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Healthcare · head to head

DrChrono vs Shepherd

DrChrono logo

DrChrono

Healthcare

All-in-one medical practice management and EHR platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shepherd logo

Shepherd

Veterinary

Cloud veterinary practice management built by a practising vet

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; Shepherd quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • They diverge on capability: DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records, Shepherd covers Consultation-first records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DrChrono and Shepherd actually diverge.

Attributes where DrChrono and Shepherd differ
AttributeDrChronoShepherd
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsiOS, iPad, WebWeb, Cloud
CategoryHealthcareVeterinary
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Shepherd

  • Consultation-first records
  • Charges from treatment
  • Inventory
  • Cloud-based

What people use each for

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

DrChrono

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

Shepherd

  • Practices losing revenue to treatment delivered but never billednot DrChrono
  • Clinics replacing on-premise legacy systemsnot DrChrono
  • Independent practices wanting something designed around clinical work rather than administrationnot 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

Shepherd

  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • A smaller vendor than the established systems, with a correspondingly shorter track record
  • Cloud-only, so consultations depend on clinic connectivity

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

Shepherd

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Shepherd review.

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 Shepherd if

  • You need consultation-first records.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want charges from treatment.
Shepherd review

Questions people ask

Is DrChrono or Shepherd better?
Neither clearly leads. DrChrono starts at On request and Shepherd at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DrChrono or Shepherd?
DrChrono starts at On request and Shepherd at On request.
Does DrChrono or Shepherd run on more platforms?
DrChrono runs on iOS, iPad, Web. Shepherd runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Shepherd is typically brought in for.
What can DrChrono do that Shepherd cannot?
DrChrono covers Electronic Health Records, Appointment Scheduling, Medical Billing, ePrescribing. Shepherd covers Consultation-first records, Charges from treatment, Inventory, Cloud-based.

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
Shepherd: What does Shepherd cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and not published.

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
Shepherd: What makes it different from other veterinary systems?

It was designed by a practising vet around the consultation workflow, so charges accrue from recorded treatment rather than being entered as a separate billing step.

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
Shepherd: Is it cloud-only?

Yes, which removes server maintenance and makes connectivity a dependency.

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
DrChrono: Does DrChrono include ePrescribing?

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

Source
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