Cliniko vs Zanda (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Zanda: it is third 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
Zanda grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cliniko
Practice management for allied health clinics, priced by practitioners
Zanda
Browser-based practice software for allied health and therapy clinics
Which one is for you
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
Pick Zanda if
- Fits if you're a solo practitioner who wants unlimited clients for $19 a month
- Works for allied health and mental health clinics juggling several practitioners and rooms
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as Zanda runs only in the browser
- Tight if you stay on Starter: one practitioner, one location and 1,000 appointments; more needs Growth at $49
- Watch out: texts need a dedicated number at $4.99 a month with 35 credits, then 9¢ an SMS
- Pricey if you scribe every session: 4 AI Scribe sessions a month are free, then AI Pro is $19 a user, Telehealth Pro $9
- Watch out: claims carry a $50 enrollment fee, 15¢ a claim and 10¢ an ERA, and Stripe takes 2.9% + 30¢ plus 50¢
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAClinikoFair | 2.6GPAZandaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BStarter is $19 a month for one practitioner with unlimited clients and 1,000 appointments, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($25). Five practitioners on Growth come to $125, or $25 each. Texts, AI Pro and Telehealth Pro are extra. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA 14-day trial with no card needed, and no free plan, so you're paying from week three. |
| Features | 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. | BScheduling with waitlists and rooms, a booking portal, note templates, body charts, scored forms, invoicing, US claims through a clearing house, telehealth and BizzyAI writing. AI scribing stops at 4 sessions a month without AI Pro. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo App Store rating on record. Rooms, locations, note templates, forms and the clearing house enrollment all need setting up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BIt runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones, with Stripe, Zoom, Xero, Mailchimp, Google Calendar and Outlook. There are no native apps for any device. |
| Best for | allied health clinics that also run classes | allied health and therapy clinics in the browser |
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: Cliniko and Zanda. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cliniko starts at $45 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zanda starts at $19 a month and scores 2.7.
Zanda scores higher and starts $26 a month lower. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, 4 score higher than Cliniko for less, and none scores higher than Zanda 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
- Cliniko also covers invoicing and class booking.
- Zanda also covers transcription and insurance billing.
At a glance
| Cliniko | Zanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $45 per month (1 practitioner) | $19 per month (Starter, one practitioner) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no payment details needed | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Cliniko | Zanda Health Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | cliniko.com | zandahealth.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Zanda
- Starter covers one practitioner and 1,000 appointments, with one physical location; unlimited appointments and more locations need Growth.
- Text messages need a dedicated number at $4.99 a month, which includes 35 credits; each further SMS costs $0.09.
- Card payments go through Stripe at 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards, plus a 50¢ Stripe Connect fee listed on the pricing page.
- There are no native mobile apps; Zanda runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones.
Key features
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.
Zanda
- Scheduling and client portal
- A calendar with waitlists, rooms and recurring appointments, and a portal where clients book, pay, fill in forms, share files and join telehealth calls.
- Notes, forms and body charts
- Session note templates and body charts, plus online forms for intake, consent and scored assessments. Note templates can be customized on Growth.
- BizzyAI
- Every plan includes unlimited AI writing, 4 AI Scribe appointments a month and insights across a client's last 3 sessions. AI Pro, $19 per user a month, removes the scribe cap.
- Telehealth
- Built-in HIPAA-compliant video with a free option, Telehealth Pro with unlimited calls at $9 per practitioner a month, or your own Zoom account.
- US insurance claims
- An integrated clearing house with a $50 enrollment fee, $0.15 per claim and $0.10 per ERA. Preparing claims, CMS-1500 forms and eligibility requests are free.
- Practice operations manual
- 100+ policy and procedure templates for writing down how the practice runs, with AI tools for the manual on Growth.
Plans
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.
Zanda
Starter$19
per month for 1 practitioner and 1,000 appointments
Unlimited clients, 1 free admin user, 100 GB storage, reminders, intake forms, progress notes, billing and the booking portal. $9.50 for the first 6 months.
Growth$49
per month, plus $19 per additional practitioner
Unlimited appointments, admin users and storage, multiple locations, rooms, advanced waitlist, custom note templates, team messaging and full reports.
Ways to pay less
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.
Zanda
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months for October starts
Practices that start in October pay half for 6 months: Starter $9.50 a month, and Growth $24.50 plus $9.50 per extra practitioner, then the regular price.
- Other savings
No subscription fees until November
An end-of-summer offer on the US pricing page waives subscription fees until November and adds 500 free SMS credits.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cliniko or Zanda?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Zanda is cheaper to start with: $19 a month, against $45 a month for Cliniko. Cliniko starts at $45 per month (1 practitioner), and Zanda starts at $19 per month (Starter, one practitioner).
Which has a free plan, Cliniko or Zanda?
As of Oct 24, 2026, neither Cliniko nor Zanda has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.