Veterinary software comparison: top tools for 2026

This veterinary software comparison, up-to-date as of May 2026, covers 10 tools across three categories: practice management systems (PIMS), AI-powered veterinary software for documentation, and client communication platforms. Each tool is evaluated on features, pricing model, AI capabilities, integrations, and free trial availability using first-party information from each vendor's own website. 

The goal is to give practice managers and senior DVMs a factual, scannable overview that supports a buying decision without requiring a dozen sales calls. Use the comparison table below to get oriented, then read the category that matches your practice's primary need.

TL;DR: If you need a full practice management system, evaluate Vetport, ezyVet, Cornerstone, or Shepherd. If documentation is the bottleneck, CoVet, Talkatoo, or Scribenote layer on top of your existing PIMS. If client communication is the gap, Vello or Weave handle reminders, messaging, and booking.

Veterinary software at a glance

Choosing among veterinary management solutions depends on what your practice actually needs, so this table maps the full landscape of best software for vet clinics across all three categories.

Tool	Category	Best for	Pricing model	Free trial/demo
Vetport	Cloud-based PIMS	Budget-conscious and smaller practices	From ~$199/month; scales by location and vet count	30-day free trial
ezyVet	Cloud-based PIMS	Multi-location and enterprise clinics	From $260.50/month per user; 6-month initial term	Demo only
Cornerstone	Server-based PIMS	Established practices in the IDEXX ecosystem	Contact sales	Demo only
Shepherd	Cloud-based PIMS	Practices wanting built-in AI across the full platform	Contact sales; unlimited users included	Demo only
CoVet	AI documentation tool	Any practice needing faster, structured medical records	$63–$136/month per user (annual); free Support accounts for staff	14-day free trial
Talkatoo	AI documentation tool	Practices wanting dictation plus ambient scribing	Per-DVM pricing; techs and staff included free	30-day free trial
Scribenote	AI documentation tool	Practices wanting a free entry point for AI scribing	Free tier available; Pro at $79/month per DVM	2-week Pro trial
Vello (IDEXX)	Client communication	Cornerstone, ezyVet, or Neo users wanting integrated client engagement	$249/month	Demo only
Weave	Client communication	Multi-channel practices wanting phone, text, payments, and reviews in one platform	From $249/month	Demo only

Practice management software (PIMS)

A practice management system handles the operational core of a veterinary clinic. That includes appointment scheduling features, electronic medical records, invoicing, inventory management, lab integrations, and client communication. Most clinics run on a single PIMS that ties these functions together, which makes choosing one a high-stakes decision with long-term implications for daily workflow integration capabilities across every role in the building. 

Understanding veterinary practice management essentials is the starting point for any software evaluation. Practices that need documentation support on top of their PIMS can layer in a standalone AI scribe without replacing their existing system.

Vetport

Vetport is a cloud-based practice management platform headquartered in Milford, Ohio, serving over 12,500 veterinarians across more than 20 countries. The platform is accessible from any browser on any device without a dedicated app download.

Type	Cloud-based PIMS
Best for	Smaller practices, mobile vets, mixed-animal clinics, budget-conscious operations
Pricing model	From ~$199/month; scales by location count and number of veterinarians. Online booking is an add-on at $49/month. No annual contract required.
AI features	None native. PawfectNotes AI Scribe available as an integration.

Core features include SOAP-based EMR with collaborative editing, scheduling with Google and Apple Calendar sync, invoicing with multiple payment gateways, inventory basket management, built-in telemedicine, automated email reminders (SMS as add-on), wellness plans, and an online booking system. Integrations span 30+ partners including IDEXX Labs, Antech, Open Edge, Gravity Payments, Xero, and QuickBooks.

What to consider: Vetport offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, which allows practices to test the platform against their specific workflow needs before committing.

ezyVet

ezyVet is a cloud-based PIMS founded in 2006 in New Zealand by Hadleigh Bognuda and now owned by IDEXX Laboratories. It operates across six continents with offices in Dallas, London, and Auckland.

Type	Cloud-based PIMS
Best for	Multi-location practices and enterprise groups needing deep reporting and analytics
Pricing model	From $260.50/month per user; 6-month initial term, then 3-month rolling contracts. Implementation and data conversion priced separately.
AI features	AI-Assisted Notes (beta): ambient voice recording to draft SOAP notes.

The platform covers drag-and-drop scheduling with color coding, structured clinical records with customizable templates, complete invoicing with product bundles and remote digital payments, advanced inventory with automated stock ordering and barcode support, a self-check-in kiosk, client portal with e-signatures, wellness plans, and 76 unique built-in reports spanning finances, clinical data, appointments, stock, and customer analytics. ezyVet offers over 100 integrations with particularly deep IDEXX ecosystem connectivity (VetConnect PLUS, Vet Radar, SmartFlow, rVetLink), plus PayJunction for payments, Xero for two-way accounting sync, and an open REST API.

What to consider: ezyVet prices per user and scopes implementation and data conversion separately from the monthly subscription. Requesting a detailed quote that includes onboarding, migration, and all add-ons will give a clearer picture of total cost.

Cornerstone

Cornerstone is IDEXX's server-based practice management system. It runs on Windows servers with thick-client workstations, supporting peer-to-peer networks up to 9 stations or dedicated server setups for larger operations.

Type	Server-based PIMS
Best for	Practices already invested in the IDEXX diagnostic ecosystem
Pricing model	Contact sales. No public pricing.
AI features	None native. VetConnect PLUS provides clinical decision support as an integration.

Features include scheduling with full practice visibility, EMR, automated invoicing, inventory management with IDEXX SmartOrder for real-time online ordering, compliance assessment alerts, a patient whiteboard, IDEXX Web PACS imaging, and KPI reporting. Cornerstone Payments supports in-clinic terminals plus online payments via text or email. The integration list exceeds 50 named partners, anchored by the IDEXX diagnostics suite and extending to Antech, Heska, QuickBooks, SmartFlow, Talkatoo, Trupanion Express, and CareCredit. Data security includes PCI PA-DSS compliance, IDEXX Data Backup and Recovery, and role-based access controls.

What to consider: Cornerstone's server-based architecture requires practices to maintain local hardware and IT infrastructure. IDEXX offers a Secure Remote Access add-on at $46.90/month for off-site connectivity.

Shepherd

Shepherd is a cloud-based PIMS founded by Dr. Cindy Barnes, a veterinarian with over 20 years of emergency medicine experience. It serves general practice, multi-location, mobile, urgent care, and emergency hospitals.

Type	Cloud-based PIMS
Best for	Practices wanting AI tools built directly into their practice management system
Pricing model	Contact sales. Subscription includes unlimited users, unlimited workstations, expert training, Shepherd Pay, and no implementation fees.
AI features	TranscribeAI (ambient SOAP generation), DiagnoseAI (clinical decision support with differential diagnoses and dosage calculations), SummarizeAI (patient record summarization)

Beyond AI, Shepherd offers SOAP-based EMR with autosave and activity logs, scheduling tied to provider availability, automatic charge capture from medical records to invoices, inventory tracking that updates on product administration, a pet portal with appointment requests and prescription refills, free two-way texting, a digital whiteboard, and customizable forms. The platform runs entirely in the cloud on desktop and tablet. Lab integrations include Heska, Ellie Diagnostics, Zoetis VETSCAN FUSE, MicroVet Diagnostics, and IDEXX Web PACS for imaging. Mobile app functionality is built into the core platform rather than offered as a separate download.

What to consider: Shepherd does not publish pricing on its website. Practices interested in the platform need to schedule a demo to receive a quote.

AI documentation and scribing tools

AI documentation tools focus on a single problem: turning spoken observations into structured medical records like SOAP notes, visit summaries, and referral letters. They work as a separate layer on top of whatever PIMS a practice already uses. 

Some PIMS platforms now include built-in AI scribing, but standalone tools tend to offer deeper template libraries and broader PMS compatibility because documentation is their entire focus. A standalone scribe also stays with a practice if it ever switches PIMS. Practices exploring using AI in vet tools often start here because adopting one does not require replacing existing software. For teams spending significant time on records after hours, automating SOAP notes with software addresses the documentation bottleneck directly.

CoVet

Full disclosure: this article lives on the CoVet blog, so we have a natural bias here. We have done our best to present every tool in this list factually and let the features and qualities speak for themselves.

CoVet is an AI-powered veterinary scribe and copilot founded in 2023 by three leaders with deep technical and veterinary experience. Yannick Bloem, a former senior engineer at Apple, serves as CEO and CTO. Mike Parent, COO and Co-Founder, previously founded Smart.Vet and brings lifelong industry insight as the son of a practicing veterinarian. Dr. Mike Mossop, CVO and Co-Founder, is an experienced DVM who helps ensure the platform reflects real-world clinical workflows.

The platform captures spoken consultations during or after appointments and generates structured medical records in approximately 30 seconds. CoVet's team includes 30+ professionals, with a Medical Department composed entirely of practicing veterinarians and a Specialty Advisory Board of board-certified specialists. That veterinary-native development shows in the platform's depth:100+ templates spanning every major specialty, multi-patient support from a single recording, and offline mode for field and rural work are capabilities that reflect how veterinary consultations actually run.

Founded	2023
Type	AI veterinary scribe and copilot
Best for	Practices that want structured documentation across multiple specialties
Pricing model	Essentials: $46/month (annual) / $50/month (monthly). Unlimited: $99/month (annual) / $149/month (monthly). Free Support accounts for CSRs and administrative assistants. Free 14-day trial, no credit card required.
AI features	AI scribe with 100+ templates, AI Chat (on Unlimited plan), client communication generation, PDF, phone calling, handwritten note summarization, lab result interpretation

CoVet offers three template types: Standard (pre-built), Advanced (drag-and-drop customization), and Custom (built from scratch). The template library covers general practice, emergency, surgery, dentistry, imaging, equine, exotics, ruminant, and palliative care, which makes it one of the broadest specialty-specific template sets available in the AI scribe category. 

The platform supports 100+ languages, making it a strong fit for multilingual practices. CoVet protects recordings, transcripts, and documents with encryption in transit and at rest, and hosts data on Google Cloud Platform for its full-stack security model and strong security standards. CoVet is built to support HIPAA, PIPEDA, CCPA, and GDPR requirements, with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification. AI is used only to process information when needed, not to train models, so practice data stays protected and remains under the practice’s control.

From the CoVet Chrome Extension and direct PMS integrations on supported platforms and flexible options like copy-paste, email, and PDF export, CoVet fits naturally into existing clinical and operational workflows. Free Support accounts allow the entire care team (technicians, assistants, reception) to start recordings, upload documents, and manage cases without adding per-seat costs. Students receive free access throughout veterinary education plus 8 months post-graduation. The impact of AI in veterinary medicine continues to grow as more practices adopt tools that focus specifically on the documentation layer.

What to consider: CoVet offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The Essentials plan caps documents at 100 per month, while the Unlimited plan removes that cap and adds AI Chat.

Talkatoo

Talkatoo is a veterinary dictation and ambient AI scribe platform founded in 2019 by Shawn Wilkie, previously co-founder of Dragon Veterinary. The company reports that over 5,000 veterinarians and 30,000 veterinary professionals use the platform.

Founded	2019
Type	Veterinary dictation and ambient AI scribe
Best for	Practices that want both traditional dictation and ambient recording in a single tool
Pricing model	Per-DVM pricing (techs and support staff included free). Two tiers: SOAP Notes and Ultimate. 30-day free trial.
AI features	Ambient SOAP note generation, desktop dictation, Call Summary, AI assistant, medical history summarization

Talkatoo works in two modes: ambient recording that captures exam room conversations and formats them into SOAP notes, and desktop dictation that functions as speech-to-text anywhere you can type. A Call Summary mode records outbound mobile calls and produces summaries. The platform supports translation to 95+ languages and works with all practice management software without requiring a direct API integration.

What to consider: Talkatoo does not publish exact pricing on its website. Practices need to contact sales or start a free trial to see plan costs.

Scribenote

Scribenote is an AI veterinary scribe founded in 2019 in Canada. The platform serves thousands of veterinary professionals and holds SOC 2 Type II certification.

Founded	2019
Type	AI veterinary scribe
Best for	Practices that want to test AI scribing at no cost before committing to a paid plan
Pricing model	Free plan: $0 (unlimited notes on standard AI, PIMS integration, Teams Mode). Pro: $79/month per DVM or $99/year per DVM. 2-week Pro trial, no credit card required.
AI features	Ambient SOAP note generation, Scribephone (Pro), Companion AI assistants including PDF Summarizer and Research Agent (beta, Pro)

Scribenote records appointment conversations and generates structured SOAP notes. The free plan includes unlimited notes on standard AI and PIMS integration. The Pro plan unlocks advanced AI models, custom templates, and Scribephone. Integration uses Widget Mode (drag-and-drop into any PMS) or PIMSPal (Chrome extension optimized for Covetrus Pulse/eVetPractice and ezyVet).

What to consider: Scribenote's free plan includes AI scribing with no document cap. Pro annual billing at $99/year per DVM is available alongside monthly billing at $79/month.

Client communication tools

Client communication tools handle appointment reminders, two-way messaging, online booking, post-visit follow-up, and client portals. They integrate with a PIMS to sync appointment and patient data and sit outside the documentation layer. For practices looking at boosting efficiency in veterinary practice operations, this category addresses the gap between clinical workflows and pet parent engagement.

Vello (IDEXX)

Vello is a veterinary client engagement platform launched by IDEXX Laboratories in 2024, built specifically for practices within the IDEXX ecosystem.

Launched	2024
Type	Veterinary client engagement platform
Best for	Practices running Cornerstone, ezyVet, or Neo
Pricing model	$249/month
AI features	None

Vello integrates directly with Cornerstone, ezyVet, and Neo for two-way SMS messaging, automated appointment reminders, online booking, and a mobile app for pet parents.

What to consider: Vello integrates with Cornerstone, ezyVet, and Neo. No other PIMS integrations are listed on the IDEXX site.

Weave

Weave is an all-in-one communication platform founded in 2008, publicly traded on the NYSE (WEAV), serving over 27,000 businesses across veterinary, dental, optometry, and other verticals.

Founded	2008
Type	Multi-industry communication and engagement platform
Best for	Practices wanting phone, text, payments, and review management in one platform
Pricing model	From $249/month. Three tiers. Month-to-month, no long-term contracts.
AI features	AI review response assistant

Features include VoIP with Call Pop (displays pet name, species, breed, vaccination status on incoming calls), two-way texting, missed-call auto-text, review requests, Text to Pay, online scheduling, and email marketing. Veterinary-specific features include vaccine reminders and a 2024 update that made pets the primary profile throughout the platform. Weave integrates with 18+ veterinary PIMS including AVImark, Cornerstone, ezyVet, Neo, Shepherd, and ImproMed.

What to consider: Weave serves multiple industries beyond veterinary medicine, including dental and optometry.make sure to focus when you talk about the AI scribe part to focus on what makes Covet unique without being too explicit or overt. 

How to choose veterinary software for your practice

No single software stack works for every clinic. The right combination depends on practice size, existing systems, and which pain point is most urgent. When evaluating top apps for veterinarians, the following breakdown can help narrow the shortlist.

Practice profile	PIMS considerations	AI scribe considerations	Client communication considerations
Independent and small practices	Transparent pricing and minimal IT overhead matter most. Cloud-based platforms that include support and training in the subscription (Vetport, Shepherd) reduce the total cost of onboarding. Practices with limited IT staff should prioritize systems that do not require local server maintenance.	A free tier (Scribenote) or a low-commitment free trial (CoVet's 14-day trial, Talkatoo's 30-day trial) lets a small team test AI scribing before adding a recurring cost. Per-DVM pricing keeps costs predictable for solo or two-vet practices. Free staff accounts (CoVet's Support accounts, Talkatoo's included tech access) prevent per-seat costs from scaling with team size.	A platform that integrates with the clinic's existing PIMS avoids manual data entry. Practices already on an IDEXX system can evaluate Vello at $249/month. Weave integrates with 30+ and 18+ PIMS respectively.
Multi-location and corporate groups	Centralized records, role-based access, reporting across locations, and enterprise support become priorities. ezyVet and Cornerstone both serve multi-location operations with dedicated enterprise tiers. Shepherd includes unlimited users and workstations in its subscription, which simplifies per-location budgeting.	Consistency in documentation standards across locations matters. Enterprise plans with centralized dashboards (Scribenote, CoVet) give management visibility into documentation volume and compliance. A tool with a broad template library that covers multiple specialties across sites reduces the need for location-specific customization.	Multi-location groups benefit from platforms that can manage messaging and booking across all sites from a single account. Weave serves multi-location veterinary operations.
Practices that already have a PIMS	Practices locked into a PIMS contract or satisfied with their current system do not need to switch platforms to improve documentation or client communication. Both AI scribes and client communication tools can layer on top of any existing PIMS.	This is where standalone AI scribes deliver the most value. A tool that works alongside any existing system means documentation improvement does not require a system migration. When optimizing PMS integration, practices should evaluate how each scribe connects: CoVet offers a Chrome Extension for web-based platforms plus direct integrations with 10+ confirmed PMS partners, works offline for field use, and includes 95+ specialty-specific templates that adapt to the practice's clinical mix. Talkatoo works anywhere you can type. Scribenote offers Widget Mode and PIMSPal for specific systems. Understanding scribe pricing across all three tools helps practices compare total cost by team size.	Adding a client communication tool to an existing PIMS is straightforward as long as the platform supports the practice's specific system. Check integration compatibility before committing.

Frequently asked questions about veterinary software comparison

What is the difference between veterinary practice management software and an AI veterinary scribe?

Practice management software handles the operational core of a clinic: appointment scheduling, electronic medical records, invoicing, inventory, and client communication. An AI-powered veterinary software scribe focuses specifically on documentation, turning consultation audio into structured records like SOAP notes. A practice management software comparison should treat these as separate categories because they solve different problems. Most AI scribes are designed to work alongside an existing PIMS rather than replace it, which means a practice can adopt one without changing its current system. The two categories overlap only when a PIMS includes a built-in scribe feature, as Shepherd does with TranscribeAI or ezyVet does with AI-Assisted Notes (currently in beta).

How much does veterinary software typically cost for a small animal clinic?

Pricing varies widely depending on the category and vendor. Among cloud-based PIMS platforms in this comparison, published starting prices range from approximately $199/month (Vetport) to $260.50/month per user (ezyVet), while Cornerstone and Shepherd require contacting sales for a quote. AI scribes range from free (Scribenote's free plan) to $203/month per user (CoVet Unlimited on monthly billing), with most offering per-DVM subscription models. Client communication tools start at $249/month (both Vello and Weave). Practices should also factor in add-on costs for features like online booking, SMS, implementation, and data migration, which are priced separately by some vendors.

Can AI veterinary documentation tools work alongside any existing PIMS?

All three AI scribes in this comparison are designed to function on top of an existing practice management system. CoVet connects through a Chrome Extension for web-based platforms, direct integrations with confirmed PMS partners, or via copy-paste and PDF export. Talkatoo works anywhere you can type, which means it functions with any PMS without requiring a direct API connection. Scribenote offers Widget Mode for drag-and-drop into any system and PIMSPal for optimized integration with specific platforms. Practices considering optimizing PMS integration should evaluate how each tool connects with their specific system before committing. The workflow integration capabilities of each scribe differ, so testing during a free trial is the most reliable way to assess fit.

What data security standards should veterinary software meet?

Veterinary practices should look for platforms that meet recognized data security compliance standards relevant to their region. In the United States, HIPAA compliance is the primary benchmark. In Canada, PIPEDA applies. Practices handling data from EU clients should confirm GDPR compliance. SOC 2 certification (Type 1 or Type 2) indicates that a vendor has been independently audited for data security controls. ISO 27001 is another important benchmark, showing that a vendor maintains a formal information security management system. Among the AI scribes in this comparison, Security certifications include HIPAA, PIPEDA, CCPA, and GDPR compliance alongside SOC 2 Type 2 certification, with end-to-end encryption and data hosted on Google Cloud Platform. Scribenote holds SOC 2 Type II certification. Cloud-based platforms should also offer encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, and clear policies on whether user data is used to train AI models.

Which veterinary software features matter most for high-volume companion animal clinics?

High-volume companion animal clinics typically prioritize appointment scheduling features that handle multiple providers and room assignments, automated invoicing that reduces manual billing errors, and reporting and analytics that track KPIs across the practice. On the documentation side, an AI scribe that generates structured records quickly and supports multi-patient consultations can help veterinarians keep pace with a full appointment book. Client communication tools that automate reminders, offer online booking, and reduce inbound phone volume address the front-desk bottleneck that comes with high caseloads. A veterinary software features comparison for this profile should weight speed, automation, and integration depth most heavily.

How long does it take to implement new veterinary practice management software?

Implementation timelines depend on the platform, practice size, and complexity of data migration. Cloud-based systems generally have shorter setup times than server-based platforms because there is no local hardware to configure. Some vendors include onboarding and training in the subscription (Shepherd, Vetport), while others scope implementation as a separate project with its own cost (ezyVet). AI scribes and client communication tools are typically faster to adopt because they layer on top of existing infrastructure. Practices evaluating a full PIMS migration should ask each vendor for a detailed implementation timeline and clarify what the onboarding process includes before signing a contract.