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Healthcare · head to head

Cliniko vs Kareo Clinical

Cliniko logo

Cliniko

Healthcare

Clinic management software for health practitioners

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kareo Clinical logo

Kareo Clinical

Healthcare

Specialized EHR and practice management for independent and small practices

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cliniko has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cliniko priced in practitioner bands rather than per seat, so a clinic adding a sixth practitioner jumps from $95 to $145 a month; Kareo Clinical kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Cliniko covers Appointment Scheduling, Kareo Clinical covers Electronic Health Records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cliniko and Kareo Clinical actually diverge.

Attributes where Cliniko and Kareo Clinical differ
AttributeClinikoKareo Clinical
Starting priceFree$89/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20122010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Mobile), 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 Cliniko

  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Online Booking
  • Client Management
  • Invoicing
  • Telehealth
  • Payment processors
  • Online forms

Only in Kareo Clinical

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Scheduling
  • Medical Billing
  • ePrescribing
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Both cover

  • Patient Portal
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Cliniko

  • Practice management for allied health clinicsnot Kareo Clinical
  • Appointment scheduling and online bookingsnot Kareo Clinical
  • Clinical notes and patient recordsnot Kareo Clinical
  • Telehealth consultationsnot Kareo Clinical
  • Invoicing and payment tracking for a multi-practitioner clinicnot Kareo Clinical

Kareo Clinical

  • Practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practicesnot Cliniko
  • Electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinicsnot Cliniko
  • Insurance claim submission and patient payment collectionnot Cliniko

Where each one falls short

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

Cliniko

  • Priced in practitioner bands rather than per seat, so a clinic adding a sixth practitioner jumps from $95 to $145 a month
  • The top published band stops at 200 practitioners
  • SMS is charged separately at 10 cents a message
  • Telehealth requires entering card details before it unlocks, even during the trial
  • There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial

Kareo Clinical

  • Kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • Tebra publishes no rate: pricing varies with provider count, features and implementation requirements and is quoted during a demo
  • Billing counts clinical providers such as MDs, DOs, NPs and PAs, so adding a prescriber raises the bill even though non clinical staff are free
  • Electronic prescribing of controlled substances setup costs about $75 per provider as a one time fee
  • PDMP integration costs $500 one time per facility plus about $50 per user per year

Pricing, plan by plan

Cliniko

Free
  • 1 Practitioner$45/month
  • 2-5 Practitioners$95/month
  • 6-8 Practitioners$145/month
  • 9-12 Practitioners$195/month

Kareo Clinical

$89/month
  • Clinical Starter$89/month
    • EHR
    • Scheduling
    • Patient Portal
  • Clinical Plus$189/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Billing
    • Analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Cliniko if

  • You need appointment scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want online booking.
Cliniko review

Choose Kareo Clinical if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want scheduling.
Kareo Clinical review

Questions people ask

Is Cliniko or Kareo Clinical better?
Neither clearly leads. Cliniko starts at Free and Kareo Clinical at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cliniko or Kareo Clinical?
Cliniko has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cliniko and $89/month for Kareo Clinical.
Does Cliniko or Kareo Clinical run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Cliniko for free?
Yes. Cliniko has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kareo Clinical starts at $89/month.
What is Cliniko best used for?
Cliniko is most often used for practice management for allied health clinics, appointment scheduling and online bookings, clinical notes and patient records, telehealth consultations. Of those, practice management for allied health clinics and appointment scheduling and online bookings are not what Kareo Clinical is typically brought in for.
What can Cliniko do that Kareo Clinical cannot?
Cliniko covers Appointment Scheduling, Online Booking, Client Management, Invoicing. Kareo Clinical covers Electronic Health Records, Scheduling, Medical Billing, ePrescribing. Both handle Patient Portal, SOC2, Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cliniko: How much does Cliniko cost for a practice?

Cliniko uses per-practitioner pricing: 1 practitioner $45/month, 2-5 practitioners $95/month, 6-8 practitioners $145/month, 9-12 practitioners $195/month, 13-25 practitioners $295/month, 26-200 practitioners $395/month.

Source
Kareo Clinical: How much does Kareo Clinical (now Tebra) cost?

Kareo Clinical pricing is not published publicly. Pricing is based on the number of clinical providers in your practice, not seat licenses. Setup includes optional EPCS at $75/provider and PDMP Integration at $500 one-time per facility plus $50/user/year.

Source
Cliniko: Does Cliniko offer a free trial?

Cliniko is free to try for the first 30 days with no credit card required initially. A credit card is required to unlock features like Telehealth after the trial begins.

Source
Kareo Clinical: Does Tebra charge for front desk staff and medical assistants?

No. Tebra provides unlimited non-clinical staff access at no extra cost. Front desk staff, medical assistants, billers, and office admins can all access scheduling, charting, and claims modules without increasing billing.

Source
Cliniko: What is included in all Cliniko plans?

Every Cliniko subscription includes complete feature access, unlimited admin and reception users, unlimited locations, unlimited file storage, unlimited patients, 24/7 monitoring, automatic backups, regular updates, and 24/7 customer support.

Source
Kareo Clinical: Are there reduced rates for low-volume practices on Tebra?

Yes. Practices with providers billing under 100 claims monthly receive lower-tier pricing for those low-volume providers.

Source
Cliniko: Does Cliniko charge extra for SMS and what discounts apply?

SMS messaging costs 10 cents per message (pre-paid credits required). Annual billing includes one month free every year. Charities and educational institutions qualify for free access. Cliniko commits to no feature-specific fees beyond SMS and offers no annual commitment discounts.

Source
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