RTG vs CapitolTrack

RTG and CapitolTrack, side by side.

What each platform includes today, what comes standard, and what costs extra.

Updated October 15, 2026. CapitolTrack details are from its public website as of October 2026.

The short version

Three differences that decide it.

01 · SPEED TO PHONE

Minutes, during session.

RTG captures the floor vote when it is called and sends it within minutes. CapitolTrack's alerts do not cover live floor votes.

02 · DEPTH

The connected record.

Both tools are California-only. The cross-referenced lobbyist registry and positions over time are on RTG.

03 · COALITIONS

One count across organizations.

Separate accounts, one shared whip count, attributed.

The whole picture

Capability	Real Time Gov	CapitolTrack
Real-time intelligence
Floor vote alerts	Within minutes of the voteSMS, push, email	Real-time alerts listedNot on live floor votes as they are called
Live chamber state	On-call bills, live	Not offered
Mobile companion	RTG Pulse	Web only
Analysis
AI bill and analysis summaries	Every long bill and committee analysis	Not offered
Gut-and-amend detection	Caught at the version	Not offered
Positions over time	Every snapshot side by side	Current position only
California data
Lobbyist registry, cross-referenced	Every filer, refreshed daily	Not offered
Organization directory	Full footprint per organization	Not offered
Team workflow
Workspaces and assignments	Per-client tags, positions, priorities	No public documentation found
Client and board reports	Word, PDF, Excel or CSV, on a scheduleOr a public report portal you can embed on your website	Reports listed
Read-only seats for clients and boards	Gallery Seat, $19 a monthAnnual plans with 3+ full seats include one per full seat	No public documentation found
Coalition whip counts	Across separate accounts	Not offered
Rename fields, switch off features	Workspace-wide	No public documentation found
Bring your tracking book across	Upload your export, preview first	Not listed
CapitolTrack add-ons
Campaign finance tools	Fundraiser calendar only	ContributionTrack$169 a month on top
State budget tracking	Budget bills track like any bill; budget documents are not indexed	BudgetTrack$199 a year on top
Pricing and terms
Published pricing	$100 / $85 / $70 per seat a month$85 / $72 / $60 on annual · unlimited bills	$97 / $139 / $189 a monthPriced by bill cap: 50, 100, unlimited with two users
Additional users	$100, $85 or $70 a month per seatBy seat count; $85, $72 or $60 on annual	$30 a month per additional userPlans include one user, or two on Unlimited
Everything in one plan	No add-onsEvery full seat includes the complete product, and you switch off what you don't use	Three products, plus add-ons
Month to month	Monthly or annual	Annual commitment
Free trial	14 days, full product, no card	Demo first

In practice

Different tools, different workdays.

THE 11:14 FLOOR VOTE

Without a live floor alert, the result waits for the published record, after the board call it mattered for.

With RTGThe alert lands at 11:17. The 1:00 call starts with the outcome and the breakdown.

THE ORGANIZATION THAT SWITCHED

The current position shows. The change between hearings is buried in two PDF analyses.

With RTGThe Position Matrix flags it when the new analysis publishes.

THE COALITION COUNT

Three organizations, three spreadsheets. Reconciling them takes an afternoon.

With RTGOne shared count, with who set what and when.

What switching involves: the first 14 days →

Questions

What buyers ask.

Is there an alternative to CapitolTrack?

Yes. Real Time Gov (RTG) is the California bill tracking and reporting software for advocacy teams: every bill and version, client-ready reports, and floor vote alerts within minutes. Like CapitolTrack it covers California only, so the choice is about depth and workflow, not coverage.

What is the difference between Real Time Gov and CapitolTrack?

RTG sends floor votes within minutes as they are called, reads every amended version for gut-and-amends, keeps positions over time, and cross-references the lobbyist registry. It is one plan with unlimited bills, billed monthly or annually. CapitolTrack prices by bill cap, sells campaign finance and budget tracking as add-ons, and is the longer-established tool.

Can I move from CapitolTrack to Real Time Gov?

Yes. Export your tracking book from CapitolTrack, upload it to RTG and preview the result before anything is saved. On an annual plan an engineer imports your portfolio and stays with you for the first month.

How much does Real Time Gov cost?

$100 per user a month, or $85 billed annually, with lower rates from 5 and 10 seats. Bills are never metered, every full seat gets the whole product, and the trial is 14 days with no credit card.

All the California-only options, side by side →

Try it on your own bills.

See what changes in your next working week.

Track the California bills that matter to your team. Review amendments, prepare for hearings, and share positions and assignments in one workspace. Free for 14 days, no credit card, with optional setup help.

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Bring the bills you're working on.

In 45 minutes we'll show how RTG connects their amendments, positions, votes and your team's next steps.

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