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Healthcare · head to head

Bahmni vs Updox

Bahmni logo

Bahmni

Healthcare

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Updox logo

Updox

Healthcare

Healthcare communications platform for eFax, telehealth and patient reminders

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.; Updox no specific dollar amounts listed on pricing page
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bahmni and Updox actually diverge.

Attributes where Bahmni and Updox differ
AttributeBahmniUpdox
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, AndroidWeb

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 Updox

Nothing recorded that Bahmni does not also cover.

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

Updox

  • Healthcare communication and patient engagementnot Bahmni
  • Medical practice fax, telehealth, and SMS messagingnot Bahmni
  • Charge capture and medical billing workflowsnot Bahmni
  • Multi-location healthcare systemsnot 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.

Updox

  • No specific dollar amounts listed on pricing page
  • Actual costs require contacting sales team or scheduling a demo
  • Standard and Enterprise tier limits shown but no pricing transparency

Pricing, plan by plan

Bahmni

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

Updox

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Updox 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 Updox if

Nothing in the data separates Updox from Bahmni on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Updox review

Questions people ask

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

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.

Updox: How much does Updox cost?

Updox pricing is not published on the pricing page. The vendor offers customizable packages and directs inquiries to schedule a demo or contact the sales team for personalized pricing based on practice size and tool requirements.

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.

Updox: What is Updox's pricing model?

Updox uses a usage-based pricing model with customizable packages. Costs are tailored based on the tools selected (fax pages, telehealth sessions, patient reminders, text messages, broadcast messages) and can scale with practice benchmark data.

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.

Updox: What limits are included in Updox's Standard tier?

Updox Standard tier includes up to 1,000 fax pages, 75 telehealth sessions, reminders for 500 appointments, 500 text messages, and 500 broadcast messages monthly, with higher limits available in Enterprise tier.

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.

Bahmni: Where is it used?

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

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