CareSync and ClearCare both target UK services supporting children and young people, but they come from very different positions in the market. ClearCare is the established incumbent: its website says it has provided software to children’s care provisions for more than 23 years and is used by thousands of Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation providers. CareSync is a newer platform focused on structured digital records, incidents, safeguarding, collaboration, compliance workflows and evidence generation for Residential Children’s Homes, Supported Accommodation and Residential Family Centres. The useful question is not which platform is ‘best’ in the abstract. It is which one fits the way your service operates, how much configuration you want, what you need to report, and how much contractual commitment you are comfortable with.
At a glance
| Area | CareSync | ClearCare |
|---|---|---|
| Market position | Newer specialist platform | Long-established specialist platform |
| Public pricing | Published: £23/month solo placement; £61 / £73 / £91 monthly by bed band (1–5, 6–8, 9–12) | Published by bed band and contract length |
| Children’s Homes | Yes | Yes |
| Supported Accommodation | Yes | Yes |
| Regulatory reporting | Compliance workflows and evidence generation | Annex A, Reg 44/45, Reg 32 and other templates |
| Security claims | GDPR and UK-hosted on public website | ISO 27001, ISO 9001, Cyber Essentials Plus |
| AI | Not positioned as the core buying proposition on the public website | Optional paid AI add-on |
Where ClearCare is strongest
ClearCare’s biggest advantage is maturity. Its public website positions it as a long-running platform for children’s residential care and related settings, and its pricing page is unusually transparent for this market. For Children’s Homes, published monthly prices vary by registered-bed band and contract length; the lowest rates sit on three-year agreements. Supported Accommodation is also priced by bed band and term. ClearCare says onboarding, admin training, end-user training, support, templates and regulatory-reporting tools are included, while AI is an optional extra charged separately by bed band. That combination may appeal to organisations that value a long track record, formal certifications and an established implementation process. ClearCare also publishes specific regulatory-reporting features, including Annex A, Regulations 44 and 45 for Children’s Homes, and Regulation 32 plus Annex A/A1 for Supported Accommodation. For a provider that wants a mature product with a broad existing customer base, this is a meaningful strength.
Where CareSync may fit better
CareSync’s public positioning is more focused on reducing administrative chaos and making everyday evidence easier to structure. Its website emphasises digital care records, team collaboration, compliance workflows and evidence generation, with the promise that frontline staff should be able to record clearly while managers retain oversight. That makes CareSync worth considering for providers that want a simpler, more direct operating model rather than a heavily established ecosystem. The platform is also explicitly framed around UK Supported Accommodation, Residential Children’s Homes and Residential Family Centres rather than the wider spread of care settings served by some larger competitors. CareSync publishes its prices: £23 a month for a solo placement and £61, £73 or £91 a month for homes with 1–5, 6–8 or 9–12 beds, with the same rates for Children’s Homes, Supported Accommodation and Residential Family Centres. Every plan starts with a three-month free trial and includes onboarding, training and UK-based support, with no setup fees or long-term lock-in. Buyers should still compare the full cost over the period they expect to stay, including migration and any future price changes.
Pricing: compare the whole commitment, not just the monthly fee
ClearCare’s headline prices can look very competitive, especially on longer contracts. Its current pricing page lists Children’s Home pricing from £150 per month for a 1–3 bed home on a one-year contract, falling to £100 on a three-year term; higher bed bands cost more. Supported Accommodation starts lower. AI features are priced separately. The important buyer question is therefore not simply ‘Which monthly price is lower?’ but ‘What will we pay over the full contract, and how much flexibility do we retain if our service changes?’ CareSync’s published rates start lower, at £61 a month for a 1–5 bed home compared with ClearCare’s £100 to £150 a month for a 1–3 bed Children’s Home, and they do not depend on signing a longer contract. Put both offers into the same three-year cost model before deciding.
Implementation and adoption
Software rarely fails because a feature is missing; it often fails because staff do not adopt the workflow. ClearCare publishes a three-month implementation period with no licence fee, admin training for up to three system administrators, end-user training, reviews and workshops. That is a structured model and may suit organisations that want a formal rollout. CareSync’s public promise is simplicity for frontline staff and flexibility for managers. In a demo, test the exact tasks staff perform on a difficult shift: write a daily log, record an incident, add a safeguarding concern, hand something over, complete follow-up, and show a manager what is outstanding. The platform that requires fewer workarounds in those real workflows is usually the better fit, regardless of which demo looks more polished.
Reporting, evidence and inspection readiness
Both products lean heavily into evidence and inspection readiness. ClearCare provides named regulatory-reporting templates and says inspectors can be set up as users to review data securely. CareSync talks more broadly about compliance workflows, structured records and pulling accurate evidence without last-minute scrambling. Providers should test this rather than accepting a marketing claim. Ask each supplier to produce a mock inspection evidence pack from sample data, show the audit trail behind an incident, demonstrate how a manager can see overdue actions, and explain how young people’s voices and outcomes are represented. ‘Inspection ready’ should mean that good practice is visible in the live record, not that a report can be generated at the last minute.
Which should you shortlist?
Choose ClearCare for the shortlist if you prioritise longevity, established certifications, a large installed base and explicit regulatory-reporting templates. Put CareSync on the shortlist if you want a newer specialist system centred on structured records, collaboration, evidence and a simpler care-team experience. For many providers the right answer will depend less on the feature list and more on contract terms, migration, staff adoption and management visibility. Run the same scripted demo with both vendors, use your own forms and scenarios, and insist on written answers to the questions that matter operationally.
Questions to ask before you sign
Whichever supplier you prefer, put the commercial and operational assumptions in writing. Ask what the quoted price includes, whether it changes with beds, young people, homes or users, what happens at renewal, and whether any core feature is an add-on. Confirm who migrates historic data, what format you receive if you leave, where data is hosted, whether multi-factor authentication is available, how backups are tested and how support is escalated. Ask for a reference from a provider that resembles your organisation in size and service type. Finally, involve frontline staff in the decision. A system bought only by directors can look excellent in a boardroom and still fail on a night shift.
Editorial note
This comparison is based on information published by the suppliers on their own websites and public materials checked in October 2026. Products, pricing, certifications and contract terms can change. Where a supplier does not publish a figure or feature, this article says so rather than assuming it is absent. CareSync is the publisher of this article, so readers should treat it as a buyer’s guide rather than independent market research and verify all material claims directly with shortlisted suppliers before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
Is ClearCare more established than CareSync?
Yes. ClearCare says it has provided software to children’s care provisions for more than 23 years and serves thousands of Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation providers. CareSync is a newer specialist platform.
Does ClearCare publish pricing?
Yes. ClearCare publishes prices by bed band and contract length for Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation, with AI priced as an optional extra.
Does CareSync publish standard pricing?
Yes. CareSync’s pricing page lists £23 a month for a solo placement and £61, £73 or £91 a month for homes with 1–5, 6–8 or 9–12 beds, with a three-month free trial and no setup fees or long-term lock-in.
Which system is better for Ofsted-regulated services?
Both are positioned for Ofsted-regulated settings. The better choice depends on how well each platform fits your workflows, reporting requirements, staff adoption needs and commercial terms.
Sources checked
CareSync: https://www.caresync.co.uk/
CareSync pricing: https://caresync.co.uk/pricing
ClearCare home: https://www.clearcaresolutions.co.uk/
ClearCare pricing: https://www.clearcaresolutions.co.uk/price-setup/
ClearCare regulatory reporting: https://www.clearcaresolutions.co.uk/regulatory-reporting/
ClearCare FAQs: https://www.clearcaresolutions.co.uk/faqs/
