Pilla vs SiteDocs (2026): AI that acts inside the work, or construction safety forms, certifications and audits
Liam Jones
Founder of Pilla
Date Modified
16 September 2026
I wrote this because I keep getting asked whether Pilla replaces SiteDocs. I ran restaurants for years. I know the job: you want the floor to do the work without you chasing every check.
Nemetschek bought GoCanvas in 2024, and SiteDocs came with it. You still log into SiteDocs. You build digital safety forms, collect GPS-stamped signatures and photos, track certifications, and you can add Analytics and Workflow Studio if you buy those add-ons.
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 SiteDocs when I want a construction safety programme with GPS-stamped signatures, certifications and contractor Lite.
How did we compare them?
I ask the same twelve questions on every comparison. For Pilla I describe what the product does today. For SiteDocs I went back to their help and product 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 SiteDocs help: Form Item Descriptions, collapsible and repeatable sections, Follow-Up Forms, Direct Chats, Location Chats, Topics, signatures, the Public API, Workflow Studio and the pricing page. I have not lived in a paid SiteDocs 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 SiteDocs if I needed construction safety forms, certifications and contractor Lite from one vendor
- I would not switch expecting Pilla to take over certifications, contractor Lite or COR audit files
How do Pilla and SiteDocs compare at a glance?
| Capability | Pilla | SiteDocs |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | AI work management for deskless teams | Construction safety management for digital forms, certifications and audits |
| Design the work | Visual canvas, branching, reusable workflows | Reusable form templates with repeatable sections |
| Provide guidance | Written, photo and video guidance beside each step | Written instructions plus image or PDF on the form |
| 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, PDFs, signatures, pass/fail, numbers, checklists, dates, location; dictation into text |
| Check the work | AI fetching, decisions and actions inside the work | Pass/fail, required items and supervisor sign-off; AI on dashboards |
| Follow up | Human and AI follow-ups | Human Follow-Up Forms and scheduled signatures |
| Talk to the team | DMs and group chats | Direct chats, Location chats and Topics |
| Connect other software | MCP server, API, integrations | API, Workflow Studio and Dropbox |
| See what happened | Workflow records and evidence | Signed form PDFs, Safety Monitor and Analytics |
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Annual company-size quote; Analytics and Workflow Studio extra |
| Best for | Operators who want AI to act inside the work | Construction and trades operators who need paperless safety compliance |
I built Pilla for AI work management on the floor. SiteDocs sells construction safety management for digital forms, certifications and audits.
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 SiteDocs 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 video guidance beside the step
- You want stored audio and video on the step
- You want an MCP server you can call
- You are happy to keep certifications, contractor Lite and COR files somewhere else
What do you pay for?
| Capability | Pilla | SiteDocs |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Unlimited users, usage based on workflows | Annual company-size quote; Analytics and Workflow Studio extra |
| 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 | Demo and quote. Terms mention a granted free trial. No advertised self-serve trial. |
SiteDocs sells an annual subscription based on company size. They say there are no individual user fees, and forms and signatures are unlimited. Analytics and Workflow Studio are add-ons. A 2025 package note named Pro and Max, with API and SSO on Max. Their terms can still cap users and locations on the Order. I could not find a public dollar price. I have left third-party dollar figures off this page.
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. SiteDocs starts with a demo and a quote. Their FAQ says paper forms cannot be imported as-is. Content Specialists rebuild them. Forms can go live quickly. Analytics and Workflow Studio are add-ons.
If you move, you rebuild the forms on the canvas. Signed PDFs and history stay in SiteDocs unless you export them by hand. Run both for a while. Keep certifications, contractor Lite and COR audit files on SiteDocs or another vendor. I did not build Pilla to be a construction safety programme of record.
Does the answer change by budget or size?
If you only need digital forms and you want to try something today, start with Pilla. If you run construction safety and you need GPS-stamped signatures, certifications and contractor Lite from one vendor, stay with SiteDocs. If money is tight, I publish prices. SiteDocs 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?
SiteDocs works well for
- Toolbox talks, JSAs, SWMS and daily sign-offs on phone or tablet
- Site, vehicle and equipment inspections with pass/fail, photos and annotations
- Incident and near-miss reports with GPS-stamped signatures
- Corrective Follow-Up Forms with an assignee and due date
- PDF resource libraries with sign-off
- Worker certification images and expiry reminders
- Contractor and visitor forms through SiteDocs Lite link or QR
- Safety Monitor of completed, pending, overdue and missing forms
- Direct, Location and Topic chat
- Auto-share signed PDFs to a prime or into Dropbox
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 SiteDocs designed to do?
SiteDocs holds toolbox talks, JSAs, inspections, incidents and orientations as signed digital forms. You prove who signed, when and where. You flag a follow-up, keep certifications from expiring, and let a contractor sign through Lite. The field app works offline. I would stay on SiteDocs for that safety programme.
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 SiteDocs a required item, a pass/fail, a GPS stamp or a supervisor signature does the checking. Analytics talks about smart suggestions and written chart explanations on dashboards. I could not find an AI step inside a SiteDocs form.
How do you design the work?
On Pilla you draw a visual canvas with branching and reuse the workflow. On SiteDocs you build a form template in the Form Builder, add sections and 18 item types, and repeat a block with a button. Workflow Studio is a separate automation canvas after a form is signed. I could not find live Form Logic that hides items inside a template.
How do you provide guidance?
On Pilla you sit written, photo and video guidance beside each step. On SiteDocs you put a Text Info Block plus View Image or View PDF on the form. I could not find a video file on the instruction items.
How do you capture evidence?
On Pilla you sit photos, video, audio and files on the step. On SiteDocs a form takes photos with annotations, PDFs, GPS-stamped signatures, pass/fail, numbers, dates and extra GPS pins. Voice dictation fills text. I could not find a video or stored-audio Form Line Item.
How do they connect other software?
Pilla publishes an MCP server, a REST API and integrations. SiteDocs documents a REST API that you request a token for, plus Workflow Studio and Dropbox. I could not find a SiteDocs 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. SiteDocs quotes you an annual subscription based on company size. I could not find a public software price.
Which should you pick?
If I ran a construction safety programme that needed GPS-stamped signatures, certifications and contractor Lite from one vendor, I would keep SiteDocs. That programme is a fair reason to stay. If I wanted the work drawn on a canvas and AI acting inside the run, with video on the step and MCP, I would use Pilla, and I would keep certifications and contractor Lite somewhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Is SiteDocs still SiteDocs after GoCanvas and Nemetschek?
Yes. Nemetschek bought GoCanvas in 2024, and SiteDocs came with it. In September 2026 the product is still SiteDocs. Help and marketing sit on sitedocs.com. SiteDocs Safety ULC is a GoCanvas company in the Nemetschek Group.
Does SiteDocs have AI inside forms?
I could not find an AI step inside a form. Checking is a mandatory item, a pass/fail, a photo and a supervisor signature. Homepage and Analytics pages describe AI callouts, smart suggestions and written chart explanations on dashboards. Workflow Studio can run after a form is signed. Help says it cannot fill answers.
Can staff chat in SiteDocs the way they would in Pilla?
SiteDocs Chat has Direct Chats to one person or a group of up to eight, Location Chats and Topics. That is DMs plus group rooms. Chat needs a live connection. Help says attachments are images and GIFs, not PDFs or Office files.
What evidence can a SiteDocs form capture?
A form item can take a photo with annotations, a PDF, a finger signature with date, time and GPS, pass/fail, yes/no, a number, a checkbox, a date, a time and an extra GPS pin. Voice dictation fills text. I could not find a video or stored-audio Form Line Item in the 23 April 2026 item list.
How much does SiteDocs cost compared to Pilla?
SiteDocs quotes you. I could not find a public software price. They say the subscription is annual and based on company size, with no individual user fees and unlimited forms and signatures. Analytics and Workflow Studio are add-ons. 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 switching to Pilla replace SiteDocs certifications, contractor Lite or COR audit files?
No. I did not build Pilla as a construction safety programme of record. If you need SiteDocs certifications, contractor Lite or COR audit files, keep those on SiteDocs or another product.
How long does it take to switch from SiteDocs to Pilla?
You rebuild the forms 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 forms you have. Signed PDFs and history stay in SiteDocs unless you move them by hand.
How did you compare Pilla and SiteDocs?
I read SiteDocs 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 SiteDocs does not publish.
Where did these facts come from?
SiteDocs 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 SiteDocs.
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