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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Clue

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

Open source hospital information system and EMR for low-resource hospitals, built on OpenMRS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clue logo

Clue

Healthcare

Period and cycle tracking app owned by German company Biowink, positioned around science based tracking and a published stance against sharing data with law enforcement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bahmni the licence is free and the implementation is not; configuration, data migration, training and multi-year support from a partner routinely cost far more than a small commercial system would have, and hospitals that budget only for hardware stall.; Clue clues stated policy on not sharing data with law enforcement without a valid legal process is the companys own published position and legal interpretation, not an independent guarantee, and it can still be compelled to comply with a legally binding request under EU or other applicable law.
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Clue covers Cycle and symptom tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Clue actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Clue differ
AttributeBahmniClue
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeFree with a Plus subscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidiOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bahmni

  • OpenMRS clinical record
  • Configurable clinical forms
  • Laboratory integration
  • Billing and inventory
  • Imaging
  • Inpatient management
  • Offline-capable clinical app
  • Reporting

Only in Clue

  • Cycle and symptom tracking
  • Cycle insights and patterns
  • Research partnerships
  • EU-based data hosting
  • Fertility and conception mode
  • Perimenopause and other life stage tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bahmni

  • A mission or charitable hospital in India or East Africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real EMR rather than papernot Clue
  • A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot Clue
  • An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot Clue
  • A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot Clue

Clue

  • Someone specifically weighing data jurisdiction and legal exposure when choosing a period tracking app, given Clues EU basis and published stance on law enforcement requestsnot Bahmni
  • A user who wants cycle tracking positioned around scientific research partnerships rather than lifestyle or community contentnot Bahmni
  • A buyer comparing Clue directly against Flo on current published privacy policy language before choosing which app to trustnot Bahmni
  • Someone tracking perimenopause or other non-standard cycle stages that some period apps do not support wellnot Bahmni

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bahmni

  • The licence is free and the implementation is not; configuration, data migration, training and multi-year support from a partner routinely cost far more than a small commercial system would have, and hospitals that budget only for hardware stall.
  • There is no single vendor with an obligation to you unless you contract one, so upgrade timing, security patching and defect resolution depend on whichever partner you hired and how long they stay engaged.
  • It integrates four substantial open source systems, which means an upgrade touches OpenMRS, OpenELIS, Odoo and the imaging stack together, and hospitals with heavy customisation often freeze on an old version rather than risk it.
  • Skilled Bahmni implementers are concentrated in a small number of firms in India and a few African countries, so a hospital outside those markets may find nobody local who can support it.
  • Funding for the coalition and its shared engineering comes from donors and member contributions rather than licence revenue, which makes the pace of core development dependent on grant cycles rather than on customer demand.

Clue

  • Clues stated policy on not sharing data with law enforcement without a valid legal process is the companys own published position and legal interpretation, not an independent guarantee, and it can still be compelled to comply with a legally binding request under EU or other applicable law.
  • Deeper cycle insights and predictions, the features most likely to justify tracking in the first place, are gated behind the Clue Plus subscription rather than fully free.
  • Being a smaller company than some competitors, Clue has less capital and legal resource to contest large-scale legal requests than a larger, better-funded rival might, despite its stated intent to do so.
  • Research partnerships using anonymised user data, while opt-in, still mean user-derived data can be used in ways beyond direct app functionality, and users should check current consent settings.
  • Cycle predictions rely on self-reported data and general population models, so accuracy for irregular cycles or specific medical conditions remains limited regardless of which app is used.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

Free
  • BahmniFree
    • AGPL open source, no licence fee
    • All modules included
    • Community support via forum and documentation

Clue

Free
  • Clue Plus$9.99/month
    • Free tier covers core cycle tracking, logging and basic predictions
    • Clue Plus adds deeper cycle insights, extended predictions and personalised content
    • Annual Plus plans typically offered at a lower effective monthly rate

Which should you pick?

Choose Bahmni if

  • You need openmrs clinical record.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Android.
  • You also want configurable clinical forms.
Bahmni review

Choose Clue if

  • You need cycle and symptom tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want cycle insights and patterns.
Clue review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or Clue better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Clue at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Clue?
Bahmni starts at Free and Clue at Free.
Does Bahmni or Clue run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Clue runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bahmni best used for?
Bahmni is most often used for a mission or charitable hospital in india or east africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real emr rather than paper, a ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised digital public good, an ngo health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national dhis2 instance, a hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systems. Of those, a mission or charitable hospital in india or east africa that cannot fund a commercial hospital information system licence but needs a real emr rather than paper and a ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised digital public good are not what Clue is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that Clue cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Clue covers Cycle and symptom tracking, Cycle insights and patterns, Research partnerships, EU-based data hosting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bahmni: Is Bahmni free?

The software is, under an open source licence. Implementation, hosting, configuration, training and support are charged by whichever partner you engage.

Clue: Does Clue share data with law enforcement?

Clue publishes a policy stating it does not share health data with law enforcement or public authorities without a legally binding request and states it will challenge requests it considers improper. This is the companys stated position; verify the current policy directly for specifics.

Bahmni: Who owns and governs Bahmni?

Thoughtworks transferred ownership in October 2017 to the Bahmni Coalition, under the fiscal sponsorship of the non-profit OpenMRS Inc. Thoughtworks remains on the governing committee.

Clue: Why does Clue emphasise being an EU company?

Clue operates under EU GDPR data protection rules and states this legal basis makes it harder for authorities outside the EU, including US authorities, to compel data disclosure than for a company based in the US.

Bahmni: What does an implementation actually cost?

It varies by hospital size and country, but expect the dominant costs to be partner services, training and multi-year support rather than software or hardware. Get a fixed-scope quote covering upgrades, not just go-live.

Clue: Is Clue free?

Core cycle tracking, logging and basic predictions are free. Deeper insights and extended predictions require Clue Plus.

Bahmni: Is it a recognised Digital Public Good?

Yes, Bahmni is on the Digital Public Goods Alliance register, which is increasingly a condition of donor funding for health information systems.

Bahmni: Where is it used?

More than 500 implementations across roughly 50 countries, concentrated in South Asia and Africa.

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