OpenCounter review
Applicant-facing portals clarify zoning, permits, fees, and next steps.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
OpenCounter provides cloud-hosted permitting and licensing portals for municipalities. Its applicant-facing tools are aimed at business owners, homeowners, and event organizers who need to understand zoning, permit requirements, fees, and next steps before contacting city staff. The combination of plain-language land-use search, parcel-level zoning maps, and project-based permit scoping makes it especially relevant to applicants working out what approvals a project may need. Municipal teams also have analytics dashboards and permitting utilization metrics.
The product's scope extends beyond ordinary permit discovery through its Special Events Portal. Organizers can schedule an event by date, time, and location, submit an online application, pay online, and download approved permits. For other permitting workflows, OpenCounter can integrate with existing permitting systems, including Accela ACA; listed integrations also include Esri ArcGIS REST API. That makes it a fit for jurisdictions seeking a resident-facing layer connected to existing permitting infrastructure, rather than a broad municipal system covering finance.
According to the vendor, portals are configured for each jurisdiction, and pricing varies by population and number of portals; the pricing model is contact sales. The product is cloud-based, with web access and mobile access, and support channels include phone and email. Its stated compliance posture includes SOC 2. Municipalities evaluating it should focus on whether its applicant guidance and permit workflows match their local processes and integration needs. It suits teams prioritizing clearer permit navigation and online event permitting, but is not the choice for a municipality seeking finance tools or a general-purpose municipal platform.
OpenCounter pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Plain-language land-use search paired with parcel-level zoning maps
- Project-based permit scoping and fee estimates across departments
- Special Events Portal supports applications, payment, and permit downloads
- Where it doesn't
- No municipal finance tools
- Portals are configured for each jurisdiction
- Pricing varies by population and number of portals
OpenCounter fact sheet, pricing and score →
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