Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

DHIS2 vs Sectra

DHIS2 logo

DHIS2

Healthcare

Open source health information platform run from the University of Oslo and used by national ministries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sectra logo

Sectra

Healthcare

Enterprise imaging and PACS from a Swedish vendor that also sells the pathology and cardiology modules on one platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DHIS2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Sectra sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Sectra covers Sectra IDS7.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and Sectra actually diverge.

Attributes where DHIS2 and Sectra differ
AttributeDHIS2Sectra
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hosted, CloudWindows, Web, Cloud, On-premise

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 DHIS2

  • Aggregate data reporting
  • Tracker
  • Android capture app
  • Dashboards and analytics
  • Metadata packages
  • Data quality tools
  • GIS mapping
  • Interoperability

Only in Sectra

  • Sectra IDS7
  • Digital pathology module
  • Sectra VNA
  • Sectra UniView
  • Image Exchange Portal
  • Sectra Amplifier
  • Breast imaging workflow
  • Sectra One Cloud

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 Sectra
  • A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot Sectra
  • A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot Sectra
  • An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot Sectra

Sectra

  • A hospital group digitising histopathology that does not want a second image archive and a second integration project alongside radiologynot DHIS2
  • A regional health service replacing several departmental PACS with one archive and one clinician viewernot DHIS2
  • An imaging provider moving off a capital refresh cycle to a cloud subscription with predictable annual costnot DHIS2
  • A trust that needs to send and receive studies with neighbouring organisations routinely, where the Image Exchange Portal is already the regional normnot 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.

Sectra

  • Sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • Diagnostic AI is not built in house; Amplifier orchestrates third party algorithms, so the algorithms themselves need separate licences, separate clinical validation and separate information governance sign off.
  • Sectra One Cloud is priced against a committed annual study volume, and organisations whose imaging activity grows faster than forecast meet overage charges partway through the term.
  • The pathology module assumes you have already solved slide scanning and laboratory workflow, which is the larger and more expensive part of digitising histopathology and is not in Sectra scope.
  • Depth of Epic and Oracle Health integration varies by region and by which modules you buy, so a reference site in Sweden is a weak predictor of what integration will cost a United States buyer.

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

Sectra

On request
  • Sectra Enterprise Imaging$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence plus annual maintenance, or Sectra One Cloud subscription
    • Priced on committed annual study volume and modules selected
    • Pathology, cardiology and ophthalmology licensed as separate modules

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.
DHIS2 review

Choose Sectra if

  • You need sectra ids7.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want digital pathology module.
Sectra review

Questions people ask

Is DHIS2 or Sectra better?
Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and Sectra at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or Sectra?
DHIS2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DHIS2 and On request for Sectra.
Does DHIS2 or Sectra run on more platforms?
DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. Sectra runs on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
Can I use DHIS2 for free?
Yes. DHIS2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sectra starts at On request.
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 Sectra is typically brought in for.
What can DHIS2 do that Sectra cannot?
DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. Sectra covers Sectra IDS7, Digital pathology module, Sectra VNA, Sectra UniView.

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.

Sectra: Does Sectra include diagnostic AI?

No. Sectra Amplifier is a marketplace and orchestration layer for third party algorithms, each licensed and validated separately.

DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?

The software is free under a BSD licence. Implementation, hosting, training and support are not, and are the dominant cost.

Sectra: Is pathology really on the same platform as radiology?

Yes, the pathology module uses the same archive and workflow engine, which is the main reason buyers digitising histopathology shortlist Sectra.

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.

Sectra: How is Sectra One Cloud priced?

On committed annual study volume plus the modules selected, as a subscription rather than a capital purchase. The vendor does not publish rates.

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.

Sectra: Is Sectra CE marked and FDA cleared?

The diagnostic viewing software carries CE marking under the medical device regulation and FDA 510(k) clearance for diagnostic interpretation, but the exact cleared indications differ per module and per market, so confirm for pathology specifically.

Share

Related pages

More on DHIS2

More on Sectra

Keep looking

Other head to heads