Six tools GCs and subs actually evaluate — with real pricing where it’s published, how each ties payment to a waiver, and who each is genuinely best for. We make one of these (SureHold), so we’ve been deliberately fair: every tool below has a use case where it’s the right call.
Pricing for GCPay, Trimble Pay, and Siteline is quote-only and shown as such — we don’t invent competitor numbers. Verify current details with each vendor before buying.
Lien waiver software compared: pricing, payment coupling, free tier, and best fit.
Subcontractors managing their own billing and A/R (not GCs collecting waivers)
Quote-only
No money movement — submits into GC portals
No
The rundown
Each tool, and who it’s really for
SureHold
$0 free · $99/mo · $399/mo (published)
The self-serve, transparently priced option. SureHold stages the payment itself in escrow (via Stripe Connect) and releases it the moment the sub signs, across all 50 states, with subs signing free from a link. Limitations to be honest about: deep ERP integrations aren’t there, QuickBooks Online and Procore are still "coming soon," and it does not file mechanics liens.
The category’s content and lien-rights leader, now owned by Procore. Unmatched for preliminary notices, lien-rights research, and actually filing a mechanics lien — but it’s built downstream-first (for the party trying to get paid), and money movement lives in Procore Pay, not Levelset itself. Post-acquisition support draws mixed reviews.
Quote-only + ~$15 per ePayment/waiver-exchange transaction
A mature AP and pay-application platform with deep two-way ERP connectors (Sage, Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica) and in-platform online notarization. It ties waivers to payment via a watermarked-waiver model. Heavier and sales-led; some subs dislike that exchange fees get passed down and that they can’t fix their own submission mistakes.
Flashtract, acquired by Trimble in May 2024 and folded into Trimble Construction One. Strong auto-generated, error-checked AIA pay apps and subcontractor compliance. Its waiver "vault" releases the signed waiver once the sub is paid. QuickBooks Online is not in its current integration list; pricing is sales-led.
Payments + waivers free with ≥1 payment/mo on Built; otherwise $1,000/mo waivers-only
In October 2025 Built made digital payments with lien-waiver management free, monetizing the money movement (e.g., optional faster-funds fees) instead of the software. Lender-first DNA, with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Yardi, and Procore integrations. The catch: "free" means routing your payments through Built.
Siteline
Quote-only
Worth knowing because it’s often listed alongside the others, but Siteline is a subcontractor-side billing tool — the mirror image of a GC waiver-collection product. It auto-generates the correct waiver when an invoice is marked paid and submits into GC portals (Textura, GCPay, Procore Pay). Great for subs; not the tool a GC uses to collect waivers.
You’re a GC who wants payment tied to a signed waiver, self-serve, with a free start → SureHold
You might actually need to file a mechanics lien, or you’re a sub protecting lien rights → Levelset
You’re on a construction ERP and need deep two-way pay-app sync → GCPay or Trimble Pay
You’ll route payments through one platform and want the workflow free → Built
You’re a subcontractor managing your own billing and A/R → Siteline
FAQ
Common questions
What is the best lien waiver software in 2026?
There isn’t one answer — it depends on your role and size. For a small-to-mid general contractor who wants payment coupled to a signed waiver without a sales call, SureHold is the self-serve, transparently priced pick. For protecting lien rights or filing a mechanics lien, Levelset leads. For an enterprise GC already on a construction ERP, GCPay or Trimble Pay fit better. For subcontractors managing their own billing, Siteline. Built is compelling if you’re willing to move payments onto its rails.
Which lien waiver software has a free tier?
SureHold is free up to 10 payments a month. Levelset has a free account with free individual documents (it charges for actions like lien filing). Built’s payments-and-waivers workflow is free if you process at least one payment a month on Built. GCPay, Trimble Pay, and Siteline do not offer a public free tier for the contractor (Trimble Pay is free for invited subs).
Which tools couple payment to the lien waiver?
Several do, in different ways. SureHold holds the payment in escrow and releases it on signature. Procore Pay locks a signed unconditional waiver until the invoice is paid. GCPay uses a watermarked-waiver release. Trimble Pay holds the signed waiver in a vault until the sub is paid. Built couples the two in one flow. Levelset and Siteline manage documents but do not move the money themselves.
Does any of them charge subcontractors?
Some do. Oracle Textura charges subcontractors 0.22% of contract value (capped at $5,000), and GCPay’s per-exchange fee can be passed down to subs. SureHold and Trimble Pay do not charge subcontractors to sign.
Want the self-serve, escrow-backed one?
Try SureHold free — 10 payments a month, all 50 states, no card and no demo.