It depends on how your plan is managed and this is one of the biggest practical differences between the options:

• Self-managed or plan-managed: you can use any provider you choose, registered with the NDIS or not. That opens up your local physio, cleaner, gardener or therapist, not just NDIS-registered businesses.
• Agency-managed (NDIA-managed): you can only use NDIS-registered providers (businesses that have passed the NDIS quality and safeguard requirements).

Registered providers offer that extra layer of assurance but unregistered providers offer a much bigger pool of choice. With plan management you get the wider choice while we handle the payment rules in the background.