Hireup vs Mable: Home Care in Australia Compared (2026)

The core difference between Hireup and Mable is the employment model. Hireup employs its support workers and handles their tax, superannuation and insurance, while Mable is a marketplace where independent contractors set their own rates and you manage the arrangement.

Hireup offers more built-in structure; Mable offers more choice and often lower hourly costs.

This guide compares the two fairly on the things that actually decide the choice, and along the way covers a third path for people who realise they do not want to run a roster at all.

Hireup vs Mable vs Homage at a glance

Rates and fees change, so always confirm current figures on each platform’s published price guide and the current NDIS pricing arrangements before booking.

What is Hireup?

Hireup is an NDIS-registered online platform that connects people with disability and older Australians to support workers across the country.

Its defining feature is that support workers are Hireup employees rather than contractors. Hireup handles wages, tax, superannuation, insurance and incident response, and it publishes set rates rather than letting workers price themselves.

Because Hireup is a registered provider, it is one of the few platform options available if your plan is NDIA-managed. You search worker profiles, connect with people who fit your needs, and book shifts through the platform, for anything from community access to personal care at home.

What is Mable?

Mable is Australia’s largest online marketplace for independent support workers, with tens of thousands of contractor profiles.

You search using filters such as location, gender, languages and qualifications, message workers directly, and agree on a rate and schedule between yourselves. Mable verifies workers, requires NDIS Worker Screening Checks, attaches insurance to booked sessions, and provides the booking and payment tools.

Workers are independent contractors. You are effectively the coordinator: you recruit, negotiate, schedule, and find cover when someone is unavailable. For many people that control is exactly the point. For others, the coordination turns out to be more work than expected.

What is Homage?

Homage is a registered NDIS provider that delivers managed home care and disability support.

A Care Advisor matches you with screened local support workers based on your needs and preferences, schedules visits, and arranges a backup worker when your regular worker is away, with visit reports available in the Homage app.

Workers hold NDIS Worker Screening Checks, national police checks, and first aid and CPR certification, and Homage has registered and enrolled nurses on staff for complex and nursing-supervised care.

Visits are bookable from one hour with no lock-in contract, rates sit within the NDIS price limits, and services are available to NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed participants.

The trade-off relative to the platforms: Homage selects the worker match rather than you browsing profiles yourself.

Pricing and rates compared

On rates, the three models split cleanly. Hireup publishes fixed rates: around $69 per hour for standard weekday support as at its April 2026 price guide, with evening, weekend and public holiday rates higher, all within the NDIS price limits.

On Mable, workers set their own rates above a platform minimum and Mable adds a 7.95% client fee; Mable’s published data as at 2026 puts average agreed weekday rates at roughly $61 per hour before the fee, landing in the mid-$60s all-in. Both figures move, so check each platform’s current price guide.

Homage charges within the NDIS price limits on a pay-as-you-go basis, and confirms the cost of a visit with you before you book.

Cancellation policies compared

All three apply cancellation rules that broadly follow NDIS norms, where late cancellations can be charged. Hireup’s policy is set platform-wide; on Mable, cancellation terms form part of your agreement with each worker; with Homage, terms are set out in the service agreement.

If your week is unpredictable, read the cancellation terms and required notice periods before booking anywhere.

Safety, screening and reliability compared

Hireup’s employment model means workers are covered by workers compensation, the platform carries employer obligations, and there is a dedicated incident response function.

Mable requires NDIS Worker Screening Checks and attaches insurance, including public liability, to booked sessions; day-to-day reliability rests with the individual contractor, and replacing a worker who is sick or moves on is your task.

Homage carries registered provider obligations, is audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and answerable to the NDIS Commission, and arranging a screened replacement when a worker is unavailable is the provider’s job rather than yours.

Whichever model you choose, insist that anyone providing personal or intimate care holds a current NDIS Worker Screening Check, and trust your instincts about fit. Under every model, you can end an arrangement that does not feel right.

Alternatives to Hireup and Mable

Other marketplaces and platforms exist alongside Mable and Hireup, with smaller worker pools.

Traditional agencies and managed providers, including Homage, do the coordination for you at registered-provider standards. And for people with an existing trusted worker, direct private employment is possible for self-managers, with all the employer obligations that brings.

The practical shortlist for most people is one platform and one managed provider, tested against real availability in their suburb, because a model is only as good as the workers actually near you.

Which should you choose?

Map your situation to the model, not the marketing. Four common scenarios:

• You found a great worker and want to keep them affordably: Choose Mable, where you agree the rate directly with the worker and pay the platform fee.
• You are NDIA-managed: Mable is generally off the table. Your comparison is Hireup versus registered, managed providers such as Homage.
• You live regionally with limited worker supply: Check actual availability on both platforms before committing. It’s also worth getting a quote from a managed provider as a fallback, because a platform is only as good as the workers available in your area.
• You’re arranging care for a parent from another city: The admin of managing workers can fall on you. Hireup’s employed-worker model or a managed provider such as Homage takes more of that work off your plate, while respite support can be built into the same arrangement.

Choose Mable…

• For maximum choice and the potential for lower hourly rates, if you’re comfortable managing workers yourself.

Choose Hireup…

• For employed workers, set rates and greater platform accountability.

Choose Homage…

• For a more hands-off experience, with matching, scheduling and backup handled for you, from one-off visits to ongoing care, if you would rather not coordinate workers yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Compare all three against your actual week

The fastest way to decide is to price your real roster under each model: the hours you need, the times they fall, and who covers a cancellation. Homage’s Care Advisors can quote your specific schedule under managed support in one conversation, with no lock-in, so you have a concrete third number to weigh against the platforms before you commit anywhere.

Speak to a Care Advisor.

References