Carepatron vs Cliniko (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Carepatron: it is second in our ranking of therapy and clinic software, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carepatron grades higher on the free plan and features. Cliniko grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Carepatron
Practice management with a free plan, AI scribe and telehealth
Cliniko
Practice management for allied health clinics, priced by practitioners
Which one is for you
Pick Carepatron if
- Fits if you're a solo practitioner who wants to start on a free plan with unlimited clients
- Works for mixed practices of therapists, allied health and wellness staff under one account
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free: 100 appointments a month, 1 GB of storage, and no reminders or calendar sync
- Watch out: claims start at 25¢ each and insurance checks cost 15¢, and neither is on the free plan
- Pricey if you grow, as every practitioner is a paid seat and ePrescribing through DoseSpot is $39 a month per user
- Not for you if you need roles and permissions, white labeling or the API, which are only on Advanced at $39 a user
- Watch out: Plus includes 150 texts a month per user, and each one past that costs 5¢
Pick Cliniko if
- Fits if you run an allied health clinic with classes such as pilates as well as one-on-one visits
- Works for clinics with lots of reception and admin staff, since only practitioners are charged
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you bill US insurance from inside the app, as claims come only through third-party apps
- Skip it if you want AI notes built in or a native phone app; neither is on Cliniko's own feature pages
- Watch out: prices step up in bands, so a clinic of 6 pays $145 a month, the same as one of 8
- Watch out: SMS reminders use prepaid credits at 10¢ a message, and connected apps may charge their own fees
- Watch out: telehealth stays locked during the trial until you add a card
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACarepatronGood | 2.4GPAClinikoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPlus is $31 a user a month on yearly billing, $39 monthly, between this category's cheaper quarter ($25) and its middle ($39). Every practitioner is a paid seat, and claims, extra texts and ePrescribing cost more on top. | B$95 a month covers two to five practitioners, so $19 each for a clinic of five, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($25). One practitioner pays $45, above the middle ($39), and the bands jump: six pay the same $145 as eight. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plan keeps unlimited clients, telehealth, the client portal, online payments and the AI scribe, so one person could run a small practice on it. It stops at 100 appointments a month and 1 GB of storage, with no reminders or calendar sync. | CA 30-day trial with no payment details. Telehealth stays locked until you put a card on file, though, and there's no free plan unless you're a charity or a school. |
| Features | BOnline booking, an AI scribe, note templates, treatment plans, telehealth, invoicing, claims with ERA posting, a client portal and custom workflows. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job; the limits are which plan you're on. | CCalendar, online bookings, classes, telehealth, configurable notes with body charts, forms, invoicing, stock and a public API. The listing's own gap keeps it here: no insurance claim filing or AI scribe of its own, only through third-party apps. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. Booking pages, intake forms, note templates and workflows all need setting up, and the onboarding manager is only on Advanced. | CNo App Store rating on record. Note templates, forms and SMS credits need setting up, and claims or AI notes mean picking and linking a connected app. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with DoseSpot and Google Analytics, and an API on Advanced. No desktop app, and the integration list is short. | BWeb, with a public API, Xero sync and a directory of 94 connected apps. There are no native mobile apps; the calendar and notes are pages in a phone's browser. |
| Best for | solo practitioners who want to start free | allied health clinics that also run classes |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Carepatron and Cliniko. How we grade
Price against what you get
Carepatron starts at $31 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Cliniko starts at $45 a month and scores 2.3.
Carepatron scores higher and starts $14 a month lower. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, none scores higher than Carepatron for less, and 4 score higher than Cliniko for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Carepatron also covers transcription and insurance billing.
- Cliniko also covers invoicing and class booking.
At a glance
| Carepatron | Cliniko | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly) | $45 per month (1 practitioner) |
| Free plan | Unlimited clients, telehealth, client portal, online payments and the AI scribe, with up to 100 appointments, 1 GB of storage and 100 emails a month per user. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid features, no credit card required | 30-day free trial, no payment details needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Carepatron Limited | Cliniko |
| Price read from | carepatron.com | cliniko.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Carepatron
- The free plan has no appointment reminders or calendar sync and stops at 100 appointments and 1 GB of storage.
- Paid plans are charged per user. Texts beyond the monthly allowance cost $0.05 each, and ePrescribing through DoseSpot is $39 a month per user.
- Electronic claims start at $0.25 each and manual insurance checks cost $0.15 each; neither is on the free plan.
- Roles and permissions, white labeling and API access are only on Advanced.
Cliniko
- Prices step up in bands: a clinic with 6 practitioners pays $145 a month, the same as one with 8.
- SMS reminders use prepaid credits at 10¢ per message; connected third-party apps may charge their own fees.
- Cliniko's feature pages list no insurance claim filing or AI scribe of its own; those come from third-party connected apps.
- There are no native mobile apps; the calendar and notes are mobile-friendly pages in the browser.
Key features
Carepatron
- Online booking and reminders
- Clients book from an online page or an embed on your site. Paid plans add calendar sync, email and SMS reminders, group appointments and booking approval rules.
- AI scribe and clinical notes
- An AI medical scribe drafts notes from sessions, alongside a template library, customizable notes, signatures and locking, and treatment plans. Group notes need Plus.
- Telehealth video
- One-on-one video sessions on every plan, including the free one; group telehealth and in-call chat start on Plus.
- Invoicing and insurance
- Online card payments and automated invoicing on all plans. Paid plans add superbills, CMS-1500 forms, electronic claims from $0.25 each and ERA posting.
- Client portal and messaging
- Clients sign intake forms, message the practice securely and pay through a portal. Plus adds a HIPAA-encrypted email integration, bulk sending and a shared inbox.
- Workflows and API
- Custom workflows run 2,000 times a month per user on Plus and without limit on Advanced, which also opens the Carepatron API.
Cliniko
- Calendar and online bookings
- Clients book and cancel online around the clock. The calendar handles repeat appointments, wait lists, multiple locations, time zones, and groups or classes such as pilates.
- Telehealth
- Video consultations are built in. During the free trial they unlock only once a credit card is on file.
- Treatment notes and forms
- Fully configurable note templates, body charts, draft notes, letters and medical alerts, plus online intake forms and questionnaires that save to the patient record.
- Invoicing, payments and stock
- Invoices from the calendar, online payments, prepayments, concessions, statements, product sales with stock levels, expenses, and automatic sync to Xero.
- Reminders and SMS
- Automated SMS and email reminders and follow-ups, bulk SMS and two-way replies logged on the client record, using prepaid credits at 10¢ a message.
- API and connected apps
- A public API, and a directory of 94 connected apps, mostly third-party, for AI notes and receptionists, booking sites, exercise programs and reporting.
Plans
Carepatron
Free$0
Unlimited clients, telehealth, client portal, online payments and the AI scribe; 100 appointments, 1 GB of storage, no reminders or calendar sync.
Plus$31
per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly)
Unlimited appointments and storage, calendar sync, reminders, group telehealth and notes, shared inbox, custom branding and 150 texts a month per user.
Advanced$39
per user / month, billed yearly ($49 billed monthly)
Adds roles and permissions, white labeling, API access, Google Analytics, 90-day deleted-data retention, an onboarding manager and premium support.
Cliniko
1 practitioner$45
per month for 1 practitioner
Every feature, with unlimited patients, admin and reception users, locations and file storage.
2 to 5 practitioners$95
per month for up to 5 practitioners
Same features as every plan; the price covers any number of practitioners from 2 to 5.
6 to 8 practitioners$145
per month for up to 8 practitioners
Same features as every plan, for clinics of 6 to 8 practitioners.
9 to 12 practitioners$195
per month for up to 12 practitioners
Same features as every plan, for clinics of 9 to 12 practitioners.
13 to 25 practitioners$295
per month for up to 25 practitioners
Same features as every plan, for clinics of 13 to 25 practitioners.
26 to 200 practitioners$395
per month for up to 200 practitioners
Same features as every plan, for clinics of 26 to 200 practitioners.
Ways to pay less
Carepatron
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Carepatron's pricing page lists 20% off for paying yearly: Plus is $31 per user a month instead of $39, and Advanced $39 instead of $49.
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months
A limited offer on the pricing page halves paid plans for the first 6 months, for example Plus at $15.50 per user a month on yearly billing; no end date is given.
- Other savings
October offer: $1 a month for 3 months
A banner offers $1 a month for the first 3 months, or 50% off the first year, ending 30 October 2026.
Cliniko
- Annual discount
One month free with annual billing
Cliniko's pricing FAQ says paying annually gives one month free every year, on top of the initial trial.
- Nonprofit
Free for charities and educational institutions
Registered charities and educational institutions can use Cliniko free; they arrange the free subscription by contacting the company.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carepatron or Cliniko?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Carepatron starts at $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly), and Cliniko starts at $45 per month (1 practitioner). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Carepatron or Cliniko?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Carepatron has a free plan. Cliniko does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Carepatron and Cliniko run on?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Carepatron lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.