A fair, sourced comparison of the two, written by Care App, with our own product shown as a third option.
From each supplier's own website and public listings, checked October 2026.
| Feature | CoolCare | Nourish | Care App (third option) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital care plans | Through partner systems (e.g. Person Centred Software, Nourish) | ✓ Included | ✓ Included, with an AI quality check |
| eMAR (electronic MAR charts) | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Home care (Empower); care homes through partners | ✓ Included |
| Daily notes and observations | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Risk assessments | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Incident reporting | ✗ Not listed | Paid add-on (Safety) | ✓ Included |
| CQC and regulator compliance tools | Staff compliance checks (DBS, ID, visas) | Paid add-on (Confidence) | ✓ Included, with CQC mock inspection and PIR helper |
| Staff rota and scheduling | ✓ Included | ✓ Home care (Empower) | ✓ Included |
| Timesheets and pay preparation | ✓ Timesheets; payroll by export to Sage, IRIS and others | ✓ Home care (Empower) | ✓ Included |
| Invoicing | ✓ Included (resident invoicing and ledgers) | ✓ Home care (Empower) | ✓ Included (not the Mental Health edition) |
| Split billing (supported living) | Local authority and private contracts (care homes) | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Supported Living edition, Professional and Max |
| eLearning and training records | Training records and matrix | Paid add-on (£22.50 to £40 per carer a year) | ✓ Training records included; course builder on Max |
| Recruitment | ✓ Included | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Max plan |
| Family portal | ✗ Not listed | ✓ Family Portal in its Better Care app | ✓ Included |
| Visit verification (GPS / QR) | Not applicable; fob or biometric clocking in the home | Call monitoring by NFC tags and one-time codes | ✓ Included |
| Carer mobile app | Browser staff portal for shifts and holidays | ✓ Included | ✓ Installable web app, any phone; works offline, carers stay signed in, see their own hours |
| NHS integrations (e.g. GP Connect) | ✗ Not listed | Not checked | Not yet |
| Published pricing | ✗ Not published; demo required | Not on its website; list prices on G-Cloud | ✓ Yes, from £10/user/month |
| Setup fee | Not published | None listed for core products (2026) | ✓ None |
| Contract | Initial term set in each order, then monthly (30 days' notice) | ✗ 12 months, renews automatically | ✓ Monthly, 30 days' notice, no exit fee; free data export any time |
| Free trial | Demo only | Demo only | ✓ 1 month, self-service |
"Not listed" means we could not find it on the supplier's public pages, not that it does not exist. Features and prices change, so check with each supplier. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@care-app.uk.
What each makes public, and where each is strongest.
CoolCare does not publish prices. Its published terms (2023) refer to fees by number of registered beds, an initial term set in each order, then a rolling monthly contract with 30 days' notice. Clocking hardware is bought or added to the subscription.
Suits you if:
From Nourish's G-Cloud 15 pricing document (Jan 2026): Better Care £3.00 per bed per week with a £1,350 minimum a year and 5% more to pay monthly; Better Care at Home £0.20 per hour of care rostered, minimum £160 a month. Add-ons extra. Terms renew for 12 months.
Suits you if:
Care setting editions from £12, cheaper per user as you grow. No setup fee, monthly with 1 month's notice, free month to try it. Every price.
Suits you if:
Full comparisons: Care App vs CoolCare · Care App vs Nourish · All comparisons · Best care management software in the UK · Residential care home software · Nursing home software · Domiciliary care software
Yes. CoolCare's integrations page lists Nourish, alongside Person Centred Software, as a care planning partner.
Many care homes use a back-office system and a care records system side by side. If you would rather have one system, Care App records care and runs the rota, timesheets, pay preparation and invoicing together.
CoolCare does not publish prices. Nourish's G-Cloud 15 list gives Better Care at £3.00 per bed per week with a £1,350 minimum a year, plus paid add-ons, on 12-month terms. Care App publishes every price, from £12 per user per month for care setting editions; see the packages page.
Sources (checked October 2026): coolcare.co.uk · CoolCare integrations · CoolCare workforce management · CoolCare finance · CoolCare terms and conditions (2023) · nourishcare.com products · Nourish Empower · Nourish standard terms · Nourish G-Cloud 15 pricing document. CoolCare and Nourish are trademarks of their owners; this is Care App's own comparison and is not endorsed by either.
Care App puts care records, eMAR, rota, pay preparation and invoicing in one system. No setup fee and no annual contract.
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