The Assembly Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Assembly in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Assembly
The Insider’s Guide
Client portal and CRM for service firms, with an AI app builder
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among CRM tools, read from Assembly’s own pages.
Made by Copilot Platforms Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Assembly’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Assembly’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Assembly, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's a portal to brand, apps to install or describe and contacts to bring in, and the AI builder runs on monthly credits.
- 1
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.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month, with community support and Assembly branding.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, macOS and Windows.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
30+ ready-made apps
Install apps for onboarding, proposals, payments, document collection and project tracking from the library, then adjust them to fit.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 48
That is against the other CRM tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Assembly at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Made by
- Copilot Platforms Inc., since 2020
- Category
- CRM Software
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Graded 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free 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. |
| Features | C | It 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Assembly has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month for 1 user, billed annually ($49 billed monthly).
Free for good, and the apps you publish are live for clients.
Free
$0
For your first clients: 5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month.
Starter
$29
per 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
$99
per 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
$499
per 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
$2,000
per month and up
Unlimited users and contacts, custom build credits, custom SSO, a sandbox workspace and a dedicated success manager, through sales.
The free plan
5 active contacts, 1 internal user, 3 apps and 75 build credits a month, with community support and Assembly branding.
Read from assembly.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower 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
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, macOS and Windows
Client portal and CRM for service firms, with an AI app builder. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, app builder, no-code, forms, file sharing, invoicing.
That's a client portal more than a sales CRM, though, and the automation builder waits for Professional.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
What it works with
- Zapier
- Make
Assembly is made by Copilot Platforms Inc., and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/48
Other CRM tools it is graded above
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
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 48
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 48
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 48
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 48
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 CRM tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Assembly is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
HoneyBook, Dubsado, Plutio, Moxie and Bonsai
The 5 tools Assembly is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
HoneyBook
Free trial · from $29/mo
Client management, contracts and payments for independents.
- Assembly has a free plan. HoneyBook does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Assembly lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only HoneyBook lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.4GPA
Dubsado
Free trial · from $335/yr
Client management, contracts and invoicing for service businesses.
- Assembly has a free plan. Dubsado does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Assembly lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Dubsado lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.4GPA
Plutio
Free trial · from $15.83/mo
All-in-one freelance app: projects, proposals, contracts and invoices.
- Assembly has a free plan. Plutio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Plutio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Assembly also covers app builder, no-code and file sharing.
- 2.4GPA
Moxie
Free trial · from $10/mo
Freelance business app: clients, projects, invoices and basic books.
- Assembly has a free plan. Moxie does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Assembly lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Moxie lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.4GPA
Bonsai
Free trial · from $9/mo
Client, project and billing software for agencies and freelancers.
- Assembly has a free plan. Bonsai does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Assembly lists a Windows app.
- Only Bonsai lists iOS and Android apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does Assembly cost?
Assembly lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
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.
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.
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.
Could I make my own version of Assembly?
To replace Assembly you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Assembly’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Copilot Platforms Inc. Prices change, so check assembly.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,021
Tools graded, in 54 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,021
tools graded
54
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Assembly, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/assembly
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Assembly: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/assembly
Know someone choosing between CRM tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/assembly/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded CRM tools after Assembly, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- CRM Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 CRM tools we grade, compared
- HubSpot Insider's GuideFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite3.2 GPA
- Bigin by Zoho CRM Insider's GuidePipeline-based CRM from Zoho for small businesses2.8 GPA
- Bitrix24 Insider's GuideFlat-priced CRM with tasks, chat, video calls and a site builder2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Assembly’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Assembly is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Copilot Platforms Inc. Prices and plans change: check assembly.com before you buy.