Cliniko vs openemr
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Cliniko is practice management and EHR software for allied health practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, and podiatrists, covering scheduling, treatment records, invoicing, payments, and telehealth in one system. Every pricing tier includes the same full feature set; only the price changes as the number of practitioners on the account grows. All plans include unlimited admin and reception users, unlimited locations, unlimited file storage, and unlimited patient records, along with automatic backups and 24/7 monitoring. Cliniko connects to third-party apps including MailChimp and Xero, charges 10 cents per SMS reminder via pre-paid credits, and states that it donates 2% of subscription revenue to charity.
OpenEMR is the most popular open source electronic health records (EHR) and medical practice management solution. It provides clinicians, clinics, and hospitals with a fully featured, standards‑compliant platform for patient records, billing, and scheduling. The software is community‑driven, supports FHIR, and can be deployed on‑premise or in the cloud, making it suitable for global health initiatives and small private practices alike.
- Every plan includes the full feature set; only practitioner count changes the price, with no feature-gating by tier.
- Offers a genuinely free 30-day trial that does not require a credit card upfront.
- Unlimited patients, locations, and file storage are included on all plans.
- Emphasizes data security, 24/7 monitoring, and automatic backups on its marketing site.
- Completely free and open source
- Highly customizable through modules and code
- Strong standards support (FHIR, HL7)
- Active global community and documentation
- Pricing rises steeply with practitioner count, from $45/month for one practitioner up to $395/month for 26-200.
- Telehealth requires entering payment details to unlock, even during the free trial.
- SMS reminders are a metered extra cost (10 cents/message) rather than included in the base price.
- Requires technical expertise to install and maintain
- User interface can feel dated compared to commercial rivals
- Limited official commercial support options
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataOpenEMR is a free, highly customizable open‑source EHR requiring technical setup, while Cliniko is a paid, ready‑to‑use practice‑management SaaS with built‑in support and simpler onboarding.
Key differences
- •OpenEMR is free and open source; Cliniko requires a subscription per practitioner.
- •OpenEMR needs technical expertise to install/maintain; Cliniko is cloud‑hosted with minimal setup.
- •OpenEMR offers FHIR/HL7 standards and extensive billing features; Cliniko focuses on scheduling, invoicing, and telehealth without standards support.
- •OpenEMR provides community and paid third‑party support; Cliniko includes unlimited free customer support.
- •OpenEMR can be heavily customized via code; Cliniko’s feature set is fixed across plans.
Pricing & value
OpenEMR is free; Cliniko costs $45‑$395 per month per practitioner.
Ease of use / learning curve
Cliniko is cloud SaaS with no installation; OpenEMR requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain.
Features & depth
OpenEMR includes FHIR/HL7, billing engine, audit trails, and extensive reporting; Cliniko offers core scheduling, notes, invoicing, telehealth.
Integrations & ecosystem
Both have limited listed integrations: OpenEMR integrates with FHIR servers, billing gateways; Cliniko integrates with MailChimp and Xero.
Support
Cliniko provides unlimited free customer support; OpenEMR relies on community forums and paid third‑party support.
Security & privacy
Both claim HIPAA‑compliant security features; specific details not provided for Cliniko beyond marketing statements.
Scalability / lock‑in
OpenEMR can be self‑hosted and customized without vendor lock‑in; Cliniko is a proprietary SaaS platform.
Choose Cliniko if…
Allied‑health practices that want an out‑of‑the‑box, low‑maintenance solution and are willing to pay per practitioner.
Choose openemr if…
Clinics needing full FHIR/HL7 compliance, custom billing, and zero software cost, and that have IT staff to manage it.
Common questions
What are the upfront costs?
OpenEMR has no license cost (free); Cliniko requires a monthly subscription starting at $45 per practitioner.
Do I need technical staff to run the system?
OpenEMR requires technical expertise for installation and maintenance; Cliniko is cloud‑hosted and needs no IT setup.
Can I customize the software or add modules?
OpenEMR is open source and highly customizable via code; Cliniko’s feature set is fixed across all plans.