Healthcare · head to head
DHIS2 vs Figure 1
DHIS2
Healthcare
Open source health information platform run from the University of Oslo and used by national ministries
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Figure 1
Healthcare
Medical photography and knowledge sharing platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Figure 1 covers Case Sharing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and Figure 1 actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 DHIS2
- Aggregate data reporting
- Tracker
- Android capture app
- Dashboards and analytics
- Metadata packages
- Data quality tools
- GIS mapping
- Interoperability
Only in Figure 1
- Case Sharing
- Secure Messaging
- Image Upload
- Knowledge Discovery
- CME Access
- Collaboration
- HIPAA Compliant
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
DHIS2
- A ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine systemnot Figure 1
- A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot Figure 1
- A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot Figure 1
- An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot Figure 1
Figure 1
- Patient Carenot DHIS2
- Medical Recordsnot DHIS2
- Practice Managementnot DHIS2
- Telehealthnot DHIS2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
DHIS2
- The licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.
- HISP UiO introduced a Shared Services Fee in 2025, so organisations that depend on DHIS2 are now being asked for an annual contribution that did not previously exist in their plans.
- Development funding comes from a small set of donors including Norad, the Global Fund and the Gates Foundation, which concentrates the platform's long-term direction in the priorities of those funders.
- Implementation capability is concentrated in regional HISP groups, so a country whose local HISP group is overstretched has few alternative suppliers with equivalent expertise.
- Analytics performance depends heavily on how metadata was designed at the outset, and a poorly structured initial configuration produces slow dashboards and bad indicator definitions that are painful to correct years later.
Figure 1
Nothing recorded yet. See the Figure 1 review.
Pricing, plan by plan
DHIS2
Free- DHIS2 softwareFree
- BSD licence
- All modules including Tracker
- No user or facility limits
- Shared Services Fee$undefined/year
- Voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO
- Funds shared global infrastructure and platform sustainability
- Amount agreed with the HISP Centre
- Implementation and support$undefined/year
- Delivered by regional HISP groups or private implementers
- Configuration, metadata design, hosting, training and support
- Quoted per programme, commonly the dominant cost
Figure 1
Free- FreeFree
- Access to cases
- HIPAA-compliant
- Secure sharing
Which should you pick?
Choose DHIS2 if
- You need aggregate data reporting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud.
- You also want tracker.
Choose Figure 1 if
- You need case sharing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want secure messaging.
Questions people ask
- Is DHIS2 or Figure 1 better?
- Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and Figure 1 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or Figure 1?
- DHIS2 starts at Free and Figure 1 at Free.
- Does DHIS2 or Figure 1 run on more platforms?
- DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. Figure 1 runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use DHIS2 for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is DHIS2 best used for?
- DHIS2 is most often used for a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system, a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts, a disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mapping, an ngo running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offline. Of those, a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system and a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts are not what Figure 1 is typically brought in for.
- What can DHIS2 do that Figure 1 cannot?
- DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. Figure 1 covers Case Sharing, Secure Messaging, Image Upload, Knowledge Discovery.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
DHIS2: Who owns and develops DHIS2?
The HISP Centre at the University of Oslo, funded by donors including Norad, the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome.
DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?
The software is free under a BSD licence. Implementation, hosting, training and support are not, and are the dominant cost.
DHIS2: What is the Shared Services Fee?
A voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO in 2025 to fund shared global infrastructure and long-term platform sustainability.
DHIS2: Can I buy commercial support?
Yes, from regional HISP groups or private implementers such as Devotta, which is contracted by HISP UiO for core platform development and also works independently.
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- Figure 1 vs OpenMRS
- Figure 1 vs Bahmni
- Figure 1 vs OpenClinica
- Figure 1 vs Open Dental
- Figure 1 vs Paige
- Figure 1 vs Ambra Health
- Figure 1 vs Koa Health
- Figure 1 vs Flo
- Figure 1 vs Quantum Health
- Figure 1 vs Beckman Coulter DxONE
- Figure 1 vs Fullscript
- Figure 1 vs Cerner PowerWorks
- Figure 1 vs ChiroTouch
- Figure 1 vs Doctolib
- Figure 1 vs Doximity
- Figure 1 vs eClinicalWorks
- Figure 1 vs eClinicalWorks Prime
- Figure 1 vs Athenahealth
- Figure 1 vs Epic Systems
- Figure 1 vs Cerner
- Figure 1 vs Amwell
- Figure 1 vs Philips IntelliSpace PACS
- Figure 1 vs Aidoc
- Figure 1 vs Jane App
- Figure 1 vs Clue
- Figure 1 vs Ibex Medical Analytics
- Figure 1 vs Kareo Clinical
- Figure 1 vs Practice Fusion
- Figure 1 vs Ro
- Figure 1 vs RXNT
- Figure 1 vs Signant Health
- Figure 1 vs Sysmex
- Figure 1 vs Talkspace
- Figure 1 vs Epic MyChart