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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs DrChrono

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DrChrono logo

DrChrono

Healthcare

All-in-one medical practice management and EHR platform

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.; DrChrono iOS-only mobile app with no Android support, limiting accessibility for non-Apple users
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and DrChrono actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and DrChrono differ
AttributeBahmniDrChrono
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidiOS, iPad, Web
FoundedUnknown2009

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 DrChrono

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Medical Billing
  • ePrescribing
  • Patient Portal
  • Telehealth
  • Labs
  • 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 DrChrono
  • A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot DrChrono
  • An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot DrChrono
  • A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot DrChrono

DrChrono

  • Patient Carenot Bahmni
  • Medical Recordsnot Bahmni
  • Practice Managementnot Bahmni
  • Telehealthnot 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.

DrChrono

  • iOS-only mobile app with no Android support, limiting accessibility for non-Apple users
  • Multi-provider scheduling lacks flexibility, forcing practices to use manual workarounds
  • Medical billing is unreliable and complex, with claims processing cited as difficult and error-prone
  • Billing features only available in higher-tier plans
  • Support quality declined post-acquisition by EverHealth, with slower response times
  • Auto-renewal contracts with unclear disclosure and restricted data portability when switching
  • No published pricing, requires sales contact for quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

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

DrChrono

On request
  • Prometheus$undefined/mo
    • Core EHR
    • Limited users
  • Hippocrates$undefined/mo
    • EHR + Practice Management
    • Multiple providers
  • Apollo$undefined/mo
    • Full features
    • Advanced analytics
  • Apollo Plus$undefined/mo
    • Apollo features
    • Premium support
    • Add-on integrations

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 DrChrono if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on iOS, iPad, Web.
  • You also want appointment scheduling.
DrChrono review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or DrChrono better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and DrChrono at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or DrChrono?
Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and On request for DrChrono.
Does Bahmni or DrChrono run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. DrChrono runs on iOS, iPad, Web.
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DrChrono 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 DrChrono is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that DrChrono cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records, Appointment Scheduling, Medical Billing, ePrescribing.

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.

DrChrono: What platforms does DrChrono support?

DrChrono is built primarily for Apple devices, with a native iPad app and iOS mobile app. Android users are limited to web browser access without full mobile functionality.

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.

DrChrono: Does DrChrono include practice management and medical billing?

Yes. DrChrono combines EHR, practice management, and medical billing into one platform. However, billing features are only available in higher-tier plans, and users report unreliable claims processing.

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.

DrChrono: How much does DrChrono cost?

DrChrono uses four pricing tiers (Prometheus, Hippocrates, Apollo, and Apollo Plus) but does not publish pricing. Costs vary by provider count and add-ons. Interested users must contact sales for custom quotes.

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.

DrChrono: Can I do patient messaging in DrChrono?

Patient messaging is available but only as an add-on feature with additional costs beyond the base subscription.

Source
Bahmni: Where is it used?

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

DrChrono: Does DrChrono include ePrescribing?

Yes. DrChrono includes integrated ePrescribing capabilities built into the platform for prescription management.

Source
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