Best domiciliary care software for UK agencies
For most UK domiciliary agencies in 2026, CareOS is the best all-round choice — it is the only platform compared here that includes recruitment, AI rostering, eMAR, care planning, compliance and finance on one all-inclusive subscription, with a free managed migration from your current system. The honest picture has nuance: Log my Care is a strong pick for the smallest agencies and for deep consent and controlled-drug workflows, everyLIFE PASS matches CareOS on AI rostering and NHS integration, and Birdie leads on financial reporting. The ranked comparison and full capability table are below.
How we compared — and an honest disclosure
CareOS publishes this page and ranks itself first, so read it critically. Every capability below was rated from publicly available vendor documentation, and we name the rows where competitors match or beat us rather than pretending they don't exist. Where a vendor doesn't publicly document a feature it is shown as "not documented" — they may still support it via configuration. The capability table is the same fact-checked comparison CareOS publishes on its home care page.
New to choosing care software? Start with the 2026 domiciliary care software buyer's guide.
CareOS vs home care software
See how CareOS compares with Birdie, Nourish, PASS and Log my Care across every capability that matters to a domiciliary care agency.
Comparison based on publicly available product information and published feature documentation at the time of writing. Products evolve — always verify current capabilities with each vendor.
The leading domiciliary care systems, reviewed
CareOS
Best all-in-one for agencies that want everything in one platform
CareOS is built as a complete operating system for a home care business. On one all-inclusive subscription you get built-in recruitment (an area none of the four rivals here publicly document), onboarding and training matrices, SmartRota AI scheduling that weighs continuity, skills, availability and travel time and explains each match, a full eMAR with PRN, variable-dose and controlled-drug workflows and overdue alerts, care plans and risk assessments, finance, and a real-time family portal. Its no-login, time-limited inspector portal for CQC is the one capability no compared competitor documents. Migration is free and handled by the CareOS team, with purpose-built importers for Birdie, Nursebuddy, OnCare and RoundSys plus AI document extraction for anything else — most providers are live in days. Data is UK-hosted, with Cyber Essentials Plus and an NHS DSPT self-assessment. Where rivals lead: Log my Care matches or beats CareOS on consent, controlled-drug and incident workflows, and Birdie matches it on margin-per-client reporting.
Explore CareOS for home careeveryLIFE PASS
Best for AI rostering and NHS integration
PASS is the one rival that matches CareOS on AI rota generation — its PASSgenius engine optimises rotas and flags medication patterns — and it runs full payroll, invoicing, holiday pay and travel and mileage through PASS finance. It is a strong, established domiciliary platform. CareOS pulls ahead on built-in recruitment, explainable multi-factor matching, the live map, the training and compliance matrices, and the no-login inspector portal, none of which are documented for PASS.
Birdie
Best for financial reporting and scale
Birdie is the best-known name in the segment and genuinely strong on finance: full payroll and invoicing, holiday-pay management, a margin-per-client profit-and-loss report and a custom report builder — it matches CareOS on margin-per-client, a row CareOS does not claim as unique. Its AI and auto-assign rostering is more limited than CareOS's or PASS's, and recruitment, training matrices and an inspector portal are not publicly documented. Moving off it is straightforward.
Switch from Birdie to CareOSNourish
Best for broad, multi-setting care planning
Nourish is a well-regarded care-planning platform with strong daily logs and appraisals and supervision. For domiciliary specifically it is lighter on finance, and its native eMAR has historically relied on integrations. Recruitment, AI rota and an inspector portal are not documented. A solid care-recording choice rather than an all-in-one operations platform.
Log my Care
Best for small or new agencies, and for consent and controlled-drug depth
Log my Care is the practical pick for the smallest and newest agencies — it offers a free starter tier — and it genuinely leads on consent management, controlled-drug workflows with mandatory witness signatures, and incident workflows, rows where it matches or beats CareOS. Its deliberate trade-off is no AI rota: its own documentation states the rota manager keeps control rather than an algorithm. If algorithmic scheduling and built-in recruitment matter to you, CareOS is the fuller platform.
See how migration to CareOS worksWhat to look for in domiciliary care software
Genuinely all-inclusive?
Ask specifically whether recruitment, eMAR, compliance and finance are included or charged as add-ons or higher tiers — that is where quotes balloon.
eMAR that is safe for real regimes
Scheduled, PRN and variable-dose medications, controlled drugs with witness sign-off, and alerts when a dose is overdue or no visit covers it.
Scheduling that saves time
Matching that weighs continuity, skills, availability and travel — and explains its suggestions rather than being a black box.
Inspection-ready for CQC
Audit trails, compliance and training matrices, and ideally a way to give inspectors time-limited access without creating logins.
Migration that is handled for you
Free, managed, and reviewed record by record before switchover removes the single biggest reason agencies stay on software they have outgrown.
UK data residency and assurance
For UK care records, look for UK-hosted data, Cyber Essentials Plus and an NHS DSPT self-assessment.
Switching without the pain
Migration fear keeps agencies on software they’ve outgrown. With CareOS it’s free and handled by our team: your domiciliary care management software records move across, with nothing going live until you’ve reviewed it, and most providers live in days.
On a named system? See the guides to switch from Birdie, Nursebuddy, OnCare and RoundSys — or, from anything else, see how migration works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best domiciliary care software for UK agencies in 2026?
For most agencies, CareOS — it is the only option compared here that includes recruitment, AI rostering, eMAR, care planning, compliance and finance on one all-inclusive subscription with a free managed migration. The best fit still depends on your priorities: Log my Care suits the smallest agencies and teams that want deep consent and controlled-drug workflows, everyLIFE PASS is strong for AI rostering with NHS integration, and Birdie leads on financial reporting at scale.
How much does domiciliary care software cost in the UK?
Most UK systems are quote-based and priced per client or per carer, and several charge extra for eMAR, finance or compliance modules. CareOS includes every module on one all-inclusive plan rather than add-on tiers; for a quote tailored to the size of your service, talk to our team.
What features should domiciliary care software include for CQC?
At minimum: person-centred care plans and risk assessments, a full eMAR with controlled-drug and witness support, complete audit trails, and a fast way to give inspectors evidence. CareOS keeps compliance and training matrices inspection-ready and offers a no-login, time-limited inspector portal, which is the one item none of the compared systems publicly document.
How do I switch domiciliary care software providers?
Export or grant access to your current data, migrate and review it record by record, then pick a switchover date while your old system keeps running. With CareOS this is free and handled by our team, with most providers live in days, not weeks.
Can I migrate from Birdie, Nursebuddy, OnCare or RoundSys?
Yes — CareOS has purpose-built importers for all four, plus spreadsheet and AI document imports for any other system, with every record checked with you before go-live.
What is the difference between domiciliary and residential care home software?
Domiciliary (home care) software is built around visits in people's own homes — rostering with travel time, lone-worker safety and visit verification. Residential care home software is built around a building of residents. CareOS covers both; this page focuses on domiciliary care.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or talk to our team.