Council Platform vs Town Web

Council Platform is a web service for running local government CMS websites. Its drag-and-drop editor lets teams create complex pages without developer time, with a customisable front end based on the GOV.UK Design System. Features include service directories, news, event calendars, global search, CRM functions, forms, and editorial workflows. The platform supports manual and machine translation for bilingual sites, plus multi-site publishing and document management. The maker describes sites as accessible from the outset and says subscribers receive free accessibility audit scans. Listed integrations include Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, SiteImprove, and ReciteMe. Security provisions include two-factor authentication, password complexity requirements, and automatic logout. Subscriptions include production and test hosting, support, documentation, uptime monitoring, security updates, and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Pricing is based on monthly page views: the plan up to 5,000 page views costs £200 monthly licence fee (ex VAT), while the 5,001–15,000 tier costs £400 monthly licence fee (ex VAT). Plans above 100,000 monthly page views add features including microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and PDF conversion.

Town Web builds and hosts websites for cities, towns, villages, and other local governments, and says its service is exclusively for this sector. Its municipal content system covers agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions, events, contacts, news, forms, and permits. Residents can subscribe to email or text notices about posted information, while municipalities can offer online payments for bills, taxes, citations, licenses, and permits. Additional tools support boating permits and facility bookings; optional Facebook posting may add a charge. Town Web also offers municipal email through Google Workspace. The company says its service includes monitoring, HTTPS certificates, separate-cloud-server backups, and accessibility maintenance. Existing site content and files are included in migration, alongside support, one-on-one training, webinars, and a dedicated account manager. An iOS and Android app is included for medium municipalities with 10,000–50,000 residents. Pricing starts at $99/mo, with the exact quote varying by municipality and features. A nominal one-time build fee applies and may be spread over the contract term; optional add-ons are priced separately.