Acreus vs Algoma: Zoning Analysis Tools for Commercial Real Estate Compared

Overview

Acreus and Algoma both serve commercial real estate professionals, but they approach the market from fundamentally different angles. Algoma is a zoning-focused startup that specializes in delivering zoning data, codes, and land use information. Acreus is a full-spectrum deal management platform that includes zoning research as one of many integrated capabilities. If your workflow begins and ends with zoning lookups, either tool may work. But if zoning is just one step in a broader due diligence and deal management process, the two platforms diverge significantly in what they offer.

What Is Algoma?

Algoma is a zoning analysis startup focused on providing zoning data, codes, and land use information for commercial real estate professionals. The platform aggregates municipal zoning ordinances and makes them searchable, helping users understand permitted uses, setback requirements, height limits, floor area ratios, and density restrictions for specific parcels. Algoma has built its reputation on zoning depth, and in certain jurisdictions its data coverage may be more granular than competing tools. However, Algoma is primarily a single-purpose platform. It does not offer deal pipeline management, contact tracking, task management, market reports, or property enrichment. For teams that need only zoning data and already have separate systems for everything else, Algoma can be a useful resource. But for developers who want zoning research connected to the rest of their deal workflow, Algoma requires pairing with additional tools to fill the gaps.

What Is Acreus?

Acreus is an all-in-one operating system for commercial real estate developers. The platform combines zoning research, deal pipeline management, a contact directory, task tracking, market reports, property enrichment, and team collaboration into a single workspace. The free zoning lookup tool at acreus.io/tools/zoning-lookup provides instant zoning data for any US address, with no account required for basic lookups. For developers on paid plans, zoning data integrates directly into property records, connecting zoning codes and permitted uses to the broader context of each deal. Acreus is designed so that developers never need to switch between five different tools to manage their pipeline. Everything from initial zoning research to final deal tracking lives in one platform, purpose-built for commercial real estate development workflows.

Zoning Capabilities Compared

Both Acreus and Algoma provide core zoning data including zoning codes, permitted uses, setback requirements, height limits, floor area ratios, and density restrictions. Algoma focuses exclusively on zoning and may offer more granular municipal data in certain jurisdictions where it has invested in deep data coverage. Acreus delivers zoning data through its integrated research pipeline and also offers a free standalone zoning lookup tool that anyone can use without creating an account. Within the full Acreus platform, zoning information is connected directly to property records, meaning developers can view zoning data alongside deal status, contacts, tasks, notes, and market reports. This contextual integration is something Algoma does not provide, as it delivers zoning data as an isolated dataset rather than as part of a connected deal workflow.

Beyond Zoning

Where Acreus and Algoma truly differ is in everything beyond zoning research. Acreus provides a full deal pipeline where developers can track properties from lead through active deal to closed or archived status. The platform includes a contact directory for managing brokers, attorneys, lenders, and other deal participants. Task tracking lets teams assign and monitor due diligence steps, deadlines, and follow-ups. Market reports deliver neighborhood-level insights including demographics, comparable sales, and economic trends. Property enrichment automatically pulls in assessor data, deed records, ownership information, and site details. Team collaboration features allow multiple users to work on the same deals with shared visibility. Algoma offers none of these capabilities. It is a zoning data tool, and teams that use Algoma typically need a separate CRM, a separate project management tool, and separate market research subscriptions to cover the rest of their workflow.

Pricing

Acreus offers a free tier that includes access to the zoning lookup tool at no cost. Paid plans start at $99 per month for the Starter tier and scale up to $749 per month for the Pro tier, which includes advanced features, higher usage limits, and team collaboration. Annual billing is available at a discount. Algoma pricing varies depending on the plan and level of data access required. Developers evaluating both platforms should consider not just the cost of zoning data but the total cost of their deal management stack. Using Algoma for zoning plus separate tools for CRM, pipeline tracking, and market research often adds up to more than a single integrated platform like Acreus.

Summary

If your needs begin and end with zoning data, Algoma may be a sufficient standalone solution, particularly if you need deep municipal zoning coverage in specific jurisdictions. However, if you need zoning research as part of a complete deal management workflow that includes pipeline tracking, contacts, tasks, market reports, and property enrichment, Acreus delivers everything in one platform. The free zoning lookup tool gives you instant access to zoning data with no commitment, and the full platform wraps zoning into a comprehensive workspace purpose-built for commercial real estate developers. For teams looking to consolidate their tools and streamline due diligence, Acreus is the more complete choice. For teams that already have a CRM and deal management system and only need to supplement it with zoning data, Algoma may fill that narrower role. Explore the full capabilities of Acreus as a commercial real estate CRM to see how zoning fits into the bigger picture of deal management.