Points of difference
Six kinds of accessibility. One platform.
Permitting vendors build portals for applicants. GIS vendors build viewers for analysts. Open-data platforms publish tables. AgencyCounter unifies, interprets and communicates — for everyone.
We sell on points of difference, not on price.
Every pillar makes at least one capability concrete and shows what comparable products do not do. The comparison below is against categories — permitting-vendor portals, GIS viewers, open-data platforms and in-house builds. No competitor or vendor is named.
How to read this table
- Yes — the capability is a designed-in part of the service.
- No — not offered by that category of product.
- ·Qualifiers like “Permits only” or “Varies” describe what the category typically does instead.
The comparison matrix
What each category does — and does not do
Data accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unified permits, planning, zoning, parcels, inspections and GIS by address | Yes | Permits only | Spatial only | Tables only | No |
| Multi-format ingest (API, CSV, database output, other formats) | Yes | Single system | GIS formats | Flat files | Build it yourself |
| Designed for a non-expert public, not for specialists | Yes | Applicant-focused | Analyst-focused | Data-user-focused | Varies |
Language accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish touchpoints, communications and visual cues (no extra charge) | Yes | Labels only, if at all | No | No | No |
Search accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embeddable live records search bar on any page the agency controls | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Insight accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top-Level Dashboards (council-ready activity, volume, trend) | Yes | No | No | No | Build it yourself |
| Scorecards linked to Records (drill down to underlying cases) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Storytelling views for briefings, press and community meetings | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Regulatory reporting accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required State/Federal metrics published live from the same records ingest | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Metrics traceable to the underlying records | Yes | No | No | Static tables | No |
Universal accessibility
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.1 Level AA commitment across every public touchpoint, including the map | Yes | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Browser-based on any device; no downloads, no plug-ins | Yes | Varies | Varies | Yes | Varies |
| Plain language for non-expert and older residents | Yes | No | No | No | Varies |
| No training, no administration (turnkey) | Yes | No | No | No | Build and maintain yourself |
Commercial
| Capability | AgencyCounter | Permitting-vendor portal | GIS viewer | Open-data platform | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live in 4 weeks | Yes | Multi-month | Varies | Varies | Multi-month |
| Fixed price, 5-year lock, support included | Yes | Annual fees | License fees | Platform fees | Ongoing cost |
For analysts
Ask your current vendor to complete this table in writing.
The Business Case for Analysts includes the full comparison matrix, the evidence behind each point of difference, and the 2027 pricing reference table — a document you can circulate internally.