What optometry EMR software should cost

An optometry EMR is usually quoted as a monthly fee, but that fee is only part of the bill. Claims, e-prescribing, instrument connections, imaging and moving your old exam records can add as much again. This guide covers how clinic software is priced, what clinics are paying, and how to compare quotes on the full cost.

How optometry EMRs are priced

Most vendors use one of three models, often mixed together.

• Per provider. A fee for each doctor who charts in the system. This is the most common model for exam-first software. One vendor's cost disclosure states plainly that there is "a base licensing and subscription fee for each provider".
• Per location. One fee for each clinic, however many doctors work there. Easier to budget, and kinder to clinics with part-time or visiting doctors.
• Tiers and modules. A base plan for charting and scheduling, with optical, billing, patient messaging, portals or analytics in higher tiers or sold separately.

The model matters more than the headline number. A per-provider price that looks cheap for one doctor can be the most expensive option once a second doctor or a locum joins.

What clinics are paying

Published prices as of October 2026, in US dollars. Many vendors still don't publish a price at all.

Source	Published price	Notes
RevolutionEHR pricing page	Core $455, Advanced from $660, Premium from $830 a month; exam-only or optical-only locations from $319	Practice management and EHR together. Setup and database conversion are extra.
Eyefinity Encompass on Capterra	Essential $340, Enhanced $758 a month	Marketplace listing, not the vendor's own page
Compulink, My Vision Express, Ocuco	Quote-only	Priced by providers, locations and modules

The RevolutionEHR page doesn't say whether its plan prices are per provider or per location, so ask before you compare.

Treat these as a sanity check. A clinic with one doctor and the base plan will sit near the bottom of these ranges. A multi-doctor clinic on a top tier, with an optical and add-ons, can be several times higher.

The costs that aren't on the pricing page

US vendors of certified EHRs must disclose the types of extra costs their certified features carry (45 CFR 170.523(k)). Those disclosures are a good place to start. Ask about each item below in writing.

1. Claims and clearinghouse fees. In the US, medical claims usually pass through a clearinghouse, which may be bundled or billed separately. Published clearinghouse prices run from about $30 to $120 a month per account, or $35 to $45 a month per provider, with eligibility checks often extra. In Ontario, OHIP claims go to the ministry through its Medical Claims Electronic Data Transfer (MC EDT) service; ask whether the software submits them directly or you need a billing agent, who will charge for the service.
2. E-prescribing. Often a separate per-provider subscription. One vendor's disclosure lists a monthly or annual per-provider fee, a possible setup fee, and extra charges for the two-factor tokens needed for controlled substances.
3. Instrument and device integration. Getting autorefractors, lensometers, OCT, fundus cameras and visual field units to send results into the chart can carry an implementation fee for each device, or a third-party integration subscription. One disclosure notes that "implementation fees may apply to DICOM device integration". Count your instruments and get a price for each.
4. Imaging storage. OCT and retinal images are large. Ask whether storage is unlimited, capped, or billed by volume, and whether old images come across in a migration. Usually quote-only.
5. Data migration. Moving exam records is harder than moving names and prescriptions. Vendors may charge a separate conversion fee for EHR data and practice management data, and some bring over only summaries or PDFs of past exams. Ask exactly which exam fields arrive as structured data.
6. Part-time and locum doctors. Under per-provider pricing, a doctor who works one day a week may cost as much as one who works five. Ask whether a locum needs a full licence, a cheaper limited one, or none.
7. Registries and quality reporting. US clinics reporting to MIPS through a registry may pay a separate fee. Eyefinity, for example, lists an annual IRIS connection fee of $500 per provider.
8. Patient messaging, portals and online forms. Reminders, two-way texting, intake forms and online booking are often in higher tiers or sold separately.
9. Training and travel. On-site training may be billed with travel costs on top.

Compare on a three-year total

Add everything up over three years, for your actual clinic:

(monthly fee × providers or locations × 36) + setup + migration + device integrations + (add-ons and claims fees × 36) + training

A worked example. The prices below are illustrative, chosen to sit within the published ranges above; replace them with your own quotes.

	Solo OD	Two doctors + optical, Vendor A (per provider)	Two doctors + optical, Vendor B (per location)
Software	$455 a month	$400 × 2 + $150 optical module	$830 a month, optical included
Setup and data conversion	$2,500	$5,000	$3,000
Claims (clearinghouse)	$60 a month	$45 × 2 a month	$45 × 2 a month
Instrument integrations	$1,000	$1,500	$1,500
Locum doctor, one year	none	$200 a month for 12 months	included
Three-year total	about $22,000	about $46,300	about $37,600

For the solo doctor, most of the cost is the subscription itself. For the two-doctor clinic, the pricing model decides the outcome: per-provider pricing, a separate optical module and a locum licence make Vendor A nearly $9,000 dearer over three years, despite a lower price per doctor. Change one assumption, such as a third doctor or migration billed by the hour, and the order can flip again.

Questions to ask every vendor

• Is the price per provider, per location or per user? How do you count a part-time or locum doctor?
• What's in the plan you've quoted, and what's an add-on?
• What do e-prescribing, claims submission and eligibility checks cost?
• What does each instrument integration cost, and which of my devices are supported today?
• How is imaging storage priced, and what happens when we reach a limit?
• What does migrating my exam records cost, and which fields arrive as structured data?
• What does it cost to export all my data if I leave, and in what format?
• What is the contract term, the annual price increase, and the cancellation fee?
• Are prices in US or Canadian dollars, and are taxes extra?

The short version

Ask for a written three-year quote for your clinic as it is today and as you expect it to be: the number of doctors, the instruments you own, the claims you submit and the records you need to bring with you. Compare those totals, not the monthly fee.