Honest comparison
CSCS card verification in the UK runs on one official rail: CSCS Smart Check, the free scheme service that verifies all 2.3 million cards across 38 partner schemes. The software question is what wires it into site access. Tensor, VIS Systems, Competency Cloud and MSite integrate the check; The Site Book's Site Control captures and reviews cards at sign-in (not automated Smart Check verification) and is the only option that also generates the UK CDM pack.
CSCS card verification in the UK runs on one official rail — CSCS Smart Check — so the real question is what the verification unlocks: Tensor, VIS Systems, Competency Cloud and MSite integrate the check at the gate, while The Site Book's Site Control captures and reviews cards at sign-in and is the only option here that also generates the UK CDM pack.
Reviewed
Features and partner status are taken from public vendor and official CSCS scheme pages fetched on 2026-06-09; quote-only vendors are flagged where no public price exists, and CSCS Smart Check is described as the official scheme rail, not a paid competitor.
Pricing, fit, and feature coverage side by side.
| Feature | The Site Book Site Control | CSCS Smart Check (official scheme) | Tensor CSCS Card Wizard | Competency Cloud | VIS Systems | MSite | One.site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From £675/site per month plus £5,000 one-off setup; volume tiers as sites scale | Free official scheme/API (CSCS) — the standard verification rail, not a paid product; provided by CSCS to verify all UK construction cards. | Quote-only — priced as part of a Tensor access-control / time-and-attendance deployment, typically with reader hardware per site. | From £3.50 per user/month (third-party listings); demo-led on the vendor site | Quote-only — priced as part of a VIS Systems access and visitor-management deployment; no published per-site figure. | Quote-only, plus hardware capex per site (turnstile/biometric reader install). | Published per-site annual pricing in the region of £1,000–£1,200 per site per year — one of the few induction tools with a transparent price. |
| Team size | Per active site with unlimited workers (~75+ typical); multiple contractor companies per site | Used by sites of every size, from a single gate scanning the free app to enterprise tools wiring the Smart Check API into their sign-in flow | Mid-to-large contractors and facilities with an existing or planned Tensor access-control estate across one or more sites | Mid-to-large contractors managing many workers' credentials and competency records across one or more sites | Mid-to-large contractors and facilities running access and visitor management across one or more sites | Large enterprise workforces — hundreds to thousands of operatives across multiple secured sites. | Single sites and small-to-mid housebuilding programmes; priced and packaged per site rather than per worker |
| Best for | Principal contractors and builders running live sites with subcontractors who need UK CDM documents generated plus on-site contractor access, attendance, RFIs and audit-ready evidence in one per-site tool. | Any UK site that needs to verify CSCS and partner-scheme cards are genuine and valid — the official rail every credible access tool integrates rather than replaces | Sites already running Tensor access control or time and attendance that want CSCS Smart Check verification wired into the same turnstile and reader hardware | UK contractors that want to track and verify CSCS and competency credentials at scale, with CSCS Smart Check verification built into a compliance platform | Contractors that want an access and visitor-management system which auto-verifies CSCS and other credentials across trades via the CSCS Smart Check API | Tier-1 and large main contractors securing high-value, high-throughput sites that need physical perimeter access control with biometric verification. | UK housebuilders and contractors that want a low-cost, induction-first tool with CSCS verification and QR/kiosk sign-in on each site |
| Not ideal for | No biometric turnstiles or physical access control, so it cannot secure a Tier-1 perimeter the way hardware-led platforms like MSite can. | Verification-only by design — it confirms a card is genuine and valid but does not gate the site, deliver inductions, record attendance or generate the UK CDM pack; it is the rail, not an end-to-end site platform. | Generates none of the UK CDM pack — no RAMS, CPP or COSHH; verification and access control are the product, the compliance documents are not. | Does not author the UK CDM pack — no RAMS, CPP or COSHH; it tracks and verifies credentials, it does not produce the compliance documents. | Generates none of the UK CDM pack — no RAMS, CPP or COSHH; verification and access management are the product, the documents are not. | Hardware-led: turnstile/reader install means capex, lead time and groundworks per site, slowing deployment on small or short-duration jobs. | Does not generate the UK CDM pack — no RAMS, CPP or COSHH document creation, so the paperwork the induction references must be authored elsewhere. |
| RAMS / CPP / COSHH generation | Generates UK RAMS, CPP, COSHH and method statements from the project brief — unique in this category. | ||||||
| Permits to work | — | — | — | — | Briefings, RAMS sign-off and access gating cover much permit-style control; no dedicated permit-to-work issuance module is publicly documented. | — | |
| Site inductions | Digital induction blocks check-in until acknowledged - readable in 9 worker languages. | Compliance and competency tracking can support induction prerequisites, but it is not a fixed induction-gating engine that hard-stops entry. | Visitor and access management can carry induction prerequisites, but it is not a fixed construction induction-gating engine. | Online inductions software with forms, videos, questionnaires and 30+ language auto-translation; access is gated via biometric verification before entry. | Digital site inductions are the core product — workers complete an induction before they can sign in to the site. | ||
| Multilingual inductions (9 languages) | Workers read and acknowledge key H&S details in 9 languages at the entrance QR; the language used is recorded in the audit trail and translations are site-team reviewable. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| RAMS sign-off (per worker) | Per-worker RAMS acknowledgement can block check-in until the current version is signed; captured in the audit pack. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Worker cert tracking | CSCS upload, internal review and expiry notifications. | The official rail: Smart Check verifies all ~2.3M cards across the 38 CSCS Alliance partner schemes in one check — the authoritative verification standard. | CSCS Card Wizard verifies cards via the CSCS Smart Check API as an approved IT Partner, integrated with Tensor access control. | Official CSCS Smart Check IT Partner; verifies CSCS/CPCS/NPORS/EUSR. | As a CSCS IT Partner, VIS Systems' API auto-verifies CSCS and other credentials across trades via the official Smart Check rail. | Competency and credential management is part of the workforce suite; credentials are checked against the worker before access is granted. | CSCS and competency card details are captured and checked as part of the induction and sign-in flow. |
| Right to work | Records Home Office share-code checks with outcome, expiry and an evidence file (manual verification, not a live API). | Credential capture supports onboarding checks, but it is positioned around CSCS verification and access rather than a dedicated RTW share-code flow. | Credential and visitor capture support compliance checks, but a dedicated right-to-work share-code workflow is not the headline. | Identity checks and pre-registration support right-to-work/identity verification at enrolment, strengthened by biometric identity confirmation at the gate. | Identity and credential capture at enrolment supports right-to-work checks, but it is not positioned as a dedicated RTW share-code workflow. | ||
| Contractor self-onboarding | Contractor self-join via the entrance QR with CSCS upload and approval. | — | — | — | — | Pre-registration software lets subcontractors and workers self pre-enrol and complete induction before their start date. | Workers and subcontractors self-enrol and complete the induction before arriving on site. |
| QR / mobile sign-in | Permanent entrance QR for guest sign-in/out and contractor self-join. | Free app and API scan a card or QR to verify it, but Smart Check does not run an entrance sign-in/attendance flow itself — integrating tools do that. | Sign-in is via Tensor access-control readers/turnstiles rather than a permanent entrance QR for guest and contractor self-join. | Access and visitor management capture sign-in at the gate, with credential verification at the point of entry. | Primary model is biometric turnstiles plus Workforce/Supervisor apps; sign-in is hardware-led rather than a no-hardware QR entrance. | Fixed-entrance QR, kiosk and facial sign-in options capture who is on site after the induction is complete. | |
| GPS clock-in | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Biometric access | Tensor access control supports card, fob and biometric readers, so verification can drive physical access decisions. | Access management can integrate with reader hardware; biometric capture depends on the deployment rather than being the headline. | Core strength — MSite Face facial recognition confirms the worker's identity before access. | Offers facial sign-in at a kiosk for identity confirmation, but not physical turnstiles or a locked perimeter. | |||
| Physical access control | Integrates with Tensor turnstiles and door controllers, so a failed CSCS check can physically deny entry at the reader. | Access-control integration can drive entry decisions where reader hardware is deployed, rather than a software-only log. | Full/half-height turnstiles, Pod units, cabins and gates provide a physical secured perimeter — the flagship capability. | ||||
| Site attendance | Check-in/out, history and a live people-on-site view. | Tensor time and attendance records clock-in/out at the readers, giving an attendance record alongside verification. | Sign-in/out and visitor records capture attendance and who is on site as part of access and visitor management. | Time and attendance with timesheets and labour-hour management captured at biometric turnstiles. | Sign-in/out at the QR or kiosk records attendance and who is currently on site. | ||
| CIS payroll | — | — | — | — | Labour-hour/timesheet data supports CIS/IR35 workflows via integrations; not positioned as an in-product timesheet-to-pay engine. | ||
| Live people-on-site | Triggered evacuation + muster roll-call: snapshot who is on site, mark each person safe, export a roll-call PDF. | — | — | — | — | Real-time on-site monitoring and attendance from turnstile entry/exit supports muster and roll-call. | A live roll-call of who has signed in is available for muster and evacuation. |
| Multi-company isolation | Each contractor company sees only its own workforce — test-verified. | — | — | — | — | Enterprise workforce management with subcontractor onboarding implies role/company scoping; per-contractor data isolation is not a publicly verified, test-backed claim. | Subcontractor companies are managed per site, but test-verified per-company data isolation is not a published claim. |
| RFIs | Create, attach, comment, answer and close — unique in this category. | ||||||
| Document-review evidence | Version-specific read/acknowledge audit chain. | — | — | — | — | RAMS digital briefings record sign-off, and inductions capture acknowledgement, providing a read/acknowledge audit trail. | — |
| Handover sign-off | Per-plot, per-trade hand-over sign-off signed in person on one phone; certified PDF emailed to developer and contractor; per-plot progress board. Unique in this category. | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Toolbox talks | — | — | — | — | Briefings module broadcasts safety briefings/toolbox talks with verified sign-off via the worker apps and gate. | Induction and briefing content can carry safety messages, but a dedicated recurring toolbox-talk module is not the focus. | |
| Site inspections | — | — | — | — | Broader Infobric/QHSE tooling covers inspections; not a core advertised feature of the MSite access-control module itself. | — | |
| Incident log | — | — | — | — | Fatigue management and QHSE tooling touch on incident/safety reporting; a dedicated incident log is not prominently documented in the access-control module. | — | |
| Plant / asset management | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Workforce scheduling | — | — | — | — | Labour requisitioning helps plan labour needs, but full dispatch/rostering scheduling is not a headline feature. | — | |
| Multi-site dashboard & exports | Attendance CSV, monthly H&S CSV/PDF and project audit-log exports. | — | — | — | — | Multi-site dashboards and reporting consolidate attendance, labour hours and compliance across a contractor's project portfolio. | — |
| Mobile app | Free official CSCS Smart Check app for iOS and Android lets a gate scan and verify any card, plus an API for IT Partners to integrate. | Access-control and T&A administration is largely reader- and dashboard-driven rather than a worker-first mobile sign-in app. | Native iOS/Android app. | Access and visitor management is largely gate- and dashboard-driven rather than a worker-first mobile sign-in app. | Workforce App and Supervisor App provide mobile access for workers and site supervisors. | Mobile induction and sign-in for workers, with kiosk hardware options at the entrance. | |
| Offline mode | — | — | — | — | Turnstile hardware operates locally at the gate, but documented offline behaviour for the apps is not publicly specified. | — | |
| Single sign-on (SSO) | SAML single sign-on with Okta or Microsoft Entra; can be required across your company email domain. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Public API | Read-only REST API with scoped account keys, rate limiting and an OpenAPI 3.1 spec (projects, documents, workers, certifications, attendance). | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Outbound webhooks | Signed real-time webhooks — documents generated/signed, certificates expiring, workers checking in — with retries and a delivery log. | — | — | — | — | — | — |
At-a-glance fit per product - pulled from the same data that drives the snapshot table.
Pick the option that matches how your team actually works.
Site Control captures CSCS cards at QR sign-in, supports manual review and flags expiry before cards lapse, and is the only option here that also generates the RAMS, CPP and COSHH for the site.
Recommended for: Principal contractor who must track CSCS cards on site and generate the CDM pack
CSCS Smart Check is the official, free rail that verifies all ~2.3M cards across the 38 partner schemes; every credible tool here integrates it rather than replacing it.
Recommended for: Anyone who just needs to confirm a card is genuine and valid
Tensor's CSCS Card Wizard ties Smart Check verification to its turnstiles and time-and-attendance, so a failed check can deny entry at the reader itself.
Recommended for: Site standardised on access-control hardware wanting verification at the reader
Competency Cloud is built around Smart Check verification and competency tracking, a fit where proving who is qualified matters more than running the gate.
Recommended for: Contractor whose priority is an auditable competency and credential record
MSite verifies cards via the Smart Check rail at pre-registration and pairs it with biometric turnstiles for high-value, high-throughput sites.
Recommended for: Tier-1 contractor wanting verification inside a biometric perimeter
Strengths, weaknesses, fit, and the sources every claim came from.
The Site Book Ltd
From £675/site per month plus £5,000 one-off setup; volume tiers as sites scale
CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme)
Free official scheme/API (CSCS) — the standard verification rail, not a paid product; provided by CSCS to verify all UK construction cards.
Tensor plc
Quote-only — priced as part of a Tensor access-control / time-and-attendance deployment, typically with reader hardware per site.
Competency Cloud (Chipmunk Data Ltd)
From £3.50 per user/month (third-party listings); demo-led on the vendor site
VIS Systems
Quote-only — priced as part of a VIS Systems access and visitor-management deployment; no published per-site figure.
MSite (Infobric)
Quote-only, plus hardware capex per site (turnstile/biometric reader install).
One.site (UK construction induction)
Published per-site annual pricing in the region of £1,000–£1,200 per site per year — one of the few induction tools with a transparent price.
Site Control
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Per-site contractor access for principal contractors — talk to us about your live sites.
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See how Site Control runs QR sign-in, CSCS, induction gating, attendance and RFIs on a live site.
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Short, straight answers - the same questions real builders ask.
Verification itself runs on one official rail: CSCS Smart Check, which verifies all 2.3 million cards across the 38 partner schemes. The software question is what wires it into site access. Tensor, VIS Systems, Competency Cloud and MSite integrate the Smart Check API at the gate; The Site Book's Site Control captures and manually reviews cards at QR sign-in (it does not perform automated Smart Check verification) and is the only option here that also generates the UK CDM pack.
Neither, really. CSCS Smart Check is the official, free verification rail run by the scheme itself, and it is the only platform that verifies every card across all 38 partner schemes. You do not beat it or replace it; credible tools integrate it as approved IT Partners. Think of it as the standard everyone wires in, then compare the tools on what they build on top of that verified result.
Most do not. Tensor, VIS Systems, Competency Cloud and MSite verify cards via Smart Check, and some tie that to access hardware, but none generate the UK CDM pack. The Site Book's Site Control captures and reviews CSCS cards at sign-in and flags expiry, then generates the RAMS, CPP and COSHH the site needs — so the cards and the documents live in one tool. It does not do automated Smart Check verification.
Smart Check confirms a presented card is genuine and currently valid by checking it against the official CSCS data for all 2.3 million cards across the 38 CSCS Alliance partner schemes. It answers, is this card real and in date. It does not decide whether a specific worker should be allowed on a specific site today; that gating decision belongs to whatever access tool consumes the verification result.
Not always. The free official Smart Check app lets a gate scan and verify a card with no hardware at all. Tensor and MSite tie verification to readers or biometric turnstiles, which adds capex but physically denies entry on a failed check. Software-only tools verify via the Smart Check API and gate sign-in through a mobile QR flow. The Site Book's Site Control runs the same hardware-free QR sign-in but captures cards for manual review, not automated verification.
The official CSCS Smart Check rail is free to use via the official app and API. The integrating tools are mostly quote-led: Tensor, VIS Systems, Competency Cloud and MSite price on application, often with hardware. The Site Book's Site Control is transparent at £675 per site per month plus a one-off setup, with unlimited workers, and bundles CSCS card capture and review with UK CDM document generation rather than charging per card check.
Features and partner status are taken from public vendor and official CSCS scheme pages fetched on 2026-06-09; quote-only vendors are flagged where no public price exists, and CSCS Smart Check is described as the official scheme rail, not a paid competitor.
Every pricing, feature, and fit claim in this comparison is pulled from public vendor documentation and cross-checked against independent sources. The “source basis” footer on each product card lists the exact URLs and the date we fetched them. We revisit this page at least every 90 days - last reviewed on .