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Healthcare · head to head

DHIS2 vs SilverCloud by Amwell

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
SilverCloud by Amwell logo

SilverCloud by Amwell

Healthcare

Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy with a published randomised trial evidence base

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.; SilverCloud by Amwell the evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.
  • They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and SilverCloud by Amwell actually diverge.

Attributes where DHIS2 and SilverCloud by Amwell differ
AttributeDHIS2SilverCloud by Amwell
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 SilverCloud by Amwell

  • Guided programmes
  • Supporter review
  • Symptom measurement
  • Clinician dashboard
  • Risk detection
  • NHS talking therapies alignment
  • Multiple deployment models

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 SilverCloud by Amwell
  • A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot SilverCloud by Amwell
  • A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot SilverCloud by Amwell
  • An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot SilverCloud by Amwell

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • An NHS talking therapies service needing a digital option that fits national reporting requirements and reduces waiting list pressure for step two interventionsnot DHIS2
  • A health plan wanting a digital mental health offering it can defend to a clinical governance committee with peer reviewed trial evidencenot DHIS2
  • A university counselling service facing demand it cannot staff, using guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy as a first stepnot DHIS2
  • An employer that wants an evidence based clinical intervention rather than a wellbeing content librarynot 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.

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • The evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.
  • Supporter capacity is normally the buyer responsibility rather than part of the licence, so the real cost includes trained staff time that does not appear on the software quote.
  • Digital cognitive behavioural therapy has substantial dropout across all vendors, so a service planning capacity from enrolment numbers rather than completion numbers will overstate the throughput gained.
  • It is now sold as part of the Amwell portfolio, and Amwell has restructured its product lines since acquiring SilverCloud, so buyers should ask how SilverCloud is positioned within the Amwell Converge platform and whether it can still be bought standalone.
  • Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy is a step two intervention and does not serve moderate to severe presentations, so a service that buys it without a funded escalation pathway simply relocates the queue.

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

SilverCloud by Amwell

On request
  • SilverCloud by Amwell$undefined/year
    • Priced per member per month or per completed course depending on the buyer type
    • Supporter capacity is usually provided by the buyer, not included in the licence
    • Programme library scope affects the rate

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 SilverCloud by Amwell if

  • You need guided programmes.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want supporter review.
SilverCloud by Amwell review

Questions people ask

Is DHIS2 or SilverCloud by Amwell better?
Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and SilverCloud by Amwell at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or SilverCloud by Amwell?
DHIS2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DHIS2 and On request for SilverCloud by Amwell.
Does DHIS2 or SilverCloud by Amwell run on more platforms?
DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. SilverCloud by Amwell runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use DHIS2 for free?
Yes. DHIS2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SilverCloud by Amwell 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 SilverCloud by Amwell is typically brought in for.
What can DHIS2 do that SilverCloud by Amwell cannot?
DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes, Supporter review, Symptom measurement, Clinician dashboard.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is SilverCloud still available under its own name?

Yes. It is marketed as SilverCloud by Amwell and has its own product pages and NHS partnership, though contracting runs through Amwell.

DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?

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

SilverCloud by Amwell: What evidence supports it?

It has been evaluated in independently led randomised controlled trials, including a National Institute of Mental Health funded study published in Nature Human Behaviour in 2026 examining prevalence of mental disorders over two years at scale.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Do we need to provide the supporters?

In most deployments, yes. The guided model requires trained supporter time, and that staffing is usually the buyer responsibility rather than included in the licence.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is it suitable for severe presentations?

No. It is a step two style intervention for mild to moderate presentations, and it needs a funded escalation pathway for anything more severe.

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