Smart Clinic vs Cliniko — which fits your clinic?
Cliniko is built for allied health. Smart Clinic starts free and adds AI clinical notes, WhatsApp reminders, a waiting-room TV queue, staff hours, rooms, tasks, a smart daily briefing and aesthetic and dental tools.
Features available out of 30 compared, based on each vendor's public information. Partial support isn't counted.
Included with Smart Clinic
Built in, with no add-ons to buy. Some tools unlock on higher plans.
Waiting-room TV queue
A live, privacy-safe queue on a wall screen, so patients know when it's their turn.
Tablet intake
Push intake and consent forms to a clinic tablet. No printing, no retyping.
Staff hours & leave
Work hours, vacations and sick days per employee, plus per-provider earnings reports.
Smart daily briefing
Flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients and unpaid invoices, with one-click actions.
SMS and WhatsApp reminders
WhatsApp first with automatic SMS fallback. Patients confirm straight from the message.
Plans patients accept online
Multi-session treatment plans the patient reviews and accepts from a link.
AI clinical notes
Structured clinical notes from the visit data in one click.
Rooms & equipment
Book rooms and shared devices with each appointment, never double-booked.
iPhone & Android app
Schedule, patient records, notes and tasks for the whole team, on the go.
- You want to start on a free plan, not a 30-day trial
- You want AI clinical notes built in, without a separate scribe subscription
- Your patients answer WhatsApp as well as SMS
- You want staff hours, rooms, tasks and a waiting-room TV queue in one system
- You run an aesthetic, dental or multi-specialty clinic
- Your team wants a native staff app on iPhone and Android
- You run a physio, chiro or other allied-health practice
- You need built-in telehealth on every plan
- You need your data hosted in Australia, the UK, Canada or the EU
Pricing at a glance
| Smart Clinic | Cliniko | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 2 users, 50 patients | No (30-day trial, no card) |
| Entry paid plan | $29/mo (Starter, 5 users) | $45/mo (1 practitioner) |
| Clinic with 5 staff | $29/mo | $95/mo (2–5 practitioners) |
| How it's priced | Flat price per clinic, by plan | By practitioner count; every feature on every plan; SMS 10¢ each |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly | Monthly or yearly, cancel anytime |
| Setup fee | None | None; free data import |
Cliniko prices are taken from its public website in September 2026 and may have changed. Smart Clinic prices are monthly in USD; yearly billing is cheaper.
Feature comparison
| Booking & scheduling | Smart Clinic | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment calendar | ||
| Online self-booking | ||
| Cancellation waitlistCliniko: staff work the wait list by hand; no automatic alerts | ||
| Permanent free plan |
| Patient communication | Smart Clinic | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| SMS remindersCliniko: prepaid, 10¢ per message | ||
| WhatsApp remindersSmart Clinic: connect your WhatsApp Business number; SMS fallback is automaticCliniko: only through third-party connected apps | ||
| Email confirmations | ||
| Two-way patient messagingSmart Clinic: patient replies are saved to the patient fileCliniko: SMS replies appear in the communication log | ||
| Video consultationsSmart Clinic: runs on your Google Meet or Zoom account |
| Clinical | Smart Clinic | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Patient records & treatment notes | ||
| AI clinical notesSmart Clinic: Professional plan and upCliniko: no built-in AI; third-party AI scribes connect separately | ||
| Intake & consent forms with e-signature | ||
| Before & after photosCliniko: files and images can be stored; no before-and-after compare tool | ||
| Treatment plans patients accept onlineSmart Clinic: patients review and accept the plan from a link | Not stated | |
| Prepaid treatment packages | Not stated | |
| Lab & external service ordersSmart Clinic: Professional plan | Not stated | |
| Dental chart | ||
| Face charting for injectablesCliniko: body charts accept your own uploaded images |
| Front desk & team | Smart Clinic | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting-room TV queueSmart Clinic: Professional plan | Not stated | |
| Tablet intake in the waiting roomSmart Clinic: Professional planCliniko: forms by QR code or link; kiosk check-in needs a third-party app | ||
| Rooms & equipment booking | Not stated | |
| Staff hours, vacations & sick days | Not stated | |
| Per-provider earnings reports | ||
| Staff tasks & follow-upsSmart Clinic: with threaded team comments | Not stated | |
| Smart daily briefingSmart Clinic: flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients, no-shows and unpaid invoices | Not stated |
| Payments, apps & languages | Smart Clinic | Cliniko |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated card paymentsSmart Clinic: via Tranzila, for clinics in Israel | ||
| Multi-location managementSmart Clinic: Clinic planCliniko: unlimited locations on every plan | ||
| Staff mobile appCliniko: no native app; works in the mobile browser | ||
| Data export | ||
| Right-to-left languages | Not stated |
Available Partial or limited Not available Not stated = not published by the vendor
Where they differ
AI clinical notes
Smart Clinic generates structured clinical notes from the visit data in one click, from the Professional plan. Cliniko has no built-in AI. It has said it won't rush AI features, and clinics add a third-party AI scribe from its connected-apps marketplace instead, paid separately.
Reminders that reach every patient
Cliniko sends reminders by SMS and email, with SMS billed at 10¢ per message. Smart Clinic sends them by SMS and WhatsApp, and falls back to SMS automatically when WhatsApp can't reach a patient. Patients confirm straight from the message.
Beyond the calendar
Cliniko focuses on the calendar, records and billing. Smart Clinic also runs the rest of the clinic: staff hours with vacations and sick days, room and equipment booking, staff tasks, a waiting-room TV queue, tablet intake and a smart daily briefing that flags unconfirmed visits, lapsed patients and unpaid invoices.
Specialty fit
Cliniko is built for allied health: physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage and similar practices. Smart Clinic is built for aesthetic, dental and multi-specialty clinics, with before-and-after photos, multi-session treatment plans, prepaid packages and a dental chart. Neither has a dedicated face chart for injectables.
Pricing model
Cliniko charges by the number of practitioners and includes every feature on every plan: $45 a month for one practitioner, $95 for two to five. Smart Clinic charges a flat price per clinic by plan, from free up to $99 a month, with more features on higher plans.
Common questions
Can I move from Cliniko to Smart Clinic?
Yes. Export your patient list from Cliniko and import it into Smart Clinic from a CSV or Excel file. You can start on the free plan while you test it.
Does Cliniko have a free plan?
No. Cliniko offers a 30-day free trial with no card required. Smart Clinic has a permanent free plan for up to 2 users and 50 patients.
Does Cliniko have AI notes?
Not built in. Cliniko connects to third-party AI scribes such as Heidi through its connected-apps marketplace, billed separately. Smart Clinic includes AI clinical notes from the Professional plan.
Does Smart Clinic work for physiotherapy practices?
Yes. Smart Clinic runs a physio clinic's calendar, records, reminders, rooms and billing, with visit-note templates you can adapt. If you depend on specialised allied-health templates, try your workflow on the free plan first.
Try Smart Clinic free
Start on the free plan, import your patient list, and see how reminders and online booking work for your clinic. No card needed.
Cliniko details come from its public website and help center as of September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Cliniko is a trademark of its owner. Smart Clinic is not affiliated with Cliniko.