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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Teladoc Health

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teladoc Health logo

Teladoc Health

Healthcare

Virtual healthcare platform for telehealth and telemedicine

From
$89/visit
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.; Teladoc Health does not accept traditional Medicare or Medicaid, only Medicare Advantage and managed care plans
  • They diverge on capability: Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Teladoc Health covers Video Consultations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Teladoc Health actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Teladoc Health differ
AttributeBahmniTeladoc Health
Starting priceFree$89/visit
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2002

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 Teladoc Health

  • Video Consultations
  • Phone Consultations
  • Messaging
  • Prescription Services
  • Mental Health
  • Chronic Care
  • EHR Systems
  • Health Plans

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

Teladoc Health

  • 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.

Teladoc Health

  • Does not accept traditional Medicare or Medicaid, only Medicare Advantage and managed care plans
  • Providers cannot prescribe DEA-controlled substances or certain medications including erectile dysfunction drugs
  • Cannot handle medical emergencies; users must call 911 for emergency care

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

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

Teladoc Health

$89/visit

No published plan breakdown. See the Teladoc Health 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 Teladoc Health if

  • You need video consultations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want phone consultations.
Teladoc Health review

Questions people ask

Is Bahmni or Teladoc Health better?
Neither clearly leads. Bahmni starts at Free and Teladoc Health at $89/visit, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bahmni or Teladoc Health?
Bahmni has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bahmni and $89/visit for Teladoc Health.
Does Bahmni or Teladoc Health run on more platforms?
Bahmni runs on Web, Linux, Android. Teladoc Health runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bahmni for free?
Yes. Bahmni has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teladoc Health starts at $89/visit.
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 Teladoc Health is typically brought in for.
What can Bahmni do that Teladoc Health cannot?
Bahmni covers OpenMRS clinical record, Configurable clinical forms, Laboratory integration, Billing and inventory. Teladoc Health covers Video Consultations, Phone Consultations, Messaging, Prescription Services.

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.

Teladoc Health: Does Teladoc work with traditional Medicare or Medicaid?

No. Teladoc only works with Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans, not traditional fee-for-service Medicare or Medicaid programs.

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.

Teladoc Health: How quickly can I get an appointment with Teladoc?

For ASAP visits, wait times are typically just a few minutes. For General Medical, most issues are resolved in 15 minutes or less.

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.

Teladoc Health: What medications can Teladoc providers prescribe?

Providers do not prescribe DEA-controlled substances, erectile dysfunction medications, or certain other drugs. GLP-1 medications are only available through Primary Care or Condition Management programs.

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.

Teladoc Health: What is the cost of Teladoc visits without insurance?

General Medical visits cost 89 USD per visit without insurance. Other services like dermatology and mental health vary by service type.

Source
Bahmni: Where is it used?

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

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