Veterinary practice management software: what to check before signing and what it costs in 2026
The right vet clinic software brings together the schedule, medical records, vaccines, hospitalization, POS, inventory and invoices, with no spreadsheet on the side. Before signing, test it with a real week and add up the cost of messages and extra modules. Also confirm that the record comes out complete if you switch. With the two vendors compared here, the clinic plan ranges from R$ 159 to R$ 979 per month, before extras.
What does vet clinic software need to do in 2026?
It needs to cover the pet's path from the front desk to discharge, with the counter's cash register in the same place. This is the parity list, with what to check in the demo:
| Function | What to check |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Consults, vaccines, tests and surgeries by veterinarian and room |
| Medical record | The items in art. 9 of CFMV Resolution 1.321/2020, with the veterinarian tied to the login and corrections by addendum |
| Vaccines and reminders | Lot and expiration date on the card, next dose scheduled and a reminder to the owner |
| Follow-ups | Anyone who does not answer the reminder becomes a task, with a person responsible |
| Hospitalization | Inpatient board, prescriptions with times and a log of who gave each dose |
| Consent forms and estimates | The forms in art. 10 of the resolution and the estimate approved before the act |
| POS and inventory | Pet food, medication and accessories at the counter, deducted by lot and expiration date |
| Finance and invoices | Consults, tests and sales in the day's cash, with NFS-e and NFC-e |
| Data | Full export of the record and permissions by role |
The weight of services justifies the care. According to the Abinpet and Instituto Pet Brasil report, published by Band on March 24, 2026, veterinary services totaled R$ 8.18 billion in 2025. That is 10.5% of the pet industry. It is money that passes through the clinic's schedule, estimates and cash register.
What sets the systems apart is not the list, which is similar. It is how each item works in a rush: does the front desk book a vaccine in 3 taps or in 12? Does the assistant log the medication on a phone, next to the pet, or write it on paper to type in later?
How much does vet clinic software cost?
The price changes with the number of users, the extra modules and the messages. These are the plans of two vendors, on the pricing pages read on October 26, 2026:
| Item | SimplesVet | Fourpet |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic plan | R$ 359 (3 users) to R$ 979 (unlimited) | Clinics, R$ 159, up to 5 users |
| With tax module | Tax module, plus R$ 153 | Clinics + Tax, R$ 289, with 100 invoices |
| Hospitalization | Module, plus R$ 136 | Included in the Clinics plan |
| Automated message to the owner | R$ 0.50 per WhatsApp send | 50 sends included, then R$ 0.10 |
| Extra user | By plan tier | R$ 14.90 per month |
| Onboarding | Consulting and first migration free | R$ 299 tax setup fee on the first monthly bill |
| Minimum term | None; 3-month minimum when data is imported | None, according to the page |
The monthly fee is only part of it. This example adds everything up for a clinic with 8 people, hospitalization, invoices and 600 messages to owners per month:
| Clinic with 8 people (example) | SimplesVet | Fourpet |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | R$ 440 (10 users) | R$ 289 (Clinics + Tax, 5 users) |
| Extra users | Included | R$ 44.70 (3 extra) |
| Tax module | R$ 153 | Included |
| Hospitalization | R$ 136 | Included |
| 600 messages in the month | R$ 300 | R$ 55 (550 extra) |
| Total per month | R$ 1,029 | R$ 388.70 |
The comparison does not say which is better. It shows where the cost hides: at a clinic that sends many reminders, messages weigh as much as the plan. Ask each vendor for the math with your number of users and messages.
Full system or a system alongside the current one?
It depends on how much the current system already solves and how much it would cost to leave it. In our team's research in October 2026, we found no documented public API in the vet systems reviewed. Without an API, the new system cannot read the old one's records in real time.
| Clinic's situation | Safest path |
|---|---|
| No system, or a paper schedule | A full system, from the schedule to the invoice |
| Current system works, but owners call all day | Keep the records where they are and add status updates, consent forms and follow-ups alongside |
| Current system charges a lot per message or has no hospitalization | Switch, with a planned migration |
| Chain with several locations | Check the chain-wide view and the cost per location before anything else |
The "alongside" path has a risk: the front desk typing in the pet twice. If check-in and follow-ups start in the new system, and the records stay in the old one, double entry stays small. If everything has to go into both, a full switch costs less.
What should you ask before signing?
Ask these questions in writing and keep the answers:
- How do I export the whole record, with attachments, and in what format? Under CFMV Resolution 1.321/2020, art. 9, § 3, retention is at least 5 years after the last visit.
- How much does each message to the owner cost, and can I write the text? Vaccine reminders, follow-ups and status updates add up to hundreds of sends a month.
- What is an extra module? Tax, hospitalization, users and locations.
- Who logs inpatient medication, and from where? Art. 9, VIII, requires the date, time and professional for each procedure.
- Do the forms in art. 10 come out of the system, and how does the owner approve? Paper, a signature at the counter or a link.
- Who sees what? The assistant needs to see the prescription, not the owner's phone number or the cash register.
- Is there a minimum term, and does it change if the vendor imports my data?
For the step-by-step switch, see how to switch clinic software without losing the records. What the record needs to include is in veterinary medical records.
How CERNE solves it
CERNE provides the clinic's whole system, or works alongside the system it already uses.
- No system yet? CERNE becomes the clinic's system: schedule, medical records, vaccines, hospitalization, POS, inventory, finance and invoices.
- Already use SimplesVet, Vetus or Prontuário Vetsmart? CERNE works alongside, with status updates, consent forms and follow-ups. Our team migrates the data when the clinic wants to switch.
- Pet status board. Arrived, in consult, in testing, in surgery, in recovery and released. The owner gets a notice on release.
- Approved hospitalization update. The assistant logs the update and a photo, the veterinarian approves it on a phone, and the owner gets it at the agreed time.
- Estimate and consent form by link. The owner reads, approves and pays the deposit through the link, and the approval is recorded with date and time.
- Direct question. In the AI assistant, management asks "how many follow-ups did the clinic miss this month?". The answer comes with the operation's data.
The veterinary package uses modules that already run for other CERNE clients: the schedule and portal of the physical therapy clinic, the board with an owner and a deadline for each task, and client approval by link. See the workflows on the vet clinics page, the cards for each function and the phased rollout.
Start with an assessment
The tables in this article use published prices and an example clinic. Your clinic's math uses your team and your messages. Start with an assessment of your operation: our team compares what you pay today with what the clinic needs. Book the assessment.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best software for a vet clinic?
- The one that covers your routine without a spreadsheet on the side: schedule, medical records, vaccines with reminders, hospitalization, POS, inventory with lot and expiration date, finance and invoices. Test it with a real week at the clinic and check that the record comes out complete if you ever switch.
- How much does vet clinic software cost?
- On the pages read on October 26, 2026, SimplesVet ranges from R$ 359 (3 users) to R$ 979 (unlimited), with the tax module at R$ 153 and hospitalization at R$ 136 extra. Fourpet charges R$ 159 for the Clinics plan and R$ 289 with the tax module, up to 5 users. Messages to owners may be charged per send.
- Does vet software charge per WhatsApp message?
- Some do. On the SimplesVet page, an automated WhatsApp message costs R$ 0.50 per send. Fourpet includes 50 sends and charges R$ 0.10 for each extra send. Add this cost when comparing, because vaccine and follow-up reminders generate many messages.
- How do I switch vet software without losing the medical records?
- Ask for a full export before signing with the new vendor and check a sample of pets with vaccines, hospitalizations and attachments. CFMV Resolution 1.321/2020 requires keeping the record for 5 years after the last visit, so the old file stays stored even after the switch.
- Does vet software have a minimum contract term?
- It depends on the vendor. Fourpet says it has no minimum term. SimplesVet has no minimum term, but requires a 3-month minimum when it imports data from the previous system. Read the rule before signing.
Sources
- SimplesVet, pricing, accessed October 26, 2026
- Fourpet, plans, accessed October 26, 2026
- CFMV, Resolution 1.321/2020, via LegisWeb
- Abinpet and Instituto Pet Brasil, 2025 pet industry report, via Band, March 24, 2026