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Clever Ops - AI Business Automation Australia
Cliniko vs SimPRO

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.

12
Features compared
50+
Clients advised
98%
Client retention
12+
Years experience

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.

Yes. Cliniko provides a REST API and SimPRO provides a REST API, so we can build reliable integrations between them. Common sync patterns include invoices. Our integrations include error handling, retry logic, and monitoring. Clients typically save 8+ hours/week once the integration is live.

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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