September 29, 2025

TL;DR ShiftCare charges $12 per staff member monthly, while Vertex360 uses participant-tier pricing starting at $35/month for 1-5 participants. Your ideal choice depends on your team structure: ShiftCare favours lean teams with mostly support workers, while Vertex360 suits providers building administrative infrastructure where costs should scale with participants (revenue) not staff (expenses). Calculate both models with your specific numbers to determine the better fit. Two Different Pricing Philosophies When you compare ShiftCare and Vertex360, you’re not just looking at two different prices—you’re evaluating two fundamentally different approaches to NDIS software pricing. Understanding these philosophies helps you choose the model that aligns with your business structure and growth plans. ShiftCare’s Per-User Model Explained ShiftCare uses a per-user pricing model at $12 per staff member per month. Every person who needs access to the system—support workers, coordinators, practice managers, administrative staff—adds $12 to your monthly bill. This approach is straightforward: more team members means higher software costs. The per-user model creates a direct relationship between your staffing decisions and software expenses. When you hire a new support worker, your software cost increases by $12 monthly. When you add a coordinator or practice manager, that’s another $12. The model is simple to understand but ties your software costs directly to your workforce size. This pricing structure works well when your team consists primarily of direct support workers who generate revenue through participant services. The costs scale in proportion to the people delivering billable services. Vertex360’s Participant-Tier Model Explained Vertex360 takes a different approach. The software charges based on participant tiers, not individual staff members. The Total Suite plan costs $35 monthly (plus GST) and accommodates 1-5 participants with unlimited staff accounts. The Platinum plan costs $59 monthly (plus GST) and supports larger participant numbers, also with unlimited staff accounts. This participant-based pricing NDIS model links your software costs to the number of people you support—your revenue generators—rather than the number of people you employ. You can add coordinators, practice managers, administrative assistants, and additional support workers without increasing your monthly software fee, as long as you stay within your participant tier. The philosophy behind this model recognises that NDIS providers need administrative infrastructure to deliver quality services. Your software costs should reflect business growth (more participants) rather than operational structure (team composition). For complete transparency on our pricing structure, visit our detailed Vertex360 pricing page to see all available tiers, features, and included benefits for each plan. The Core Difference ShiftCare answers: “How many people need system access?” Vertex360 answers: “How many participants do you support?” Both questions are valid. The right answer for your business depends on how you structure your team and plan to grow. Understanding Your Team Structure Impact Your team’s composition determines which pricing model delivers better value. The participant-to-staff ratio and the types of roles you employ create dramatically different cost outcomes under each model. Direct Support Worker vs Administrative Roles NDIS providers typically employ two categories of staff: direct support workers who deliver participant services, and administrative personnel who enable service delivery. Direct support workers include support workers, support coordinators, and specialist staff who work directly with participants. These roles generate revenue and justify their cost through billable hours. Administrative roles include practice managers, office administrators, rostering coordinators, compliance officers, and business development staff. These positions don’t deliver billable services but enable your support workers to operate effectively and your business to scale. The distinction matters significantly when comparing ShiftCare vs Vertex360 pricing: ShiftCare treats all roles equally: Every staff member, whether generating revenue or providing support, costs $12 monthly. Vertex360 doesn’t charge per role: Your coordinator, practice manager, and administrative team access the system at no additional cost within your participant tier. Calculating Your Participant-to-Staff Ratio Your participant-to-staff ratio reveals which pricing model aligns better with your business economics. Low ratio (many staff per participant): Indicates complex care, high coordination needs, or significant administrative infrastructure. ShiftCare costs increase significantly. High ratio (fewer staff per participant): Indicates lean operations with mostly direct support workers. ShiftCare remains competitive. Calculate your ratio: Divide total staff by active participants. A ratio of 2:1 means two staff members for every participant. A ratio of 0.5:1 means one staff member serves two participants. Cost Scenarios: Real Numbers for Real Businesses Let’s examine specific scenarios to illustrate how team structure affects costs under each model. Scenario 1: Lean Support Team Team: 1 coordinator, 4 support workers Participants: 3 ShiftCare cost: 5 staff × $12 = $60/month Vertex360 cost: $35/month (Total Suite, 1-5 participants) Result: Vertex360 saves $25 monthly ($300 annually) Even with a lean team, Vertex360 offers modest savings. The advantage grows as you add administrative roles. Scenario 2: Growing with Administrative Infrastructure Team: 1 practice manager, 2 coordinators, 8 support workers Participants: 12 ShiftCare cost: 11 staff × $12 = $132/month Vertex360 cost: $59/month (Platinum tier for 6+ participants) Result: Vertex360 saves $73 monthly ($876 annually) Adding administrative personnel significantly increases the cost difference. Your practice manager and additional coordinator add $36 monthly to ShiftCare but nothing to Vertex360. Scenario 3: Established Provider with Complex Structure Team: 1 business manager, 1 practice manager, 3 coordinators, 1 admin assistant, 15 support workers Participants: 28 ShiftCare cost: 21 staff × $12 = $252/month Vertex360 cost: $59/month (Platinum tier) Result: Vertex360 saves $193 monthly ($2,316 annually) Large teams with substantial administrative infrastructure see dramatic savings with participant-based pricing. Your six non-direct-support roles add $72 monthly to ShiftCare costs but don’t affect Vertex360 pricing. When Team Structure Favours Each Model ShiftCare works best when you: Employ primarily direct support workers (minimal admin roles) Maintain high participant-to-staff ratios (lean operations) Have small teams (under 5 total staff) Plan to keep team structure simple as you grow Vertex360 works best when you: Build administrative infrastructure (managers, coordinators, office staff) Experience high staff turnover requiring frequent license management Employ specialist roles that don’t directly bill participants Want to separate business growth costs from operational structure costs When Participant-Based Pricing Makes Sense Participant-based pricing creates specific advantages for NDIS