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Unanet CRM by Cosential vs Workorb

A CRM that holds an AEC firm's pursuit and proposal data, and an AI proposal tool that can sit on top of it. Unanet CRM by Cosential is Unanet's AEC CRM with pipeline, proposal library and Champ agents; Workorb is AI proposal automation that lists Unanet CRM among its data connections. Many firms would weigh using both rather than one. Desk research from vendor pages read Oct 27, 2026; not tested, no winner.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Unanet CRM by Cosential Oct 27, 2026; Workorb Oct 26, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

In short: Unanet CRM by Cosential (AEC CRM, pipeline & proposal data; no public prices (quote / sales)) vs Workorb (AEC proposal automation; vendor publishes prices). Facts last checked Unanet CRM by Cosential Oct 27, 2026; Workorb Oct 26, 2026. No winner declared; not tested.

Side by side

Unanet CRM by Cosential vs Workorb: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowUnanet CRM by CosentialWorkorb
CategoryAEC CRM, pipeline & proposal dataAEC proposal automation
AI role (our label)AI features added to established productAI-first
What it doesCRM built for architecture, engineering and construction firms (formerly Cosential), which Unanet calls AI-first. Listed areas: relationship management inside Outlook, pipeline management and forecasting for seller-doers and BD teams, proposal generation, a service portal, and Champ agents, described as the agentic AI experience for Unanet CRM across relationships, pursuits and proposals. The proposals page says the CRM compiles project, financial and HR data into a marketing and proposal library: track proposals and RFPs, manage team experience and qualifications, generate pre-formatted qualification statements and project profiles, batch resumes and project descriptions, and export to PDF or RTF with integration to Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word. Listed integrations include Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction; Unanet says the CRM shares a platform and data lake with Unanet ERP. Unanet ProposalAI is a separate product that can connect to it (see its own page). On Oct 16, 2026 Unanet said the CRM holds the largest market share among AEC firms that use a CRM (vendor claim). Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the overview still calls Unanet CRM AI-first and lists Champ, Outlook relationship management, pipeline forecasting and proposal generation; a new FAQ says it connects with ERP, accounting and project-management systems such as Unanet, Deltek, Trimble, Sage and Procore. The largest-market-share line we recorded Oct 16 is no longer on the overview page. The proposals page is unchanged and now points to Unanet ProposalAI as the AI-first proposal workflow; it cites up to 75% less manual proposal time (vendor claim, not verified). Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: overview unchanged in substance (AI-first CRM for AEC, Champ, Outlook relationship management, pipeline forecasting, Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations, and the FAQ on ERP and accounting connections); the proposals page still points to Unanet ProposalAI as the AI-first proposal workflow. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: overview unchanged in substance (AI-first CRM for AEC, Champ agents, Outlook relationship management, pipeline forecasting, proposal generation, Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations). Its FAQ now has seven questions, adding why CRM implementations fail at AEC firms, faster proposals, preserving institutional knowledge, pipeline visibility and forecasting, and deciding which opportunities to pursue; only the first answer expanded in our read. The page shows 1.5m opportunities created, 465k projects won and 32k users (vendor counters, not used). The proposals page is unchanged and still points to Unanet ProposalAI as the AI-first proposal workflow. Re-read Oct 23, 2026 for a compare: overview still calls Unanet CRM AI-first and lists Outlook relationship management, pipeline forecasting, proposal generation, Champ agents and the Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations; the FAQ now also answers general-contractor questions (reusing project experience and resumes in prequalification packages and statements of qualifications, what to look for in proposal software, and Procore integration) and says the CRM works with Unanet AE ERP. Usage counters on the site are not used. Re-checked Oct 25, 2026: overview unchanged in substance (calls Unanet CRM the AI-first enterprise CRM for AEC; Champ Agents as the agentic AI experience for BD and marketing teams; Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations; FAQ says it works with Unanet AE ERP). Usage counters and customer quotes are not used. Re-checked Oct 27, 2026: overview and proposals page unchanged in substance (AI-first enterprise CRM for AEC per Unanet; Champ Agents as the agentic AI experience for BD and marketing teams; Outlook relationship management and pipeline management; Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations; the FAQ still says it works for general, specialty and industrial contractors and integrates with Procore; the proposals page still compiles project, financial and HR data into a proposal library with PDF or RTF export and InDesign and Word integration, and points to Unanet ProposalAI). The up-to-75% time line, counters and customer quotes remain vendor content not used here.AI proposal software for architecture, engineering and construction firms (Toronto-based per its site). The homepage (checked Oct 16, 2026) describes a Knowledge Hub that connects to CRM, ERP and document systems and has AI agents organise past proposals, project sheets and team bios; RFP summaries and evaluation against the firm's own Go/No-Go scorecard; suggested past projects and team members matched to RFP requirements; first drafts of proposals and fee letters in the firm's writing style; and a compliance and proofreading pass in which the AI acts as an evaluator. Connections shown include Deltek Vantagepoint, Unanet CRM, SharePoint and OpenAsset. Vendor claims, not verified: a structured first draft in about 30 minutes, most firms running in about 48 hours, and accuracy described as having no hallucinations. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged in substance (Knowledge Hub connections to Deltek Vantagepoint, Unanet CRM, SharePoint and OpenAsset; RFP summaries and Go/No-Go scorecard evaluation; first drafts of proposals and fee letters; an AI evaluator proofreading pass; about 30 minutes to a structured first draft and about 48 hours to get running). The homepage now leads with 80% less proposal time, a 50% higher win rate and 20+ hours saved per RFP (vendor claims, not verified). Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (Knowledge Hub connections to Deltek Vantagepoint, Unanet CRM, SharePoint and OpenAsset; RFP summaries and Go/No-Go scorecard evaluation; first drafts of proposals and fee letters; an AI evaluator pass; about 30 minutes to a structured first draft and about 48 hours to get running). Its AI Solutions menu also lists Bid Leveling and Score Higher on Proposals, and the navigation links a Trust & Security page. The percentage, hours-saved and no-hallucinations lines remain vendor claims, not verified. Re-checked Oct 24, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (Knowledge Hub connections to Deltek Vantagepoint, Unanet CRM, SharePoint and OpenAsset; RFP summaries and Go/No-Go scorecard evaluation; first drafts of proposals and fee letters; an AI evaluator pass; about 30 minutes to a structured first draft and about 48 hours to get running per the FAQ). The percentage, hours-saved and no-hallucinations lines remain vendor claims, not verified. Re-checked Oct 26, 2026: homepage unchanged in substance (data connections to Deltek Vantagepoint, Unanet CRM, SharePoint and OpenAsset; RFP summaries and Go/No-Go scorecard evaluation; first drafts of proposals and fee letters; an AI evaluator pass; compliance and proofreading checks). The percentage, hours-saved, indexing counters and no-hallucinations lines remain vendor claims, not verified.
Who it's forAEC business development, marketing and proposal teams.AEC marketing, business development and proposal teams; the lighter RFP & Proposal Evaluator is pitched at small and mid-sized firms.
Pricing (as publicly stated)No public prices found (checked Oct 16, 2026): the CRM pages link no pricing or plans page, unanet.com/pricing returns a not-found page, and the call to action is "Talk to an Expert". Confirm current pricing with the vendor. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: unchanged. unanet.com/pricing still returns not found. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unanet.com/pricing still returns not found. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unanet.com/pricing still returns not found; call to action Talk to an Expert. Re-read Oct 23, 2026: unchanged (no prices published; unanet.com/pricing returns a not-found page; Talk to an Expert or Schedule Demo). Re-checked Oct 25, 2026: unchanged (no prices published; unanet.com/pricing returns a not-found page; Talk to an Expert). Re-checked Oct 27, 2026: unchanged (no prices published; unanet.com/pricing returns a not-found page; Talk to an Expert).Published in part (pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026): RFP & Proposal AI Evaluator $175 per user per month on a monthly commitment or $149 per user per month on an annual commitment (the page says save 16%), no credit card required; Workorb Enterprise (Proposal Assistant, Document Assistant, brand voice, enterprise support) and Enterprise with Knowledge Hub are custom pricing. Taxes, minimum seats and term details not stated. Re-checked Oct 17 and Oct 19, 2026: unchanged. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the pricing table shows the RFP & Proposal AI Evaluator at $149 per user per month (with a monthly/annual toggle and Save 16%; the $175 monthly figure was not re-read) and Workorb Enterprise with Knowledge Hub at custom pricing (Knowledge Hub, AI agents, Proposal Assistant, Document Assistant, brand voice and tone, enterprise support); Workorb Enterprise appears above the table as a Book a Demo description rather than a separate priced column. Re-checked Oct 22, 2026 (pricing page rendered in a headless browser): unchanged; the RFP & Proposal AI Evaluator shows $175 per user per month on the monthly commitment and $149 per user per month on the annual commitment (Save 16%), no credit card required, and Workorb Enterprise with Knowledge Hub is custom pricing. Re-checked Oct 24, 2026 (pricing page rendered in a headless browser, both toggles read): unchanged; RFP & Proposal AI Evaluator $175 per user per month on the monthly commitment and $149 per user per month on the annual commitment (Save 16%), no credit card required; Workorb Enterprise with Knowledge Hub is custom pricing. Re-checked Oct 26, 2026 (pricing page rendered in a headless browser): unchanged; RFP & Proposal AI Evaluator $175 per user per month on the monthly commitment and $149 per user per month on the annual commitment (Save 16%), no credit card required; Workorb Enterprise with Knowledge Hub is custom pricing (Get a Quote).
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Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Unanet CRM by Cosential Oct 27, 2026; Workorb Oct 26, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

  • What each sells (vendor wording): Unanet calls its CRM the only enterprise CRM that is AI-first and built for architecture, engineering and construction companies, with relationship management inside Outlook, pipeline management, proposals and Champ Agents, described as the agentic AI experience for BD and marketing teams. Workorb says it turns a firm's past proposals and data into compliant RFP responses.
  • Proposals: Unanet's proposals page says the CRM compiles project, financial and HR data into a proposal library, generates pre-formatted qualification statements and project profiles, batches resumes and project descriptions, and exports to PDF or RTF with Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word integration; it points to the separate Unanet ProposalAI for an AI-first proposal workflow. Workorb lists RFP summaries, Go/No-Go evaluation against the firm's own scorecard, suggested past projects and team members, first drafts of proposals and fee letters in the firm's writing style, and a compliance and proofreading pass where the AI acts as evaluator.
  • How they connect: Workorb's homepage shows Unanet CRM, Deltek Vantagepoint, SharePoint and OpenAsset as data connections for its Knowledge Hub. Unanet names Viewpoint, Procore, Sage 100, Sage 300 and Trimble Construction integrations, and its FAQ says the CRM works for general, specialty and industrial contractors.
  • AI labels in our directory: Workorb is tagged AI-first. Unanet calls the CRM AI-first, but it is an established CRM (formerly Cosential) with agentic features added, so we tag it AI features added to an established product.
  • Pricing (checked Oct 27, 2026): Unanet publishes no CRM prices; unanet.com/pricing returns a not-found page and the call to action is Talk to an Expert. Workorb lists its RFP & Proposal Evaluator at $175 per user per month on a monthly commitment or $149 on an annual commitment, no credit card to try; Workorb Enterprise with the Knowledge Hub and Proposal Assistant is custom pricing. See each tool page for detail.
  • Not used here: Unanet's up-to-75% proposal-time line and site counters, and Workorb's proposal-time, win-rate, hours-saved and indexing figures (vendor claims).

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What users say

The facts above come from vendor websites. Whether either tool is any good for your work is something only people who use them can say. These are member reviews, all ratings shown, never edited or removed for being negative.

Used either of these? Share your take

Good or bad, an honest review from an estimator, PM or super helps the next team more than another vendor demo. You post under a handle; your email is never shown.

Questions to ask in your review

  • Whether your proposal content already lives cleanly in a CRM, or needs a separate AI layer to find and draft from it
  • How Workorb's Unanet CRM connection handles your records, resumes and project descriptions in a live demo
  • What Unanet CRM costs for your team size, and how Champ Agents compare with Workorb's drafting on your own RFPs
  • What did you use it for, on what kind of work and project size?
  • How long did setup and training take, and who on your team did it?
  • What does it cost you in practice, compared with what the sales call said?

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