Free Practice Management Software: What's Actually Free (And What's Not)

Let me save you some time: most "free" practice management software isn't really free. There's usually a catch—storage limits, feature restrictions, per-claim fees, or you need a computer science degree to set it up.

But there are a few legitimate options out there. I've dug through the actual pricing pages and user reviews to tell you which free practice management tools are worth your time, and which ones will nickel-and-dime you into upgrading.

Quick Summary: The Best Free Practice Management Software

Carepatron: The Best Free Plan for Solo Practitioners

Carepatron has one of the most generous free tiers I've seen in this space. Their Starter plan is $0/month forever, and it includes features that other companies charge for.

What You Get for Free:

The Catch:

That 1GB storage limit is the real limitation here. Users report it fills up in 3-4 months of active use, even without uploading files. There's also no way to see what's eating your storage, which is frustrating.

Once you hit that limit, you're looking at $14-29/month per user for paid plans.

Who It's Best For:

Solo therapists, counselors, and mental health practitioners starting out. The free telehealth alone makes this worth it if you're doing any remote sessions. Users consistently praise its ease of use—"it's the most straightforward EHR I've ever used" is a common refrain.

Practice Mate by Office Ally: Free Medical Billing That Actually Works

Practice Mate is used by over 25,000 healthcare organizations, and the core product costs nothing. No subscription fees, no licensing fees.

What You Get for Free:

The Catch:

Some add-on features cost extra: patient reminders, electronic intake, e-prescribing. There may also be transactional fees depending on your claim volume. The interface is a bit dated and mouse-heavy, which slows down data entry. Users who've worked with it for years say it's best for smaller practices—heavy billing volume can expose some performance issues.

Who It's Best For:

Small to mid-sized medical practices that need solid billing functionality without paying monthly fees. If you're a solo provider or small group practice focused on insurance billing, this is hard to beat on price.

OpenEMR: Free and Open Source (But You'll Need IT Help)

OpenEMR is the most popular open-source electronic health records and practice management solution. It's installed in over 15,000 healthcare facilities globally, serving 90+ million patients.

What You Get for Free:

The Catch:

This is open-source software written in PHP. Translation: unless you have technical staff, you'll struggle with setup and customization. The interface can be complex, and professional support isn't included—you're relying on community forums or paid vendors. E-prescribing also requires third-party integration, which costs extra.

If you want cloud hosting without managing your own server, AWS packages run $5-100+/month.

Who It's Best For:

Practices with in-house IT resources who want complete control and customization. It's also popular in resource-limited settings internationally where budget is the primary constraint. Not recommended for solo practitioners without technical background.

Jotform: Free Practice Forms (Not Full Practice Management)

Jotform isn't a full practice management system—it's form software. But if your main need is patient intake, consent forms, appointment booking, and basic payments, their free tier might be all you need.

What You Get for Free:

The Catch:

It's limited to 5 forms and 100 submissions/month on the free plan. And it's just forms—no scheduling calendar, no EHR, no billing/claims. You'll need to piece together other tools.

Who It's Best For:

Practices that already have scheduling and billing covered elsewhere but need a better intake/consent solution. Great for practitioners just starting who want to look professional without a big software investment.

What About Practice Fusion?

You might have seen Practice Fusion mentioned as a free option. That's outdated information. Practice Fusion used to be free—they were actually the largest cloud-based EHR platform back in 2014. But they transitioned to a paid subscription model in 2018 after being acquired by Allscripts.

Now they offer a 14-day free trial, but then you're paying. They do have competitive pricing for a full EHR, but it's not free practice management software anymore.

Free vs. Paid: When Should You Upgrade?

Free practice management software makes sense when:

Consider paying when:

Most practices outgrow free tools within 6-12 months. That's fine—the free tier lets you test workflows before committing money.

Related Tools to Consider

Practice management is just one piece of running a healthcare practice. You might also need:

The Bottom Line

If you're a therapist or counselor doing telehealth, start with Carepatron. The free plan has everything you need to get started.

If you're a medical practice focused on insurance billing, Practice Mate by Office Ally gives you real billing software at no monthly cost.

If you have IT support and want total control, OpenEMR is the most powerful free option—but it's not for the tech-averse.

Don't expect "free" to last forever. Most practices upgrade within a year. But these tools let you validate your workflows and patient load before spending money on software you might not need.