Veterinary · head to head
AVImark vs Vetstoria
AVImark
Veterinary
Long-running Windows practice management software for veterinary clinics, now part of Covetrus
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Vetstoria
Veterinary
Real-time online appointment booking that writes directly into the veterinary PIMS diary
- From
- £199/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AVImark the owner markets a different cloud platform as its strategic product, so AVImark development is maintenance paced and buyers should expect a migration conversation rather than a long roadmap.; Vetstoria it is a booking layer and nothing else, so a practice also wanting reminders, two way client messaging, loyalty or marketing buys a second product, most likely a sibling Petvisor brand, and pays two subscriptions.
- They diverge on capability: AVImark covers Medical records, Vetstoria covers Real-time PIMS write-back.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AVImark and Vetstoria actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 AVImark
- Medical records
- Appointment scheduling
- Invoicing and estimates
- Inventory and controlled drugs
- Reminders
- Add-on modules
Only in Vetstoria
- Real-time PIMS write-back
- Appointment triage rules
- Deposits and payments
- Regional currency pricing
- Multi-site rules
- Client-facing booking page
- Practice websites add-on
- Analytics
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AVImark
- A single site clinic that wants the lowest ongoing software cost and already has a server and an IT providernot Vetstoria
- A practice whose staff are fast in AVImark and where retraining cost outweighs the benefits of movingnot Vetstoria
- A rural clinic with poor connectivity that cannot depend on a browser based systemnot Vetstoria
- A practice buying Covetrus pharmacy and supplies that wants prescription workflow in the same systemnot Vetstoria
Vetstoria
- An independent small animal practice losing bookings to out of hours calls that go to voicemailnot AVImark
- A three site group that needs different appointment types and clinician rules per branch but one client facing booking pagenot AVImark
- A practice with a high no show rate that wants a deposit taken at the point of bookingnot AVImark
- A practice on ezyVet or Provet Cloud that wants booking to write into the real diary rather than create a manual rekeying job for receptionnot AVImark
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AVImark
- The owner markets a different cloud platform as its strategic product, so AVImark development is maintenance paced and buyers should expect a migration conversation rather than a long roadmap.
- Meaningful capabilities including imaging, client communication and wellness plans are separately priced modules, so the quoted base licence understates what a working configuration costs.
- It is Windows and server based, which pushes hardware, backup and IT support costs onto the practice and rules out browser or tablet use in the examination room.
- The interface is keyboard driven and dated, which suits long-serving staff but slows new hires and makes onboarding relief staff harder.
- Data lives in a local database with limited export tooling, so extracting a clean history when moving to another system is a paid conversion project rather than a download.
Vetstoria
- It is a booking layer and nothing else, so a practice also wanting reminders, two way client messaging, loyalty or marketing buys a second product, most likely a sibling Petvisor brand, and pays two subscriptions.
- Pricing bands are set by number of practising clinicians and step up sharply, so a practice adding a fourth or eighth vet crosses a band boundary and takes a large percentage price rise for one hire.
- In the United States the product is sold as PetDesk rather than Vetstoria, so American buyers comparing the two are often comparing the same underlying company against itself without realising it.
- Value depends entirely on the depth of your PIMS integration, and the quality varies considerably between systems; on a weaker integration you lose the real time write back that is the entire reason to buy it.
- Website plans carry one off setup fees running into the thousands of euros on top of a monthly fee, which turns an apparently modest booking subscription into a significant first year cost if you take the bundle.
Pricing, plan by plan
AVImark
On request- AVImark$undefined/year
- Licence plus annual maintenance and support agreement
- Add-on modules priced individually
- Server, backup and workstation costs borne by the practice
Vetstoria
£199/month- Small Team$199/month
- Up to two practising clinicians
- Real-time booking
- Payments
- Medium Team$299/month
- Up to four practising clinicians
- All Small Team features
- Large Team$399/month
- Up to seven practising clinicians
- All Medium Team features
- Custom$undefined/month
- Groups and non-standard configurations
- Advanced analytics
- Quarterly business reviews
Which should you pick?
Choose AVImark if
- You need medical records.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want appointment scheduling.
Choose Vetstoria if
- You need real-time pims write-back.
- You also want appointment triage rules.
Questions people ask
- Is AVImark or Vetstoria better?
- Neither clearly leads. AVImark starts at On request and Vetstoria at £199/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AVImark or Vetstoria?
- AVImark starts at On request and Vetstoria at £199/month.
- Does AVImark or Vetstoria run on more platforms?
- AVImark runs on Windows. Vetstoria runs on Web.
- What is AVImark best used for?
- AVImark is most often used for a single site clinic that wants the lowest ongoing software cost and already has a server and an it provider, a practice whose staff are fast in avimark and where retraining cost outweighs the benefits of moving, a rural clinic with poor connectivity that cannot depend on a browser based system, a practice buying covetrus pharmacy and supplies that wants prescription workflow in the same system. Of those, a single site clinic that wants the lowest ongoing software cost and already has a server and an it provider and a practice whose staff are fast in avimark and where retraining cost outweighs the benefits of moving are not what Vetstoria is typically brought in for.
- What can AVImark do that Vetstoria cannot?
- AVImark covers Medical records, Appointment scheduling, Invoicing and estimates, Inventory and controlled drugs. Vetstoria covers Real-time PIMS write-back, Appointment triage rules, Deposits and payments, Regional currency pricing.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
AVImark: Who owns AVImark now?
Covetrus, following its spin-out from Henry Schein in 2019 and its move to private ownership in 2022. It was originally a McAllister Software Systems product.
Vetstoria: Does Vetstoria book directly into my PIMS?
Yes, that is the core function. Bookings write into the practice diary in real time rather than queuing as requests, where the PIMS integration supports it.
AVImark: Is AVImark being discontinued?
No announcement of that, but Covetrus positions Pulse as its cloud platform. Ask for written roadmap commitments before signing a multi-year agreement.
Vetstoria: Who owns Vetstoria?
Petvisor, which also owns PetDesk, WhiskerCloud and Kontak, and which raised over 100 million dollars from Apax Digital in 2023. It is not owned by IDEXX; IDEXX is an integration partner.
AVImark: Can AVImark be run in the cloud?
Only by hosting it on a remote Windows server. It is not a browser application.
Vetstoria: Is it available in the United States?
The same company serves the United States, but under the PetDesk brand rather than the Vetstoria name.
AVImark: Is it cheaper than cloud practice management systems?
On licence cost yes, but add server, backup, IT support and paid modules before making the comparison.
Vetstoria: Is there a setup fee?
Not for online booking. The optional website plans do carry substantial one-off setup fees.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- AVImark vs Digitail
- AVImark vs ezyVet
- AVImark vs IDEXX Cornerstone
- AVImark vs PetDesk
- AVImark vs Onward Vet
- AVImark vs VIA Veterinary
- AVImark vs Provet Cloud
- AVImark vs Shepherd
- AVImark vs Vetspire
- AVImark vs Hippo Manager
- AVImark vs Instinct Science
- AVImark vs VetBadger
- AVImark vs Talkatoo
- AVImark vs Vet Radar
- AVImark vs VisionVPM
- AVImark vs Animana
- AVImark vs RxWorks
- Vetstoria vs Digitail
- Vetstoria vs ezyVet
- Vetstoria vs IDEXX Cornerstone
- Vetstoria vs PetDesk
- Vetstoria vs Onward Vet
- Vetstoria vs VIA Veterinary
- Vetstoria vs Provet Cloud
- Vetstoria vs Shepherd
- Vetstoria vs Vetspire
- Vetstoria vs Hippo Manager
- Vetstoria vs Instinct Science
- Vetstoria vs VetBadger
- Vetstoria vs Talkatoo
- Vetstoria vs Vet Radar
- Vetstoria vs VisionVPM
- Vetstoria vs Animana
- Vetstoria vs RxWorks