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Kareo vs Pabau

Why is Pabau the right Kareo alternative for you?

This page will unpick some of the key differences between Kareo and Pabau so that you can decide which is the best fit for your business.

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Main differences between Kareo and Pabau

Kareo

Kareo is a US-focused practice management, billing and EHR platform built for small independent medical practices. It is strong on insurance billing, claims and clearinghouse workflows, scheduling and charting for general medical offices. (Kareo is now part of Tebra, following its merger with PatientPop.)

Because it is built around US medical billing and general practice workflows, it is less oriented to the aesthetics and med-spa market — treatment-focused clinical records, before-and-after imaging and aesthetic client marketing are not its focus.

Pabau

Pabau offers an all-in-one cloud software solution tailored to seamlessly manage the unique workflows in med spas, healthcare businesses and aesthetic practices of all sizes. It’s intuitive and easy-to-use enough that new businesses can get it up and running in no time, but it’s comprehensive enough to help practices scale and grow.

It supports businesses with everything from online booking, patient management, forms, automated recalls/reminders, pre- and post-care, POS, and marketing.

It’s not just there to simplify running your business, it’s designed to help you drive revenue and grow.

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Pricing

Kareo

Kareo/Tebra is sold on a per-provider subscription with separate modules for clinical (EHR), billing and patient engagement, typically arranged through a custom quote rather than a single public price.

For an aesthetics or medical-led clinic outside the US insurance-billing model, much of that billing machinery may go unused, while the aesthetic and client-experience tools you rely on sit elsewhere.

Pabau

Pabau charges a flat monthly fee based on the number of users and clients. For that, you get an incredibly feature-rich system with online bookings, digital client records, robust client records, inventory, point of sale, marketing builder, and lots more. For more information visit our pricing page. 

Pabau’s core functionality is built-in, and we don’t charge extra for essential features. There are some optional fees and upgrades like credits for SMS, telehealth and Pabau Scribe and Marketing Plus (which are super useful!), but everything you need day-to-day is built in.

Pabau offers 12, 24 and 36-month contracts, but they are optional.

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Feature comparison

Why Choose Pabau Over Kareo
Kareo

All-in-one clinic software, not just billing and EHR

Kareo/Tebra centres on US medical billing, claims and EHR for general practices. Pabau comes with the clinical essentials a medical or aesthetic practice needs — structured charting, smart medical forms, consent and a complete client record — built in for a flat monthly fee.

Built-in before and after photos

Pabau’s before-and-after feature comes with every plan. It lets you store photos in client cards, share them with clients, and track progress visually.
Kareo is built for general medical charting and billing rather than aesthetic treatments, so clinic-grade before-and-after photo tracking is not part of its core.

Predictable, all-in pricing

Kareo/Tebra prices clinical, billing and engagement as separate modules, so the true monthly cost can be hard to predict — and much of the US billing stack may not apply to you.
With Pabau, the features a clinic uses every day are included in one plan and you can pay monthly — so what you see is what you pay.

Built-in customizable reports and analytics

Kareo/Tebra reporting is geared to US billing, claims and collections.
Meanwhile, Pabau has more than 40 pre-built reports you can customize, or build your own, at no extra cost — with visual pie charts and graphs.

Robust client portal

Kareo/Tebra’s patient portal is oriented to US medical intake, statements and payments.
With Pabau, clients get a portal on mobile and desktop to manage bookings — including cancelling and rescheduling — communicate with the clinic, follow their treatment journey, and view lab results.

Clinical documentation built for medical-led care

Kareo’s charting is designed for general US medical practices and insurance documentation rather than aesthetic treatment records.
Pabau is built for medical and aesthetic care: structured charting, smart medical forms, consent and a complete client record are built in, with detailed treatment charting and progress tracking throughout.

Efficient no-show management with flexible, automated deposits

Pabau offers flexible deposits you can customize by service or client, and set a deposit rate to reduce no-shows and protect revenue — backed by automated reminders and confirmations to keep your calendar full.

Flexible and intuitive calendar

Pabau gives you a flexible calendar you can view by day, week or month and tailor to how your team works, with a clean, intuitive layout that is quick for new staff to pick up.

Kareo/Tebra’s scheduling is built around US medical-office and billing workflows, which can be heavier than an aesthetics team needs.

Having Pabau implemented into the clinic is certainly a relief. It just reduces a whole lot of stress in the clinic.

Amish Patel, Owner / Director / Lead clinician
Intrigue Cosmetic Clinic
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G2 Leader
G2 Likely To Recommend

Top 5 reasons to choose Pabau over Kareo

1. Intuitive, easy-to-use system

Pabau is a modern and intuitive system that is a no-brainer for businesses of all sizes. Its intuitive interface and user-friendly features allow users to find everything they need with just a few clicks.

Many of our clients who are solo practitioners or small businesses have stated that they started using our intuitive and user-friendly system from the get-go.

By contrast, teams coming from a US-billing-first system like Kareo often want software that leads with the clinical and client experience, not the claims workflow.

2. Practice management solution for practices of all sizes

Pabau is great for solo practitioners, new businesses, and big businesses alike. It is an affordable option for teams of one, and it is also robust enough to grow with you and handle large clinics.

Kareo/Tebra works well for US medical billing offices, but aesthetic and medical-led clinics often need treatment charting, imaging and client marketing that sit outside a billing-first platform.

3. An all-in-one solution for med spas and aesthetic practices

Pabau is a superb solution for the aesthetic industry. It has everything you need to run your business: a robust client card, detailed face mapping, structured treatment records, automated recalls for easier client/calendar management, and smart allergy tracking with SNOMED. It also comes with a secure payment terminal for easier payments.

Kareo/Tebra is built around US medical billing and EHR, so aesthetic depth — face mapping, before-and-after imaging, treatment charting and consent — is not its focus.

4. Core functionalities built-in

With Pabau, everything you need to run your business is built in, so you won't have to pay extra for things like before-and-after photos, detailed and customizable reports, review management, or the client portal. There are some optional fees and upgrades, but everything you need day-to-day is built in.

Kareo/Tebra prices clinical, billing and engagement separately, so costs can stack for tools an aesthetics clinic may not use.

5. A richer, more convenient client experience

Pabau's robust client portal keeps your clients engaged, reducing no-shows while improving treatment outcomes. Clients can easily book/cancel/reschedule appointments online, pay invoices, find treatment notes, see progress photos, and view and edit their medical histories with just a click.

Kareo/Tebra's patient portal is geared to US medical statements and intake. It does not give aesthetic clients the treatment-journey portal Pabau provides.

Customers That Chose Pabau Over Others

“A clinical CRM that meets all of my needs and makes my life a lot easier! [I love] having my patient’s journey all in one place. Being able to manage marketing and new leads, which previously required juggling various systems.

Pabau has allowed me to streamline my business and gave me more time — which is invaluable.”

Craig H.

Small-business owner

G2 review

“[We love] the ability to free up the clinic of paper once and for all. Having tried a number of different software systems there has always been some paper somewhere. Pabau completely eliminates this. It has every feature you could dream of to reduce the workload.

There’s always someone available if you need help with the system as well.”

Lee H.

Medical practice manager

GetApp review

“Our previous system was OKAY but we needed too many additional “add-ons” to continue to grow our business and service our customers. Pabau is a one-stop shop.”

Carissa P.

Health, wellness, and fitness manager

Capterra review

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Kareo is a trademark of its respective owner. Last updated on 07.23.2026

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