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Healthcare · head to head

DrChrono vs OpenClinica

DrChrono logo

DrChrono

Healthcare

All-in-one medical practice management and EHR platform

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: DrChrono iOS-only mobile app with no Android support, limiting accessibility for non-Apple users; 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: DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records, 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 DrChrono and OpenClinica actually diverge.

Attributes where DrChrono and OpenClinica differ
AttributeDrChronoOpenClinica
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsiOS, iPad, WebWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, Android
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 DrChrono

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Medical Billing
  • ePrescribing
  • Patient Portal
  • Telehealth
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies

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.

DrChrono

  • 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 DrChrono
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot DrChrono
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot DrChrono
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot DrChrono

Where each one falls short

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

DrChrono

  • iOS-only mobile app with no Android support, limiting accessibility for non-Apple users
  • Multi-provider scheduling lacks flexibility, forcing practices to use manual workarounds
  • Medical billing is unreliable and complex, with claims processing cited as difficult and error-prone
  • Billing features only available in higher-tier plans
  • Support quality declined post-acquisition by EverHealth, with slower response times
  • Auto-renewal contracts with unclear disclosure and restricted data portability when switching
  • No published pricing, requires sales contact for quotes

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

DrChrono

On request
  • Prometheus$undefined/mo
    • Core EHR
    • Limited users
  • Hippocrates$undefined/mo
    • EHR + Practice Management
    • Multiple providers
  • Apollo$undefined/mo
    • Full features
    • Advanced analytics
  • Apollo Plus$undefined/mo
    • Apollo features
    • Premium support
    • Add-on integrations

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 DrChrono if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on iOS, iPad, Web.
  • You also want appointment scheduling.
DrChrono 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 DrChrono or OpenClinica better?
Neither clearly leads. DrChrono 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, DrChrono or OpenClinica?
DrChrono starts at On request and OpenClinica at On request.
Does DrChrono or OpenClinica run on more platforms?
DrChrono runs on iOS, iPad, Web. OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
What is DrChrono best used for?
DrChrono 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 DrChrono do that OpenClinica cannot?
DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records, Appointment Scheduling, Medical Billing, ePrescribing. OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DrChrono: What platforms does DrChrono support?

DrChrono is built primarily for Apple devices, with a native iPad app and iOS mobile app. Android users are limited to web browser access without full mobile functionality.

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.

DrChrono: Does DrChrono include practice management and medical billing?

Yes. DrChrono combines EHR, practice management, and medical billing into one platform. However, billing features are only available in higher-tier plans, and users report unreliable claims processing.

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.

DrChrono: How much does DrChrono cost?

DrChrono uses four pricing tiers (Prometheus, Hippocrates, Apollo, and Apollo Plus) but does not publish pricing. Costs vary by provider count and add-ons. Interested users must contact sales for custom quotes.

Source
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.

DrChrono: Can I do patient messaging in DrChrono?

Patient messaging is available but only as an add-on feature with additional costs beyond the base subscription.

Source
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.

DrChrono: Does DrChrono include ePrescribing?

Yes. DrChrono includes integrated ePrescribing capabilities built into the platform for prescription management.

Source
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