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Veterinary · head to head

Hippo Manager vs Practice Fusion

Hippo Manager logo

Hippo Manager

Veterinary

Cloud veterinary practice management software with flat per-user pricing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Practice Fusion logo

Practice Fusion

Healthcare

Free cloud-based EHR for medical practices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Practice Fusion has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Practice Fusion cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
  • They diverge on capability: Hippo Manager covers Cloud patient records, Practice Fusion covers Electronic Health Records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hippo Manager and Practice Fusion actually diverge.

Attributes where Hippo Manager and Practice Fusion differ
AttributeHippo ManagerPractice Fusion
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
CategoryVeterinaryHealthcare
FoundedUnknown2005

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Hippo Manager

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

Only in Practice Fusion

  • Electronic Health Records
  • e-Prescribing
  • Lab Orders
  • Patient Portal
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Imaging Centers
  • HIPAA

Both cover

  • Scheduling

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 Practice Fusion
  • A mobile or house call veterinarian working from a tablet between appointmentsnot Practice Fusion
  • A two doctor practice replacing a legacy on-premise system and wanting predictable monthly costnot Practice Fusion
  • A veterinary teaching programme needing many inexpensive logins on shared recordsnot Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion

  • Small to medium medical practicesnot Hippo Manager
  • Primary care clinicsnot Hippo Manager
  • Independent clinicians needing electronic chartingnot Hippo Manager
  • Practice management and billing workflowsnot 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.

Practice Fusion

  • Cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
  • Requires annual commitment for pricing

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

Practice Fusion

Free
  • Standard$199/month
    • Provider license with e-prescribing and chart signing
    • 3 signing staff licenses included
    • Unlimited non-signing staff licenses

Which should you pick?

Choose Hippo Manager if

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

Choose Practice Fusion if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want e-prescribing.
Practice Fusion review

Questions people ask

Is Hippo Manager or Practice Fusion better?
Neither clearly leads. Hippo Manager starts at On request and Practice Fusion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hippo Manager or Practice Fusion?
Practice Fusion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Hippo Manager and Free for Practice Fusion.
Does Hippo Manager or Practice Fusion run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Practice Fusion for free?
Yes. Practice Fusion has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hippo Manager starts at On request.
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 Practice Fusion is typically brought in for.
What can Hippo Manager do that Practice Fusion cannot?
Hippo Manager covers Cloud patient records, Invoicing and payments, Inventory, Laboratory results. Practice Fusion covers Electronic Health Records, e-Prescribing, Lab Orders, Patient Portal. Both handle Scheduling.

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.

Practice Fusion: How much does Practice Fusion cost?

Practice Fusion starts at $199 per month per provider with an annual commitment required. The pricing includes 3 signing staff licenses and unlimited non-signing staff licenses.

Source
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.

Practice Fusion: Does Practice Fusion offer a free trial?

Yes, Practice Fusion offers a complimentary 2-week trial with no commitment, no upfront costs, and no credit card required.

Source
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.

Hippo Manager: Is there an on-premise version?

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

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