CareIQ vs Brevity 2026 — An Honest Comparison for NDIS Providers
📅 Updated May 2026⏱ 8 min read👤 CareIQ Team
Brevity is a well-established NDIS and aged care software platform used across Australia. CareIQ is a newer all-in-one alternative. This article compares both on pricing, features, and which provider type each suits best — using only publicly available information.
The Core Difference
Brevity's strength is NDIS compliance and billing — it has a direct NDIS API integration and strong plan management support. CareIQ's strength is depth across the full operational picture — SCHADS payroll, behaviour analysis, shift checklists, and custom forms are all native, not separated into modules or tiers.
Pricing — Two Very Different Models
Brevity charges per client. CareIQ charges per staff member — one simple rate with every feature included. Neither model is universally better — it depends on your ratio of clients to staff.
| Plan | Brevity | CareIQ |
|---|
| Entry level | Lite: $44.90/mo (annual) or $4.49/client/month | $6/user/month — every feature, any team size |
| Mid tier | Business: $64.90/mo (annual) or $6.49/client/month | $6/user/month — same full feature set |
| Top tier | Enterprise: Price on application | $6/user/month — volume pricing for 50+ staff |
| SCHADS payroll | ✕ Export to payroll tool | ✓ Full calculation built in |
| Custom forms | ✓ Business+ | ✓ All plans |
| Setup fee | ⚠ Applies on Business and Enterprise | ✓ None — free migration |
| Free trial | Lite plan free | 2 months full access |
💡 Which pricing model wins for you?
Brevity's per-client model suits providers with many clients and few staff — for example, a community access provider with 50 clients but only 10 support workers. At $4.49/client on Lite, that's $224/month.
CareIQ's per-staff rate suits providers with many staff relative to clients — for example, a SIL provider with 8 residents and 20 support workers. At $6/user/month, that's just 20 × $6 = $120/month, with every feature included.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevity | CareIQ |
|---|
| NDIS billing & PRODA | ✓ Direct NDIS API integration | ✓ PRODA CSV export, claim tracking |
| Plan management support | ✓ Strong — dedicated module | ✓ Claiming method tracking |
| SCHADS payroll calculation | ✕ Exports to external payroll | ✓ Full dollar calculation — all penalty rates |
| Rostering & scheduling | ✓ | ✓ With GPS clock-in, swaps, availability |
| Custom forms | ✓ Business plan | ✓ All plans — AI builder, PDF upload |
| SIL shift checklists | ✕ Not available | ✓ Dynamic company-defined sections |
| Digital service agreements | ✕ Not available | ✓ Pre-filled, family signs digitally |
| Behaviour analysis (PBS) | ✕ Not available | ✓ Full ABC data, AI pattern analysis |
| Clinical notes & handover | ✓ | ✓ Structured templates, 18-hr window |
| Medication (MAR) | ✓ | ✓ High-risk double-check, scheduled reminders |
| Incident reporting | ✓ | ✓ ABC structure, severity, follow-up |
| E-signatures | ⚠ Limited | ✓ Notes, incidents, forms, agreements |
| Family portal | ✓ | ✓ Two-way messaging, all plans |
| Mobile app | ✓ iOS & Android | ✓ iOS & Android — 30+ screens |
| Xero integration | ✓ | ✓ |
Where Brevity Is Genuinely Stronger
- NDIS API integration: Brevity has a direct connection to the NDIS portal — including OCR scanning of NDIS plan documents for automatic data import. This is a meaningful differentiator for high-volume billing operations.
- Plan management: Brevity has a dedicated plan management module that is more mature than most competitors. If you are a registered plan manager or work closely with plan managers, this matters.
- Per-client pricing for large caseloads: For providers with very high client-to-staff ratios, Brevity's per-client pricing can work out cheaper than CareIQ's flat rate.
- Established platform: Brevity has been in the market longer with a larger installed base and more community knowledge.
Where CareIQ Is Stronger
- SCHADS payroll built in: CareIQ calculates the actual dollar amount for every shift including all penalty rates. Brevity exports to a separate payroll tool — you still need to do the SCHADS calculations somewhere else.
- SIL daily compliance: Shift checklists for meals, personal care, observations, bowel charts, fluid intake — native in CareIQ, not available in Brevity.
- Behaviour support: Full PBS data collection with AI-powered pattern analysis. No equivalent in Brevity.
- Custom forms on every plan: Brevity requires Business plan or higher. CareIQ includes them on every plan at $6/user/month.
- Per-staff rate that doesn't grow with client count: If you have 100 clients on Brevity Business ($6.49/client), you're paying $649/month. A 20-staff organisation on CareIQ pays just $120/month — and adding clients never raises the bill.
- 2-month free trial: Long enough to run real payroll and billing cycles. Brevity's free option is the Lite plan, which is limited by feature set.
Who Should Choose Brevity
- Registered plan managers or providers who work heavily with plan managers and need the NDIS API integration
- Providers with very high client counts relative to staff where per-client pricing is more favourable
- Organisations that already use a separate payroll system and just need the NDIS billing side
Who Should Consider CareIQ
- SIL and group home providers who need daily shift compliance documentation
- Providers who want SCHADS payroll calculated without a separate tool
- Providers with behaviour support requirements — no equivalent in Brevity
- Growing teams where per-client pricing becomes expensive
- Providers who need custom digital forms on every plan, not just the top tier
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Disclaimer: Brevity pricing sourced from brevity.com.au/pricing as of May 2026. Feature information based on publicly available documentation. Brevity's plans and pricing may change — verify at brevity.com.au. CareIQ is a competitor to Brevity.