ProviderQMS

Workforce & payroll

Deputy vs ELMO Software

Compare the published scope, cost evidence and buying questions before you commit.

Sources checked 2026-09-24 · Source-based comparison

Vendor-source research, not hands-on tests or a ranked endorsement. ProviderQMS sells document kits and a separate QMS product. No vendor enquiry collection or affiliate source links. How we compare.

The decision to make

Deputy and ELMO Software both appear in our workforce & payroll research. Connect availability, skills, shifts, approved time and the payroll handoff. Start with the differences below, then test the same essential workflow. We have not used these products hands-on or established an overall winner.

Deputy vs ELMO Software: the published starting point
Buying questionDeputyELMO Software
What does it do?Deputy handles rostering, timekeeping and payroll workflows. Its healthcare page explicitly addresses in-home care and NDIS staffing.ELMO offers HR, recruitment, onboarding and learning software. Its Bedford Group case study documents use by a large Australian NDIS provider for workforce governance and training.
Why consider it here?Workforce tool marketed to in-home care and NDIS organisations; it is not participant case management.General workforce platform with a documented NDIS provider deployment; participant care operations are outside the cited scope.
What is the cost basis?Official AU pricing lists Lite from AUD $6.75/user/month excluding tax; verify plan terms.Current price not verified; request a written quote.
What should the demo show?Fill a cancelled evening support shift and trace the approved timesheet into a SCHADS pay run.Onboard a fictional disability worker, assign mandatory learning and retrieve their completion record for audit.

Compare the evidence, product by product

Deputy — published capabilities

  • staff rostering
  • timesheets and clocking
  • award interpretation
  • shift swap and replacement

Source check: 2026-09-24. Published vendor statements, not independent feature testing.

Questions for Deputy

  • Can shifts be matched to participant preferences and clearances?
  • Which SCHADS conditions require configuration?
  • How are split shifts and travel represented?
Read the full Deputy profile ↗

ELMO Software — published capabilities

  • HR core records
  • recruitment and onboarding
  • learning management
  • performance management
  • workforce analytics

Source check: 2026-09-24. Published vendor statements, not independent feature testing.

Questions for ELMO Software

  • Can NDIS Worker Screening expiries trigger escalation?
  • Which modules were deployed separately at Bedford?
  • How are supported-employee and support-worker records separated?
Read the full ELMO Software profile ↗

Run the same scenario in both

Build a fictional weekend roster with a shift change and travel. Approve the actual hours and reconcile the payroll export with the roster.

  • Match worker availability and required credentials to the proposed shift.
  • Change a shift and confirm who receives the update and acknowledges it.
  • Inspect the treatment of actual times, breaks, allowances and travel.
  • Validate payroll outputs with your payroll specialist; retain the approval history.

Put the quotes on the same basis

Compare active employee definitions, payroll modules, minimum seats, integration fees, onboarding and support.

Use the same volumes, currency, GST basis and billing period for both quotes. Include migration, staff training time, required companion subscriptions and the cost of retrieving records at exit. If a charge is unverified, keep it as an open question rather than treating it as free.

How to reach a decision

  1. Choose the tasks your service cannot operate without before either demonstration.
  2. Record demonstrated, partial, not demonstrated or not applicable for each task. Keep the evidence and edition name.
  3. Ask the vendor to resolve every failed essential task in writing; a high average score cannot erase it.
  4. Test a correction, permission change and export. These are part of everyday operations, not just implementation.
  5. Decide using workflow fit, full cost and your team’s capacity to change systems. Retain the written assumptions for review.

What this comparison does not establish

Workforce software is a supporting system. A claimed award feature is not a guarantee of correct payroll for your employment arrangements. A capability not mentioned in the reviewed source remains unverified, not absent. This comparison does not certify compliance, integrations, accessibility, security or migration outcomes.