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Healthcare · head to head

Cerner PowerChart vs OpenClinica

Cerner PowerChart logo

Cerner PowerChart

Healthcare

Advanced clinical charting and documentation system within Cerner EHR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenClinica logo

OpenClinica

Healthcare

Clinical trial EDC with a genuinely open source community edition alongside a quoted commercial platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cerner PowerChart no publicly published pricing rates available; OpenClinica the free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • They diverge on capability: Cerner PowerChart covers Clinical Documentation, OpenClinica covers Open source community edition.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cerner PowerChart and OpenClinica actually diverge.

Attributes where Cerner PowerChart and OpenClinica differ
AttributeCerner PowerChartOpenClinica
PlatformsWeb, DesktopWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
Founded1979Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Cerner PowerChart

  • Clinical Documentation
  • Intelligent Templates
  • Evidence-Based Content
  • Clinical Decision Support
  • Workflow Automation
  • Real-time Alerts
  • HL7
  • FHIR

Only in OpenClinica

  • Open source community edition
  • Electronic data capture
  • eConsent
  • eCOA and ePRO
  • Randomisation
  • EHR-to-EDC
  • Audit trail
  • Reporting and analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cerner PowerChart

  • Patient Carenot OpenClinica
  • Medical Recordsnot OpenClinica
  • Practice Managementnot OpenClinica
  • Telehealthnot OpenClinica

OpenClinica

  • An academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs Part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eClinical budgetnot Cerner PowerChart
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot Cerner PowerChart
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot Cerner PowerChart
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot Cerner PowerChart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cerner PowerChart

  • No publicly published pricing rates available

OpenClinica

  • The free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • The vendor provides no support or services at all for the community edition, which means outages, patching, database upgrades and validation documentation are entirely your problem.
  • Commercial pricing is not published, so you cannot benchmark it against alternatives without entering a sales process, and third-party figures around USD 1,000 a month are indicative rather than contractual.
  • Study build is skilled work: complex edit checks, randomisation schemes and integrations usually mean paying for vendor or consultant configuration services on top of the licence, which is a frequently underestimated line in the budget.
  • As a smaller vendor than the large eClinical suites it has a thinner partner and consultant ecosystem, so finding experienced build staff or a CRO already fluent in the platform is harder than with the market incumbents.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cerner PowerChart

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner PowerChart review.

OpenClinica

On request
  • Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Free and open source under the LGPL
    • Self-hosted, on the older 3.x line
    • No vendor support or services of any kind
  • OpenClinica Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Pricing only through a sales process
    • Hosted and validated instance
    • EDC, eConsent, eCOA, randomisation and analytics modules

Which should you pick?

Choose Cerner PowerChart if

  • You need clinical documentation.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want intelligent templates.
Cerner PowerChart review

Choose OpenClinica if

  • You need open source community edition.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want electronic data capture.
OpenClinica review

Questions people ask

Is Cerner PowerChart or OpenClinica better?
Neither clearly leads. Cerner PowerChart starts at On request and OpenClinica at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cerner PowerChart or OpenClinica?
Cerner PowerChart starts at On request and OpenClinica at On request.
Does Cerner PowerChart or OpenClinica run on more platforms?
Cerner PowerChart runs on Web, Desktop. OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
What is Cerner PowerChart best used for?
Cerner PowerChart is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth. Of those, patient care and medical records are not what OpenClinica is typically brought in for.
What can Cerner PowerChart do that OpenClinica cannot?
Cerner PowerChart covers Clinical Documentation, Intelligent Templates, Evidence-Based Content, Clinical Decision Support. OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cerner PowerChart: What is Cerner PowerChart pricing?

Cerner PowerChart, now part of Oracle Health, does not publish standard pricing. Enterprise healthcare EHR solutions require custom pricing based on hospital size, bed count, and module selection. Contact Oracle Health sales for quotes.

Source
OpenClinica: Is OpenClinica free?

There is a genuinely free, LGPL licensed community edition you host yourself with no vendor support. The commercial platform with eConsent, eCOA and a validated hosted instance is quoted and paid.

Cerner PowerChart: How do I get a demo or pricing information for Oracle Health?

Oracle Health provides a contact form and demo request option on its website. You can request a demo or contact the sales team to discuss your healthcare organization's needs and receive pricing information.

Source
OpenClinica: Is the open source version still maintained?

Yes, releases on the 3.x line continued through 2025, but it is a separate and older architecture from the commercial product.

OpenClinica: Does it meet 21 CFR Part 11?

The commercial hosted platform is built for Part 11 and GCP compliance. If you self-host the community edition, compliance and validation are entirely your responsibility.

OpenClinica: What does the commercial version cost?

Not published. Third-party listings suggest enterprise arrangements from around USD 1,000 per month, but real cost depends on study count, subjects, modules and build services.

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