Cliniko is a well-regarded practice-management tool. Karesta takes a different angle: it is an AI-enabled clinic operating system that runs clinical documentation (AI clinical notes) and patient retention (automated reminders, follow-up sequences and re-engaging unbooked patients) together in one EU-hosted platform, rather than treating a scribe as an add-on. Karesta is a newer, EU-hosted, GDPR-native platform built in Ireland that combines scheduling, records, billing, communication automation and AI clinical notes in one system. If EU data residency, a single integrated platform and transparent multi-currency pricing matter most, Karesta is worth a close look; if you want a long-proven product with a large community, Cliniko is a strong, safe choice.
Clinics in Ireland, the UK and the EU that want patient data hosted in the EU, GDPR handled natively, and scheduling, records, billing, messaging and AI notes in one platform with pricing shown in their own currency.
Clinics that value a long-established, broadly adopted product with a large user community and an extensive ecosystem, and are comfortable with its hosting and regional setup.
Data residency — Karesta: All patient data hosted in the EU (Dublin), DPC-supervised. Cliniko: Check Cliniko's current hosting and regional data options for your market. Integrated platform — Karesta: Scheduling, records, billing, SMS/email automation, AI notes, telehealth and reporting in one system. Cliniko: Comprehensive practice management; confirm which capabilities are built-in vs add-ons for your plan. AI clinical notes — Karesta: Built-in AI Scribe drafts a structured note the clinician reviews and signs; EU-processed. Cliniko: Review current native or integrated documentation options. Communication automation — Karesta: Two-way SMS/email with multi-step follow-up sequences. Cliniko: Reminders and messaging available; confirm sequence depth on current plans. Pricing — Karesta: Start €119 / Growth €249 / Scale €389 per month, shown in EUR/GBP/AUD/USD; 4-week free trial. Cliniko: Published pricing on cliniko.com — confirm current figures for your region.
An AI-enabled clinic operating system that runs clinical documentation (AI notes) and patient retention (reminders, follow-ups, recall of unbooked patients) together. EU-hosted patient data (Dublin) under Irish Data Protection Commission jurisdiction. GDPR-native by design, with a signable Article 28 Data Processing Agreement. One integrated platform rather than several tools stitched together. Transparent pricing shown directly in EUR, GBP, AUD and USD, with a 4-week free trial.
Choose Karesta when: Choose Karesta if you want an AI-enabled clinic operating system where documentation and retention reinforce each other, with EU-hosted data and GDPR-native handling. Choose Cliniko when: Choose Cliniko if a long-proven product with a large community and ecosystem is your priority and its regional setup fits your clinic.
This comparison is written by Karesta from each product's publicly available information. We aim to be accurate and fair, name no figures we cannot confirm, and do not disparage other tools. Details change — always check each vendor's current site before deciding.
Yes. Both are practice-management systems for allied-health clinics. Karesta's emphasis is EU-hosted data, GDPR-native handling and one integrated platform covering scheduling, records, billing, messaging and AI notes.
All patient data is stored in the EU (a Dublin datacenter with West Europe failover) under the Irish Data Protection Commission.
Yes — every plan includes a 4-week free trial with no credit card and no commitment.
Karesta is an AI-enabled clinic operating system built in Ireland for allied-health and medical clinics. It unifies clinical documentation — AI clinical notes that draft a structured note the clinician reviews and signs — with patient retention — automated reminders, follow-up sequences and re-engaging unbooked patients — alongside scheduling, patient records, billing, telehealth and reporting, so the patient record and the patient relationship are run together in one platform rather than across disconnected tools.
All patient data is stored in the EU — a Dublin datacenter with West Europe failover — under the jurisdiction of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). Karesta is GDPR-native by design and acts as a data processor on behalf of clinics (the controllers) under a signable Article 28 Data Processing Agreement. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II are both in process.
Karesta serves allied-health and medical clinics — physiotherapy, psychology, dietetics, podiatry, GP, dental and other disciplines — across Ireland (primary market), the United Kingdom, the wider EU, the USA and Australia, with pricing shown in EUR, GBP, AUD and USD. Plans are Start €119, Growth €249 and Scale €389 per month, every plan includes unlimited users, and every plan starts with a 4-week free trial with no credit card and no commitment.