ANKOTA

ANKOTA is an operations platform for home care, EVV, adult day services, self-direction, and I/DD providers. It is best suited to agencies that need visit verification linked to scheduling, care records, billing, and payroll workflows. Its breadth is compelling, but agencies should weigh custom pricing and the fact that payroll payments and tax filings generally remain with a separate provider.

Overview

ANKOTA brings client and caregiver management, care plans, scheduling, billing, payroll calculations, and compliance into one system. Its reach across home-based and day services, including PACE programs, Area Agencies on Aging, and Centers for Independent Living, makes it relevant to organizations with more varied care models than a home-care-only operation.

Visit verification can use GPS in a mobile app, voice telephony, or fixed-object beacons. The mobile app works offline and syncs when coverage returns, a practical safeguard for caregivers working where connectivity is unreliable. ANKOTA says it transmits visit data to aggregators including Sandata, HHAeXchange, Therap, Tellus/Netsmart, and Authenticare.

Key features

Operations and EVV

Scheduling covers recurring shifts, appointment booking, open-shift filling, assessment scheduling, and route optimization. On the billing side, ANKOTA Cares describes authorization management, Medicaid claims through EDI 837, remittance through EDI 835, and accounts receivable management. Together, those workflows may suit agencies seeking fewer disconnected steps from authorization and scheduling through claims and reconciliation.

The caregiver app supports clock-in and clock-out, schedules, open shifts, office chat, document uploads, and multiple languages. The family app gives participants and loved ones access to visit and calendar views, agency contact details, updates, shift requests, and, for adult day services, photos and updates. That family-facing layer is useful for keeping people connected to care, while the broad workflow set is most valuable when an agency will use more than EVV alone.

Connections and data handling

The public API can accept lead, CRM, HR, applicant-tracking, client, caregiver, and visit data. Named connections include BambooHR, Viventium, and Paylocity for HR; Salesforce and HubSpot for CRM or lead capture; and QuickBooks for accounting. ANKOTA can also send data to payroll services and lists employee reward and background-check connections.

ANKOTA says its systems use encryption and role-based access and describes the platform as HIPAA compliant. Its privacy policy describes safeguards for personal information and a standard retention period of seven years from last activity. Operational records belong to the agency or organization that granted access; individual users cannot ask ANKOTA to delete those records unilaterally.

Pricing

ANKOTA has no free plan, and pricing is custom. The ANKOTA Agency Platform covers home care, EVV, I/DD, adult day, and self-direction programs, with prospective customers directed to contact ANKOTA for pricing. The Ankota Cares annual subscription offer covers home care agency management and EVV, has no startup fee, and gives two free months with a paid annual subscription: pay for 10 months and get 12.

The annual offer is the clearest stated price incentive, but it still requires a paid annual subscription and does not publish a dollar amount. An older product overview says the monthly fee depends on agency size and telephony fees are additional, so agencies considering voice-based verification should account for that separate charge. ANKOTA calculates caregiver pay and exports it to payroll services; agencies generally use a dedicated provider to issue payments and file payroll taxes.

Platforms

ANKOTA supports Android, iOS, web, and API access. The FMS app is available on iOS, Android, and the web, while KOTA Companion is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. These options support mobile caregiver workflows alongside browser-based and system-to-system operations.

Who it's for

ANKOTA is a strong fit for home care, adult day, self-direction, and I/DD providers that want EVV connected to scheduling, documentation, billing, and compliance. Its stated audience also includes PACE programs, Area Agencies on Aging, and Centers for Independent Living. Agencies that only need a narrow scheduling or visit-clock tool may find its broad operational scope and custom-priced purchasing process less suitable.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Multiple EVV methods, including offline-capable GPS, give agencies options for different care settings and connectivity conditions.
• Pros: Scheduling, documentation, Medicaid billing workflows, and payroll calculations sit alongside EVV, reducing the need to treat each as a separate operational system.
• Pros: Caregiver and family apps serve distinct needs, from shift and document workflows to family visit views and updates.
• Cons: Pricing is custom, with no free plan or published dollar amount to make budget comparison straightforward.
• Cons: Agencies generally need a separate payroll provider to issue caregiver payments and file payroll taxes.
• Cons: Voice telephony fees are additional, and agency-owned operational records cannot be deleted at an individual user's request.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, see Home Care Scheduling Software.

• CareVoyant is another paid option for Android, iOS, and web; its home care software also uses contact-for-demo pricing.
• Birdie is worth comparing for its paid SmartPlans subscription: £2.75 a month per recording hour, with a monthly commitment and unused hours rolling forward; it also offers a free trial.
• AxisCare offers paid Android, API, iOS, and web access, with quote-based plans for medium and enterprise agencies.
• CareCade is an option for buyers who prefer stated monthly prices: Grow is $300 a month for up to 50 clients and unlimited staff, while Scale is $550 a month for unlimited clients and staff.
• CareConnect EVV publishes a Starter plan at $299 a month for up to 10 active clients, plus a $1,000 implementation and onboarding fee; choose it when those published terms suit your agency.
• CareSmartz360 is another paid option with Android, API, iOS, and web support and quote-based agency plans.
• ShiftCare offers a free trial and a Basic plan at $8 a year, billed at $8 per user per month annually or $9 per user per month monthly, with a five-staff minimum.
• Alora Home Care is another option, available on web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

Verdict

Choose ANKOTA if your agency needs EVV tied to a wider care-operations system across home care, adult day, self-direction, or I/DD services. Its mix of verification methods, billing workflows, integrations, and caregiver and family apps is its strongest case. Look elsewhere if a published price is essential for shortlisting, or if you need software to handle payroll payments and tax filings rather than calculate pay and export it.