Assembly
Client portal and CRM for service firms, with an AI app builder
Assembly report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for branded client portals for service firms
Assembly gives an accounting firm or agency one branded portal where clients message you, share files, sign, fill in forms and pay, and you can describe a new client tool for its AI builder to make. There's a free plan to start. But your own domain and losing the Assembly badge both wait for Professional at $99 a month.
Who Assembly is for
- Great if your clients are tired of logging in to five tools to send you one document
- Handy when an accounting or legal firm wants files, contracts and payments in one place
- Good for agencies that want a white-label portal on their own domain
Who Assembly is not for
- Pricey if you want your own domain and no badge, which start on Professional at $99 a month
- Not for you if you need a sales pipeline, as it's built for clients you already have
- Tight if your margins are thin and clients pay through it, as a store fee comes on top of card and ACH fees
Why Assembly gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyGraded against its own alternatives. Starter is $29 a month billed yearly ($49 monthly) for 1 user and 50 active contacts, level with HoneyBook's $29 and well above Moxie's $10. Your own domain, the API and no badge need Professional at $99 for up to 3 users.
- CFree plan and trialFree for good, and the apps you publish are live for clients. But it's 5 active contacts, 1 user and 3 apps, with Assembly branding, so a firm with real clients will hit the wall quickly.
- CFeaturesIt does the client side fully: a branded portal, messaging, files, contracts, forms, invoices and subscriptions, 30+ ready-made apps and an AI app builder. That's a client portal more than a sales CRM, though, and the automation builder waits for Professional.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. There's a portal to brand, apps to install or describe and contacts to bring in, and the AI builder runs on monthly credits.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, with desktop apps for Mac and Windows, plus Zapier, Make and an API from Professional. There's no phone app, so clients use the portal in a mobile browser.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Assembly's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/assembly#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/assembly.svg" alt="Assembly: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Assembly stands among CRM tools
Assembly's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 5 of 48) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 29 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 24 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 CRM tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Assembly’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 18 of 48, level with 23
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 48, level with 32
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 48, level with 17
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 48, level with 35
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 48, level with 36
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 CRM tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Assembly, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Assembly you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 30 of the 48 other CRM tools grade higher. It costs $348 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- A builder that other people can use without writing code.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier and Make among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Assembly’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Assembly?
Assembly, formerly Copilot, is a client portal and CRM for accounting firms, agencies, consultancies and other service businesses. Clients sign in to a branded portal to message the team, share files, sign contracts, fill in forms and pay invoices, and the firm can add ready-made apps or describe new ones for its AI app builder to make. Plans are priced by active client contacts and internal users.
Assembly has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- Accounting, legal and consulting firms that want one portal for client files, contracts and payments
- Agencies that want a white-label client experience on their own domain
- Firms that want custom client tools without hiring developers
Worth knowing
- Build credits past the monthly allowance cost $0.60 each, extra apps $5 a month each, and Starter cannot add internal users.
- Payments carry fees on every plan: cards 2.9% + $0.30 and ACH 1%, plus a store fee from 2.0% on Free to 0.7% on Advanced and extra on invoices and subscriptions.
- API access, Zapier, Make, custom domains and removing the Assembly badge start at Professional; HIPAA with a BAA and enforced MFA at Advanced.
- There is no native mobile app; clients use the portal in a mobile browser, and the desktop apps are for Mac and Windows only.
Key features
- Branded client portal
- Clients sign in on your domain to message the team, share files, sign contracts, fill in intake forms, see tasks and pay, without a separate login per tool.
- CRM for clients and companies
- Contacts and companies live in one CRM that feeds the portal and every app; Professional adds multi-company contacts and an automation builder.
- 30+ ready-made apps
- Install apps for onboarding, proposals, payments, document collection and project tracking from the library, then adjust them to fit.
- AI app builder
- Describe an app, approve the plan and Assembly builds it into the workspace with sign-in, permissions and branding in place. Builds use monthly credits.
- Billing and payments
- Send invoices, run recurring subscriptions and sell productized services from a storefront, with card and ACH payments collected in the portal.
- Messaging and team inbox
- Client conversations land in a shared team inbox, with desktop apps for Mac and Windows that deliver messages and notifications.
Assembly pricing
- Starts at
- $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- 5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month, with community support and Assembly branding.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | For your first clients: 5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month. |
| Starter | $29per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly) | For solo owners: 50 active contacts, 5 apps, 200 build credits a month, add-on credits and email support. |
| Professional | $99per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($139 billed monthly) | 500 active contacts, custom domains, API, Zapier and Make, the automation builder and no Assembly badge. Extra users $29 a month billed annually. |
| Advanced | $499per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($599 billed monthly) | Unlimited active contacts, audit log, client access permissions, enforced MFA, HIPAA with a BAA and call support. Extra users $59 a month billed annually. |
| Enterprise | $2,000per month and up | Unlimited users and contacts, custom build credits, custom SSO, a sandbox workspace and a dedicated success manager, through sales. |
Read from assembly.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Assembly before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountLower prices with yearly billing
Starter is $29 a month billed annually against $49 monthly, Professional $99 against $139 and Advanced $499 against $599.
Stated on assembly.com
Works with
Assembly alternatives
- Assembly vs HoneyBook
Free trial · from $29/mo
- Assembly vs Dubsado
Free trial · from $335/yr
- Assembly vs Plutio
Free trial · from $15.83/mo
- Assembly vs Moxie
Free trial · from $10/mo
- Assembly vs Bonsai
Free trial · from $9/mo
Common questions
Is Assembly free?
Assembly has a free plan. 5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month, with community support and Assembly branding. Paid plans start at $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly).
How much does Assembly cost?
Assembly lists 5 plans. Free: $0. Starter: $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly). Professional: $99 per month for up to 3 users, billed annually ($139 billed monthly). Advanced: $499 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($599 billed monthly). Enterprise: $2,000 per month and up. Prices were read from assembly.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Assembly work on?
Assembly is available on Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Assembly offer any discounts?
Assembly publicly lists the following: Lower prices with yearly billing.
Does Assembly have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Assembly is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Assembly have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Assembly is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Is Assembly open source?
Assembly is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Assembly have an API?
Yes. Assembly offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Assembly integrate with?
Assembly's listing names Zapier and Make. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Assembly?
Assembly is made by Copilot Platforms Inc. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to Assembly?
The closest alternatives to Assembly in our directory are HoneyBook, Dubsado, Plutio, Moxie and Bonsai. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Assembly.
How does Assembly compare with other CRM tools?
Assembly's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 14. It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 5 of 48) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Assembly good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Assembly C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 29 of the 46 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 24 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Assembly?
To replace Assembly you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 30 of the 48 other CRM tools grade higher. It costs $348 a year. What you could not make: A tool that builds and hosts other apps. A builder that other people can use without writing code. Storing and serving files for other people. A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026.