Two different jobs to be done
People searching for an Encircle alternative are usually asking one of two questions. Some want a different field documentation app. Others are happy with how their crews capture a loss but are frustrated by everything that happens after: re-keying the job into a management system, rebuilding the budget from the Xactimate estimate, chasing equipment-days for the invoice, and answering homeowner status calls.
Those are different problems. Encircle is best known for the first — on-site capture of photos, notes, floor plans, moisture readings, and contents, packaged into reports for contractors and insurance professionals. RestoredOS is built for the second: it is a restoration operating system that keeps the whole job on one record, and its drying module is one part of that record.
How the RestoredOS–Encircle integration works
Because many crews already use Encircle in the field, RestoredOS was built to work with it rather than against it:
- Per-company connection. Each restoration company connects its own Encircle account from the RestoredOS Integrations page.
- Drying data import. Rooms come in as drying chambers, along with material moisture readings, affected and unaffected atmospheric readings, and equipment placements mapped to equipment types.
- Photos and dimensions. Photos and media import onto the job file, and room dimensions come across too.
- Automatic re-sync. A webhook re-syncs the job when the Encircle claim changes, replacing the previously imported Encircle rows so nothing is double-counted.
- PDF fallback. If all you have is an Encircle PDF report, RestoredOS can read it and extract every dated reading into structured data.
- Read-only. RestoredOS never writes readings, photos, or claims back to Encircle.
Once the data is in RestoredOS, it behaves like native drying data: it feeds the one-day drying summary, the equipment-days count, the draft mitigation scope, and the Mitigation Audit.
Side by side
The table compares focus, not feature counts. Encircle’s column reflects its public positioning; check current details with Encircle.
| Encircle | RestoredOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Field documentation for restoration and insurance | Running the whole restoration job and company |
| Drying documentation | Yes — a core focus | Yes — chambers, points, daily readings, GPP/dew point, equipment-days |
| Photos & reports | Yes — a core focus | Photos by day, AI photo labels, photo report PDF, daily report PDF |
| Xactimate estimate → budget | Check with Encircle | Estimate PDFs read into budget line items |
| Schedule & crew planning | Check with Encircle | Per-job Gantt and weekly crew planner |
| Time, job costing, CRM | Check with Encircle | GPS time clock, payroll export, referral-source CRM |
| Client portal | Check with Encircle | ClientTrack: progress, schedule, documents, messages |
| Works with the other | — | Imports Encircle drying data and photos |
When Encircle is the better fit
- Your field documentation process is built around Encircle and your crews are productive in it.
- A carrier, TPA, or program you work with expects Encircle reports.
- You mainly need on-site capture and reporting, and already have a job management system you like.
In those cases, switching capture apps is rarely worth the retraining. If you want the rest of the job on one record, connect Encircle to RestoredOS instead.
When RestoredOS is the better fit
- You want intake, the job file, drying, budget, schedule, time, billing, and client updates in one system.
- Your estimators re-key Xactimate estimates into budgets and buyouts today.
- Equipment-days and drying evidence get rebuilt by hand at invoice time.
- You want an AI review of the mitigation file against S500 documentation points before a contested invoice goes out.
- You are open to documenting drying natively, including LiDAR room scans from the RestoredOS Scan iPhone app.
When to use both
The most common answer is both: crews keep capturing in Encircle, and RestoredOS imports that data into the job record where the office runs scope, budget, schedule, billing, and the client portal. Over time, some teams move drying capture into RestoredOS; others never do. The integration is designed so either path works.
Want to see it? Take the live tour, or read how the drying record works on the water mitigation software page.
Encircle and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to identify those products. Restored Technology is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Descriptions of Encircle are based on publicly available information as of October 2026 and may not reflect current features or plans; please confirm details with the vendor.