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Healthcare · head to head

Fujifilm Synapse vs OpenMRS

Fujifilm Synapse logo

Fujifilm Synapse

Healthcare

Enterprise imaging platform covering PACS, VNA, cardiology and 3D from Fujifilm Healthcare

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenMRS logo

OpenMRS

Healthcare

Open source electronic medical record platform for low-resource settings, with no vendor and paid implementers instead

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenMRS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fujifilm Synapse pACS, VNA, Cardiovascular and 3D are separately licensed and separately versioned, so an enterprise deployment means four upgrade cycles and four support relationships under one brand rather than one platform upgrade.; OpenMRS there is no vendor and no support contract from OpenMRS itself, so a procurement that requires a named supplier with a service level must instead contract an implementer, and the quality of that implementer determines the outcome more than the software does
  • They diverge on capability: Fujifilm Synapse covers Synapse PACS, OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fujifilm Synapse and OpenMRS actually diverge.

Attributes where Fujifilm Synapse and OpenMRS differ
AttributeFujifilm SynapseOpenMRS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, iOS, AndroidLinux, Web, Windows

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 Fujifilm Synapse

  • Synapse PACS
  • Synapse VNA
  • Synapse Cardiovascular
  • Synapse 3D
  • Synapse Mobility
  • Deconstructed PACS support
  • Cloud services

Only in OpenMRS

  • Concept dictionary
  • Modular architecture
  • Modern front end
  • FHIR support
  • Offline tolerance
  • Patient matching and registration
  • Distributions

What people use each for

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

Fujifilm Synapse

  • A hospital replacing PACS that wants the archive decoupled from its scanner vendor so future modality purchases stay competitivenot OpenMRS
  • A health system consolidating radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology and wound images into one vendor neutral archive with a single retention policynot OpenMRS
  • An outpatient imaging chain that needs one worklist across multiple sites and radiologists reading remotelynot OpenMRS
  • A site pursuing a deconstructed PACS strategy that wants to replace the viewer later without touching the archivenot OpenMRS

OpenMRS

  • A ministry of health standardising HIV treatment records across hundreds of facilities where per-patient licensing would be unaffordablenot Fujifilm Synapse
  • A hospital network in a country where no commercial vendor supports the local language, clinical forms or reporting requirementsnot Fujifilm Synapse
  • An NGO running a tuberculosis programme that must report into DHIS2 and needs the clinical record beneath it to be modifiablenot Fujifilm Synapse
  • A health system that wants to own its clinical data model outright rather than depend on a vendor to extend itnot Fujifilm Synapse

Where each one falls short

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

Fujifilm Synapse

  • PACS, VNA, Cardiovascular and 3D are separately licensed and separately versioned, so an enterprise deployment means four upgrade cycles and four support relationships under one brand rather than one platform upgrade.
  • Synapse 3D is licensed by concurrent user and sized from average concurrency, which leaves radiologists queued for advanced visualisation at the morning reading peak and forces an unplanned licence purchase.
  • As an independent informatics vendor Fujifilm has less privileged access to proprietary modality data than Philips or Siemens have on their own scanners, so some vendor specific post processing is not available.
  • The vendor neutral archive absorbs non DICOM object types only after per specialty configuration work, and departments such as ophthalmology and dermatology usually need bespoke ingestion projects that were not in the original scope.
  • Migrating a decade of priors from a legacy archive is a large professional services line that Fujifilm quotes separately, and these migrations regularly run past the contracted go live date.

OpenMRS

  • There is no vendor and no support contract from OpenMRS itself, so a procurement that requires a named supplier with a service level must instead contract an implementer, and the quality of that implementer determines the outcome more than the software does
  • It is a framework rather than a ready product, so a deployment requires clinical content, form design, concept dictionary work and integration before a single patient is registered, and that work is months of skilled effort
  • Funding comes largely from donor programmes, which makes the pace of core development dependent on grant cycles rather than on a commercial roadmap, and priorities can shift when a funder does
  • Distribution choice, core OpenMRS against Bahmni against Ozone, locks in a different set of components and a different implementer pool, and migrating between distributions later is close to a fresh implementation
  • The people cost never goes away: a national deployment needs permanent internal informatics capacity or a permanent support contract, and organisations that budget only the zero licence fee run out of money at the point the system becomes clinically critical

Pricing, plan by plan

Fujifilm Synapse

On request
  • Synapse$undefined/year
    • Each module licensed separately: PACS, VNA, Cardiovascular, 3D
    • Priced by annual study volume and concurrent diagnostic users
    • Synapse 3D licensed by concurrent user, separate from PACS

OpenMRS

Free
  • OpenMRSFree
    • Openly licensed, no licence fee and no seat limits
    • Community support through forums and the OpenMRS Talk platform
    • No support contract available from OpenMRS itself

Which should you pick?

Choose Fujifilm Synapse if

  • You need synapse pacs.
  • You work on Web, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want synapse vna.
Fujifilm Synapse review

Choose OpenMRS if

  • You need concept dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Web, Windows.
  • You also want modular architecture.
OpenMRS review

Questions people ask

Is Fujifilm Synapse or OpenMRS better?
Neither clearly leads. Fujifilm Synapse starts at On request and OpenMRS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fujifilm Synapse or OpenMRS?
OpenMRS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fujifilm Synapse and Free for OpenMRS.
Does Fujifilm Synapse or OpenMRS run on more platforms?
Fujifilm Synapse runs on Web, Windows, iOS, Android. OpenMRS runs on Linux, Web, Windows.
Can I use OpenMRS for free?
Yes. OpenMRS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fujifilm Synapse starts at On request.
What is Fujifilm Synapse best used for?
Fujifilm Synapse is most often used for a hospital replacing pacs that wants the archive decoupled from its scanner vendor so future modality purchases stay competitive, a health system consolidating radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology and wound images into one vendor neutral archive with a single retention policy, an outpatient imaging chain that needs one worklist across multiple sites and radiologists reading remotely, a site pursuing a deconstructed pacs strategy that wants to replace the viewer later without touching the archive. Of those, a hospital replacing pacs that wants the archive decoupled from its scanner vendor so future modality purchases stay competitive and a health system consolidating radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology and wound images into one vendor neutral archive with a single retention policy are not what OpenMRS is typically brought in for.
What can Fujifilm Synapse do that OpenMRS cannot?
Fujifilm Synapse covers Synapse PACS, Synapse VNA, Synapse Cardiovascular, Synapse 3D. OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary, Modular architecture, Modern front end, FHIR support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fujifilm Synapse: Is Synapse one product or several?

Several. Synapse PACS, Synapse VNA, Synapse Cardiovascular and Synapse 3D are separately licensed products under one brand. Price and scope each one individually.

OpenMRS: Who supports OpenMRS if it breaks?

Not OpenMRS itself. Support is bought from implementers such as Mekom Solutions, which offers long-term production service level agreements for OpenMRS, Bahmni and Ozone deployments, or from regional partners.

Fujifilm Synapse: Do I have to buy Fujifilm scanners?

No. Fujifilm sells Synapse independently of imaging hardware, which is a large part of why it wins competitive PACS replacements at mixed fleet sites.

OpenMRS: Is it really free?

The software has no licence fee. Hosting, configuration, clinical content, integration and support are the real cost, and they are ongoing.

Fujifilm Synapse: Does Synapse publish pricing?

No. Pricing is quoted by study volume, concurrent users, module mix and storage capacity.

OpenMRS: What is the difference between OpenMRS, Bahmni and Ozone?

OpenMRS is the core platform. Bahmni and Ozone are distributions that package it with billing, laboratory and inventory components. Choosing a distribution constrains your implementer options.

Fujifilm Synapse: Can Synapse VNA store non radiology images?

Yes, including visible light, ophthalmology and wound photography, but each specialty typically needs its own ingestion and metadata configuration project.

OpenMRS: Does it support FHIR?

Yes. FHIR support is the standard route for integrating laboratory, pharmacy and national reporting systems.

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