BrightStar Care vs Home Instead
BrightStar Care vs Home Instead: BrightStar Care costs $132K to $235K to open; Home Instead costs $4.3M to $4.3M. BrightStar Care has 77 units, Home Instead has 625. SBA loan history: BrightStar Care = 106 loans (0.0% default); Home Instead = 445 loans (1.1% default). The franchise with more SBA funded units, a lower SBA default rate, and a lower royalty load is the safer financing bet; see the comparison below.
BrightStar Care vs Home Instead: Capital, Scale & Lending Analysis
Analysis based on FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan level data. Each pairing reflects a unique combination of capital intensity, system scale, and financing path.
Capital Intensity
BrightStar Care requires the lower minimum capital commitment ($132K vs $4.3M for Home Instead), a 97% spread. Initial franchise fees come in at $50K for BrightStar Care versus $54K for Home Instead, BrightStar Care has the lower entry fee. Ongoing royalty load is 5.25% for BrightStar Care and 5% for Home Instead, giving Home Instead the lighter per-unit drag on operating income.
System Scale & Tenure
On scale, Home Instead operates 625 units to BrightStar Care's 77, roughly 8× the system size. Home Instead has been operating 32 years (founded 1994) versus 24 for BrightStar Care (founded 2002), a 8-year tenure gap that affects unit-economics maturity and FDD revision history.
SBA Lending Profile
Home Instead has the deeper SBA lending track record, with 445 7(a) approvals compared with 106 for BrightStar Care. BrightStar Care's peak SBA year was 2025 (23 loans); Home Instead's peak was 2022 (38 loans). BrightStar Care's more recent peak generally indicates fresher lender appetite. BrightStar Care has the most SBA funded units in NJ, with 12. Home Instead leads in CA, with 31. Borrowers should pick the brand whose strongest SBA state matches their own state for warmer lender introductions. Average SBA loan size on funded BrightStar Care deals is $558K vs $561K for Home Instead, useful as a sizing anchor when modeling your own unit.
Risk Signal
SBA default rates are 0.0% for BrightStar Care and 1.1% for Home Instead, BrightStar Care has the cleaner SBA loss record by 1.1 points. PeerSense FPI scores come in at 68 (Strong) for BrightStar Care and 68 (Strong) for Home Instead.
Health & Performance
FPI Score | 68/100 | 68/100 |
Health Tier | Strong | Strong |
Confidence | N/A | N/A |
Lending Trend | Declining | Declining |
SBA Lending
SBA Loans | 106 | 445 |
SBA Volume | – | – |
Default Rate | 0.0% | 1.1% |
Peer Tier | major | major |
Investment & Costs
Total Investment | $132K to $235K | $4.3M to $4.3M |
Franchise Fee | $50K | $54K |
Royalty Rate | 5.25% | 5% |
Ad Fund | 2.5% | 2% |
Liquid Capital | $150K | $59K |
Net Worth Required | N/A | N/A |
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Item 19 Status | Disclosed | Disclosed |
System Size & Operations
Total Units | 77 | 625 |
Franchised Units | 77 | 619 |
Company Owned | – | 6 |
Term Length | 10 yrs | 5 yrs |
Brand Information
Year Founded | 2002 | 1994 |
Franchising Since | 2005 | 1995 |
Years Franchising | 21 yrs | 31 yrs |
Headquarters | Gurnee, IL | Omaha, NE |
Category | Home Health Care Services | Home Health Care Services |
Website | ||
FDD Year | 2024 | 2026 |
Which Is Better, BrightStar Care or Home Instead?
Lower upfront capital required
BrightStar Care
BrightStar Care: $132K starting · Home Instead: $4.3M starting
More SBA lender confidence
Home Instead
BrightStar Care: 106 SBA loans · Home Instead: 445 SBA loans
Lower SBA default rate
BrightStar Care
BrightStar Care: 0.0% · Home Instead: 1.1%
Larger system & brand presence
Home Instead
BrightStar Care: 77 units · Home Instead: 625 units
Lower ongoing royalty load
Home Instead
BrightStar Care: 5.25% · Home Instead: 5%
More lender financing options
Home Instead
BrightStar Care: 33 unique lenders · Home Instead: 116 unique lenders
Decision matrix uses publicly disclosed FDD and SBA loan data. Not a recommendation. Your best franchise depends on capital, market, operating capacity, and risk tolerance.
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BrightStar Care vs Home Instead: Franchise Funding Comparison
Comparing BrightStar Care and Home Instead is about more than brand preference. It's about which franchise fits your financial profile and funding strategy. Investment ranges from $132K to $4.3M.
BrightStar Care has 106 SBA loans on record and Home Instead has 445. Those totals are cumulative history rather than a measure of current appetite. Recent lending activity is trending down for at least one of these brands, so current lender appetite has to be checked deal by deal rather than assumed from the totals.
SBA 7(a) loans are the most common franchise funding vehicle, offering up to $5M with as little as 10% down. PeerSense connects franchise buyers with the specific lenders who have approved loans for these brands, not generic referrals, but lenders with actual franchise lending track records.
Data sourced from SBA loan records, Franchise Disclosure Documents, and public filings. Updated regularly. Not financial advice, consult with a lending professional before making investment decisions.
BrightStar Care vs Home Instead, Frequently Asked Questions
Which is a better franchise investment, BrightStar Care or Home Instead?
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Page Review
Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; it does not lend, fund, or approve loans, and the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman