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Veterinary · head to head

ImproMed vs Nookal

I

ImproMed

Veterinary

On-premise Windows practice management with deep inventory and financial reporting, now inside Covetrus

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nookal logo

Nookal

Healthcare

Australian allied health practice management priced per practitioner with usage charges on top

From
49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ImproMed it is a server-based Windows product, so the practice owns the hardware, the SQL database, the patching and the backup regime, and those costs never appear in the software quotation.; Nookal the features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • They diverge on capability: ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ImproMed and Nookal actually diverge.

Attributes where ImproMed and Nookal differ
AttributeImproMedNookal
Starting priceOn request49/month
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryVeterinaryHealthcare

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 ImproMed

  • Multi-location inventory
  • Production reporting
  • Wellness plans
  • Laboratory and imaging integration
  • On-premise deployment
  • Covetrus prescription management

Only in Nookal

  • Per practitioner pricing
  • Clinical notes
  • Online booking
  • Automated recalls
  • KPI dashboards
  • Claiming
  • Patient portal
  • AI and voice

What people use each for

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

ImproMed

  • A multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparisonnot Nookal
  • A practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledgernot Nookal
  • A hospital in an area with unreliable internet that will not put the appointment book and records on a cloud connectionnot Nookal
  • A small group running wellness plans that need recurring billing and compliance tracking against patientsnot Nookal

Nookal

  • A three to ten practitioner physiotherapy clinic in Australia that wants Medicare claiming and published pricing rather than a quote processnot ImproMed
  • A New Zealand practice that needs ACC claim submission integrated with its clinical notes and billingnot ImproMed
  • A chiropractic group opening a second location that wants shared patient records and one reporting view across sitesnot ImproMed
  • A UK or Irish allied health clinic that wants an Australian-style clinical workflow with GBP or EUR billingnot ImproMed

Where each one falls short

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

ImproMed

  • It is a server-based Windows product, so the practice owns the hardware, the SQL database, the patching and the backup regime, and those costs never appear in the software quotation.
  • Covetrus markets Pulse as its strategic cloud platform while holding three legacy practice management systems, so ask directly what development ImproMed still receives and get the support commitment and end-of-life notice period in writing.
  • Remote and mobile access is weak compared with cloud systems, which matters for on-call work, home record review and multi-site groups sharing patients.
  • The interface is dense and dated, and training a new receptionist or technician on it takes materially longer than on a modern cloud system.
  • If Covetrus does steer customers to Pulse, the migration is a full data conversion with retraining, so the cost of the eventual move should be priced into the decision now rather than later.

Nookal

  • The features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • Add-ons stack quickly: AI and voice at about USD 25 per active licence, the patient portal from USD 10 per location and secure messaging from USD 1.50 per user can push a seat close to double its list price.
  • Pricing is not a simple currency conversion, with the USD Essentials tier at 65 and Professional at 89 against AUD 49 and 59, so overseas clinics pay a meaningful premium for the same software.
  • Messaging and claiming are metered per SMS and per claim, so a clinic that leans on reminders to control no-shows finds a variable line item that grows with appointment volume and is easy to underestimate at purchase.
  • Single sign-on is quoted rather than listed and sits with the Enterprise tier, which puts basic identity governance out of reach for mid-sized groups that would otherwise stay on Professional.

Pricing, plan by plan

ImproMed

On request
  • ImproMed Infinity$undefined/year
    • Quoted per practice with a licence and an annual support agreement
    • Server hardware and database licensing are the responsibility of the practice
    • Data conversion and training charged separately

Nookal

49/month
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Appointments, patient records and invoicing
    • Online booking
  • Professional$59/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Advanced reporting and KPI dashboards
    • Custom forms
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Multi-account management
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose ImproMed if

  • You need multi-location inventory.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want production reporting.
ImproMed review

Choose Nookal if

  • You need per practitioner pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want clinical notes.
Nookal review

Questions people ask

Is ImproMed or Nookal better?
Neither clearly leads. ImproMed starts at On request and Nookal at 49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ImproMed or Nookal?
ImproMed starts at On request and Nookal at 49/month.
Does ImproMed or Nookal run on more platforms?
ImproMed runs on Windows. Nookal runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is ImproMed best used for?
ImproMed is most often used for a multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparison, a practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledger, a hospital in an area with unreliable internet that will not put the appointment book and records on a cloud connection, a small group running wellness plans that need recurring billing and compliance tracking against patients. Of those, a multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparison and a practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledger are not what Nookal is typically brought in for.
What can ImproMed do that Nookal cannot?
ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, Production reporting, Wellness plans, Laboratory and imaging integration. Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing, Clinical notes, Online booking, Automated recalls.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ImproMed: Is ImproMed still being developed?

Ask Covetrus for a release history and a written support commitment. Pulse is the stated strategic cloud product, and ImproMed, AVImark and RxWorks are all legacy systems in the same portfolio.

Nookal: How much does Nookal cost per practitioner?

Essentials is AUD 49 per practitioner per month and Professional is AUD 59, with published equivalents of GBP 29 and 39, EUR 65 and 89, and USD 65 and 89. Enterprise is quoted.

ImproMed: Can it run in the cloud?

It is designed for an on-premise server. Hosting it on a remote desktop service is possible but it is not a native cloud application and does not behave like one.

Nookal: What is not included in the subscription?

SMS from about 7 cents per message, Medicare claims from about 10 cents, ACC claims at about 12 cents, the patient portal, secure messaging, AI and voice, and single sign-on are all charged separately.

ImproMed: What is it better at than cloud alternatives?

Inventory control and financial and production reporting. Practices with high stock value and several veterinary surgeons are the ones that notice the difference.

Nookal: Is there a contract?

No lock-in contract, and the free trial does not require a credit card.

ImproMed: What happens to my data if we move to Pulse?

A conversion project. Establish before signing what Covetrus will convert, what it will not, and who pays for it.

Nookal: Which countries does the claiming work in?

Medicare claiming is Australian and ACC claiming is New Zealand. Elsewhere the software works but you invoice and reconcile manually.

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