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Healthcare · head to head

OpenMRS vs Visage Imaging

OpenMRS logo

OpenMRS

Healthcare

Open source electronic medical record platform for low-resource settings, with no vendor and paid implementers instead

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visage Imaging logo

Visage Imaging

Healthcare

Server-side streaming PACS built for radiologists reading very large studies over thin connections

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenMRS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OpenMRS there is no vendor and no support contract from OpenMRS itself, so a procurement that requires a named supplier with a service level must instead contract an implementer, and the quality of that implementer determines the outcome more than the software does; Visage Imaging pricing is per exam against a minimum annual volume, so an organisation whose imaging activity is flat pays a floor while a growing one sees the software line rise every year rather than amortise.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary, Visage Imaging covers Server-side rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenMRS and Visage Imaging actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenMRS and Visage Imaging differ
AttributeOpenMRSVisage Imaging
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Web, WindowsWindows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud

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 OpenMRS

  • Concept dictionary
  • Modular architecture
  • Modern front end
  • FHIR support
  • Offline tolerance
  • Patient matching and registration
  • Distributions

Only in Visage Imaging

  • Server-side rendering
  • One Viewer
  • Native multi-dimensional tools
  • Digital breast tomosynthesis reading
  • Open archive
  • Cloud PACS operations
  • AI accelerator
  • On the fly patient jacket

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

OpenMRS

  • A ministry of health standardising HIV treatment records across hundreds of facilities where per-patient licensing would be unaffordablenot Visage Imaging
  • A hospital network in a country where no commercial vendor supports the local language, clinical forms or reporting requirementsnot Visage Imaging
  • An NGO running a tuberculosis programme that must report into DHIS2 and needs the clinical record beneath it to be modifiablenot Visage Imaging
  • A health system that wants to own its clinical data model outright rather than depend on a vendor to extend itnot Visage Imaging

Visage Imaging

  • An academic health system whose radiologists read from home and cannot tolerate a thousand slice CT taking minutes to opennot OpenMRS
  • A breast imaging service moving to tomosynthesis where study sizes have made the existing PACS unusable at volumenot OpenMRS
  • A teleradiology group covering many client sites that needs one viewer rather than a client-specific workstation per contractnot OpenMRS
  • A health system mid migration that needs priors from three legacy archives assembled into one patient jacket before the data move finishesnot OpenMRS

Where each one falls short

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

OpenMRS

  • There is no vendor and no support contract from OpenMRS itself, so a procurement that requires a named supplier with a service level must instead contract an implementer, and the quality of that implementer determines the outcome more than the software does
  • It is a framework rather than a ready product, so a deployment requires clinical content, form design, concept dictionary work and integration before a single patient is registered, and that work is months of skilled effort
  • Funding comes largely from donor programmes, which makes the pace of core development dependent on grant cycles rather than on a commercial roadmap, and priorities can shift when a funder does
  • Distribution choice, core OpenMRS against Bahmni against Ozone, locks in a different set of components and a different implementer pool, and migrating between distributions later is close to a fresh implementation
  • The people cost never goes away: a national deployment needs permanent internal informatics capacity or a permanent support contract, and organisations that budget only the zero licence fee run out of money at the point the system becomes clinically critical

Visage Imaging

  • Pricing is per exam against a minimum annual volume, so an organisation whose imaging activity is flat pays a floor while a growing one sees the software line rise every year rather than amortise.
  • Module breadth outside radiology is narrower than at Sectra or the large modality vendors, so a group planning to digitise pathology on the same platform will not find it here.
  • Server-side rendering shifts the cost to central infrastructure, so the saving on radiologist workstations is partly offset by what you spend on servers or cloud compute.
  • Pro Medicus concentrates on very large contracts, and smaller imaging groups report long sales cycles and little appetite from the vendor for deals below a certain volume.
  • Diagnostic AI is third party, surfaced through the accelerator framework rather than developed in house, so algorithm licensing, validation and monitoring remain the buyer problem.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenMRS

Free
  • OpenMRSFree
    • Openly licensed, no licence fee and no seat limits
    • Community support through forums and the OpenMRS Talk platform
    • No support contract available from OpenMRS itself

Visage Imaging

On request
  • Visage 7 enterprise contract$undefined/year
    • Transaction pricing per exam with a minimum annual volume commitment
    • Seven to ten year terms typical for health system contracts
    • Contract totals for major deals are disclosed by Pro Medicus to the ASX

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenMRS if

  • You need concept dictionary.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Web, Windows.
  • You also want modular architecture.
OpenMRS review

Choose Visage Imaging if

  • You need server-side rendering.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud.
  • You also want one viewer.
Visage Imaging review

Questions people ask

Is OpenMRS or Visage Imaging better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenMRS starts at Free and Visage Imaging at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenMRS or Visage Imaging?
OpenMRS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenMRS and On request for Visage Imaging.
Does OpenMRS or Visage Imaging run on more platforms?
OpenMRS runs on Linux, Web, Windows. Visage Imaging runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud.
Can I use OpenMRS for free?
Yes. OpenMRS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Visage Imaging starts at On request.
What is OpenMRS best used for?
OpenMRS is most often used for a ministry of health standardising hiv treatment records across hundreds of facilities where per-patient licensing would be unaffordable, a hospital network in a country where no commercial vendor supports the local language, clinical forms or reporting requirements, an ngo running a tuberculosis programme that must report into dhis2 and needs the clinical record beneath it to be modifiable, a health system that wants to own its clinical data model outright rather than depend on a vendor to extend it. Of those, a ministry of health standardising hiv treatment records across hundreds of facilities where per-patient licensing would be unaffordable and a hospital network in a country where no commercial vendor supports the local language, clinical forms or reporting requirements are not what Visage Imaging is typically brought in for.
What can OpenMRS do that Visage Imaging cannot?
OpenMRS covers Concept dictionary, Modular architecture, Modern front end, FHIR support. Visage Imaging covers Server-side rendering, One Viewer, Native multi-dimensional tools, Digital breast tomosynthesis reading.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenMRS: Who supports OpenMRS if it breaks?

Not OpenMRS itself. Support is bought from implementers such as Mekom Solutions, which offers long-term production service level agreements for OpenMRS, Bahmni and Ozone deployments, or from regional partners.

Visage Imaging: Who owns Visage Imaging?

Pro Medicus Limited, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. That listing means major contract values and terms are publicly announced.

OpenMRS: Is it really free?

The software has no licence fee. Hosting, configuration, clinical content, integration and support are the real cost, and they are ongoing.

Visage Imaging: How is Visage priced?

Per exam, against a minimum annual volume, on multi-year terms. Because Pro Medicus discloses large contract totals and durations to the market, buyers can estimate a per exam rate before entering negotiation.

OpenMRS: What is the difference between OpenMRS, Bahmni and Ozone?

OpenMRS is the core platform. Bahmni and Ozone are distributions that package it with billing, laboratory and inventory components. Choosing a distribution constrains your implementer options.

Visage Imaging: Is Visage 7 FDA cleared for diagnostic interpretation?

Yes, Visage 7 holds 510(k) clearance for diagnostic viewing including mammography and tomosynthesis on validated displays. Confirm the exact cleared modality list for your intended use.

OpenMRS: Does it support FHIR?

Yes. FHIR support is the standard route for integrating laboratory, pharmacy and national reporting systems.

Visage Imaging: Does it work as a full cloud PACS?

Yes, Visage 7 runs complete PACS operations in the cloud rather than cloud viewing over an on-premise archive.

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