Pilla vs Raken (2026): AI that acts inside the work, or construction dailies, time and safety

Liam Jones

Founder of Pilla

Date Modified

16 September 2026

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I wrote this because I keep getting asked whether Pilla replaces Raken. I ran restaurants for years. I know the job: you want the floor to do the work without you chasing every check.

Raken is field-first construction software for general contractors and subcontractors. You log into the Raken app. Crews complete daily reports, attach photos and videos, run safety and quality checklists, log observations and incidents, and hold toolbox talks. The office reviews signed PDFs, time and production, and payroll or PM integrations. AI on their live pages is photo tagging, time-clock Photo ID, and daily-report summaries.

I built Pilla so you can turn a process you already know into a workflow on a canvas. Your team runs it on a phone, tablet or the web app. Pilla can fetch, decide and act while the work is happening. You keep the judgement calls.

If you want to try it on a process you already run, open the canvas.

I would pick Pilla when I want AI to act inside the work. I would pick Raken when I want construction dailies, time and a safety file from one vendor.

How did we compare them?

I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Pilla I describe what the product does today. For Raken I went back to their help, the public API, and the pricing and trial pages on 16 September 2026. Where they stay quiet, I stay quiet.

I am Liam Jones. I founded Pilla after more than ten years running hospitality operations, food safety and frontline teams. On 16 September 2026 I sat with Raken's current help: what Raken is, checklist templates, how to use and complete checklists, observations, messaging, AI photo tagging, purchasing, product releases, the public API, and the AI, pricing and trial pages. I have not lived in a paid Raken account for this write-up. I am telling you what their docs say.

What should you take away?

I would pick Pilla if I wanted the floor to follow the process without me chasing every check
I would pick Pilla if I wanted the work checked as it comes in, and followed up when something needs me
I would keep Raken if I needed signed dailies, time cards and a jobsite safety file from one vendor
I would not switch expecting Pilla to take over daily reports, time tracking or OSHA records

How do Pilla and Raken compare at a glance?

Capability	Pilla	Raken
Core job	AI work management for deskless teams	Field management for construction daily reports, time, and safety
Design the work	Visual canvas, branching, reusable workflows	Reusable checklist and report templates
Provide guidance	Written, photo and video guidance beside each step	Written prompts and toolbox talk text
Run the work	Phone, tablet, or web app	Phone, tablet, or web app
Capture evidence	Photos, video, audio, files, signatures, ratings, numbers, checklists, dates and location	Photos, video, files, signatures, checklists, dates; GPS on photos
Check the work	AI fetching, decisions and actions inside the work	Required answers, pass/fail, and signatures; AI after the run
Follow up	Human and AI follow-ups	Human observations, tasks, and corrective actions
Talk to the team	DMs and group chats	DMs and message channels
Connect other software	MCP server, API, integrations	REST API and named integrations; MCP coming soon
See what happened	Workflow records and evidence	Signed daily PDFs, checklist records, gallery, and insights
What you pay for	Unlimited users, usage based on workflows	Quote; Basic or Performance; unlimited users claimed
Best for	Operators who want AI to act inside the work	Construction crews who need dailies, time, and safety records

I built Pilla for AI work management on the floor. Raken sells field management for construction daily reports, time and safety.

Why do people like Pilla?

You open Pilla on the phone you already carry. You see the next step, read how to do it, take the photo or sign, and move on. The record lands while you work. Pilla checks it against the rules you set and follows up when something needs you.

I hear the same thing from managers: they draw the process once and stop asking all day whether it happened. The team likes it because they can see what good looks like before they start.

“Pilla helps me have a day off knowing that procedures will be followed”

Charles, owner of 11 hospitality sites

When does switching from Raken to Pilla make sense?

You want Pilla to check the work as it comes in
You want to draw the process on a canvas and branch it
You want stored audio, a rating or GPS sitting on the step itself
You want a live MCP server as well as an API
You want unlimited users paid on workflow usage
You are happy to keep dailies, time cards and payroll somewhere else

What do you pay for?

Capability	Pilla	Raken
What you pay for	Unlimited users, usage based on workflows	Quote; Basic or Performance; unlimited users claimed
Public price	Starter is £49 a month for 500 processed workflows. Pro is £99 a month for 1,000.	No public software price. Sales quote.
Trial	14-day free trial of every Pro feature, with no card	15-day trial of Performance.

Raken quotes you. Help names Basic and Performance. Request-pricing claims one price with no counting of sheets, users or pictures, unlimited projects and reports, and free collaborators. Time Clock is an add-on on all plans. Custom checklists, observations, incidents, forms, document storage and AI photo tagging sit on Performance in current help. I found help articles that disagree on whether toolbox talks are Basic or Performance. The App Store lists in-app purchases for Basic at $31.99 and Performance at $79.99 without a billing period, so I have not treated those as a web rate card. I could not find a public software price on rakenapp.com/pricing.

See full Pilla pricing.

How long does setup take, and how hard is it?

You can open Pilla the same day. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of Pro, with no card. I usually see a first opening or closing workflow take an afternoon. Raken starts with a 15-day trial of Performance. Dailies and photos can go live quickly. The time clock, cost codes and payroll integrations take a real rollout.

If you move, you rebuild the checklists on the canvas. Photos and history stay in Raken unless you export them by hand. Run both for a while. Keep construction dailies, time cards, the time clock and payroll integrations on Raken or another vendor. I did not build Pilla to do shift scheduling, payroll or HR.

Does the answer change by budget or size?

If you only need a process on a canvas and you want to try something today, start with Pilla. If you run a jobsite and you need signed dailies, time cards and a safety file from one vendor, stay with Raken. If money is tight, I publish prices. Raken quotes you. If you want AI in the run and an MCP server, I would pick Pilla even in a small team.

What is each one used for?

Raken works well for

Signed daily reports with photos, videos, weather and work logs
Safety and quality checklists with photo proof and a signature
Observations assigned to a closer, with photos of the fix
Toolbox talks from a topic library with digital attendance
Incident records and OSHA ITA submit
Time cards, time clock with AI Photo ID, and production quantities
In-app channels and 1:1 messages between field and office
Sync time and dailies into accounting or Procore

Pilla works well for

Opening and closing the team can follow on their phone
Showing someone how to do a step with writing, a photo or a video
Collecting photos, video, audio, files and signatures as the work happens
Letting AI fetch, decide and act while the run is live
Following up yourself, or letting Pilla follow up
Talking in DMs and group chats next to the work
Connecting other software through MCP, API and integrations
Paying for workflows with as many people as you need

What is Raken designed to do?

Raken holds the day's field story in one place. You log work, notes, weather, photos, videos and surveys, then you sign a branded PDF. You run safety and quality checklists, assign observations to closure, log incidents, and hold toolbox talks with attendance signatures. I would stay on Raken for construction dailies plus time cards, a photo time clock, geofence, resource scheduling, cost codes, and payroll or PM integrations.

What is Pilla designed to do?

I built Pilla so you can turn the processes you already know into workflows on a canvas. Your team follows them on a phone, tablet or the web app. Pilla checks completed work and handles the follow-up you configured. You keep judgement, coaching and the awkward calls. I left shift scheduling, payroll and HR out on purpose.

What differences actually matter?

How do they check the work?

On Pilla I put AI fetching, decisions and actions in the run. On Raken a required answer, a pass/fail and a signature do the checking, then a corrective action on fail. AI Photo Tagging labels gallery photos after upload on Performance. AI Photo ID sits on the time clock add-on. Daily-report summaries are marketed. I could not find an AI step inside a checklist.

How do you design the work?

On Pilla you draw a visual canvas with branching and reuse the workflow. On Raken you build a checklist template in the web app, with sections and items, and you reuse daily-report templates. Checklists can be scheduled and assigned. I could not find a node canvas or if/then branching.

How do you provide guidance?

On Pilla you sit written, photo and video guidance beside each step. On Raken you put item text, a default note prompt, toolbox talk topics, PDF forms and document folders. Crews attach photos and videos as evidence. I could not find a stored photo-guidance or video-guidance block on the template builder.

What evidence can the floor capture?

On Pilla you capture ratings, stored audio and GPS in the step, plus photos, video, files, signatures, numbers, checklists and dates. Raken is strong on photos, video, files, signatures, checklists and dates. Photos can carry a GPS watermark. Notes support voice-to-text. I could not find a stored audio field. A June 2025 blog lists star rating, number, date and time fields. Current template-builder help does not.

How do they connect other software?

Pilla publishes an MCP server, a REST API and integrations. Raken documents a public REST API 3.0 with OAuth, plus named accounting, PM and storage integrations. The product releases page lists Raken MCP as Coming Soon. I could not find a live MCP server.

What are you paying for?

On Pilla you pay for processed workflows, with unlimited people, and you get a 14-day trial of every Pro feature with no card. Raken quotes you for Basic or Performance. Time Clock is extra. Request-pricing claims no counting of sheets, users or pictures. I could not find a public software price on the web.

Which should you pick?

If I ran a jobsite that needed signed dailies, time cards and a safety file from one vendor, I would keep Raken. That field record is a fair reason to stay. If I wanted the work drawn on a canvas and AI acting inside the run, with MCP and unlimited users, I would use Pilla, and I would keep dailies and payroll somewhere else.

Frequently asked questions

Does Raken have AI inside checklists?

I could not find an AI step inside a checklist. Checking is a required item, pass/fail, a signature and a corrective action on fail. AI Photo Tagging labels gallery photos after upload on Performance. AI Photo ID compares clock-in selfies on the time clock add-on. Daily-report summaries are marketed. I could not find a dedicated help article for those summaries.

Can staff chat in Raken the way they would in Pilla?

Yes. Messaging is on all plans: channels plus direct 1:1 messages, with photos and files, on web and mobile.

What evidence can a Raken checklist capture?

Current help: Pass/Fail/N/A or Yes/No/N/A, notes, photos, observations and a completion signature. Marketing and a June 2025 blog also list video on questions and extra types (number, date, time, star rating, table, signature). Those extra types are not in the current template-builder help, so I am treating them as unverified for the live builder. GPS can watermark photos. Voice-to-text exists. I could not find a stored audio field.

Does Raken have a visual workflow canvas?

I could not find one in live help. Admins build sectioned checklist templates and daily-report surveys. I could not find a node canvas or documented if/then branching.

How much does Raken cost compared to Pilla?

Raken quotes you. I could not find a public software price on the web. Plans are Basic and Performance. Request-pricing says no counting users, sheets or pictures. Time Clock is extra. There is a 15-day Performance trial. The App Store lists Basic at $31.99 and Performance at $79.99 without a billing period, so I am not treating those as a web rate card. I do not charge per person. Starter is £49 a month with 500 processed workflows included. Pro is £99 a month with 1,000 included, and adds AI automations inside Pilla. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of every Pro feature, with no card.

Does Raken have an API or MCP?

Yes, a public REST API 3.0 with OAuth, plus named accounting, PM and storage integrations. Raken MCP is listed as Coming Soon on product releases. I could not find it as shipped.

Does switching to Pilla replace Raken time tracking or daily reports?

No. I did not build Pilla for shift scheduling, payroll or HR, and I did not build it as a construction daily-log suite. If you need Raken's dailies, time clock, cost codes or OSHA file, keep those on Raken or another product.

How long does it take to switch from Raken to Pilla?

You rebuild the checklists on the canvas. A first workflow usually takes an afternoon. Running both side by side can take days or a couple of weeks, depending on how many templates you have. Photos and history stay in Raken unless you move them by hand.

How did you compare Pilla and Raken?

I read Raken public docs on 16 September 2026 and answered the same twelve questions I use on every comparison. I described Pilla as it works today. I left out anything Raken does not publish.

Where did these facts come from?

Raken claims on this page come from their own public docs. Pilla claims come from the current product.

Pilla is AI work management for deskless teams. Try every Pro feature free for 14 days, with no card. Start a free trial or visit Raken.

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