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Healthcare · head to head

Ginger vs OpenMRS

Ginger logo

Ginger

Healthcare

Digital mental health platform with coaching and therapy

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: Ginger no longer sold as Ginger. It is part of Headspace, and ginger.com redirects to the Headspace organizations site; 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: Ginger covers Mental Health Coaching, OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ginger and OpenMRS actually diverge.

Attributes where Ginger and OpenMRS differ
AttributeGingerOpenMRS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileLinux, Web, Windows
Founded2012Unknown

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 Ginger

  • Mental Health Coaching
  • Therapy
  • Psychiatry
  • Meditation
  • Crisis Support
  • Wellness Content
  • Health Plans
  • Employers

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.

Ginger

  • Employer-funded mental health coaching for staffnot OpenMRS
  • Therapy and psychiatry access through an employee benefitnot OpenMRS
  • Self-guided meditation and sleep content alongside clinical carenot OpenMRS
  • Workplace mental health workshopsnot OpenMRS

OpenMRS

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

Where each one falls short

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

Ginger

  • No longer sold as Ginger. It is part of Headspace, and ginger.com redirects to the Headspace organizations site
  • Bought by employers, health plans and consultants rather than by individuals
  • Pricing is not published

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

Ginger

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ginger review.

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 Ginger if

  • You need mental health coaching.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want therapy.
Ginger 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 Ginger or OpenMRS better?
Neither clearly leads. Ginger 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, Ginger or OpenMRS?
OpenMRS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ginger and Free for OpenMRS.
Does Ginger or OpenMRS run on more platforms?
Ginger runs on Web, Mobile. 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. Ginger starts at On request.
What is Ginger best used for?
Ginger is most often used for employer-funded mental health coaching for staff, therapy and psychiatry access through an employee benefit, self-guided meditation and sleep content alongside clinical care, workplace mental health workshops. Of those, employer-funded mental health coaching for staff and therapy and psychiatry access through an employee benefit are not what OpenMRS is typically brought in for.
What can Ginger do that OpenMRS cannot?
Ginger covers Mental Health Coaching, Therapy, Psychiatry, Meditation. OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary, Modular architecture, Modern front end, FHIR support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ginger: How is Headspace for Organizations priced?

Headspace for Organizations uses a custom pricing model based on company size, employee count, and specific services needed. Detailed pricing is not available on the public website.

Source
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.

Ginger: Do you offer a trial for Headspace for Organizations?

To learn about trial availability, you must request a demo through the website or contact Headspace directly at [email protected].

Source
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.

Ginger: What services are included in Headspace for Organizations?

Headspace for Organizations includes EAP (Employee Assistance Program), Care services, coaching, therapy, and psychiatry support, though specific features included at each pricing level are not detailed on the website.

Source
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.

OpenMRS: Does it support FHIR?

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

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