental organizations manage workflow processes, inspections, permits, reports, and more from within a unified platform.

Approval Process Control

Customizable Fields

For Government

Forms Management

License Inventory

Parking Permits

Process/Workflow Automation

Real-Time Reporting

Reporting & Statistics

Workflow Management

Proprietary

Windows

Chief of Survey

When making changes to forms - changes are not reflected within existing active records.

Planner

Inability to customize or turn off automated notifications.

In trading notes with my colleagues in other municipalities that use competing products, it seems none of them are particularly well liked lol

It’s a firehouse of emails that most people tune out or ignore.

Community Development Director

We do still need to assist folks who are very uncomfortable with computers.

Easy to use for applicants and on the municipal end.

Administrative Analyst

Plan Examiner

Able to mess with majority of the important functions on the forms myself without needed to go to support, Record/application is under your control, User Friendly, can store documents (limited to file size though), can access anywhere as long as you have a phone.  

Inspections are much easier and faster since the software is portable and permits can be issued on site.

Administrative Assistant

Sometimes slow and has connectivity issues, could be our internet system

Assistant Collector

This is also helpful when it is a renewal period, making the influx easier to handle.

Intern Planner

At first you trust the company. as time goes by you lose faith in the company itself (not reliable and need to do things yourself)

Electrical Inspector

It's a great product compared to the competitors that being said the competitors are equivalent to use a typewriter.

SmartGov vs OpenGov Permitting & Licensing Comparison (2026)

SmartGov

OpenGov Permitting & Licensing

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives