AttendIQ vs Causeway Donseed
The same workforce compliance without biometric hardware, turnstiles, or 3-year contracts. Live the same day at a fraction of the cost.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors who need workforce compliance without the cost and complexity of proprietary hardware. No tablets, no turnstiles, no cabling. Download the app, configure online, go live the same day. From £4.50/worker/month.
Tier 1 contractors (Network Rail, HS2, Crossrail-scale) with the budget for biometric hardware, dedicated IT teams to manage installations, and long-term contracts across large permanent sites. If you need physical turnstile access control, Causeway delivers that.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AttendIQ | Causeway Donseed |
|---|---|---|
| Time and attendance | ✓ Mobile app (QR, Face ID, fingerprint) | ✓ Biometric tablets and turnstiles |
| Hardware required | ✓ None: workers use their own phone | ✗ Proprietary tablets, kiosks, turnstiles |
| CSCS verification | ✓ Live API lookup (CSCS Smart Check) | ✓ NFC smartcard tap on tablet |
| Digital inductions | ✓ Mobile-delivered with offline support | ✓ Pre-arrival via web portal |
| Fatigue / WTD monitoring | ✓ 4 configurable modes (off / monitor / active / full) | Basic Basic hour tracking only |
| Supply chain management | ✓ Full SC portal with pre-arrival compliance | Limited PC-focused, limited SC visibility |
| Geofencing | ✓ GPS polygon zones | ✓ Hardware-defined zones |
| Carbon tracking | ✓ Commute and delivery carbon with DEFRA factors | ✗ Not available |
| Modern slavery detection | ✓ Automated pattern detection | ✗ Not available |
| Delivery management | ✓ Full DMS with AI receipt scanning | ✗ Not available |
| Digital forms and permits | ✓ 20 TBTs + POWRA + Good Catch + custom | Limited Standard permits only |
| Offline capability | ✓ Offline-first, auto-sync on reconnect | ✓ Tablets store data locally |
| Setup time | ✓ Same day: download app, configure, go | ✗ Hardware install: days to weeks |
| Contract terms | ✓ Monthly rolling available | ✗ Typically 24-36 months with hardware |
| Public pricing | ✓ £4.50-£6.50/worker/month | ✗ Not published |
Pricing comparison
AttendIQ
- + £6.50/worker/month for Complete plan
- + No hardware costs at all
- + No setup fee on annual billing
- + Monthly rolling contracts available
- + Supply chain companies free
- + Causeway switcher: 50% off Year 1
Causeway Donseed
- - No public pricing: requires sales call
- - Hardware lease adds significant cost
- - 24-36 month contract terms typical
- - Installation and cabling costs extra
- + Established with Tier 1 contractors
- + Physical turnstile access control
Show us proof of your Causeway cancellation and we will apply 50% off your first year of AttendIQ. No haggling, no sales process. Book a demo and mention the offer.
Donseed, CausewayOne Attendance, Causeway Technologies: a quick history
Donseed was a standalone workforce management product widely used on large UK infrastructure projects. In 2019, Causeway Technologies acquired Donseed and folded it into their CausewayOne platform suite, rebranding it as CausewayOne Attendance. Many contractors still search for "Donseed" or "Causeway Donseed" because that is the name they know from site. The product itself has not changed dramatically: biometric hardware at site entry points, NFC smartcard tap for CSCS cards, and a web portal for admin.
If you are evaluating CausewayOne Attendance (or still have Donseed on your sites), this comparison covers what you need to know.
Why contractors switch from Causeway Donseed to AttendIQ
No hardware, no installation, no waiting
The biggest difference between AttendIQ and Causeway Donseed is hardware. Causeway requires proprietary biometric tablets installed at every site entry point. That means power, network cabling, physical mounting, and often turnstile integration. For a Tier 1 contractor with 50+ permanent sites and a dedicated IT team, that is manageable. For a Tier 2 or Tier 3 contractor running 5 to 15 sites with a lean back office, it is a significant overhead.
AttendIQ is entirely mobile. Workers clock in using their own phone: QR code scan, Face ID, or fingerprint. There is nothing to install on site, nothing to cable, nothing to maintain. You can go live on a new site the same day you decide to use it.
Pricing that makes sense for mid-market contractors
Causeway Technologies does not publish pricing for CausewayOne Attendance. Based on customer-reported data, the total cost of ownership typically falls between £15 and £25 per worker per month when you factor in the hardware lease, installation, maintenance, and software licence. Contracts are typically 24 to 36 months, and early termination incurs penalties.
AttendIQ costs £4.50/worker/month (Essential) or £6.50/worker/month (Complete), with annual billing and no setup fee. Monthly rolling contracts are available. There are no hardware costs because there is no hardware. Any subcontractors you invite use AttendIQ free as part of your licence.
CSCS verification without NFC hardware
Causeway Donseed uses NFC smartcard tap to verify CSCS cards. This requires the proprietary tablet hardware and a physical card. If a worker forgets their card, the system cannot verify them.
AttendIQ uses the CSCS Smart Check API to verify cards digitally. The verification happens via an API lookup using the card number. No physical tap is required. Cards are verified automatically, expiry is tracked, and alerts fire at 90, 30, and 7 days before a card expires. Workers without a physical card on the day can still be verified.
Supply chain visibility that Causeway does not offer
Causeway Donseed was built for Principal Contractors. The supply chain experience is an afterthought: SC companies have limited visibility into what is required and no pre-arrival compliance checking. SC admins cannot see which of their workers will pass access rules before sending them to site.
AttendIQ gives SC companies a free portal. SC admins can see which PC sites they are connected to, assign workers, and run a pre-arrival compliance check before anyone travels to site. If a worker is missing an induction or has an expired competency, the SC admin knows in advance and can fix it. This saves wasted journeys and reduces the compliance burden on PC site teams.
Contract flexibility
Causeway typically requires 24 to 36 month contracts because of the hardware investment. Breaking a Causeway Donseed contract early usually means paying out the remaining hardware lease and licence fees. This locks contractors into a product even if their needs change or the product does not deliver.
AttendIQ offers monthly rolling contracts. Annual billing gets a better rate, but you are never locked in for years. If a project finishes and your worker count drops, your bill drops immediately.
Features Causeway does not have
AttendIQ includes several capabilities that are not part of CausewayOne Attendance:
- Fatigue and Working Time Directive monitoring with four configurable modes: off, monitor, active, and full enforcement. Causeway has basic hour tracking only.
- Modern slavery detection using automated pattern analysis across attendance, employment, and pay records. Causeway does not offer this.
- Carbon tracking for worker commutes and site deliveries using DEFRA conversion factors. Increasingly required for SECR reporting and tender submissions.
- Delivery management with booking, receipt, AI document scanning, and GRN generation. Not available in Causeway.
- Digital forms including 20 toolbox talk templates, POWRA, Good Catch reporting, and a custom form builder. Causeway has standard permits only.
What Causeway Donseed does well
Causeway Technologies has deep relationships with Tier 1 UK contractors, and CausewayOne Attendance has been deployed on some of the largest infrastructure projects in the country: Network Rail, Crossrail, HS2. If you are a Tier 1 contractor running large permanent sites with controlled entry points, the physical turnstile and biometric tablet combination provides a level of physical access control that software alone cannot replicate.
Causeway also offers a broader platform (CausewayOne) covering project management, BIM, and procurement. If you are already embedded in the Causeway ecosystem, there is integration value in staying.
For contractors outside that profile, the hardware cost and contract commitment are hard to justify when mobile-based alternatives deliver the same compliance outcomes.
The verdict
If you are a Tier 1 contractor with the budget for biometric hardware and turnstiles on permanent sites, Causeway Donseed (CausewayOne Attendance) remains a viable option. If you are a Tier 2 or Tier 3 contractor, or if you run multiple smaller sites where hardware installation does not make sense, AttendIQ delivers the same workforce compliance at roughly 70% lower cost with zero hardware dependency. Add in supply chain management, fatigue monitoring, modern slavery detection, and delivery management, and the feature gap is significant.
Frequently asked questions
Donseed was acquired by Causeway Technologies in 2019 and rebranded as CausewayOne Attendance. The core product is the same: biometric tablet-based time and attendance with NFC smartcard tap for CSCS verification. Many contractors still refer to it as Donseed or Causeway Donseed.
Yes. CausewayOne Attendance requires proprietary biometric tablets or kiosks at site entry points, plus power and network connectivity. Some sites also use Causeway turnstiles. AttendIQ requires no hardware: workers clock in using their own phone.
AttendIQ costs £4.50-£6.50/worker/month with no hardware costs. Causeway Donseed typically costs £15-£25/worker/month including hardware lease. That is a 70% or greater saving for most contractors. AttendIQ also offers monthly rolling contracts, while Causeway typically requires 24-36 month commitments.
You can start using AttendIQ on new sites immediately while your Causeway contract runs down on existing sites. Many contractors run both in parallel during the transition, then consolidate onto AttendIQ when the Causeway contract expires. We offer 50% off Year 1 to make the overlap period more manageable.
Yes. Show proof of your Causeway cancellation and we apply 50% off your first year of AttendIQ. Book a demo and mention the offer to get started.
Switch from Causeway Donseed.
50% off your first year.
Show us your Causeway cancellation and we will apply 50% off Year 1. Book a 30-minute demo to see the difference.