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.