The focused client portal without the per-seat jump

Note: This page compares Droplana to Assembly, the client portal product formerly named Copilot (hellocopilot.com) - not GitHub Copilot. Assembly's pricing below was verified 2026-08-18; confirm current figures on their site before quoting them, as SaaS pricing changes.

Premium platform vs focused tool

Assembly (formerly Copilot) has built an excellent product. It's polished, well-designed, and aimed at established service businesses that want their entire client experience under one roof - billing, contracts, knowledge bases, messages, files, and automation flows all together.

That's a real value proposition for the right buyer.

It's also a different product than Droplana. Droplana doesn't try to be a complete client experience platform. It's the file portal with per-file comments, done well - no account for the client, no password to reset, just a private link they open. The decision really comes down to one question:

Do you want one platform that handles every piece of your client relationship, or do you want a focused file portal with per-file feedback, while keeping your existing billing, contracts, and other tools?

If the first - Assembly is worth a serious look. If the second - Droplana is built for exactly that. For the full picture on what a client portal is and how to evaluate one, see our client portal guide.

The pricing gap that matters most: adding a second person

Assembly's plans are priced per internal user, and the jump between tiers is steep:

The moment a one-person shop on Starter brings on a second team member, Assembly forces an upgrade to Professional - from $39 to $149/month, almost 4x, to unlock two more seats.

Droplana prices per business, not per internal user:

Going from Solo to Practice costs €30/month more and adds four seats, not a per-user surcharge. Clients are unlimited on every Droplana plan, paid or free - Assembly's per-plan client caps (50 on Starter, 500 on Professional) don't exist here at all.

Assembly pricing verified 2026-08-18 from public marketing pages. Specific features and pricing change - confirm current details on their site before relying on the numbers above.

Side-by-side comparison

When Droplana wins

You don't need the full suite

You already have Stripe, Wave, or QuickBooks for billing. You have a contract template you like. You have your scheduling tool. You don't want to migrate any of those - you just want a clean place for client files with per-file feedback.

You're about to add a second person

This is the single biggest cost trap in Assembly's pricing. If you're a solo operator on Starter and about to bring on a co-worker, check the Professional price before you commit - Droplana's equivalent step is a third of the increase and adds four seats, not one.

You want EU data residency without asking

Droplana stores files, comments, and metadata exclusively on Hetzner infrastructure in Germany, with a DPA available on every plan. If GDPR-aligned hosting is a requirement rather than a nice-to-have, it's built in rather than something to verify.

Your clients are easily intimidated

Assembly's interface is excellent for users who engage with it. Some clients still find branded portals with multiple tabs and features more intimidating than a single link with a few files and comments. Droplana is intentionally minimal on the client side - no account, no password, no app.

You're solo or very small

Assembly is built and priced for teams running real client operations. Solo freelancers, two-person shops, and side-business operators often find it's more than they need.

When Assembly makes sense

We're not here to talk you out of a real product. Assembly is the right pick if:

• You run a substantial professional services firm with several internal users, full-time.
• You actually want billing, contracts, files, per-file comments, and automations in one platform.
• You'll genuinely use the knowledge base, help center, and CRM features.
• The per-user pricing pencils out against the time saved by consolidating tools.
• Brand consistency across the entire client experience matters to you.

If that's you, Assembly is a great option.

If you came to this page because the per-user pricing felt steep for what you actually need - Droplana is what you came looking for.

How it works (3 steps)

1. Add a client. Each gets their own isolated portal.
2. Upload files, add per-file comments. From a clean dashboard.
3. Share the link. Your client opens it - no account, no password, no setup.

Check our simple pricing (or start free)

Storage levels and team seats scale with your plan.
Security, per-client encryption, isolation, in-browser PDF signing, and data export are the same on every plan.
No per-client fees. Tax calculated by Creem at checkout.

Check who are we building Droplana for