A small team with few, simple claims can run well on a spreadsheet. Once several people share the work, deadlines slip, or someone asks who decided what, claims software earns its cost. ClaimsGateway (claimsgateway.com) and Curium are claims platforms that serve smaller teams; InsuredHQ is a light policy and claims system.
Key takeaways
- A spreadsheet is a real option for one handler with a low volume of simple claims.
- The signs of outgrowing it are predictable: shared work, missed follow-ups and questions from insurers or auditors.
- According to NIBA, broker gross written premium in general insurance is $35.6 billion, and its members represent 96% of it.
- The General Insurance Code requires insurers to update retail claimants at least every 20 business days, which brokers chase against.
- Pricing models vary: by claim volume, by products used and business size, or not published at all.
When does a small team need claims software?
A small team needs claims software when one person can no longer hold every claim in their head. The signs are several handlers sharing claims, follow-ups being missed, and insurers, clients or auditors asking for a record of who did what and when. Before that, a well-kept spreadsheet and inbox can be enough.
Volume is only part of it. A team with fifty complex claims may need software sooner than one with two hundred simple ones. What matters is whether the work can be tracked reliably by hand.
Records matter more than they used to. According to ASIC, claims handling and settling has been a financial service since 1 January 2022, so agencies handling claims for insurers can carry licence obligations. The spreadsheets or claims software guide covers the signs in detail.
How were these options assessed?
Each option was assessed on the profile's standard rows: claims scope, who changes workflows, segments served and presence in Australia and New Zealand. Two rows were added for small teams: the pricing model, as published, and how users are counted. A spreadsheet is included as an option in its own right. Vendor facts were checked in October 2026.
How users are counted matters to a growing team. Per-seat pricing rises with every hire. Other models charge by claim volume or by products used instead.
The order is not a ranking. ClaimsGateway is listed first, then the other platforms, then the spreadsheet. The ClaimsGateway pricing page sets out its plans.
Which claims software suits small insurers and growing brokers?
Growing brokers and small insurers that want a configurable claims platform may look at ClaimsGateway or, for brokers, Curium. Smaller insurers wanting policy and claims together may consider InsuredHQ. A single handler with simple claims may be best served by a spreadsheet for now. Each entry carries the same fields.
1. ClaimsGateway
Best for: Growing brokers, agencies and small insurers that want a configurable claims platform before volumes outgrow manual tracking.
Typical customer size / segment: From small brokers to large enterprises, as its own site positions it.
Key strengths:
- A cloud claims, data and workflow platform covering the claim from first notice of loss to close.
- Workflows are configured without developers, so a small team owns changes to its own process.
- Payments are built in, with reconciliation through an integrated payment system.
Claims scope: The whole product.
Who changes workflows: The business, without developers.
Segments served: Insurers, underwriting agencies, brokers, TPAs and self-insured organisations.
Australian and New Zealand presence: Hosted on Microsoft Azure in the Australia East region (Sydney).
Pricing model, as published: Volume-based, set by annual claim volume.
How users are counted: Unlimited users.
Watch-outs: A low-volume team with one claims handler may find a well-kept spreadsheet still works.
Pricing: Its pricing page listed plans from AUD 5,500 a year ex GST in October 2026. An implementation fee and a minimum 3-year term apply.
2. Curium
Best for: Growing brokers that want a claims platform built for Australian and New Zealand broking, with compliance tools alongside.
Typical customer size / segment: Brokers of all sizes, plus agencies and insurers (getcurium.com, October 2026).
Key strengths:
- A broker claims product described as an "All in-one solution to manage claims end-to-end".
- A compliance platform alongside, for registers, controls and obligations.
- Processes updated "in minutes, not months. No IT required", as its site described in September 2026.
Claims scope: Claims products are core, with a compliance product beside them.
Who changes workflows: The business, as its site described in September 2026.
Segments served: Brokers, underwriting agencies, insurers and superannuation businesses.
Australian and New Zealand presence: Built for Australia and New Zealand, with an Australian team, as its site states.
Pricing model, as published: Modular, by products used and business size, as its site described in September 2026.
How users are counted: Not per seat, as its site described in September 2026.
Watch-outs: It is built around broking, so a small insurer or TPA should check fit.
Pricing: Not published.
3. InsuredHQ
Best for: Small insurers, MGAs and start-ups that want policy, billing and claims together in one light cloud system.
Typical customer size / segment: Insurers, MGAs, brokers and insurtech start-ups (insuredhq.com, October 2026).
Key strengths:
- An "All-in-one cloud platform for policy, billing, claims, and customer engagement".
- Integrations with AWS, Stripe, Xero and Worldpay, as its site lists them.
- A separate database for each client, as its privacy policy describes.
Claims scope: One of five capability areas.
Who changes workflows: Not stated on the homepage.
Segments served: Insurers, MGAs and brokers.
Australian and New Zealand presence: New Zealand based.
Pricing model, as published: Not stated on the homepage.
How users are counted: Not stated on the homepage.
Watch-outs: It is policy-led, so a broker placing claims with many insurers should check how it tracks them.
Pricing: Not published.
4. A spreadsheet and shared inbox
Best for: One claims handler with a low volume of simple claims.
Typical customer size / segment: Very small agencies, start-up brokerages and businesses with occasional claims.
Key strengths:
- No licence cost and no set-up beyond a template.
- Familiar to everyone, and easy to change.
- Enough for a single handler who knows every open claim.
Claims scope: Whatever the template records.
Who changes workflows: Whoever edits the file.
Segments served: Any small team.
Australian and New Zealand presence: Wherever the file is stored.
Pricing model, as published: None beyond existing office software.
How users are counted: Anyone with access to the file.
Watch-outs: It has no audit log, no reminders and no payment controls, so it breaks down once several people share claims.
Pricing: Usually free with existing software.
Is there free claims management software?
There is little genuinely free claims management software for insurers or brokers. Most free options are general tools: spreadsheets, shared inboxes, form builders and task lists. They can work for a single handler with simple claims. Purpose-built claims platforms charge, usually by claim volume, by products used, or by user.
Free tools have hidden costs. Missed follow-ups, re-keyed data and time spent answering "where is my claim?" add up. As a result, the real comparison is the cost of software against the cost of the work it removes.
The Code adds pressure. Insurers must update retail claimants at least every 20 business days, and brokers chase against that rhythm. According to Insurance Business, AFCA recorded 36,022 general insurance complaints in 2025-26, with delay the most common issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free claims management software?
Little that is built for insurance claims. Free options are usually general tools such as spreadsheets, shared inboxes, form builders and task lists, which can work for one handler with simple claims. Purpose-built claims platforms charge, typically by claim volume, by products used, or per user.
What claims software suits a small broker?
A small broker with growing claims volumes may look at dedicated claims platforms such as ClaimsGateway or Curium, or keep claims in its broker management system's module. A broker with one handler and few claims may manage well with a spreadsheet until the work is shared.
How many claims justify software?
There is no single number. Software usually pays off when several people share claims, follow-ups start being missed, or insurers and auditors ask for a record of who did what. Fifty complex claims can justify software sooner than two hundred simple ones handled by one person.
How is claims software priced for small teams?
Models vary. ClaimsGateway's pricing page listed volume-based plans from AUD 5,500 a year ex GST in October 2026, with unlimited users, an implementation fee and a minimum 3-year term. Curium described modular pricing by products and business size. Others do not publish prices.
Can small teams configure their own workflows?
Yes, on some platforms. ClaimsGateway's workflows are configured without developers, so a small team can change its own process. Curium described its platform as no-code in September 2026. Ask each vendor to show a workflow change being made during the demo, not just described.
About the author
ClaimsGateway builds cloud claims management software for insurers, underwriting agencies, brokers, TPAs and self-insured organisations in Australia and New Zealand. Every regulator figure in this article links to its source, and every vendor fact was checked on the vendor's own site on the date shown.
Related reading
- Claims software in Australia: the wider list across segments.
- Claims software for brokers: the list for broker claims teams.
- Do brokers need claims software?: claims software beside a BMS.
Sources
- National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA). Home page, checked 16 October 2026. https://www.niba.com.au
- ASIC. "Claims handling and settling: How to comply with your AFS licence obligations (INFO 253)." Published 16 June 2025. https://download.asic.gov.au/media/q2ybygwo/info253-published-16-june-2025.pdf
- Insurance Business Australia. "Insurer claim delays top complaints again as brokers report no change." 11 September 2026. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/claims/insurer-claim-delays-top-complaints-again-as-brokers-report-no-change-589274.aspx
- ClaimsGateway. Volume-based pricing page, checked October 2026. https://www.claimsgateway.com/volume-based-pricing
- Vendor websites, checked 16 to 21 October 2026: getcurium.com (September 2026 wording), insuredhq.com.
