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Veterinary · head to head

Instinct Science vs Practice Fusion

Instinct Science logo

Instinct Science

Veterinary

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

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: Instinct Science no pricing is published at all, so a practice cannot compare it against published competitors without a demo and a sales conversation.; Practice Fusion cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
  • They diverge on capability: Instinct Science covers Instinct Treatment Plan, Practice Fusion covers Electronic Health Records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instinct Science and Practice Fusion actually diverge.

Attributes where Instinct Science and Practice Fusion differ
AttributeInstinct SciencePractice 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 Instinct Science

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

Only in Practice Fusion

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

What people use each for

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

Instinct Science

  • A twenty four hour emergency hospital where treatments are ordered on a sheet and currently reconciled to invoices by hand at dischargenot Practice Fusion
  • A specialty referral centre running multiple services on one hospitalised patient that needs a shared, current treatment plan across shiftsnot Practice Fusion
  • A hospital losing measurable revenue to missed charge capture on inpatient treatments and fluidsnot Practice Fusion
  • 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 Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion

  • Small to medium medical practicesnot Instinct Science
  • Primary care clinicsnot Instinct Science
  • Independent clinicians needing electronic chartingnot Instinct Science
  • Practice management and billing workflowsnot Instinct Science

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Practice Fusion

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

Pricing, plan by plan

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

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 Instinct Science if

  • You need instinct treatment plan.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want charge capture from treatments.
Instinct Science 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 Instinct Science or Practice Fusion better?
Neither clearly leads. Instinct Science 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, Instinct Science or Practice Fusion?
Practice Fusion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Instinct Science and Free for Practice Fusion.
Does Instinct Science 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. Instinct Science starts at On request.
What is Instinct Science best used for?
Instinct Science is most often used for a twenty four hour emergency hospital where treatments are ordered on a sheet and currently reconciled to invoices by hand at discharge, a specialty referral centre running multiple services on one hospitalised patient that needs a shared, current treatment plan across shifts, a hospital losing measurable revenue to missed charge capture on inpatient treatments and fluids, a practice that already relies on plumbs for dosing and wants drug reference and interaction checking inside the record rather than in a separate tab. Of those, a twenty four hour emergency hospital where treatments are ordered on a sheet and currently reconciled to invoices by hand at discharge and a specialty referral centre running multiple services on one hospitalised patient that needs a shared, current treatment plan across shifts are not what Practice Fusion is typically brought in for.
What can Instinct Science do that Practice Fusion cannot?
Instinct Science covers Instinct Treatment Plan, Charge capture from treatments, Instinct EMR, Primary care edition. Practice Fusion covers Electronic Health Records, e-Prescribing, Lab Orders, Patient Portal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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
Instinct Science: Is pricing published?

No. Everything runs through a demo and a quote.

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
Instinct Science: Does it include Plumbs?

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

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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