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Healthcare · head to head

DHIS2 vs Koa Health

DHIS2 logo

DHIS2

Healthcare

Open source health information platform run from the University of Oslo and used by national ministries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Koa Health logo

Koa Health

Healthcare

Employer and health plan digital mental health, acquired by PsychPlus in June 2026

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DHIS2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DHIS2 the licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.; Koa Health psychPlus acquired Koa Health in June 2026, so buyers are now contracting with the technology arm of an American psychiatry provider group rather than a European digital health company, and roadmap, data residency and European product investment should all be re-examined before renewal.
  • They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Koa Health covers Stepped care triage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and Koa Health actually diverge.

Attributes where DHIS2 and Koa Health differ
AttributeDHIS2Koa Health
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hosted, CloudWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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 DHIS2

  • Aggregate data reporting
  • Tracker
  • Android capture app
  • Dashboards and analytics
  • Metadata packages
  • Data quality tools
  • GIS mapping
  • Interoperability

Only in Koa Health

  • Stepped care triage
  • Self guided digital modules
  • Coaching tier
  • Licensed clinical care
  • Employer and plan reporting
  • Multi country delivery
  • Clinical governance

What people use each for

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

DHIS2

  • A ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine systemnot Koa Health
  • A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot Koa Health
  • A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot Koa Health
  • An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot Koa Health

Koa Health

  • An employer that wants something between a meditation app and a full clinical benefit, with triage deciding which members need a cliniciannot DHIS2
  • A European health plan needing a digital mental health offering with clinical governance and local language deliverynot DHIS2
  • A health system wanting to absorb low acuity behavioural health demand before it reaches scarce psychiatry appointmentsnot DHIS2
  • A multinational standardising a stepped care pathway across several European markets under one contractnot DHIS2

Where each one falls short

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

DHIS2

  • The licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.
  • HISP UiO introduced a Shared Services Fee in 2025, so organisations that depend on DHIS2 are now being asked for an annual contribution that did not previously exist in their plans.
  • Development funding comes from a small set of donors including Norad, the Global Fund and the Gates Foundation, which concentrates the platform's long-term direction in the priorities of those funders.
  • Implementation capability is concentrated in regional HISP groups, so a country whose local HISP group is overstretched has few alternative suppliers with equivalent expertise.
  • Analytics performance depends heavily on how metadata was designed at the outset, and a poorly structured initial configuration produces slow dashboards and bad indicator definitions that are painful to correct years later.

Koa Health

  • PsychPlus acquired Koa Health in June 2026, so buyers are now contracting with the technology arm of an American psychiatry provider group rather than a European digital health company, and roadmap, data residency and European product investment should all be re-examined before renewal.
  • Stepped care only produces savings when triage is accurate, and members routed to a self guided module when they believe they need a therapist commonly disengage entirely, which a utilisation report records as low engagement rather than as a triage failure.
  • Pricing is per employee or per member per month across the eligible population, so an employer with modest engagement pays for everyone in order to serve a minority.
  • Clinician availability and language coverage differ substantially by country, so a multinational contract that reads as one global standard delivers a materially different experience in secondary markets.
  • Koa competes against much larger and better funded benefits vendors in the United States, and the acquisition does not change the fact that its brand recognition with American benefits consultants is low, which affects broker driven shortlists.

Pricing, plan by plan

DHIS2

Free
  • DHIS2 softwareFree
    • BSD licence
    • All modules including Tracker
    • No user or facility limits
  • Shared Services Fee$undefined/year
    • Voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO
    • Funds shared global infrastructure and platform sustainability
    • Amount agreed with the HISP Centre
  • Implementation and support$undefined/year
    • Delivered by regional HISP groups or private implementers
    • Configuration, metadata design, hosting, training and support
    • Quoted per programme, commonly the dominant cost

Koa Health

On request
  • Koa Health$undefined/year
    • Per employee per month or per member per month, quoted not published
    • Rate depends on which steps of the care ladder are included
    • Clinical tier access priced separately from digital content access

Which should you pick?

Choose DHIS2 if

  • You need aggregate data reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want tracker.
DHIS2 review

Choose Koa Health if

  • You need stepped care triage.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want self guided digital modules.
Koa Health review

Questions people ask

Is DHIS2 or Koa Health better?
Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and Koa Health at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or Koa Health?
DHIS2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DHIS2 and On request for Koa Health.
Does DHIS2 or Koa Health run on more platforms?
DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. Koa Health runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use DHIS2 for free?
Yes. DHIS2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Koa Health starts at On request.
What is DHIS2 best used for?
DHIS2 is most often used for a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system, a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts, a disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mapping, an ngo running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offline. Of those, a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system and a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts are not what Koa Health is typically brought in for.
What can DHIS2 do that Koa Health cannot?
DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. Koa Health covers Stepped care triage, Self guided digital modules, Coaching tier, Licensed clinical care.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DHIS2: Who owns and develops DHIS2?

The HISP Centre at the University of Oslo, funded by donors including Norad, the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome.

Koa Health: Is Koa Health still operating?

Yes. PsychPlus acquired it in June 2026 and the brand and platform continue. It is not a shutdown, but the ownership and clinical direction have changed.

DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?

The software is free under a BSD licence. Implementation, hosting, training and support are not, and are the dominant cost.

Koa Health: Who buys Koa Health?

Employers, health plans and health systems. It is not sold direct to individuals.

DHIS2: What is the Shared Services Fee?

A voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO in 2025 to fund shared global infrastructure and long-term platform sustainability.

Koa Health: How is it priced?

Per employee or per member per month, quoted rather than published, with the rate depending on which steps of the care ladder are in scope.

DHIS2: Can I buy commercial support?

Yes, from regional HISP groups or private implementers such as Devotta, which is contracted by HISP UiO for core platform development and also works independently.

Koa Health: Does it provide access to psychiatrists?

Clinical access is included in the higher tiers, and the PsychPlus acquisition adds psychiatry provider capacity in the United States. Confirm what your specific contract covers.

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