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Veterinary · head to head

Hippo Manager vs IDEXX Cornerstone

Hippo Manager logo

Hippo Manager

Veterinary

Cloud veterinary practice management software with flat per-user pricing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IDEXX Cornerstone logo

IDEXX Cornerstone

Veterinary

On-premise veterinary practice management software tied to the IDEXX diagnostics ecosystem

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hippo Manager pricing is per user, so a practice with a rota of part-time technicians and relief veterinarians pays full seats for people who log in a few times a month.; IDEXX Cornerstone the system runs on a server in the building, so the practice pays for hardware, backups and an IT provider, costs that never appear in a comparison against browser based competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Hippo Manager covers Cloud patient records, IDEXX Cornerstone covers Medical records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hippo Manager and IDEXX Cornerstone actually diverge.

Attributes where Hippo Manager and IDEXX Cornerstone differ
AttributeHippo ManagerIDEXX Cornerstone
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows

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

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 Hippo Manager

  • Cloud patient records
  • Scheduling
  • Invoicing and payments
  • Inventory
  • Laboratory results
  • Reporting

Only in IDEXX Cornerstone

  • Medical records
  • Diagnostics integration
  • Estimates and invoicing
  • Inventory control
  • Boarding and grooming
  • Wellness plans

What people use each for

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

Hippo Manager

  • A new clinic opening with no server, no IT provider and a need to be running within weeksnot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A mobile or house call veterinarian working from a tablet between appointmentsnot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A two doctor practice replacing a legacy on-premise system and wanting predictable monthly costnot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A veterinary teaching programme needing many inexpensive logins on shared recordsnot IDEXX Cornerstone

IDEXX Cornerstone

  • A multi-doctor general practice already running IDEXX in-house analysers that wants results in the record automaticallynot Hippo Manager
  • A clinic with unreliable internet where an on-site server keeps the practice working during an outagenot Hippo Manager
  • A practice that boards and grooms as well as treating, and wants those bookings on the same invoicenot Hippo Manager
  • A group needing consolidated reporting across a small number of owned locationsnot Hippo Manager

Where each one falls short

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

Hippo Manager

  • Pricing is per user, so a practice with a rota of part-time technicians and relief veterinarians pays full seats for people who log in a few times a month.
  • Inpatient and treatment sheet workflows are lighter than in systems built for referral and emergency hospitals, which pushes overnight care onto paper.
  • The integration catalogue is short relative to the larger cloud platforms, so a practice with an existing imaging, communications or payment preference may find no connector.
  • Multi-location reporting is basic, which limits its usefulness to a group beyond a handful of sites that wants consolidated production figures.
  • As a browser only system it stops when the internet does, and a practice without a backup connection loses records, scheduling and invoicing at the same time.

IDEXX Cornerstone

  • The system runs on a server in the building, so the practice pays for hardware, backups and an IT provider, costs that never appear in a comparison against browser based competitors.
  • It is Windows only with no meaningful mobile access, which rules it out for house call and ambulatory work and leaves staff tied to workstations.
  • The interface is dense and dated, so training a new receptionist or technician takes materially longer than on newer systems.
  • Commercial gravity runs towards IDEXX diagnostics, and a practice that later moves its laboratory work to a competitor loses the automation that justified the software.
  • IDEXX is directing new customers towards its cloud products, so investment in Cornerstone is maintenance oriented and buyers should assume a migration conversation within the life of the purchase.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hippo Manager

On request
  • Hippo Manager$undefined/month
    • Flat monthly subscription charged per user
    • Core clinical, billing and inventory functionality included
    • Data conversion and onboarding quoted separately

IDEXX Cornerstone

On request
  • Cornerstone$undefined/year
    • Licence priced by number of workstations and modules
    • Annual support and maintenance charged separately
    • Server hardware and IT support are the responsibility of the practice

Which should you pick?

Choose Hippo Manager if

  • You need cloud patient records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want scheduling.
Hippo Manager review

Choose IDEXX Cornerstone if

  • You need medical records.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want diagnostics integration.
IDEXX Cornerstone review

Questions people ask

Is Hippo Manager or IDEXX Cornerstone better?
Neither clearly leads. Hippo Manager starts at On request and IDEXX Cornerstone at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hippo Manager or IDEXX Cornerstone?
Hippo Manager starts at On request and IDEXX Cornerstone at On request.
Does Hippo Manager or IDEXX Cornerstone run on more platforms?
Hippo Manager runs on Web, iOS, Android. IDEXX Cornerstone runs on Windows.
What is Hippo Manager best used for?
Hippo Manager is most often used for a new clinic opening with no server, no it provider and a need to be running within weeks, a mobile or house call veterinarian working from a tablet between appointments, a two doctor practice replacing a legacy on-premise system and wanting predictable monthly cost, a veterinary teaching programme needing many inexpensive logins on shared records. Of those, a new clinic opening with no server, no it provider and a need to be running within weeks and a mobile or house call veterinarian working from a tablet between appointments are not what IDEXX Cornerstone is typically brought in for.
What can Hippo Manager do that IDEXX Cornerstone cannot?
Hippo Manager covers Cloud patient records, Scheduling, Invoicing and payments, Inventory. IDEXX Cornerstone covers Medical records, Diagnostics integration, Estimates and invoicing, Inventory control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hippo Manager: Is this veterinary software?

Yes. Hippo Manager is a veterinary practice management system for animal clinics, unrelated to similarly named products in other software categories.

IDEXX Cornerstone: Is Cornerstone cloud based?

No. It is installed on a server at the practice. IDEXX sells separate browser based products for clinics that want cloud.

Hippo Manager: How is it priced?

As a flat monthly fee per user with the feature set included, rather than a base licence plus paid modules.

IDEXX Cornerstone: Does it work with laboratories other than IDEXX?

Results can be handled, but the automatic requisition and result return that make Cornerstone worth its price are built around IDEXX.

Hippo Manager: Does it suit an emergency or referral hospital?

Not well. Inpatient workflow depth is limited and specialist practices should look at systems built for that setting.

IDEXX Cornerstone: What is the real total cost?

The licence and annual support are only part of it. Add the server, backup, workstation refreshes and an IT contract before comparing with cloud systems.

Hippo Manager: Is there an on-premise version?

No. It is browser only, which means no server to maintain and no offline working.

IDEXX Cornerstone: Can it be accessed from home?

Only through remote desktop or similar, set up and secured by the practice IT provider.

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