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This page will unpack the key differences between PatientNow and Pabau so you can decide which solution is right for you.
PatientNow is a suite of practice management solutions for the elective medical industry. They offer standard management features like EMRs, forms, patient scheduling, online booking, and before and after photos.
They have two plans to choose from, each with specific features. The Essentials plan (for med spas) includes weight loss tracking and deposits (as an upgrade), and Pro (for medical clinics) has prescriptions, lab integrations and insurance billing.
PatientNow has merged with four other platforms. They come as a compilation of separate products that work together, not a single practice management platform.
Pabau is an all-in-one practice management software specifically designed for the complex needs of a medically related patient journey.
The majority of our clients are in the medi-aesthetic industry, however, we also have customers that are GP clinics, skin clinics, cosmetic surgeries, pharmacies, salons and more.
As a truly integrated system, Pabau provides everything a practice needs to reduce time spent on admin, improve the patient experience, and attract new customers.
PatientNow doesn’t display its pricing publicly. You need to contact them directly to get a quote.
However, according to online reviews, you have to sign up for an annual contract, which means it may not be suitable for clinics that don’t like to commit to lengthy contracts. Also, their clients have stated that many features are add-ons for an extra fee.
As we mentioned, PatientNow doesn’t operate as a standalone solution. They’ve merged with Crystal Clear Digital Marketing, RxPhoto and Envision to create different solutions for aesthetic, elective procedures and the salon industry. Therefore, the pricing structure may be more complicated than a flat monthly fee.
Pabau charges a flat monthly fee and every client will get access to all the features. And there are a LOT of features. Online booking, digital client records, appointment reminders, staff scheduling and rota management, and lots more – Pabau is incredibly feature-rich.
Pabau’s core functionality is built-in and pricing is based on the number of users and clients. You get access to all core functionality, whether you’re a med spa, aesthetic clinic, GP, or salon. You decide which ones you need – we don’t do it for you.
There are one-off costs for training and data transfer services to help you get up and running as soon as possible, but are entirely optional.
The only additional costs are the charges for the optional SMS appointment reminders (which we highly recommend you use) and our Marketing Plus feature.
| Why Choose Pabau Over PatientNow | PatientNow | Pabau |
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| All-in-one practice management system under one roof PatientNow is a suite of several different platforms that talk to each other, each with a separate login. So EMRs are in one system, and consent forms are in a completely different one. In contrast, Pabau is a truly all-in-one, integrated practice management system with all the features you need on one platform! |
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| Core functionality built in for a single fee PatientNow has two plans, Essential with non-clinical, and Pro with clinical features. Also, you may need to pay extra for some features. Pabau has a lot more core features built-in. You get access to all of them and you choose what you need. The only exception is the Marketing Plus feature and SMS appointment reminders. |
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| Comprehensive client portal with online booking functionality PatientNow’s patient portal is pretty limited. Patients can only add medical information and history - they can’t book online. With Pabau, clients get a client portal with an online booking functionality. They can book appointments, complete consent forms, view pre-care and post-care instructions and check lab results. |
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| Fast and secure online payment options With PatientNow, you can only take payments in person, you have to and manually request online payments via email or text. Patients can’t pay when booking online. On the other hand, Pabau offers an all-in-one payment processing system with multiple payment options, including online payments. |
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| Deposits built in the core functionality Deposits in PatientNow are available as an add-on and with an upgraded package of Envision (their billing partner), meaning more fees for you. In Pabau, deposits come with the core functionality. You can set deposits per service, use percentages, flat fees, and make them required for online bookings. |
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Easily customizable forms and templates PatientNow has forms and templates, but they can’t be customized. Also, you need to pay extra for a third-party tool to use macros. Pabau has made customizing forms and templates a breeze. Choose from hundreds of forms, customize them with a single click and use merge tags to personalize them. | .
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| Customizable reports and analytics PatientNow’s reporting lacks essential reports and crucial data because it’s stored on different platforms. You need to contact PatientNow to customize, which may come at a cost. Meanwhile, Pabau has more than 150 pre-built reports and you can build your own. There’s also pie charts and graphs so it's more visual. |
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"If you want an easy life, then this is the only client management software to use"
Roxanne Merchant, Head of Clinic Operations
Juvea Medical
PatientNow has many things to help you run a practice efficiently. However, it’s not a singular solution - it’s a collection of separate solutions offered as a suite of practice management solutions. So, there’s a lot of back-and-forth between platforms required for basic practice tasks.
Pabau has all the features you need to streamline your practice work, reduce time spent on admin and provide the best care – from a single place. You can access your schedule, patient records, payments, before and after photos or treatment notes in a handful of clicks. All using one login and one platform.
PatientNow isn't a web-based solution. You need to download a desktop app to use it on your computer. On top of that, it’s Windows-based and not compatible with Mac. To use it, Mac users need to download a third-party app with a paid license which adds an extra cost and makes it inefficient to use.
On the other hand, Pabau is a cloud and web-based solution. You don’t need to download anything and you can access it from any device, anywhere - whether you're in the clinic, at home, or overseas.
Having access to patient records from anywhere just makes your life easier - as it enables you to work on-the-go, from different clinics or locations. In the words of one of our clients, “All I have to do is just take my iPad, mobile phone, or laptop with me. That’s all."
The best software understands you, your business, and your challenges. Pabau has been built to meet the needs of medical-based and aesthetic businesses as well.
If you're running a medical practice, but looking to diversify in aesthetics, Pabau has all the features you need, and for no extra fees: automated deposits that protect you against no-shows and revenue loss, automated consent forms per service and customizable templates for pre and aftercare. You get all the features you need for a flat monthly fee. We don’t choose which features you need - you do.
PatientNow offers intake forms, memberships, pre and post-treatment education, and automated reminders. However, ours are more comprehensive, feature-packed and synced with the entire system, giving you a seamless practice management experience.
PatientNow allows users to take payments on-site via credit card, via card on file or manually request users to pay via email or text. However, your patients are not able to pay online while making a booking.
With Pabau, you can offer your clients a whole range of payment options. Do they want to pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay? Do they prefer to pay online while booking? Or do they prefer to split the payments for more expensive treatments? Pabau makes taking payments a breeze!
PatientNow includes a patient portal where patients can add their medical history and information. But, it doesn’t have an online booking feature, meaning it doesn’t offer a comprehensive self-service experience.
Our client portal allows your clients to securely see before and after photos, book appointments, see email communication, medical history, pre-care and aftercare, lab results, and more.
For your front-of-house staff, that means much less time spent printing out forms, updating medical information, and taking appointment calls.
“After 16 years of using about 20 different client management software systems, this is the only one I can honestly say does it all, and does it all very well.”
Roxanne Merchant,
Head of Operations, Juvea Medical
“Pabau is feature-rich, allowing us functionality to grow as our business needs grow, and at the same time quite intuitive to use. Competing software offerings can’t compete!”
Daniel, Doctor,
G2 review
“I’ve been in business for almost nine years. I’ve tried a lot of different software, but I was always missing some features. This software has everything that saves my time, keeps my records and medical forms in one place, and is easy to use.”
Angelina, Owner
G2 review
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