Buy one clinic system that handles the diary, notes, reminders and invoices. For a solo clinic, I'd shortlist WriteUpp, Nookal and Cliniko, then pick the one that feels right in a free trial. Your choice matters more than it looks, because moving patient records later is painful.
A small clinic needs three jobs done: run the diary, do the books and answer the patient. We don't sell clinic software or accounting apps, so we've no stake in those picks. We do sell enquiry and call-answering systems, and I've said so where it matters.
Two warnings. I haven't tested these systems in a live clinic. And I couldn't open the makers' own pricing pages for this article, so most prices below come from competitors' comparison pages. Those competitors have every reason to flatter themselves. Treat the prices as a starting point and confirm them with each maker.
My picks
- Solo and on a budget: WriteUpp Flex or Solo, if the plan includes the online booking you need.
- Small team priced per practitioner: Nookal, at £29 or £39 a head. Ask how it handles your insurers' claims.
- A system priced by team size: Cliniko, if you're fine paying a US dollar price.
- Larger or multi-site clinics: I'd get written quotes from Semble, PPS or Pabau. Their prices are on request.
- Accounts: pick whatever your accountant knows, and check Making Tax Digital.
Booking and records systems
Read on 6 November 2026. Sources are shown, because few of these came from the maker's own page. Check whether VAT's included, as you probably can't reclaim it.
| System | Published price | Where the price came from | My note |
|---|---|---|---|
| WriteUpp | Flex £19.95, Solo £27.95, Group £45.95 a month. £49.95 with AI scribe. | Physitrack, 13 October 2026, and Magora, 2 November 2026 | Ask which plan has the online booking you need. |
| Nookal | £29 or £39 per practitioner a month | Physitrack | Ask what each plan covers for insurer claims. |
| Cliniko | $45 for 1 practitioner, $95 for 2 to 5, up to $395 for 26 to 200, a month | Pabau, 22 September 2026 | Confirm your UK cost. |
| Jane | CAD $54, $79 or $99 a month | Pabau | Get a UK price. |
| Power Diary | $19 or $49 a month | Pabau | Confirm your UK price. |
| EasyPractice | Free for up to 2 clients, £19 a month, or from £270 | Pabau | I'd only look at it when starting out. |
| Physitrack | £39.99 per user a month | Its own article | The article ranks Physitrack first, so weigh that. |
| Pabau | $62 a month, or on request | Its own article, and Physitrack's | Get a written quote. |
| Smilenotes | From £5 a month | Physitrack | Ask to see invoicing and claims in a demo. |
| Semble, PPS, TM3, Rehab Guru | Quote only | Physitrack | Get quotes in writing. |
How I'd choose
- Solo with self-pay patients: go for price and ease of use. Don't pay for features built for 12 clinicians.
- Lots of insured patients: put claims and invoicing first. Ask which insurers each system covers, and what each claim costs. I couldn't confirm this for any of them.
- Mostly exercise rehab: look at how home programmes work.
- More than one site: look at reporting and shared diaries, and get a quote.
- AI scribes: useful, but check the data terms. The MHRA said in July 2026 that transcribing and summarising aren't a medical device function on their own, while diagnostic suggestions can be. The CSP says patients should be informed when AI is used, and GOsC's interim guidance covers transparency and consent.
What to check before you sign
Ten questions for any clinic system
- Where's patient data stored, and who can get at it?
- Will you sign a proper data processing agreement?
- Can I export all records in a usable format if I leave, and what does it cost?
- Can I keep records for my full retention period after I stop paying?
- Does the online booking page let me limit what's bookable, such as first visits only?
- Can I set cancellation rules and take a card at booking?
- How much do reminder texts cost?
- Can reminders go out with no treatment details in them?
- Can I control what each staff member sees?
- Does it connect to my accounts software, and handle my insurers' claims?
Question 4 catches people. The CSP's 2014 summary puts adult records at 8 years after treatment ends in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and longer for children. If you leave a system, those records don't stop being your responsibility. Check your regulator's and insurer's current advice.
A good booking system may do some of what you'd buy from anyone else, including us. Check for built-in reminders, and switch them on before you pay for anything extra. See why clinics lose patients for what to set up first.
What a clinic system costs over three years (made-up clinic, published prices)
Thornley Lane Clinic, an invented clinic, has one clinician at first and two from year two. It compares prices before VAT and before text costs.
| System | Sums | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| WriteUpp Solo, then Group from year two | (£27.95 × 12) + (£45.95 × 24) | £1,438.20 |
| Nookal Professional | (£39 × 12) + (£78 × 24) | £2,340 |
Both prices came from a competitor's page, so confirm them. The gap matters less than which system saves you an hour a week.
Accounting apps
Your accountant's preference is a good tie-breaker. If you're a sole trader with qualifying income over the limit, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax needs compatible software. The limits are £50,000 now, £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and £20,000 from 6 April 2028. Partnerships come later.
If you get close to these, sort it out early. Clinic income is exempt from VAT in most cases, but it still counts towards your income for tax. I didn't check accounting app prices for this article, so ask your accountant what they'd use.
Answering the patient
This is the third job, and it's where we have a stake. Your clinic system handles patients once they're in the diary. It doesn't always catch the new enquiry who rang while you were treating someone.
You can solve that with a person, a missed-call text or an AI receptionist. Read is an AI receptionist worth it for an honest view. If you want it all joined up, that's what our Lead Engine does: your website, reviews, Google profile and enquiry follow-up, in one place. It doesn't replace your clinic software, your records or your clinical judgement.
Questions clinic owners ask
What's the cheapest clinic booking software in the UK?
Of those I checked, Smilenotes is listed from £5 a month, EasyPractice has a free tier for up to two clients and WriteUpp Flex is from £19.95. Check what each includes, because cheap plans often limit features.
Is Cliniko available in the UK?
Physitrack's comparison lists it among UK options, with prices in US dollars. Confirm your UK cost and how it handles insurer claims.
Can I use a general booking app instead of clinic software?
For a very small start, maybe. But you'd still need secure clinical notes, and a general app may not fit health data. I'd use a system built for clinics from day one.
How hard is it to switch system?
It depends on what you can export. Ask before you buy, not when you leave. Plan it for a quiet month, and check that old records stay available.
Do I need an AI scribe?
No. It may save time on notes, but check accuracy, consent and data terms, and read every note before it goes in the record. You remain accountable for it.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- Physitrack, best PMS for physios in the UK (13 October 2026, vendor)
- Physitrack, best physiotherapy practice management software (30 September 2026, vendor)
- Pabau, WriteUpp alternatives (22 September 2026, vendor)
- Magora, clinic practice management software UK (2 November 2026, vendor)
- Brodies, MHRA on AI scribes (24 August 2026)
- CSP, AI principles in action (reviewed 15 November 2025)
- GOsC, interim guidance on AI (12 May 2025)
- CSP, retention of health records summary (October 2014)
- HMRC, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.