PI software · Updated October 31, 2026
Watch the five-minute walkthrough
What private investigator software should do
Most investigators juggle a notepad, a phone camera, a dictation app, a spreadsheet for hours and a word processor for the report. Good PI software replaces that stack with one record per case that starts in the field and ends with the invoice.
PIwitness was built by licensed private investigators with more than 30 years of field work and hundreds of court appearances, so it is organized around how cases actually run: capture, organize, report, bill, deliver.
- Field capture that works offline in parking lots, garages and rural areas
- Evidence you can defend: timestamps, GPS and SHA-256 hashes on every entry
- Reports written from your notes in PI industry format, never with invented details
- Time, mileage, receipts and invoices on the same case
- Photos, video, audio, documents and screenshots in one case file
Field capture that works with no signal
Type, dictate or tap a quick action and the entry is saved to your phone first, then synced when you're back in coverage. Each entry is stamped with the time and your GPS location automatically, so you never reconstruct a timeline from memory.
Install PIwitness on an iPhone or Android home screen straight from the browser. There is no app store download, and the installed app opens even when you're offline.
Court-ready reports from your field notes
When the assignment is done, PIwitness Intelligence writes the report from your entries in the layout your case type calls for: chronological narrative for surveillance, captioned sections for SIU, an attempts log for process service, findings by source for background checks, a movement log for executive protection, and more.
It follows the industry's description orders for subjects and vehicles, uses 12-hour times and approved terminology, and keeps the whole report in first or third person. It is not allowed to add a fact that isn't in your notes. You review, edit and export to PDF or Word with your letterhead.
Evidence integrity and chain of custody
Field entries can't be edited or deleted once saved. Corrections are added as new, separately hashed entries, and each entry's SHA-256 fingerprint proves it hasn't changed since the moment you wrote it. Photos, recordings and documents get their own fingerprints, and client share links show them next to each file.
Every kind of case
| Case type | What the case holds | Report layout |
|---|---|---|
| Surveillance | Subject and vehicle descriptions, danger flags | Chronological narrative |
| SIU / insurance fraud | Policy, claim type, interviews and records requested | Captioned sections by activity |
| Workers' comp (AOE/COE) | Employer, injury, restrictions, date of loss | Chronological narrative + QCA |
| Domestic / infidelity | Safe client contact, schedule, places of interest | Chronological narrative |
| Background check | Purpose, FCRA authorization, encrypted SSN, searches | Findings by record source |
| Missing person / skip trace | Last known location, associates, employers | Locate efforts by source |
| Process service | Papers, court, serve-by date, attempts required | Attempts log + affidavits |
| Accident investigation | Incident, police report, parties, vehicles | Scene, vehicles, witnesses |
| Asset recovery | Property, VIN/serial, authority to recover | Custody log |
| Executive protection | Principal, team roster, venues, routes, emergency plan | Movement log + incidents |
Billing, invoices and receipts
Time is tracked from your first to your last note of the day and stays fully editable: travel, case time, breaks, report writing and mileage. Photograph a hotel or meal receipt and it lands on that day's billing. One click turns the case into an invoice with your rates, expense markup, tax and payment terms.
Pricing
Plans are $49 a month for Solo (up to 10 active cases), $99 for Professional (unlimited cases) and $199 plus $29 per investigator for Agency, or 20% less billed annually. Every plan includes every feature and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best software for private investigators?
The best fit depends on where your time goes. If report writing and documentation take most of your evenings, choose software that captures notes in the field and writes the report from them. PIwitness does both, with offline capture, SHA-256 evidence integrity, billing and invoicing on the same case.
Does PIwitness work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Open piwitness.com in your phone's browser and add it to your home screen. It installs like an app, opens offline and needs no app store download.
Is PIwitness a case management system?
Yes. Cases hold the client, subject, vehicles, danger flags, field notes, photos, recordings, documents, forms, time, invoices and reports, with statuses for active, on hold, completed and archived.
Is there a free trial?
No, but every plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee: if it isn't right for you, contact us within 14 days of your first payment for a full refund. Call 630-880-2583 or email info@piwitness.com for a live walkthrough first.
Who built PIwitness?
Licensed private investigators based in Aurora, Illinois, with more than 30 years of combined field experience and hundreds of court appearances.