Most veterinary practice management software vendors will not tell you what their software costs until you book a demo and a discovery call. The reasons given are usually some version of "we tailor pricing to your practice size," which is partly true and partly a sales strategy designed to anchor you before the number comes out.
The result is that anyone trying to do early-stage research on equine practice management software ends up frustrated. Pricing pages are vague. Comparison sites quote ranges. Reviews tell you that the platform is "reasonable" or "on the expensive side" without saying what either means.
This post fixes that. It uses publicly listed prices from vendor websites and third-party software directories as of June 2026, explains what actually drives the differences, and points out the gotchas that make comparing prices harder than it looks. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, that is noted, because the absence of a price is information too.
The headline range for equine PMS in 2026
For a small to mid-sized ambulatory equine practice, expect to pay somewhere between $129 and $450 per user per month for equine practice management software. That is a 3x range, and the variation is not random. It reflects four real differences in what the software does and how it is built.
The four variables that drive equine PMS pricing:
- Pricing model. Per-user vs flat. A 5-vet practice on a $80 per-user-per-month plan pays $400. The same practice on a $199 flat plan pays $199.
- AI features. Some platforms include AI in the base price, others meter it separately or charge a premium tier.
- Imaging integration. PACS-integrated platforms often charge for the integration as an add-on, or require a separate PACS subscription.
- Support tier. Some vendors include implementation and training in the base price, others charge separately.
The simplest mistake practices make when evaluating cost is comparing the headline monthly number without normalising for these four variables.
What the major equine PMS options publicly list
This section uses publicly listed pricing from vendor websites and software directories as of June 2026. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, the post says so. None of this is from private sales calls.
StableTrack
Listed price: $199 per month, flat, unlimited users. AI usage metered separately based on volume. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Included: full equine PMS, mobile iOS app with offline mode, Stripe integration, multi-owner invoicing, Keystone PACS integration setup, voice-to-SOAP, automated reminders. Implementation and training included.
Not included: Keystone PACS itself (separate Asteris product), advanced AI features that exceed the monthly metering allowance.
ezyVet
Listed price: ezyVet does not publish complete pricing publicly. Software directories like Capterra and GetApp commonly list starting prices around $150 per user per month for the practice management module, with additional modules priced separately. Multi-location and large-practice pricing is quoted on request.
Included in the base: scheduling, clinical records, invoicing, inventory. Many of the most-requested features, including the AI scribe and the deeper imaging integrations, are positioned as separate paid modules.
What to watch for: per-user pricing scales fast. A 5-vet practice can easily land in the $750 to $1,000 per month range with the standard module set. ezyVet's strength is depth of functionality across multiple species, but for an equine-only practice that depth often goes unused.
Covetrus Pulse
Listed price: Covetrus does not publish pricing publicly. Pricing is structured around the size of the practice and the modules selected. Multiple sources put base pricing in the $150 to $250 per user per month range for the core platform.
Included in base pricing varies considerably by package. Inventory and reordering automation is one of Pulse's stronger areas, and tends to be in the base. Advanced clinical features are often separate.
What to watch for: Covetrus contracts often involve longer commitments than vet-specific competitors, and the platform is part of a larger Covetrus ecosystem that includes pharmacy and distribution products. The pricing economics can shift if a practice is already using Covetrus for pharmacy.
DaySmart Vet
Listed price: Three published tiers as of June 2026, with the entry tier listed at $129 per user per month, the standard tier at $239 per user per month, and the enterprise tier quoted on request. 30-day free trial.
Included in the entry tier: core scheduling, clinical records, basic invoicing. Inventory and advanced clinical features are in the standard tier. Multi-location features are in enterprise.
What to watch for: DaySmart Vet is designed primarily for small animal and mixed practices. Equine-specific features like multi-owner billing, mileage tracking, and barn-level coordination are either missing or require workarounds. For a small to mid practice with simple needs, the entry tier price is attractive. For a working ambulatory equine practice, the workarounds add up.
ThoroVet
Listed price: ThoroVet does not publish pricing publicly. Industry sources put pricing in the $150 to $300 per user per month range for the standard equine practice package.
Included: equine-specific records, scheduling, billing. ThoroVet has been built specifically for equine practice from the start, which means many of the features ambulatory practices need are not paid add-ons.
What to watch for: ThoroVet is a smaller, established player with a loyal user base. The platform is mature but the pace of new development is slower than newer entrants. Mobile field functionality is improving but historically has been weaker than the desktop product.
Cassadol
Listed price: Cassadol does not publish pricing publicly. Industry directories list base pricing starting around $200 per user per month for the equine package.
Included: equine practice management, imaging features, scheduling, billing. Cassadol bundles more imaging functionality into the base product than most competitors.
What to watch for: Cassadol has integrated imaging tooling but a separate PACS may still be needed for full diagnostic workflows. Multi-owner billing has been improving but practices coming from spreadsheet workflows sometimes find it less flexible than expected.
Shepherd Veterinary Software
Listed price: Shepherd publishes pricing starting at $179 per user per month for the core plan, with an enterprise plan quoted on request.
Included: scheduling, records, billing, basic reporting. Shepherd is designed primarily for general small-animal practice. Equine-specific features are limited.
What to watch for: Shepherd is a credible small-animal platform but is not built around equine workflow. Most ambulatory equine practices that have tried Shepherd find they outgrow it quickly once they need anything beyond the basics for horses.
HVMS by Business Infusions
Listed price: HVMS does not publish pricing publicly. Industry sources put pricing in the $200 to $400 per user per month range, with significant variation based on modules.
Included: HVMS is a mature, full-featured veterinary management platform with strong reporting and business analytics. The equine module is one of several.
What to watch for: HVMS is a larger system that has historically been priced for larger practices. Newer competitors have been gaining ground on functionality at a lower price point.
What is actually in the price
Here is where comparing equine PMS gets harder than it looks. Two platforms might list "$200 per user per month" but mean radically different things.
Implementation and training. Some vendors include onboarding in the base price. Others charge $2,000 to $10,000 separately for data migration, configuration, and training. For a 5-vet practice, this can change the first-year cost meaningfully.
Integrations. Stripe, QuickBooks, lab systems, imaging, take-home pharmacy. Some platforms include these in the base price. Others charge per integration per month. A practice using 4 integrations could see this add $100 to $400 per month.
AI features. AI dictation, automated SOAP notes, predictive scheduling. Some platforms include these in the base. Others meter usage or charge premium tiers. For a high-volume practice doing many notes per day, AI metering can add several hundred dollars per month if not capped.
Support tier. Email-only support vs phone vs dedicated success manager. Premium support often adds 10 to 25 percent to the base price.
Data migration. Moving from one PMS to another usually costs something. Some vendors include basic migration, others charge $1,000 to $5,000 for substantial historical data.
Contract length. Annual contracts vs month-to-month. Annual is usually 15 to 20 percent cheaper but locks you in. Month-to-month gives flexibility but costs more.
How to actually compare costs
The useful comparison is not "what does each platform list per user per month." The useful comparison is "what will my practice actually pay in year one and year two, including everything."
A practical worksheet that works for any platform:
- Per-user license cost times number of vets and support staff who will use the system. (For flat-rate platforms like StableTrack, this is just the flat number.)
- Implementation and training. One-time cost in year one.
- Data migration cost. One-time cost in year one if applicable.
- Integration costs. Per month, for any third-party tools you need.
- AI usage estimate. Per month, based on expected SOAP note volume.
- Premium support. Per month, if needed.
- PACS subscription if imaging is separate.
Add these up. Divide year-one cost by 12 to get a true monthly cost. Compare that across platforms. The headline list price often reorders considerably once you do this exercise.
A worked example. A 4-vet ambulatory practice evaluating two platforms with apparently similar pricing:
Platform A: per-user model. Listed at $200 per user per month. Real cost: $800 per month license, $3,000 implementation, $500 per month for two paid integrations, $200 per month for AI usage above the included quota. Year one total: $20,400.
Platform B: flat-rate model. Listed at $199 per month. Real cost: $199 per month flat, $0 implementation included, $0 for integrations included in base, $80 per month for AI usage above the included quota. Year one total: $3,348.
That is a 6x difference for a similar practice using similar features. The per-user model is not always more expensive, but it almost always scales more aggressively as the practice grows.
What to ask any vendor before signing
Five questions that surface the hidden costs.
"What is the total first-year cost for my exact practice size, including implementation, migration, integrations, and standard AI usage?" A direct number. If the vendor cannot answer or refuses to give one, that is information.
"How does pricing change when we add a vet?" Per-user platforms can double in cost as the practice grows. Flat-rate platforms do not.
"Are there any features that are in the demo but are not in the base price?" Frequently, the impressive feature in the sales demo is in a higher tier. Ask which ones.
"What is the contract length and what does the cancellation policy look like?" Annual contracts with auto-renewal and 90-day notice clauses are common. Worth knowing before signing.
"Can I have a written quote with the line-item costs broken down?" Many vendors will not produce one in writing. Polite persistence helps here.
The hidden cost of staying on the wrong software
The most expensive software is the one that does not fit your practice. The American Animal Hospital Association estimates that veterinary practices miss between 5 and 10 percent of all charges every year. Some audits find leakage closer to 20 percent. For a $2 million practice, that is between $100,000 and $200,000 in revenue annually that the practice did the work to earn but never billed.
Most of that leakage is not random. It traces back to specific workflow gaps where the software does not fit the way the practice actually runs. Ambulatory equine practices on small-animal-focused PMS lose money in predictable places: forgotten farm-call charges, mileage that does not get billed, multi-owner invoices that get done manually and incompletely, imaging studies that get done but billed wrong.
A software platform that fits the practice properly can recover most of this. That recovered revenue often exceeds the entire software cost by several multiples, which is why the headline price is not the right way to think about the decision.
A note on StableTrack pricing
StableTrack lists at $199 per month, flat, with unlimited users. AI usage is metered separately based on the volume of notes processed; for most practices the included allowance covers everyday use. There is no per-user pricing, no implementation fee, no separate charge for integrations like Stripe or QuickBooks Online or Keystone PACS, and no contract lock-in. The 30-day trial requires no credit card.
The model is intentional. Equine practices grow by adding vets, and a per-user model penalises that growth. The flat-rate model lets practices invest in headcount without their software bill scaling alongside.
Frequently asked questions
What does equine practice management software cost on average?
Based on publicly listed prices and industry directory data as of June 2026, equine PMS ranges from approximately $129 to over $400 per user per month for the software license alone, before add-ons, integrations, and implementation. Flat-rate platforms like StableTrack list at $199 per month total regardless of user count.
Why do most vendors hide their pricing?
Most veterinary software vendors require a sales call before quoting prices because the pricing varies by practice size and module configuration, and because anchoring the conversation around outcomes before number disclosure tends to produce higher contract values. It is a legitimate strategy but not always in the buyer's interest during early-stage research.
Is a higher price worth it?
Not automatically. Higher prices sometimes reflect more functionality, deeper integrations, or more mature support. They sometimes reflect that the vendor is targeting larger practices and the platform is configured for that scale. The best test is whether the platform fits the way your practice actually runs, not whether the price tag matches a perceived quality tier.
Are there free equine practice management options?
There are no credible production-ready free equine PMS options in 2026. Some general veterinary platforms have free tiers, but they are not designed for equine workflows and lack equine-specific features like multi-owner billing, mileage tracking, and barn-level coordination. The realistic minimum spend is in the $130 to $200 per month range.
How can I trial a platform before committing?
Not every vendor offers a real trial. StableTrack offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. DaySmart Vet offers a 30-day trial. ezyVet, Covetrus, ThoroVet, Cassadol, and HVMS typically require sales engagement before any trial access. The willingness to offer a no-strings trial is itself information about how the vendor thinks about the buying process.
Should I expect to negotiate?
For the platforms that require sales conversations to disclose pricing, negotiation is usually expected, particularly on implementation fees, contract length, and feature tier upgrades. Flat-rate platforms typically do not negotiate.
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Try StableTrack at $199 per month, flat
StableTrack is the equine practice management platform built for ambulatory and mixed equine practice. $199 a month flat, unlimited users, AI metered separately. 30-day trial, no credit card required.