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Veterinary · head to head

Onward Vet vs VisionVPM

Onward Vet logo

Onward Vet

Veterinary

Small-vendor cloud practice management sold on flat subscription with unlimited users

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: Onward Vet the vendor is small, so support depth, release pace and the ability to absorb a serious outage are all limited compared with IDEXX, Covetrus or the larger cloud vendors.; 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: Onward Vet covers Flat practice subscription, VisionVPM covers Local database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Onward Vet and VisionVPM actually diverge.

Attributes where Onward Vet and VisionVPM differ
AttributeOnward VetVisionVPM
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows

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 Onward Vet

  • Flat practice subscription
  • Cloud hosted
  • Medical records and SOAP
  • Estimates and treatment plans
  • Client communication
  • Laboratory integration

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.

Onward Vet

  • A clinic with a large rota of part-time technicians and receptionists where per-seat pricing is disproportionatenot VisionVPM
  • A single-site practice leaving an ageing on-premise system that no longer wants to maintain a servernot VisionVPM
  • A new practice that needs a working record system quickly without a long configuration projectnot VisionVPM
  • A cost-sensitive clinic that wants cloud practice management without paying for integration breadth it will not usenot VisionVPM

VisionVPM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Onward Vet

  • The vendor is small, so support depth, release pace and the ability to absorb a serious outage are all limited compared with IDEXX, Covetrus or the larger cloud vendors.
  • The integration catalogue is short, so specialist imaging, communication or wellness plan tools that connect to ezyVet or Provet Cloud may need manual handling here.
  • Reporting is basic, so a practice that wants production analysis by veterinary surgeon, detailed inventory valuation or multi-site consolidation will be exporting data to a spreadsheet.
  • There is no on-premise option, so a clinic with an unreliable internet connection has no fallback when the link goes down and the appointment book becomes unreachable.
  • Concentration risk is real with a supplier of this size: acquisition, a change of direction or a funding problem would put your record system into other hands, so test the data export before committing.

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

Onward Vet

On request
  • Onward Vet$undefined/year
    • Quoted as a flat monthly practice subscription
    • Unlimited user accounts
    • Cloud hosting, backup and updates included

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 Onward Vet if

  • You need flat practice subscription.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want cloud hosted.
Onward Vet 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 Onward Vet or VisionVPM better?
Neither clearly leads. Onward Vet 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, Onward Vet or VisionVPM?
Onward Vet starts at On request and VisionVPM at On request.
Does Onward Vet or VisionVPM run on more platforms?
Onward Vet runs on Web, iOS, Android. VisionVPM runs on Windows.
What is Onward Vet best used for?
Onward Vet is most often used for a clinic with a large rota of part-time technicians and receptionists where per-seat pricing is disproportionate, a single-site practice leaving an ageing on-premise system that no longer wants to maintain a server, a new practice that needs a working record system quickly without a long configuration project, a cost-sensitive clinic that wants cloud practice management without paying for integration breadth it will not use. Of those, a clinic with a large rota of part-time technicians and receptionists where per-seat pricing is disproportionate and a single-site practice leaving an ageing on-premise system that no longer wants to maintain a server are not what VisionVPM is typically brought in for.
What can Onward Vet do that VisionVPM cannot?
Onward Vet covers Flat practice subscription, Cloud hosted, Medical records and SOAP, Estimates and treatment plans. VisionVPM covers Local database, Large and mixed animal modules, Stock and wholesale ordering, Debtor and account management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Onward Vet: How is it priced?

As a flat practice subscription with unlimited users, quoted rather than published, which is why it suits clinics with many part-time staff.

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.

Onward Vet: Is it suitable for a multi-site group?

Not really. It is built for single-site independent clinics; consolidated reporting and cross-site inventory are not its strength.

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.

Onward Vet: What happens if the internet goes down?

You lose access to the appointment book and records. There is no on-premise fallback, so a secondary connection is a sensible precaution.

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.

Onward Vet: Can I get my data out?

Ask for a full export during evaluation and check what format it comes in. With a small vendor this is a question to answer before you sign, not afterwards.

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