A factual comparison on 15 points, without naming names, based on public product descriptions as of November 2026. At the end we also give you 10 questions worth asking at any software demo.
This comparison is for care home managers, head nurses and finance staff who are weighing up an existing or shortlisted administration system against GIRBO. By ‘traditional administration system’ we mean software that is installed on a computer or bought module by module and is built around administration, as described in public product information in November 2026. The table describes typical features and does not name any vendor. Every row in the GIRBO column can be checked on the linked feature page.
| Aspect | Traditional administration systems (typically) | GIRBO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records | Separate records for each module; the same resident has to be entered in several places, and discrepancies only come to light later. | A resident's details are entered once, and the same information shows on the care sheet, in medication, on the payment request and in the family portal: no double entry, no discrepancies. | Resident records |
| Installation, access | A local server or an installed Windows program, maintained at the home; mobile access as a separate module. | Works on computers, phones and tablets, with an icon you can put on the phone's home screen; nothing to install. | On phones and tablets |
| Medication | Records of prescriptions; recording what was actually given often stays on paper. | The nurse chooses the medicine from the official NEAK drug list (NEAK is Hungary's national health insurance fund), and during the medication round ticks off on a phone or tablet what was given (eMAR, electronic medication administration record). If the resident is allergic to the medicine, GIRBO warns you; if a dose was missed, it shows straight away; and at the end of the month the printable monthly administration record (MAR sheet) is ready. | Medication round (eMAR) |
| Care documentation | Filling in forms and paper sheets after the shift. | Carers record as they work, even by voice: they say what they did, GIRBO writes it down, and the nurse checks and approves it. The monthly care sheet, the care log and the care plan are in one place, and GIRBO reminds you in time when a review is due. | Care documentation |
| Care fees | Monthly calculation, with absences and meals corrected by hand; the kitchen keeps a separate list. | GIRBO calculates the monthly fee, absences included, according to the home's own fee schedule and rules, and adjusts the kitchen order from the same data. The payment request is prepared, and recharged items are added to it without retyping. | Care fees and payment requests |
| Contact with families | No portal, or one-way information (phone, email). | Family portal: family members sign in with their own account to see news about their relative, send messages, request a visit or a trip home, and get notified if the resident goes into hospital. Hírmondó (Hungarian for ‘The Messenger’), the monthly photo newsletter, can be read here too. | Family portal |
| KENYSZI | Collecting the data for the report by hand. | KENYSZI reporting (KENYSZI is Hungary's national register of social care recipients): the data in one place, missing items highlighted, submission through a direct connection. | KENYSZI reporting |
| Security | A shared computer and a shared password; it is often unclear who changed what. | Everyone works with their own login: besides the password, the staff member's phone is needed too. Everyone sees only what they need for their work, and every change is recorded. | Compliance and security |
| Wandering protection | A separate nurse call or door alarm that does not show which resident it is about, and is not linked to the resident records. | Residents living with dementia wear a comfortable smart wristband that alerts staff if it is removed or cut, or if the resident leaves the building: an audible alarm then sounds at the door, and carers see straight away in GIRBO who it is; every alert can be looked up later. | Wandering protection |
| Phone | None; the call is answered by a carer, or by nobody. | The phone assistant picks up the home's phone in Hungarian when staff are busy with residents: it answers general questions, notes who needs a call back, and in urgent cases puts the caller through to a colleague. It does not give out personal information about residents. | Phone assistant |
| Ready for inspection | Printing from folders, gathered together after the fact. | The key records can be printed with one click, for a resident and a period; entries approved by the doctor cannot be changed afterwards; upcoming deadlines are on one list. | One-click printing |
| Implementation | Installation and handover; the processes have to be adapted to the software. | Supported implementation, tailored to the home's existing forms and processes; we also train your staff. | Implementation steps |
| Pricing | A licence per computer or per user; occasional users have to be paid for too. | Priced per bed: a fixed monthly base fee plus a fee per bed; the number of users does not matter. | Pricing |
| Updates | Installing new versions is the home's job. | New features appear automatically; the home has nothing to do. | Data storage and operation |
| Support | Support tickets or a telephone helpdesk. | Built-in help on every page, training, a supported launch, and ongoing support whenever a question or a new need comes up. | Frequently asked questions |
Whichever system you are looking at, ask for a specific answer, shown on screen. GIRBO's answers are on the Features and FAQ pages.
GIRBO works out the fee according to the home's own fee schedule and prepares the payment request; the invoice is issued by the home's usual invoicing software, and the report needed for the accounts is prepared too. That way your invoicing routine stays as it is, and the office no longer has to work out the fees by hand.
The computers, tablets and phones you already have are enough. For wandering protection, our quote covers the wristbands, the equipment that goes with them and the installation.
On request and for a separate fee, we transfer resident, room, fee and staff data from your current system or spreadsheets; there is no need to enter the care history retrospectively, and earlier documentation can be uploaded as documents.
Yes. You can set which part or floor of the building belongs to which type of care, each resident's fee comes from their own contract, and if a resident moves from the care home to the retirement home (or the other way round), their full history is kept.
Because the table describes the typical features of traditional administration systems that are installed or bought module by module, based on public product descriptions (November 2026), not one specific vendor. Every row in the GIRBO column can be checked on the feature pages.
Bring along, or send us in advance, the forms and Excel sheets you use now: at the demo we will show you what they would look like in GIRBO, and together we will see where the home can save time.