Stuck with outdated public service tools?
Juggling fragmented legacy systems makes it tough to meet citizen expectations. It’s a constant struggle to maintain transparency and efficiency.
Worse, failing to modernize your operations risks eroding public trust and wasting precious budget on processes that just don’t work anymore.
The pandemic exposed these cracks. According to LLCBuddy, 79% of local governments increased tech adoption, proving many old systems were already struggling to keep up.
But the right tools can fix this, letting you streamline workflows and boost trust without the stressful and risky guesswork.
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In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best municipal software. I’ve focused on solutions designed to unify your services and improve public engagement.
You’ll discover options that fit strict budgets, integrate smoothly, and deliver the clear ROI your city council demands from you.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BS&A Software → | Mid-sized municipalities | |
| 2 | ClearForms → | Small to mid-sized governments | |
| 3 | ClearGov → | Mid-sized local governments | |
| 4 | Tyler Technologies → | Large multi-department agencies | |
| 5 | Accela → | Urban and growing cities |
1. BS&A Software
Struggling with fragmented legacy municipal systems?
BS&A Software offers a comprehensive suite of online municipal services. This provides instant and convenient access to crucial local government information.
Their Public Records Search feature frees your municipality personnel from time-consuming data requests. It allows constituents to retrieve data 24/7, even outside normal business hours.
You need streamlined workflows and improved transparency.
BS&A Software delivers exactly that, providing a central online source for municipal data. This means easier management and access for everyone.
The Community Development feature allows your public to apply for permits or request inspections online. You can even access inspection results and outstanding fees, and pay for permits easily. Additionally, the Financial Services module gives you ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to financial reporting, simplifying your workflow. Plus, with Employee Self Service, your staff can manage past checks and enter timesheet information remotely via the web, ensuring smooth operations.
This leads to measurable efficiency gains.
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Key features:
- Public Records Search: Enables title companies, realtors, and other interested parties to view municipal information, freeing up your personnel from data requests.
- Community Development: Allows the public to apply for permits, request inspections online, and conveniently pay for permit and rental certificate fees.
- Financial Services & Employee Self Service: Provides ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to financial reporting for smooth workflows and allows employees to manage employment and timesheet information remotely.
BS&A Software features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: BS&A Software proves to be a strong contender for best municipal software, especially for organizations seeking comprehensive functionality and improved public access. Its features like 24/7 public record access and online permit applications address key pain points, driving efficiency and enhancing constituent satisfaction.
2. ClearForms
Tired of slow, inefficient municipal permitting?
ClearForms replaces outdated paper, PDFs, and basic online forms with an automated platform. This means you can say goodbye to processes that bog you down.
With ClearForms, online applications are automatically routed, boosting compliance rates and enabling permits to be issued up to 75% faster for your municipality.
Here’s how ClearForms helps you.
ClearForms introduces automated workflows, allowing you to manage nearly any permit or license type, from building permits to business licenses and even job applications. You get customizable, mobile-responsive online forms and integrated payment processing.
This includes features like smart logic and formulas for complex workflows, ensuring your team has the tools to handle diverse scenarios. You can also utilize in-app communication tools, real-time status updates, and online reviews and approvals, making collaboration seamless.
Additionally, ClearForms provides self-service no-code setup and management, putting you in control of your technology without needing IT expertise. Performance management tools and easy data exports further empower you to make data-driven decisions and enhance public service delivery.
Streamline services, boost trust.
Key features:
- Automated Permitting Platform: Replaces paper and PDFs with online forms, routing applications automatically to increase compliance and speed up permit issuance by up to 75%.
- Comprehensive Workflow Management: Supports various municipal workflows, including building permits, business licenses, job applications, and 311 service requests, with customizable forms and smart logic.
- Integrated Communication and Data Tools: Offers in-app communication, real-time status updates, online reviews, integrated payments, and easy data exports for improved transparency and efficiency.
ClearForms features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: ClearForms stands out as a top contender for best municipal software, particularly for local governments looking to modernize. Its ability to automate diverse workflows, accelerate permit issuance by 75%, and provide transparent communication tools makes it an ideal solution for IT managers and procurement officers aiming to enhance public trust and operational efficiency.
3. ClearGov
Struggling with municipal software that feels outdated and disconnected?
You know the headache of fragmented systems and manual data entry that slows down critical processes. ClearGov directly addresses this by offering cloud-based budget and performance management tools.
This means you can transform inefficient, opaque tasks into streamlined, transparent processes, helping you tell your financial story effectively and unite your budget team. This solution lets you regain valuable time.
You can plan, budget, and engage with confidence.
ClearGov makes it easy to build your budget and focus on initiatives that truly benefit your community. The platform helps you create, track, and present strategic and capital project plans, while also optimizing how you build annual capital, personnel, and operating budgets. You can streamline department head requests with user-friendly forms, manage line item approvals collaboratively, and create multiple budget scenarios with audit trails. Additionally, you can effortlessly create and publish online documents, reports, and drive community engagement with 24/7 access to key financial information and online forms.
Your staff can focus on strategic initiatives instead of endless paperwork.
Key features:
- Unified Budget Cycle Management: This helps eliminate redundant work and ensures consistent financial storytelling, designed specifically for public agencies like yours.
- Interactive Digital Reporting: Allows you to create and publish online budget books and financial reports quickly, bringing financials to life with interactive, ADA-compliant web-based documents.
- Enhanced Community Engagement: Provides 24/7 online access to financial information, performance metrics, and online forms, helping you build public trust and free up staff.
ClearGov features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: ClearGov stands out as the best municipal software for mid-sized local governments, transforming budget and performance management. With over 1300 clients managing $130B in budgets and 98% customer satisfaction, it excels in streamlining workflows, enhancing transparency, and improving constituent satisfaction. The platform delivers exactly what it promises, saving users time and effort.
4. Tyler Technologies
Struggling with fragmented municipal software systems?
Tyler Technologies offers comprehensive solutions to manage your public sector agency’s diverse needs.
Their enterprise solutions help you overcome information overload, ensuring streamlined operations and enhanced public service.
How can you simplify complex public sector tasks?
Tyler Technologies provides a broad range of solutions, empowering you to deliver faster assistance with greater transparency and accessibility. This includes managing property tax lifecycles, civic services like permitting and utility billing, and comprehensive ERP for financial and human resources management.
Their unified system improves workflow and ensures efficient, consistent operations across all departments, from courts and justice to public safety and K-12 education. Additionally, their cybersecurity, data, and insights platforms provide secure data management and help your employees transform data into strategic outcomes, protecting your organization from cyberattacks and enabling data-driven governance.
This helps your organization effectively address citizens’ needs and achieve measurable efficiency gains.
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Key features:
- Comprehensive ERP solutions: Manage core business functions like financial management, human resources, and revenue collection for various public sector agencies.
- Civic & Justice Services: Streamline operations for community development, permitting, asset management, and courts, including electronic filing and remote hearings.
- Data & Cybersecurity: Access a single source of trusted data, share analysis securely, and enhance your cyber resilience with managed threat detection and vulnerability scanning.
Tyler Technologies features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Tyler Technologies is an excellent choice for best municipal software, providing integrated ERP, civic, and justice solutions to tackle fragmented systems, ensuring improved transparency, operational efficiency, and enhanced citizen satisfaction across all levels of local government.
5. Accela
Struggling with fragmented legacy systems in local government?
Accela offers a unified suite of cloud solutions for building communities, growing businesses, and protecting citizens. This means you can centralize diverse operations.
Specifically, Accela helps modernize government services with its robust and secure cloud platform, allowing your agency to easily automate permit and licensing processes.
Here’s how Accela helps.
Accela’s out-of-the-box civic applications are designed for rapid implementation, reducing risk and shortening your time to value by an estimated 30-50%. This helps you avoid implementation delays.
You can automate all aspects of the building permitting process, providing total visibility for your staff and improving resident experiences. Additionally, Accela automates zoning, site plan reviews, and land use entitlements, which streamlines community development.
Plus, you can manage business licensing, occupational licensing, and even specialized areas like cannabis regulation and short-term rentals. This comprehensive functionality ensures your government services are covered, enabling better data sharing and inter-departmental connections for improved public trust.
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The result is streamlined workflows and efficiency gains.
Key features:
- Automated Permitting & Licensing: Expedites processes for building, planning, business, and occupational licenses, reducing manual tasks and turnaround times for your staff.
- Comprehensive Service Management: Offers solutions for fire prevention, environmental health, and citizen service requests via a mobile app, enhancing public safety and engagement.
- Secure Cloud Platform: Provides a scalable, robust, and compliant cloud solution that connects departments, eliminates data silos, and supports data-driven governance.
Accela features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Accela stands out as a strong candidate for best municipal software, designed to transform your services and boost public trust. With its comprehensive cloud platform, you can automate critical functions from permitting to cannabis regulation, saving significant time, like the 44 hours saved monthly by Tacoma, WA.
6. CivicPlus
Tired of fragmented, legacy municipal software systems?
CivicPlus offers comprehensive solutions to modernize your local government, boosting efficiency and public trust.
This means you can say goodbye to information overload and inconsistent reviews, as CivicPlus connects all your teams and functions, enabling you to streamline operations and improve community sentiment.
Here’s how to supercharge your municipal services.
CivicPlus helps you drive frictionless resident experiences, streamlining operations and boosting engagement. It’s designed to help governments work better, for everyone, by increasing process efficiency by up to 40%.
Their platform includes key features like a 311 CRM System for resident service and request management, and robust Asset Management software to simplify infrastructure and work order management for data-driven insights. Additionally, you can utilize their Mass Notification System for emergency alerts, and a Resident Portal for a single starting point for every interaction.
Plus, with tools for Agenda and Meeting Management, Social Media Archiving for compliance, and Community Development for planning and permitting, you can improve transparency, enhance constituent satisfaction, and support data-driven governance. The result is improved public service delivery and increased resident engagement.
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Key features:
- Unified resident experience: A single sign-on platform allowing residents to access services, submit forms, and receive notifications with ease.
- Comprehensive operational tools: Software for recreation management, asset management, community development, and agenda and meeting management to streamline workflows.
- Enhanced public engagement and transparency: Mass notification systems, 311 CRM, and social media archiving to improve communication and build trust.
CivicPlus features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: CivicPlus stands out as a strong candidate for the best municipal software, providing comprehensive solutions that integrate various government functions into a unified platform. Its ability to increase process efficiency by up to 40% and boost resident engagement by up to 89% addresses key pain points for municipal IT managers and procurement officers, ensuring a strong return on investment.
7. GovPilot
Struggling with fragmented municipal systems and manual tasks?
GovPilot helps your city automate processes and digitally manage data. This means you can say goodbye to paper and single-purpose software, integrating departments and data on one cloud-based platform.
The result is a unified system accessible from anywhere, 24/7, eliminating data silos and giving your staff back hours per week.
Imagine true operational transformation.
GovPilot offers over 125 solutions, built with input from real-world government users, for every municipal and county department. This includes mobile apps like GovAlert for citizen concerns and GovInspect for table-based inspections, improving both internal efficiency and public engagement.
Additionally, GovPilot’s PropertyProfile feature eliminates data and communication silos by displaying parcel-level detail across departments. This real-time data access simplifies reporting and provides detailed insights with just a click, enabling smarter, faster, and more informed decisions, freeing up your team from tedious manual tasks.
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Key features:
- 125+ Digital Modules: Provides pre-built, best-in-class workflows for all municipal departments, automating tasks and improving service delivery from day one.
- Mobile Apps (GovAlert & GovInspect): Empowers citizens to report issues easily and enables staff to conduct inspections and manage tasks from their mobile devices.
- PropertyProfile with GIS Maps: Unifies cross-departmental data at the parcel level, eliminating silos and offering real-time insights through user-friendly GIS mapping.
GovPilot features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: GovPilot stands out as a top contender for best municipal software, especially if you’re looking to eliminate paper, unify data, and enhance citizen engagement. Its comprehensive suite of 125+ modules and mobile apps offers a streamlined approach to government operations, helping you save significant time and resources, as seen with Trenton, NJ saving 100 hours per week in inspections.
8. Granicus
Is your government struggling with fragmented systems?
Granicus helps you maximize efficiency and foster engagement with their Government Experience Cloud. This means you can easily connect with constituents.
Their Service, Engagement, and Operations Clouds are designed to streamline workflows and recover valuable staff time and revenue. You’ll see a tangible difference in operations.
It’s time to modernize your government experience.
Granicus brings together cutting-edge technology, experience services, and [data-driven insights]. They simplify interactions between your government and the public.
For example, their digital services like permitting, licensing, and 311 requests can deliver an [increase in user satisfaction]. This can reduce walk-ins by 80%, significantly lowering costs.
Additionally, Granicus offers solutions for meeting and agenda management, websites, and public records compliance, helping you automate complex tasks. You can also leverage their opt-in subscriber network of over 330 million to expand your audience and inspire action, ensuring your messages reach a wider community.
The result is increased public trust.
Key features:
- Government Experience Cloud: A comprehensive platform integrating technology, experience services, and data insights to transform public interactions and drive better outcomes.
- Digital Services and Forms: Tools for streamlining workflows, including permitting, licensing, and 311 requests, leading to reduced walk-ins and improved user satisfaction.
- Digital Communication & Engagement: Solutions to build trust and engage residents through targeted outreach, two-way feedback, and communication across various channels.
Granicus features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Granicus provides a comprehensive platform that addresses the pain points of municipal IT managers, making it an excellent choice for best municipal software. Its integrated solutions help streamline operations, boost public trust, and can lead to a 70% increase in user satisfaction, ensuring measurable efficiency gains for your local government.
9. OpenGov
Struggling with outdated municipal software systems?
OpenGov provides a comprehensive Public Service Platform with Enterprise Resource Planning and Asset Management for modernizing government operations. This means you can centralize crucial functions.
Their software helps you operate efficiently, adapt to change, and strengthen public trust by modernizing cumbersome processes and outdated technology.
It’s time to modernize your government.
OpenGov’s Public Service Platform solves the challenge of fragmented systems by offering modules like Permitting & Licensing, Budgeting & Performance, and Procurement & Contract Management. This streamlines workflows, improves transparency, and enhances constituent satisfaction.
For example, their Permitting & Licensing module features an intuitive applicant portal and workflow automation, cutting red tape and reducing delays. You can also leverage their Tax & Revenue Collection for centralized billing and payments to improve collections and reduce administrative overhead. Plus, the Financial Management module integrates general ledger, accounts payable, and reporting to manage every dollar strategically.
The result is a unified, secure, and AI-powered system designed specifically for local and state governments, empowering you to make data-backed decisions and evolve with your community’s needs.
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Key features:
- Comprehensive Modules: Includes Enterprise Asset Management, Permitting & Licensing, Budgeting & Performance, and Financial Management for end-to-end municipal operations.
- Workflow Automation: Automates processes from permit approvals to procurement cycles, reducing manual work and increasing speed, visibility, and compliance.
- Transparency & Reporting: Offers powerful analytics, real-time dashboards, and a digital budget book builder for enhanced public trust and data-driven governance.
OpenGov features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: OpenGov stands out as the best municipal software solution for mid-sized local governments seeking to replace fragmented legacy systems. With 4,500+ successful implementations, it delivers comprehensive functionality, ensuring streamlined operations, improved public trust, and measurable efficiency gains.
Conclusion
Ready to transform your services?
Choosing the right software is tough. Juggling tight budgets and strict compliance requirements makes finding a perfect fit feel nearly impossible for your public agency.
Cloud solutions are the answer. Data Horizon Research confirms they reduce IT infrastructure costs and improve scalability for strained budgets. This frees up critical funds for other community-focused initiatives that build trust.
Here is the tool I recommend.
From my comprehensive analysis, BS&A Software is the clear winner. It directly tackles fragmentation by unifying operations and enhancing public access to vital information.
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I was especially impressed by their 24/7 public records access, which frees up your staff from constant data requests. Choosing the best municipal software like this simplifies everything.
I suggest you visit the BS&A Software website to see how its integrated suite can directly benefit your specific departments and community.
You’ll streamline services almost immediately.
