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Veterinary · head to head

ImproMed vs VisionVPM

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ImproMed

Veterinary

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VisionVPM logo

VisionVPM

Veterinary

On-premise practice management for veterinary groups in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland

From
On request
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.; VisionVPM it needs a Windows server, a backup regime and someone responsible for both, so the true cost includes IT support that cloud competitors absorb into their subscription.
  • They diverge on capability: ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, VisionVPM covers Local database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ImproMed and VisionVPM actually diverge.

Attributes where ImproMed and VisionVPM differ
AttributeImproMedVisionVPM

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), 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 ImproMed

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

Only in VisionVPM

  • Local database
  • Large and mixed animal modules
  • Stock and wholesale ordering
  • Debtor and account management
  • Multi-site consolidation
  • Clinical reminders

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 VisionVPM
  • A practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledgernot VisionVPM
  • A hospital in an area with unreliable internet that will not put the appointment book and records on a cloud connectionnot VisionVPM
  • A small group running wellness plans that need recurring billing and compliance tracking against patientsnot VisionVPM

VisionVPM

  • A rural mixed practice where internet connectivity is too unreliable to depend on a browser-only systemnot ImproMed
  • A corporate group that requires clinical and financial data to remain on infrastructure it controlsnot ImproMed
  • A farm-heavy practice needing herd recording and monthly account billing that companion-animal cloud systems handle poorlynot ImproMed
  • An established VisionVPM site weighing an upgrade against the cost and disruption of migrating to a cloud systemnot 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.

VisionVPM

  • It needs a Windows server, a backup regime and someone responsible for both, so the true cost includes IT support that cloud competitors absorb into their subscription.
  • Upgrades are scheduled events with downtime rather than transparent releases, which means version drift across a multi-site group and a coordination burden at each release.
  • Covetrus is steering customers towards its cloud product, so development effort is unlikely to favour VisionVPM long term and buyers should assume a migration eventually.
  • Remote and out-of-hours access requires a remote desktop or Citrix layer, which adds licensing, latency and another system to secure.
  • Ordering and prescription workflows are built around Covetrus as the supplier, so a practice buying from other wholesalers loses the automated parts and reverts to manual entry.

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

VisionVPM

On request
  • VisionVPM$undefined/year
    • Licence and annual support quoted per practice
    • Server hardware and Windows licences bought separately
    • Data migration quoted per site

Which should you pick?

Choose ImproMed if

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

Choose VisionVPM if

  • You need local database.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want large and mixed animal modules.
VisionVPM review

Questions people ask

Is ImproMed or VisionVPM better?
Neither clearly leads. ImproMed starts at On request and VisionVPM at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ImproMed or VisionVPM?
ImproMed starts at On request and VisionVPM at On request.
Does ImproMed or VisionVPM run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 VisionVPM is typically brought in for.
What can ImproMed do that VisionVPM cannot?
ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, Production reporting, Wellness plans, Laboratory and imaging integration. VisionVPM covers Local database, Large and mixed animal modules, Stock and wholesale ordering, Debtor and account management.

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.

VisionVPM: Can VisionVPM run in the cloud?

Only by hosting the Windows server yourself or through a partner and connecting over remote desktop. It is not a browser application and hosting it does not make it one.

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.

VisionVPM: Is VisionVPM still being developed?

It receives maintenance and compliance updates, but its owner sells a separate cloud product and directs new development there. Plan on a migration within the life of your next server.

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.

VisionVPM: Does it work outside Australasia and the UK?

It is sold and supported in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. Tax handling and supplier integrations are built for those markets.

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.

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