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Veterinary · head to head

IDEXX Cornerstone vs Instinct Science

IDEXX Cornerstone logo

IDEXX Cornerstone

Veterinary

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Instinct Science logo

Instinct Science

Veterinary

Veterinary EMR built for emergency and specialty hospitals, plus Plumbs drug reference

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Instinct Science no pricing is published at all, so a practice cannot compare it against published competitors without a demo and a sales conversation.
  • They diverge on capability: IDEXX Cornerstone covers Medical records, Instinct Science covers Instinct Treatment Plan.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IDEXX Cornerstone and Instinct Science actually diverge.

Attributes where IDEXX Cornerstone and Instinct Science differ
AttributeIDEXX CornerstoneInstinct Science
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android

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 IDEXX Cornerstone

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

Only in Instinct Science

  • Instinct Treatment Plan
  • Charge capture from treatments
  • Instinct EMR
  • Primary care edition
  • Plumbs drug reference
  • ScribbleVet
  • Standards

What people use each for

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

IDEXX Cornerstone

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

Instinct Science

  • A twenty four hour emergency hospital where treatments are ordered on a sheet and currently reconciled to invoices by hand at dischargenot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A specialty referral centre running multiple services on one hospitalised patient that needs a shared, current treatment plan across shiftsnot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A hospital losing measurable revenue to missed charge capture on inpatient treatments and fluidsnot IDEXX Cornerstone
  • A practice that already relies on Plumbs for dosing and wants drug reference and interaction checking inside the record rather than in a separate tabnot IDEXX Cornerstone

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Instinct Science

  • No pricing is published at all, so a practice cannot compare it against published competitors without a demo and a sales conversation.
  • The design centres on inpatient treatment sheets, so an appointment driven general practice pays for strength in a workflow it barely uses and should evaluate the primary care edition on its own merits rather than the hospital reputation.
  • Retail, inventory and reminder marketing workflows are thinner than in long established general practice systems, so a practice with a significant shop or food business may need workarounds.
  • Plumbs and ScribbleVet are separately licensed even though the same company owns them, so the tidy single vendor story still arrives as more than one line on the invoice.
  • It is a smaller vendor than the corporate owned incumbents, which is an advantage on responsiveness and a risk on acquisition, and veterinary software has consolidated heavily in recent years.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Instinct Science

On request
  • Instinct EMR$undefined/year
    • Quoted through a demo and sales process, nothing published
    • Priced by practice size and modules taken
    • Plumbs and ScribbleVet are separately licensed products from the same company

Which should you pick?

Choose IDEXX Cornerstone if

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

Choose Instinct Science if

  • You need instinct treatment plan.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want charge capture from treatments.
Instinct Science review

Questions people ask

Is IDEXX Cornerstone or Instinct Science better?
Neither clearly leads. IDEXX Cornerstone starts at On request and Instinct Science at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IDEXX Cornerstone or Instinct Science?
IDEXX Cornerstone starts at On request and Instinct Science at On request.
Does IDEXX Cornerstone or Instinct Science run on more platforms?
IDEXX Cornerstone runs on Windows. Instinct Science runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is IDEXX Cornerstone best used for?
IDEXX Cornerstone is most often used for a multi-doctor general practice already running idexx in-house analysers that wants results in the record automatically, a clinic with unreliable internet where an on-site server keeps the practice working during an outage, a practice that boards and grooms as well as treating, and wants those bookings on the same invoice, a group needing consolidated reporting across a small number of owned locations. Of those, a multi-doctor general practice already running idexx in-house analysers that wants results in the record automatically and a clinic with unreliable internet where an on-site server keeps the practice working during an outage are not what Instinct Science is typically brought in for.
What can IDEXX Cornerstone do that Instinct Science cannot?
IDEXX Cornerstone covers Medical records, Diagnostics integration, Estimates and invoicing, Inventory control. Instinct Science covers Instinct Treatment Plan, Charge capture from treatments, Instinct EMR, Primary care edition.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Instinct Science: Is Instinct only for emergency hospitals?

No, there is a primary care edition, but the product design and its main advantage come from inpatient treatment sheets and hospital workflows.

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.

Instinct Science: Is pricing published?

No. Everything runs through a demo and a quote.

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.

Instinct Science: Does it include Plumbs?

Instinct Science owns Plumbs, but it is licensed separately rather than bundled into the EMR by default.

IDEXX Cornerstone: Can it be accessed from home?

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

Instinct Science: What is the main reason practices switch to it?

Charge capture. Treatments recorded on the digital treatment sheet become charges automatically, which recovers revenue that paper sheets lose.

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