Healthcare · head to head
Bahmni vs Ginger
Bahmni
Healthcare
Open source hospital information system and EMR for low-resource hospitals, built on OpenMRS
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Ginger
Healthcare
Digital mental health platform with coaching and therapy
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Ginger no longer sold as Ginger. It is part of Headspace, and ginger.com redirects to the Headspace organizations site
- They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Ginger covers Mental Health Coaching.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Ginger actually diverge.
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 Ginger
- Mental Health Coaching
- Therapy
- Psychiatry
- Meditation
- Crisis Support
- Wellness Content
- Health Plans
- Employers
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 Ginger
- A ministry of health standardising district hospitals on one system and required by donors to use a recognised Digital Public Goodnot Ginger
- An NGO health network wanting one clinical record across several facilities with reporting that can feed a national DHIS2 instancenot Ginger
- A hospital that needs the clinical record, laboratory, pharmacy and billing to share one patient identity rather than running four disconnected systemsnot Ginger
Ginger
- Employer-funded mental health coaching for staffnot Bahmni
- Therapy and psychiatry access through an employee benefitnot Bahmni
- Self-guided meditation and sleep content alongside clinical carenot Bahmni
- Workplace mental health workshopsnot 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.
Ginger
- No longer sold as Ginger. It is part of Headspace, and ginger.com redirects to the Headspace organizations site
- Bought by employers, health plans and consultants rather than by individuals
- Pricing is not published
Pricing, plan by plan
Bahmni
Free- BahmniFree
- AGPL open source, no licence fee
- All modules included
- Community support via forum and documentation
Ginger
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ginger 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.
Choose Ginger if
- You need mental health coaching.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want therapy.
Questions people ask
- Is Bahmni or Ginger better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Ginger at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Ginger?
- Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and On request for Ginger.
- Does Bahmni or Ginger run on more platforms?
- Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Ginger runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Bahmni for free?
- Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ginger 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 Ginger is typically brought in for.
- What can Bahmni do that Ginger cannot?
- Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Ginger covers Mental Health Coaching, Therapy, Psychiatry, Meditation.
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.
Ginger: How is Headspace for Organizations priced?
Headspace for Organizations uses a custom pricing model based on company size, employee count, and specific services needed. Detailed pricing is not available on the public website.
SourceBahmni: 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.
Ginger: Do you offer a trial for Headspace for Organizations?
To learn about trial availability, you must request a demo through the website or contact Headspace directly at [email protected].
SourceBahmni: 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.
Ginger: What services are included in Headspace for Organizations?
Headspace for Organizations includes EAP (Employee Assistance Program), Care services, coaching, therapy, and psychiatry support, though specific features included at each pricing level are not detailed on the website.
SourceBahmni: 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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