Discover free eBooks, guides and med spa templates on our new resources page

Book a demo
☰
Why us

Blog / Pabau vs Healthbridge

Compare

Pabau vs Healthbridge

Avatar photo Mark Brave
February 11, 2026
Reviewed by: Teodor Jurukovski
Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Healthbridge is a South African billing-focused platform serving 7,000+ doctors with percentage-based pricing, whilst Pabau offers a global all-in-one solution with fixed pricing and AI features.

Pabau provides comprehensive clinical tools including AI scribes, injection plotting, and telehealth. Healthbridge focuses primarily on medical aid claims processing and basic EMR.

Healthbridge has no presence on G2 or Capterra, making independent verification difficult. Pabau maintains strong ratings across multiple review platforms.

For clinics planning expansion or requiring advanced marketing, patient portals, and AI documentation, Pabau offers superior scalability beyond South Africa.

Choosing between Pabau vs Healthbridge can determine whether your South African clinic thrives with modern automation or stays tied to legacy billing workflows. Healthbridge has served local medical practices since 1999, but the landscape of practice management has evolved dramatically. Modern clinics need more than claims processing. They require integrated solutions handling everything from online booking to AI-powered clinical documentation.

This comparison examines Pabau vs Healthbridge across features, pricing, compliance, and real-world performance. Whether you run a GP practice processing medical aid claims or a specialist clinic seeking better workflows, this guide will help you decide which platform delivers genuine value.

What Is Healthbridge?

Healthbridge is a South African cloud-based medical billing and practice management platform that has served local healthcare providers since 1999. Over 7,000 doctors across South Africa use its billing solutions.

The core offering centres on streamlining revenue cycles through real-time claim submission to South African medical aid schemes. Healthbridge provides automated benefit checks, proof of submission for each claim, and automated reconciliation to reduce administrative overhead.

Their clinical module, Healthbridge Clinical, offers basic electronic medical record (EMR) functionality: digital consultation flows, customisable templates for diagnoses and prescriptions, and electronic script generation.

Healthbridge positions itself specifically for the South African healthcare market, targeting GPs, medical specialists, allied health professionals, and billing bureaus. The deep integration with local medical aid schemes makes it a natural choice for practices operating exclusively within South Africa. However, this geographic specificity limits its applicability for clinics considering international expansion.

What Is Pabau?

Pabau is a comprehensive, cloud-based practice management platform designed for medical aesthetics, wellness, and private healthcare practices worldwide. Unlike billing-focused solutions, Pabau integrates clinical documentation, scheduling, marketing, payments, and compliance into one unified system.

Pabau serves thousands of clinics across the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, and increasingly in South Africa. The platform eliminates the need for multiple disconnected tools by offering native functionality for everything from patient portals to AI-powered clinical documentation with Echo AI.

Centralised calendar in Pabau

Key capabilities include injection plotting for aesthetic procedures, before and after photo management, inventory tracking, marketing automation, memberships and loyalty programmes, integrated payment processing, and comprehensive reporting through Insights Plus.

Pabau serves medical aesthetic clinics, medical spas, hair transplant clinics, private GP practices, physiotherapy practices, and multi-location clinic groups. Its growing presence in Africa has earned it a spot among the best clinic software in South Africa.

Pabau vs Healthbridge: Feature Comparison

Understanding how Pabau vs Healthbridge stack up across core functionality clarifies which platform meets modern clinic needs.

Feature Healthbridge Pabau
Online Booking ⚠️ Basic (via Recomed add-on) ✅ Advanced with deposits and forms
EMR / Clinical Notes ⚠️ Basic templates ✅ Comprehensive with AI scribe
Billing and Claims ✅ Strong SA medical aid integration ✅ Global payment processing
Patient Portal ❌ Not available ✅ Full self-service portal
AI Features ❌ None ✅ Echo AI (voice-to-text, drug checks)
Marketing Tools ❌ None built-in ✅ Email/SMS campaigns, automation
Mobile App ⚠️ Mobile-responsive web ✅ Pabau Go (native iOS app)
Multi-Location ⚠️ Bureau software only ✅ Full multi-site management
Integrations ⚠️ SA medical aids + Recomed ✅ Xero, Stripe, Mailchimp, API access
Compliance ✅ POPIA compliant ✅ GDPR, HIPAA, POPIA

Pro Tip

If your clinic processes a high volume of South African medical aid claims, consider whether Pabau’s global payment system covers your needs or whether you’d want to supplement it with a dedicated billing service. For aesthetic and wellness clinics that primarily serve cash-pay patients, Pabau’s integrated checkout and payment processing will be more than sufficient.

Pricing: Pabau vs Healthbridge

The pricing models between Pabau vs Healthbridge differ fundamentally.

Healthbridge uses percentage-based pricing, taking a cut of each medical aid claim processed. Additional modules (Healthbridge Clinical, Recomed for online booking) incur separate monthly fees. Specific pricing is not publicly available; practices must contact sales for quotes. This model means costs scale with your revenue, which can become expensive for high-volume practices.

Pabau offers transparent, fixed monthly pricing published on their website. Plans start from an accessible tier and scale based on features and practice size. All core functionality (scheduling, EMR, patient portal, marketing, payments) is included without add-on fees. This predictable model makes budgeting straightforward, and costs do not increase as your revenue grows.

For growing clinics, Pabau’s fixed pricing becomes increasingly advantageous over Healthbridge’s percentage-based model.

Pros and Cons

Healthbridge

Pros:

  • Deep integration with South African medical aid schemes
  • 25 years of experience in the local market
  • Real-time claims submission and automated reconciliation
  • Strong understanding of SA billing regulations

Cons:

  • Limited to South African market only
  • No AI features or modern clinical tools
  • No built-in marketing, patient portal, or loyalty programmes
  • Percentage-based pricing scales with revenue
  • Minimal presence on independent review platforms

Pabau

Pros:

  • All-in-one platform covering every aspect of clinic management
  • Advanced AI features (Echo AI) for clinical documentation
  • Built-in marketing automation, patient portal, and loyalty programmes
  • Fixed, transparent pricing that does not scale with revenue
  • International compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, POPIA)
  • Strong review ratings across G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot

Cons:

  • No direct integration with South African medical aid schemes
  • Learning curve for clinics transitioning from billing-only software
  • Some advanced features may exceed the needs of very small single-provider practices

Reviews: What Users Say About Pabau vs Healthbridge

Independent reviews provide valuable insight when comparing Pabau vs Healthbridge.

Pabau maintains strong ratings across major review platforms:

Healthbridge has minimal presence on independent review platforms. No profiles were found on G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, or Software Advice. The only external rating identified was a Facebook page with a 76% approval rating from 5 reviews.

This lack of independent verification makes it difficult for prospective customers to assess Healthbridge through third-party sources. In contrast, Pabau’s extensive review presence offers transparency and accountability.

“Switching to Pabau transformed how we run our clinic. The all-in-one platform replaced four separate tools we were juggling, and the automated marketing features alone have boosted our rebooking rates. It is exactly what a modern medspa needs.”

Camille Armstrong
Camille Armstrong

Founder / Co-Owner, Secret Enhancements

See Why Clinics Choose Pabau

Book a personalised demo and discover how Pabau compares to the competition.

Book a demo
Product demonstration

Frequently Asked Questions About Pabau vs Healthbridge

Is Healthbridge only for South African clinics?

Yes. Healthbridge is designed exclusively for South African healthcare providers. Its core strength is deep integration with local medical aid schemes for real-time claims processing. Clinics operating internationally or planning expansion beyond South Africa would find its geographic limitations restrictive.

Can Pabau handle South African medical aid claims?

Pabau supports payment processing and invoicing for South African clinics but does not offer direct integration with South African medical aid schemes like Healthbridge does. Aesthetic and wellness clinics serving cash-pay or international patients will find Pabau’s payment capabilities sufficient. Practices heavily dependent on medical aid reimbursement may need supplementary billing services.

Which platform offers better value for money?

For most modern aesthetic, wellness, and private healthcare clinics, Pabau delivers superior value. Its fixed pricing includes clinical tools, marketing automation, patient portals, and AI features that would require multiple separate subscriptions with Healthbridge. As practices grow, Pabau’s fixed costs become increasingly advantageous compared to Healthbridge’s percentage-based pricing.

Does Pabau have AI features that Healthbridge lacks?

Yes. Pabau offers Echo AI, which includes voice-to-text transcription for clinical notes, drug interaction checking, automated letter generation, and AI-powered review response suggestions. Healthbridge does not offer any AI-powered features based on publicly available information.

Can I try Pabau before committing?

Yes. Pabau offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all platform features. Healthbridge does not advertise a free trial; prospective customers must contact sales for demos and pricing.

Which platform is better for multi-location clinics?

Pabau offers stronger multi-location capabilities including centralised scheduling, cross-location inventory tracking, consolidated reporting with location-specific breakdowns, and franchise management features. Healthbridge offers multi-location support primarily through bureau software for billing companies but lacks comprehensive operational tools for multi-site management.

Final Verdict: Pabau vs Healthbridge

The Pabau vs Healthbridge decision hinges on your clinic’s strategic direction and growth ambitions.

Healthbridge excels as a specialised billing solution for South African healthcare providers deeply embedded in the medical aid reimbursement system. Practices processing high volumes of medical aid claims will appreciate its focused expertise and 25 years of local market experience.

However, Healthbridge’s strengths become limitations for clinics requiring modern clinical tools, patient engagement features, or international scalability. The percentage-based pricing, add-on fee structure, and absence of AI capabilities position it as a legacy solution.

Pabau represents the modern approach to practice management: a comprehensive platform addressing clinical excellence, operational efficiency, patient engagement, and business growth simultaneously. Its AI-powered documentation, marketing automation, patient portal, and international compliance framework provide capabilities that match where healthcare is heading.

For aesthetic clinics, medical spas, wellness centres, and private healthcare practices seeking exceptional patient experiences whilst building scalable businesses, Pabau delivers superior long-term value. South African clinics at the crossroads should consider not just current needs but their three-year vision. If that vision includes international patients, multiple locations, or advanced clinical capabilities, Pabau provides the foundation for that growth.

×