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Veterinary · head to head

Onward Vet vs RxWorks

Onward Vet logo

Onward Vet

Veterinary

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
R

RxWorks

Veterinary

Server-based practice management with a corporate group heritage in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom

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.; RxWorks it is a legacy line inside Covetrus, which promotes Pulse as its strategic cloud product, so the practical question is not capability but how long the system will be supported and on what notice.
  • They diverge on capability: Onward Vet covers Flat practice subscription, RxWorks covers Multi-site group operation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Onward Vet and RxWorks differ
AttributeOnward VetRxWorks
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

Only in RxWorks

  • Multi-site group operation
  • Dispensing and stock control
  • Client accounts
  • On-premise database
  • Regional configuration

Both cover

  • Laboratory integration

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 RxWorks
  • A single-site practice leaving an ageing on-premise system that no longer wants to maintain a servernot RxWorks
  • A new practice that needs a working record system quickly without a long configuration projectnot RxWorks
  • A cost-sensitive clinic that wants cloud practice management without paying for integration breadth it will not usenot RxWorks

RxWorks

  • A practice joining an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom group that already standardises on RxWorksnot Onward Vet
  • A group that needs consolidated reporting and centrally controlled price lists across many sitesnot Onward Vet
  • A mixed or large animal practice that runs account customers on credit terms rather than payment at the time of servicenot Onward Vet
  • A site that cannot rely on its internet connection and needs the clinical record held locallynot 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.

RxWorks

  • It is a legacy line inside Covetrus, which promotes Pulse as its strategic cloud product, so the practical question is not capability but how long the system will be supported and on what notice.
  • It is a Windows server product, so the group carries hardware, database, patching and backup costs that never appear in the software quotation.
  • Its relevance is regional: outside Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom the installed base and the support and consultant network are thin, which matters for a group expanding into new markets.
  • Remote and mobile working is poor compared with cloud systems, which is a growing problem as groups centralise administration and clinicians expect record access away from the practice.
  • The eventual migration off it will be a full data conversion with retraining across every site, and at group scale that project cost should be modelled now rather than treated as a future problem.

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

RxWorks

On request
  • RxWorks$undefined/year
    • Quoted per site, normally under a group agreement
    • Annual support and maintenance charged separately
    • Server infrastructure is the responsibility of the practice or group

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 RxWorks if

  • You need multi-site group operation.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want dispensing and stock control.
RxWorks review

Questions people ask

Is Onward Vet or RxWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Onward Vet starts at On request and RxWorks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Onward Vet or RxWorks?
Onward Vet starts at On request and RxWorks at On request.
Does Onward Vet or RxWorks run on more platforms?
Onward Vet runs on Web, iOS, Android. RxWorks 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 RxWorks is typically brought in for.
What can Onward Vet do that RxWorks cannot?
Onward Vet covers Flat practice subscription, Cloud hosted, Medical records and SOAP, Estimates and treatment plans. RxWorks covers Multi-site group operation, Dispensing and stock control, Client accounts, On-premise database. Both handle Laboratory integration.

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.

RxWorks: Should a new practice adopt RxWorks today?

Generally no, unless you are joining a group that already runs it. A new independent practice should be evaluating cloud systems instead.

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.

RxWorks: Is it still supported?

Covetrus supports it, but Pulse is the stated strategic product. Ask for the support commitment and the end-of-life notice period as written contract terms.

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.

RxWorks: Where is it actually used?

Mostly Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, heavily within corporate practice groups. It has very little presence in the United States.

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.

RxWorks: What does migration off it involve?

A full clinical and financial data conversion per site plus retraining. At group scale that is a programme of work, not a weekend.

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