Cliniko or SimPRO? An Expert Industry Tools Comparison
Is Cliniko or SimPRO the better investment for your business? Compare pricing, total cost of ownership, and feature value side by side - with expert analysis from our Harvard-educated consultants.
Feature Comparison
Side-by-side feature analysis for Cliniko and SimPRO.
Industry fit
Cliniko
Cliniko provides industry fit functionality, popular with Healthcare & Allied Health businesses
SimPRO
SimPRO provides industry fit functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses
If industry fit is a daily-use area for your team, the onboarding curve and keyboard ergonomics matter more than feature counts - trial both with a real operator, not an evaluator.
Job management
Cliniko
Limitation: Inventory management for product sales (supplements, braces, etc.) is basic and requires workarounds or third-party tools
SimPRO
End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
SimPRO highlights job management as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Quoting and invoicing
Cliniko
Cliniko provides quoting and invoicing functionality, popular with Healthcare & Allied Health businesses
SimPRO
End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
SimPRO highlights quoting and invoicing as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Scheduling and dispatch
Cliniko
Cliniko provides scheduling and dispatch functionality, popular with Healthcare & Allied Health businesses
SimPRO
End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
SimPRO highlights scheduling and dispatch as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Mobile field access
Cliniko
Letter and report templates with merge fields generate professional referral letters and clinical reports in seconds
SimPRO
Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity
Both platforms are strong here. Cliniko emphasises this as a core strength, and SimPRO also invests heavily in mobile field access. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.
Compliance features
Cliniko
Limitation: Marketing and patient recall features are limited, often requiring integration with Mailchimp or similar for targeted campaigns
SimPRO
Limitation: Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use
Both platforms cover the compliance features basics. The edges - automations, reporting depth, mobile parity - are where their opinions show.
Reporting
Cliniko
Letter and report templates with merge fields generate professional referral letters and clinical reports in seconds
SimPRO
Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations
SimPRO highlights reporting as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Client management
Cliniko
Limitation: Inventory management for product sales (supplements, braces, etc.) is basic and requires workarounds or third-party tools
SimPRO
End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
SimPRO highlights client management as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Inventory and materials
Cliniko
Limitation: Inventory management for product sales (supplements, braces, etc.) is basic and requires workarounds or third-party tools
SimPRO
Comprehensive inventory management with stock tracking, purchase orders, and supplier management suits businesses handling significant materials
SimPRO highlights inventory and materials as a core strength. Cliniko offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.
Integrations with accounting
Cliniko
Purpose-built for allied health with patient records, treatment notes, telehealth, and Medicare/DVA claiming built into the workflow
SimPRO
End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
Both platforms are strong here. Cliniko emphasises this as a core strength, and SimPRO also invests heavily in integrations with accounting. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.
Ease of setup
Cliniko
Cliniko provides onboarding resources. Setup complexity depends on your configuration requirements
SimPRO
Limitation: Implementation is complex and typically requires SimPRO consulting services, adding $5,000-20,000 to initial setup costs
For ease of setup, evaluate both platforms against your specific workflow requirements rather than feature lists alone. A free trial or vendor demo will clarify the differences.
Value for money
Cliniko
Solo from approximately $55/month (1 practitioner), Team from approximately $109/month (2-5 practitioners), Growing from approximately $179/month (6-10 practitioners), Large from approximately $279/month (AUD). Annual billing discounts.
SimPRO
Custom pricing based on business size and requirements, typically from $200-500+/month (AUD). Implementation and training costs additional. Per-user pricing applies. Annual contracts standard.
Pricing models differ significantly. Compare the total cost of ownership including add-ons and per-user fees, not just the headline price.
Pricing Comparison
General pricing information for each platform.
Cliniko
Solo from approximately $55/month (1 practitioner), Team from approximately $109/month (2-5 practitioners), Growing from approximately $179/month (6-10 practitioners), Large from approximately $279/month (AUD). Annual billing discounts.
These figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing. Actual costs depend on your usage, team size, and any negotiated rates.
SimPRO
Custom pricing based on business size and requirements, typically from $200-500+/month (AUD). Implementation and training costs additional. Per-user pricing applies. Annual contracts standard.
Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.
Pros & Cons
An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.
Cliniko
Pros
- Purpose-built for allied health with patient records, treatment notes, telehealth, and Medicare/DVA claiming built into the workflow
- Online booking with practitioner availability, service selection, and intake forms reduces receptionist workload and fills empty appointment slots
- Telehealth video consultations are included at no extra cost, allowing practitioners to offer remote consultations without a separate Zoom subscription
- Letter and report templates with merge fields generate professional referral letters and clinical reports in seconds
- Australian data hosting with encryption at rest and in transit meets Australian privacy and health records requirements
Cons
- Per-practitioner pricing can be expensive for multi-disciplinary practices with many part-time practitioners
- Inventory management for product sales (supplements, braces, etc.) is basic and requires workarounds or third-party tools
- Marketing and patient recall features are limited, often requiring integration with Mailchimp or similar for targeted campaigns
- Customisation of clinical templates requires understanding of Cliniko template syntax, which has a learning curve
SimPRO
Pros
- End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
- Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity
- Comprehensive inventory management with stock tracking, purchase orders, and supplier management suits businesses handling significant materials
- Asset and maintenance management tracks customer assets, maintenance schedules, and service history for recurring contract work
- Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations
Cons
- Implementation is complex and typically requires SimPRO consulting services, adding $5,000-20,000 to initial setup costs
- Pricing is among the highest in the trades software category, making it a significant investment for smaller businesses
- Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use
- Mobile app has improved but can still feel clunky compared to more modern alternatives like ServiceM8 for field workers
Best For
Which tool suits which use case.
Choose Cliniko if you need
- ✓ Healthcare & Allied Health businesses
- ✓ Field service operations
- ✓ Moderate data needs (patients, appointments)
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Specialised compliance
Choose SimPRO if you need
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Complex data models (jobs, quotes, invoices and more)
- ✓ Trades & Construction businesses
- ✓ Manufacturing organisations
- ✓ Field service operations
Expert Verdict
Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.
Clever Ops Recommendation
Choose Cliniko if Australian allied health practices (physio, chiro, osteo, psychology, speech pathology) that need integrated patient management, online booking, and telehealth with Australian compliance built in. Choose SimPRO if mid-sized to larger trade and service contractors (20+ staff) with complex scheduling, inventory, and project management needs that justify the investment in a comprehensive platform. Avoid Cliniko if medical practices needing GP-specific features (prescribing, pathology ordering) where Best Practice or Medical Director are more appropriate, or fitness businesses where Mindbody is better suited. Avoid SimPRO if sole traders or small trade businesses where the cost and complexity far exceed requirements, and ServiceM8, Tradify, or Fergus provide sufficient capability. If you are still weighing the trade-offs, Clever Ops offers a free assessment where our Harvard-educated consultants map your requirements to the right platform.
Migration Notes
What to know about switching between Cliniko and SimPRO.
Migrating Between Cliniko and SimPRO
Both Cliniko and SimPRO offer REST APIs, which simplifies the migration process. Clever Ops builds custom migration scripts that extract data from one platform and import it into the other with full field mapping. We validate every record, run parallel systems during the switch, and provide 3 months of post-migration support.
Cliniko vs SimPRO FAQ
Cliniko: Solo from approximately $55/month (1 practitioner), Team from approximately $109/month (2-5 practitioners), Growing from approximately $179/month (6-10 practitioners), Large from approximately $279/month (AUD). Annual billing discounts.. SimPRO: Custom pricing based on business size and requirements, typically from $200-500+/month (AUD). Implementation and training costs additional. Per-user pricing applies. Annual contracts standard.. When comparing costs, factor in per-user charges, add-on modules, and implementation costs, not just the headline price. Clever Ops can model the total cost of ownership for your team size during a free assessment.
ROI depends on three factors: how well the platform is configured, how thoroughly your team adopts it, and how tightly it integrates with your other tools. Cliniko delivers value through Purpose-built for allied health with patient records, treatment notes, telehealth, and Medicare/DVA claiming built into the workflow. SimPRO delivers value through End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform. A poorly set-up tool delivers less value than a well-implemented one, regardless of platform. Clever Ops focuses on maximising your return through proper implementation and ongoing optimisation.
SimPRO is more commonly used in Trades & Construction. Cliniko is stronger in Healthcare & Allied Health. That said, popularity alone should not drive your decision. The right tool depends on your specific processes and integration needs. Clever Ops can advise based on what we have seen work for similar businesses.
For Healthcare & Allied Health businesses, prioritise: Industry fit, Job management, Quoting and invoicing, Scheduling and dispatch, Mobile field access. Cliniko is strong on Purpose-built for allied health with patient records, treatment notes, telehealth, and Medicare/DVA claiming built into the workflow. SimPRO excels at End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform. Clever Ops can help you build a weighted requirements list and score each platform against it.
Cliniko may hit limits when medical practices needing GP-specific features (prescribing, pathology ordering) where Best Practice or Medical Director are more appropriate, or fitness businesses where Mindbody is better suited. SimPRO may hit limits when sole traders or small trade businesses where the cost and complexity far exceed requirements, and ServiceM8, Tradify, or Fergus provide sufficient capability. Both platforms are designed to grow with your business, but scaling experience varies. Cliniko connects with 44+ tools, and SimPRO with 37+, so integration flexibility at scale is comparable. Clever Ops helps mid-market Australian businesses plan their tech stack for growth, not just for today.
Yes. Both platforms share 1 common data object types (including invoices), which simplifies field mapping. Clever Ops runs a structured migration process: discovery, data mapping, test migration, verification, and cutover. Most migrations complete within 4-8 weeks, with 3 months of post-migration support included.
We audit your current workflows, team size, budget, and growth plans, then recommend the platform that fits. Our advice is vendor-neutral: we do not earn commissions from Cliniko, SimPRO, or any vendor. Our Harvard-educated consultants have helped 50+ businesses make informed technology decisions over 12+. Book a free assessment to get started.
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