BRCKS vs Gaffa

BRCKS Bot for WhatsApp

Update projects and manage tasks without ever leaving WhatsApp. Simply text the BRCKS Bot to create tasks, check off checklist items, or get instant project updates. This feature ensures all critical site communication flowing through WhatsApp is automatically captured and organised in BRCKS, eliminating app-switching and keeping the entire team aligned in real-time from the tool they already use.

Free Subcontractor Access

Invite every trade and subcontractor to their relevant projects at no extra cost. They receive full access to project checklists, calendars, files, and schedules, fostering collaboration and accountability without adding to their overhead. This removes the traditional barrier of software cost per user, enabling true whole-team adoption and ensuring everyone works from the same, up-to-date information.

Dedicated Client Portal

Provide homeowners and clients with a beautiful, read-only view of their project's progress. They can see key updates, milestone photos, and general progress without gaining access to internal tools or sensitive communications. This keeps clients informed and engaged, building trust, while preventing them from disrupting the team's operational workflow with direct messages across multiple channels.

Unified Project Feed & Checklists

See all project updates, messages, and actions in one chronological feed for complete oversight. Combine this with dynamic digital checklists to assign, track, and monitor task progress. This replaces paper lists and mental notes, ensuring nothing is missed, providing clear accountability, and giving managers a real-time view of site progress and pending actions.

Simple REST API

Gaffa abstracts the complexities of tools like Playwright, Selenium, and Puppeteer into a straightforward REST API. This means you can automate real browser actions—navigation, clicking, typing, scraping—without learning a specific framework or managing browser instances. You define the task with an API call, and Gaffa's infrastructure executes it, allowing for rapid integration and development.

Managed Proxies & Global Scaling

The platform seamlessly integrates with a network of residential proxies worldwide. You simply specify a target location, and Gaffa routes your request through a reliable proxy in that region. It also handles all scaling challenges automatically, managing concurrent requests and infrastructure resilience so you can increase your data volume without worrying about IP blocks or system failures.

Advanced Data Processing

Gaffa does more than return raw HTML. It can process page content on the fly into formats ready for your downstream applications. This includes simplified, clean HTML, LLM-ready markdown for AI pipelines, structured JSON via its LLM capabilities, and even self-contained offline versions of web pages for archival or complex analysis.

Full Observability & Stealth Mode

Every automation run is recorded, providing full visibility into what happened during each session. You can replay browser interactions to debug issues or verify data extraction. Combined with a stealth mode that mimics human browsing behavior, this feature ensures reliable data access even from sophisticated, anti-bot websites.

Streamlining Daily Site Communication and Task Management

Site managers and foremen use BRCKS to replace chaotic WhatsApp groups and radio calls. They create daily checklists for each trade, and workers update progress via the BRCKS Bot directly from WhatsApp. All updates flow into the central platform, giving the manager a live view of task completion without chasing people down, saving hours daily and preventing tasks from being overlooked.

Managing Subcontractor Coordination and Handovers

Main contractors use BRCKS to coordinate multiple subcontractors seamlessly. By inviting all trades for free, they ensure plumbers, electricians, and carpenters all see the same schedule and task lists. This clarity smooths handovers, reduces downtime, and provides a clear audit trail of who did what and when, minimising disputes over delays or incomplete work.

Enhancing Client Reporting and Transparency

Builders and renovators use the Client Portal to provide structured, professional updates to homeowners. Instead of sending sporadic photos through text, they can share milestone achievements, progress galleries, and key decisions in one dedicated space. This manages client expectations proactively, reduces anxiety-driven calls, and builds a reputation for organised, transparent communication.

Centralising Project Documentation and Meeting Records

Project managers use BRCKS as a single source of truth for all project records. They upload files, site photos, and meeting notes directly to the project. The meeting recordings feature ensures action points and discussions are never forgotten. This creates a searchable historical record for snagging, compliance, and post-project reviews, protecting the business.

Market & Price Intelligence

Businesses can automate the monitoring of competitor websites, e-commerce product listings, and service pricing. Gaffa reliably extracts this data daily or hourly, even from JavaScript-heavy sites, enabling dynamic pricing strategies, market trend analysis, and inventory assessment without manual effort.

Lead Generation & Enrichment

Sales and marketing teams can use Gaffa to scrape public directories, social media profiles, and company websites to build targeted lead lists. The API can navigate search results, extract contact details and firmographic data, and output structured records ready for import into a CRM system.

AI & LLM Data Pipeline

For teams training or feeding large language models, Gaffa is an ideal tool for gathering high-quality, current web data. Its ability to output clean markdown and structured JSON simplifies the creation of training datasets and ensures models have access to recent information from across the web.

Content Aggregation & Monitoring

Media companies and researchers can automate the collection of news articles, blog posts, forum discussions, and regulatory updates. Gaffa can visit a list of sources, extract the relevant text and metadata, and consolidate it into a unified format for analysis, reporting, or content syndication.

BRCKS is a practical, no-disruption construction project management and communication platform built specifically for residential builders, tradespeople, and homeowners. It solves the fundamental problem of chaotic, scattered project information by centralising every critical element—from daily site conversations and task checklists to meeting notes, files, and photos—into one single, controlled platform. Designed for real construction teams, BRCKS eliminates the reliance on fragmented tools like WhatsApp, email, and scattered documents, where crucial details and decisions are easily lost, leading to delays, rework, and miscommunication. Its core value proposition is seamless integration with existing workflows; your team can continue using WhatsApp as normal, while BRCKS automatically organises all updates into a structured project hub. This approach requires no training, causes zero disruption, and saves teams an average of over two hours daily. With unique features like free access for unlimited subcontractors and a dedicated client portal, BRCKS provides one platform for the entire project team, ensuring clarity, accountability, and a clear record from first fix to final sign-off.

Gaffa is a powerful web data extraction and browser automation platform designed to eliminate the technical headaches of traditional web scraping. It provides a simple REST API that gives developers, data analysts, and businesses instant access to reliable, scalable web data. The core problem Gaffa solves is infrastructure complexity. Instead of wrestling with headless browsers, proxy management, scaling challenges, and configuration failures, users send a single API call. Gaffa handles the rest, executing commands on real, fully-rendering browsers and returning the processed data. This allows teams to focus entirely on their data-driven goals—like market research, price monitoring, or lead generation—without becoming experts in browser automation frameworks. With built-in features like global residential proxies, data processing into multiple formats (HTML, markdown, JSON), and full observability with session recording, Gaffa offers a complete, production-ready solution for accessing the web at scale.

How does BRCKS work with WhatsApp?

Your team continues using WhatsApp exactly as they do now. You add the BRCKS Bot as a contact in your project WhatsApp group. When anyone sends a relevant update, photo, or task message, the BRCKS Bot automatically interprets it and logs it into the correct project within the BRCKS platform. This means no behaviour change for the team, but all information becomes organised and accessible.

Do my subcontractors really get free access?

Yes. You can invite an unlimited number of subcontractors and tradespeople to collaborate on projects at no additional cost to you or to them. They get full access to the features they need for their work on your project, like checklists, calendars, and files. You only pay for seats for your core, internal team members.

Is the Client Portal secure and private?

Absolutely. The Client Portal is a read-only, walled-garden view designed specifically for client communication. Clients can only see the information, photos, and updates you explicitly choose to share with them. They cannot see internal team chats, financials, or any sensitive operational discussions, keeping your internal workflow private.

What if my team isn't tech-savvy?

BRCKS is built for construction teams, not tech experts. The primary interface for daily updates is WhatsApp, which most people already know how to use. The web platform is designed to be simple and intuitive. The zero-training, zero-disruption approach means adoption is quick and natural, focusing on solving communication problems rather than learning complex software.

What is a credit and how is it calculated?

A credit is Gaffa's unit of consumption for its API. Usage is calculated based on two factors: request time and proxy bandwidth. Browser time is billed at 1 credit per 30 seconds (2 credits if screen recording is on). Additionally, any request using a proxy location consumes 1500 credits per 1GB of bandwidth used. Each successful API call deducts the corresponding credits from your monthly allowance.

Does Gaffa offer a free trial?

Yes. You can sign up for a free account to experiment with the complete Gaffa API. This free tier allows you to build and run automations on Gaffa's dedicated demo site (demo.gaffa.dev). This provides full access to test all features and understand the workflow before upgrading to a paid plan for use on the live, open internet.

What is your refund policy?

Gaffa is happy to offer a refund if you request it within the current billing month, provided you have not yet used any credits from that month's allowance. This policy allows new users to evaluate the service on live targets with minimal risk. You can find more detailed information on the refund policy in the terms of service.

Do unused credits roll over to the next month?

No, credits do not roll over. The credit allowance included with your monthly subscription plan (Starter, Startup, Growth) is reset at the start of each new billing cycle. Any unused credits from the previous period are forfeited, so it's important to choose a plan that matches your expected usage volume.

BRCKS is a construction project management and communication software designed to centralise site activity. It falls into the productivity and management category, specifically serving residential builders, tradespeople, and homeowners by keeping conversations, tasks, and documents in one organised platform. Users may explore alternatives for various reasons. These can include budget constraints, the need for different feature sets like advanced scheduling or accounting integration, or a requirement for software that works on specific devices or scales for larger commercial projects. It's a common step to ensure the tool fits the unique demands of a business. When evaluating other options, focus on core needs. Key considerations should be ease of use for on-site teams, robust communication tools to replace scattered emails and messages, reliable document and photo management, and clear task tracking. The right alternative should solve the specific communication and organisation gaps your projects face.

Gaffa is a web data extraction and browser automation tool in the productivity and management category. It simplifies the process by providing a single API to automate real browsers, handling complexities like proxies and scaling so users can focus on gathering data. Users often explore alternatives for several practical reasons. These can include budget constraints, the need for different feature sets like on-premise deployment, or specific integration requirements with existing tech stacks. The search for a different solution is a normal part of finding the right tool for a project's unique demands. When evaluating alternatives, key considerations should include the ease of use and learning curve, the reliability and stealth of data extraction, the quality of proxy management, and the flexibility of data output formats. The goal is to find a solution that removes technical friction and reliably delivers the data you need.