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Healthcare · head to head

OpenClinica vs Practice Fusion

OpenClinica logo

OpenClinica

Healthcare

Clinical trial EDC with a genuinely open source community edition alongside a quoted commercial platform

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: OpenClinica the free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.; Practice Fusion cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
  • They diverge on capability: OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, 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 OpenClinica and Practice Fusion actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenClinica and Practice Fusion differ
AttributeOpenClinicaPractice Fusion
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2005

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 OpenClinica

  • Open source community edition
  • Electronic data capture
  • eConsent
  • eCOA and ePRO
  • Randomisation
  • EHR-to-EDC
  • Audit trail
  • Reporting and analytics

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.

OpenClinica

  • An academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs Part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eClinical budgetnot Practice Fusion
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot Practice Fusion
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot Practice Fusion
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot Practice Fusion

Practice Fusion

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

Where each one falls short

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

OpenClinica

  • The free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • The vendor provides no support or services at all for the community edition, which means outages, patching, database upgrades and validation documentation are entirely your problem.
  • Commercial pricing is not published, so you cannot benchmark it against alternatives without entering a sales process, and third-party figures around USD 1,000 a month are indicative rather than contractual.
  • Study build is skilled work: complex edit checks, randomisation schemes and integrations usually mean paying for vendor or consultant configuration services on top of the licence, which is a frequently underestimated line in the budget.
  • As a smaller vendor than the large eClinical suites it has a thinner partner and consultant ecosystem, so finding experienced build staff or a CRO already fluent in the platform is harder than with the market incumbents.

Practice Fusion

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

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenClinica

On request
  • Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Free and open source under the LGPL
    • Self-hosted, on the older 3.x line
    • No vendor support or services of any kind
  • OpenClinica Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Pricing only through a sales process
    • Hosted and validated instance
    • EDC, eConsent, eCOA, randomisation and analytics modules

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 OpenClinica if

  • You need open source community edition.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want electronic data capture.
OpenClinica 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 OpenClinica or Practice Fusion better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenClinica 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, OpenClinica or Practice Fusion?
Practice Fusion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OpenClinica and Free for Practice Fusion.
Does OpenClinica or Practice Fusion run on more platforms?
OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android. Practice Fusion runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Practice Fusion for free?
Yes. Practice Fusion has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenClinica starts at On request.
What is OpenClinica best used for?
OpenClinica is most often used for an academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eclinical budget, a registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over years, a small device sponsor that needs econsent and epro in the same system as its case report forms, an informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal study. Of those, an academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eclinical budget and a registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over years are not what Practice Fusion is typically brought in for.
What can OpenClinica do that Practice Fusion cannot?
OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO. Practice Fusion covers Electronic Health Records, e-Prescribing, Lab Orders, Patient Portal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenClinica: Is OpenClinica free?

There is a genuinely free, LGPL licensed community edition you host yourself with no vendor support. The commercial platform with eConsent, eCOA and a validated hosted instance is quoted and paid.

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
OpenClinica: Is the open source version still maintained?

Yes, releases on the 3.x line continued through 2025, but it is a separate and older architecture from the commercial product.

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
OpenClinica: Does it meet 21 CFR Part 11?

The commercial hosted platform is built for Part 11 and GCP compliance. If you self-host the community edition, compliance and validation are entirely your responsibility.

OpenClinica: What does the commercial version cost?

Not published. Third-party listings suggest enterprise arrangements from around USD 1,000 per month, but real cost depends on study count, subjects, modules and build services.

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