Software comparison
Cliniko vs Halaxy: does free really cost less?
Cliniko charges US$45, US$95 and US$195 a month at 1, 5 and 10 practitioners (about A$64, A$135 and A$277). Halaxy's core platform has no subscription fee: you pay 1.5% to 1.9% of card payments plus 75 cents to $1, and $0.15 to $0.22 credits for SMS and claims. Figures checked 25 September 2026.
Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Cliniko
Pick Cliniko if you want one predictable line on your statement regardless of how many card payments or SMS you send, especially if your headcount sits at 2 to 5 or 9 to 12 where the tier holds flat.
Halaxy
Pick Halaxy if your card turnover and claim volume are genuinely light relative to a flat subscription, or you want to run without a fixed monthly cost while you are small; model your own transaction and credit spend before assuming it stays cheaper as you grow.
What it costs
Cliniko bills in USD, converted here at the RBA's rate for 24 September 2026 (1 AUD = US$0.7032, so 1 USD = A$1.4221); GST treatment for Australian Cliniko accounts is not stated. Halaxy is priced in AUD with GST-inclusive credits and has no subscription fee at any headcount, so its real cost is per transaction and per credit rather than per month.. Prices captured 25 Sep 2026 from Cliniko and Halaxy.
| Plan | 1 practitioner | 5 practitioners | 10 practitioners | How we worked it out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliniko | Monthly, all features (USD as billed / AUD equivalent) | US$45 (A$63.99) | US$95 (A$135.10) | US$195 (A$277.30) | Tier lookup: 1 practitioner in the US$45 tier, 5 in the 2 to 5 tier at US$95, 10 in the 9 to 12 tier at US$195, each converted at 1 USD = A$1.4221. |
| Halaxy | Core platform subscription | $0 | $0 | $0 | Halaxy's core platform carries no subscription fee at any practitioner count. |
| Halaxy | Card processing (Bronze/Silver bands) | 1.5% to 1.9% of card revenue, plus 75c to $1 a transaction | same rate; total depends on transactions processed | same rate; total depends on transactions processed | This tracks card revenue processed and does not reduce to a single dollar figure without assuming a turnover, which Halaxy does not publish and we have not invented. |
Feature by feature
| Cliniko | Halaxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Tiered by practitioner headcount, one flat monthly fee. | No subscription fee; separate per-transaction and per-credit charges. |
| Cost at 1 practitioner | US$45 a month (about A$64). | $0 subscription; card processing and credits billed as used. |
| Cost at 10 practitioners | US$195 a month (about A$277). | $0 subscription; card processing and credits billed as used, typically adding up faster at this scale. |
| SMS | 10 cents a message. | $0.15 to $0.22 a credit, GST inclusive. |
| Medicare, DVA and NDIS claiming | Through the Tyro Health integration, included in the subscription. | Paid per claim with credits, covering Medicare, DVA, ECLIPSE, TAC, HICAPS, Workcover, Comcare and NDIS. |
| Card payment processing | Not listed as a separate Cliniko fee on its pricing page. | 1.5% to 1.9% of the transaction plus 75 cents to $1. |
| Telehealth | Built in, currently free, group calls up to 4 people. | Available as a credit-funded feature. |
Declared bias and what this page is for
FFP Digital builds websites and online booking and tracking setups for physio and allied health clinics, working with whichever practice software a clinic already runs. We are not a reseller for Cliniko or Halaxy and neither pays us for this page. We have taken the numbers straight from each vendor's own pricing page and shown the arithmetic.
Two pricing models that cannot be read off the same table
Cliniko charges one flat monthly fee by practitioner tier, in US dollars: US$45 for 1 practitioner, US$95 for 2 to 5, US$195 for 9 to 12. That number does not move with how many patients you see, only with headcount.
Halaxy's core platform, the calendar, patient records, clinical tools, invoicing and reporting, has no subscription fee at all, for 1 practitioner or 10. In place of a monthly line, Halaxy charges 1.5% to 1.9% of every card payment you process plus 75 cents to $1, and sells credits at $0.15 to $0.22 each for SMS reminders, telehealth, e-scripts and submitting Medicare, DVA, NDIS and other funding body claims. That spend tracks your card revenue and message volume, not your headcount directly, though a bigger clinic usually generates more of both.
Where the comparison actually flips
Because Halaxy's meter is per transaction and per credit rather than per practitioner, there is no single practitioner count where it becomes more expensive than Cliniko: it depends on how much card revenue and how many SMS and claims your clinic actually processes. A very small practice with little card turnover will likely spend less on Halaxy than Cliniko's US$45 tier. A busier practice, at any headcount, that processes a lot of card payments and sends a lot of SMS and claims could end up paying more in fees than Cliniko's flat subscription would have cost. We have not assumed a revenue figure for you here, because Halaxy does not publish one: work out your own monthly card turnover and message count before deciding which model wins for your practice.
Claiming and telehealth, where the tools differ more than the price
Cliniko processes Medicare, DVA and health fund claims through its Tyro Health integration and includes telehealth free with every plan. Halaxy's claiming for Medicare, DVA, ECLIPSE, TAC, HICAPS, Workcover, Comcare and NDIS runs through its credit system, so each claim has a small, separate cost rather than being covered by a flat fee.
Common complaints and catches
Cliniko
- Priced in US dollars only, so the AUD cost moves with the exchange rate on your billing date
- Card payment processing is not listed as a built-in Cliniko fee, so check what your payment provider charges separately
Halaxy
- The free core has no visible monthly bill, so the real cost is easy to underestimate until card processing and credit spend are added up
- Halaxy's pricing page gives ranges rather than single numbers, so your actual rate needs confirming with Halaxy directly
Switching between them
Patient records, appointments and billable items usually move by CSV export and import; check the destination vendor's help centre for the exact fields it accepts before you start. Reconnect Tyro Health or Halaxy's payment and claiming setup, and rebuild your online booking embed on your website, before you switch off the old account.
FFP Digital is a ServiceM8 developer and builds for Cliniko clinics. We have tried to be fair; prices are the vendors' own published figures on the date shown.
Sources
- Cliniko pricing by practitioner count per month, in US dollars: US$45 (1), US$95 (2 to 5), US$145 (6 to 8), US$195 (9 to 12), US$295 (13 to 25), US$395 (26 to 200); every plan includes every feature. Cliniko, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Cliniko's pricing page lists SMS at 10 cents a message and processes Medicare, DVA and health fund claims through its Tyro Health integration. Cliniko Help, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Cliniko telehealth is built in, currently free for all accounts, with group calls of up to 4 people. Cliniko Help, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Halaxy states its core practice management platform is free for any practitioner, with unlimited appointments, practitioners and locations, and no sign up cost or credit card required. Halaxy, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Halaxy's card payment processing costs between 1.5% and 1.9% per transaction plus a 75 cent to $1 fee, on its Silver and Bronze bands. Halaxy, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Halaxy credits cost between AUD $0.15 and $0.22 per credit including GST, spent on SMS, e-scripts, telehealth, secure messaging, AI Scribe and funding body claims including Medicare, DVA, ECLIPSE, TAC, HICAPS, Workcover, Comcare and NDIS. Halaxy, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- The Reserve Bank of Australia's published exchange rate for 24 September 2026 is 0.7032 US dollars per Australian dollar. Reserve Bank of Australia, checked 25 Sep 2026.