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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Doctor on Demand

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Doctor on Demand logo

Doctor on Demand

Healthcare

Telehealth platform for urgent and primary care

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bahmni has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Doctor on Demand out-of-pocket costs without insurance: urgent care $99, therapy $134, psychiatry $299 per visit; no subscription model disclosed
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Doctor on Demand covers Video Consultations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Doctor on Demand actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Doctor on Demand differ
AttributeBahmniDoctor on Demand
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidCloud-based (mobile app and web)
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: 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 Doctor on Demand

  • Video Consultations
  • Phone Consultations
  • Mental Health
  • Urgent Care
  • Prescription Services
  • Medical Records
  • Insurance
  • Pharmacies

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 Doctor on Demand
  • A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot Doctor on Demand
  • An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot Doctor on Demand
  • A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot Doctor on Demand

Doctor on Demand

  • Patients seeking urgent care for acute conditions (cold, flu, UTI, strep throat) available 24/7not Bahmni
  • Individuals needing mental health services (therapy, psychiatry) with same-day availabilitynot 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.

Doctor on Demand

  • Out-of-pocket costs without insurance: urgent care $99, therapy $134, psychiatry $299 per visit; no subscription model disclosed
  • Limited scope: urgent care only for non-emergency conditions; does not handle hospital-level care or complex surgeries

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

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

Doctor on Demand

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Doctor on Demand review.

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 Doctor on Demand if

  • You need video consultations.
  • You work on Cloud-based (mobile app and web).
  • You also want phone consultations.
Doctor on Demand review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or Doctor on Demand better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Doctor on Demand at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Doctor on Demand?
Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and On request for Doctor on Demand.
Does Bahmni or Doctor on Demand run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Doctor on Demand runs on Cloud-based (mobile app and web).
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Doctor on Demand starts at On request.
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 Doctor on Demand is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that Doctor on Demand cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Doctor on Demand covers Video Consultations, Phone Consultations, Mental Health, Urgent Care.

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.

Doctor on Demand: Is there a membership fee or subscription required?

No subscription or membership is required. The platform operates on a pay-per-visit model with no ongoing fees, and no credit card is needed to create an account.

Source
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.

Doctor on Demand: How much does an urgent care visit cost for uninsured patients?

An uninsured patient pays $99 for a 15-minute urgent care consultation. Costs are displayed before booking so you know the price upfront.

Source
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.

Doctor on Demand: What are the therapy and psychiatry session rates?

Psychology consultations are $134 for 25 minutes or $184 for 50 minutes. Initial psychiatry consultations are $299 for 45 minutes, with 15-minute follow-ups at $129.

Source
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.

Doctor on Demand: Can I use my insurance to reduce costs?

Yes, Doctor on Demand accepts 30+ major insurance plans including UnitedHealth, Humana, and Blue Cross variants. Insured visits may be $0 depending on your plan, or range from $0 to $296.64 for psychiatry depending on your coverage.

Source
Bahmni: Where is it used?

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

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