# Shepherd Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Shepherd Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Veterinary products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/172485/Shepherd-App --- # Shepherd Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 25, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. Independent research methodology Capterra’s researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider’s website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Shepherd ## What is Shepherd? Good software shouldn’t slow you down. It should feel like part of the team. Shepherd is second-nature, workflow-first practice information management software that runs in the background, keeping everything in sync while you move through the day. Built and overseen by veterinary professionals, it reflects how clinics actually operate. Features are guided by a Director of Veterinary Medicine — something no other PIMS has. As your team documents care, Shepherd connects the rest automatically, so there are fewer clicks, missed charges, and things to double-check. It’s intuitive enough to learn quickly, powerful enough to scale, and with vet experience at every level, it’s designed around how real practices operate (not how software thinks they should). When you need help, you’ll talk to a clinically trained support team that understands your day and responds fast. This is software that fits into your workflow. Not the other way around. ## What is Shepherd used for? [Veterinary](https://www.capterra.com/veterinary-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 87 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 99% Neutral 1% Negative 0% Starting price $299 Other, Per Month Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Shepherd?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://shepherdapp.com&name=Shepherd) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Shepherd 4.7 (87) VS. [4.6 (280)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133166/DaySmart-Vet/reviews/) Starting Price $299 Other, Per Month Starting Price $116 Flat Rate, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.9 (87) Ease Of Use 4.6 (280) Value For Money 4.8 (85) Value For Money 4.6 (266) Customer Service 4.8 (87) Customer Service 4.7 (278) ## Shepherd alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (234)](https://www.capterra.com/p/234498/Instinct-EMR/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 99% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (276)](https://www.capterra.com/p/99977/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software/reviews/) Starting price $260.50 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.7 (83)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167764/Digitail/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Covetrus Pulse](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/) [4.0 (542)](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 75% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/172485/Shepherd-App/alternatives/) ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Appointment Scheduling 4.8 (56) 92.86% of 56 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Schedule appointments via a calendar Patient Records Management 4.7 (55) 96.36% of 55 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Managing different types of patient records, including paper documents, digital files, billing information, and scheduling details Billing & Invoicing 4.5 (50) 90.00% of 50 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Create, manage, and send invoices or bills to customers Charting 4.8 (44) 95.45% of 44 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage patient documentation describing all clinical interactions, diagnoses, procedures, medications, etc. Prescription Processing 4.4 (42) 95.24% of 42 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Enables pharmacists to process single or multiple prescriptions simultaneously Client Management 4.7 (40) 87.50% of 40 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage contact details and communication with clients Shepherd 40 features Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Schedule appointments via a calendar Create, manage, and send invoices or bills to customers Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar Manage patient documentation describing all clinical interactions, diagnoses, procedures, medications, etc. Manage contact details and communication with clients Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat Automated reminders and confirmations for booked appointments and events via text or email A collection of customer information such as contact details, demographics, previous interactions, etc. Import and export data to and from software applications Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Store and organize documents in a centralized system Electronically collect payments for goods or services Digitally sign online documents Reminders sent via email Create and securely store digital patient records Information, data and reports that are being tracked over time Visual representations or pictures of objects, structures, or internal body parts, often for diagnostic or analytical purposes Track and manage inventory levels to maintain proper supply Captures invoice data and maintains comprehensive records for auditing and reporting purposes Ability to chat online in real time Patients can register for appointments in advance online Online portal where patients can access information such as health records, treatment plants, etc. Managing different types of patient records, including paper documents, digital files, billing information, and scheduling details Accept, record, and reconcile financial transactions Enables pharmacists to process single or multiple prescriptions simultaneously Timed notification for any upcoming task, deadline, appointment, or activity Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information Send messages via SMS Method of writing out notes in patient's charts (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) Track the status over time for a request, process, asset, or transaction Track and manage the scheduling of tasks Create, save, and re-purpose templates for emails, forms, etc. Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes Create treatment plans that document interventions and outcomes to track patient progress Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks Features 4.6 (87) 4.6 Based on 87 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.8 (85) Free Trial [View pricing plan details](https://www.capterra.com/p/172485/Shepherd-App/pricing/) Shepherd $299.00 Other,Per Month It includes: - SOAP Medical Record Workflow - Client Communication - Practice Management - Detailed Reporting - Inventory Tracking - Charge Capture - Digital Whiteboard - Patient Scheduling - Customizable forms Value for money 4.8 (85) 4.8 Based on 85 reviews ## Integrations [ Weave](https://www.capterra.com/p/141842/Weave/)[ Talkatoo](https://www.capterra.com/p/198507/Talkatoo/)[ WaitWell](https://www.capterra.com/p/236054/WaitWell/)[ FetchIt](https://www.capterra.com/p/182373/GoFetchIt/)[ AllyDVM](https://www.capterra.com/p/232663/AllyDVM/)[ Greenline](https://www.capterra.com/p/213375/Greenline/)[ PCM Integrations](https://www.capterra.com/p/10009255/Direct-Mail-API/)[ Sunbit](https://www.capterra.com/p/251658/Sunbit/) ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.8 (87) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.8 (87) 4.8 Based on 87 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.7 Based on 87 reviews Filter by rating 5(66) 4(20) 3(1) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent JM Jessica M. Hospital Manager and RVT Veterinary ### "#1 Best Veterinary Software and PIMS Out There" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 March 19, 2026 Overall, I would still recommend Shepherd to hospitals that are looking to find the best veterinary PIMS, it's by far the best software I've ever used in the 13 years I've been doing this. Pros Easy to use, great PIMS, user-friendly, inventory tracking is amazing, the best veterinary software as it's made for vets by vets Cons The updates have gotten better, but there are still issues with the entire system going down within 24 hours after updates have been done, which messes with our daily flow, schedule, charges, and general communication. I will say, they are actively working to resolve this Alternatives considered [Covetrus Avimark](https://www.capterra.com/p/92887/AVImark/) [Cornerstone Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/99976/Cornerstone-Practice-Management/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd Easier to use, made by vets for vets, integration is fantastic Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JJ Jack J. CFO Veterinary ### "Outstanding practice management" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 September 11, 2025 Very pleased we switched, it makes life easier from an administrative perspective and is a much more cost effective solution than our prior software. Pros Ease of use - reporting is super easy, very straightforward, and customizable. Exports simply to CSV rather than clunky PDFs or other “canned” reports. Switched from Server-based (Impromed) to cloud-based and it is now a much simpler infrastructure. Customer support is modern, and very responsive. Cons It took a bit of time to understand some of the workflow but after a bit of cruising around the system it all made sense. Switched from [Covetrus Impromed](https://www.capterra.com/p/95888/ImproMed/) Modernization, needed to move into this century. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AR Ashley R. Owner and veterinarian Veterinary ### "Great software with great customer service. " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 September 10, 2025 Great software and streamlined. Not clunky like a lot of the other older ones out there. Love the customer service! Pros The platform is user friendly. Users are able to get help very easily either by searching for an answer or directly messaging a team member. Cons The texting feature is not super user friendly. It does not auto create spay or neuter certificates. Alternatives considered [easyVET](https://www.capterra.com/p/134498/easyVET/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd More user friendly and not overly done. Better price. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DG Dr. Ginger B. DVM Owner Veterinary ### "Great software that is constantly listening and improving" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 August 26, 2025 I truly love Shepherd, they continue to grow and improve, making my days easier. As with anything, there are always places to improve and Shepherd listens and constantly strives to hwlp create a better work balance. They allow me to work smarter, not harder!!! Pros I love the look of Shepherd, they also have great customer support. I have been with them for 2 years and love how they are continuing to grow. The constant improvements and integrations are great. Cons Inventory Management is difficult but hopefully will improve soon. Providing more specific and detailed information on how to efficiently use Shepherd would be beneficial, ie how to videos. Alternatives considered [ezyVet](https://www.capterra.com/p/99977/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd I didn't want Idexx to run my practice completely. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. KB Kathy B. Practice Manager Veterinary ### "Shepherd is a must for practices" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 August 6, 2025 Overall we've had an amazing experience with Shepherd. Our practice has been able to utilize all the features to make us more efficient. We've seen a lot of updates that have also improved our overall experience. Pros We love how streamlined Shepherd is. Everything is all in one place for medical records, no need to go searching for what you are looking for. Cons When sending text messages, right now you have to type the name of the patient into the message, instead of just being able to choose the patient name. Switched from [Covetrus Pulse](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/) The work flow was horrible. It would take 10 steps just to do something simple. The lag time on the site was horrible too, even though we told them many times there was a problem. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. EC Erika C. Veterinarian Veterinary ### "Functional Practice Management Software" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 August 5, 2025 Overall i really like this software. It is mostly intuitive and improving all the time. I reslly appreciate how adaptable it is. Pros I appreciate how quickly i can get in touch with the support staff. They are always able to answer my questions and are very receptive to feedback in suggested improvements. Cons It took a little while to fully understand how to work with it in our established flow. The tutorials are useful, but a full orientation with someone to go through using it in our situation would have been more helpful. Switched from [Cornerstone Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/99976/Cornerstone-Practice-Management/) Looking for something less expensive, more useful in our environment. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MS Mindy S. Practice Owner Veterinary ### "Great PIMS" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 29, 2025 Pros The user interface and features such as tasks, tagging employees, and templates. I also love the Shepherd Pay. Cons Some capabilities are not maximized for equine mobile practice - I would really love to have access the schedule calendar more easily in a remote setting. An app similar to google calendar that is accessible without internet but syncs throughout the day would be ideal. Switched from [Covetrus Impromed Equine](https://www.capterra.com/p/141475/ImproMed-Equine/) Outdated and poor support with poor user experience Alternatives considered [Covetrus Pulse](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/) [ezyVet](https://www.capterra.com/p/99977/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software/) [DaySmart Vet](https://www.capterra.com/p/133166/DaySmart-Vet/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd Better UI and no cost for migration or data Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. JB Julie B. Owner and veterinarian Veterinary ### "Overall great!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 July 28, 2025 Pros Shepherd is very intuitive and easy to use. It’s user friendly and integrates with most of the vendors I’d want it to (Vetsnap, Blue Rabbit, Zoetis Reference Lab, Kumba). It is cloud based which is imperative for me as a mobile practice. Customer support is generally pretty fast and helpful. Cons It’s a little pricier than some of the other softwares I looked into. There have also recently been a few fairly major outages where the system has been unusable during business hours. Alternatives considered [ezyVet](https://www.capterra.com/p/99977/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software/) [DaySmart Vet](https://www.capterra.com/p/133166/DaySmart-Vet/) [IDEXX Neo](https://www.capterra.com/p/145988/IDEXX-Neo/) [Hippo Manager](https://www.capterra.com/p/134667/Hippo-Manager/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd Ease of use, integrations, and customization available Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DA Dave A. Business Manager Veterinary ### "Shepherd is the Best, Look No Further!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 28, 2025 Simple, we love it! Everyone in the hospital loves Shepherd. We've saved money and time and we feel more confident with Shepherd than any other solution any of our team has used. We highly recommend it! Pros When we used Neo, we paid nearly $400 a month for access to it. And it was very limited to the partners you could integrate with. In addition, we paid over $200 per month for a third-party text messaging service. With Shepherd, our text messaging is incorporated into Shepherd, we pay nothing extra for it. We can integrate with literally dozens of other product providers and do in some cases. We do not pay Shepherd for this integration. We simply pay the product developer their fee. In all, we save over $300 a month by using Shepherd. Now this doesn't include the value associated with the fullness of the Shepherd product. It is by far, and I've looked at over seven, the best veterinary software package on the market. It is, in my opinion, "head and shoulders" above the competition. It is robust, customizable, and it's a time-saver. Do your homework and you will see, Shepherd is the best option. Our team learned it after two training sessions and "everyone" loves it. There is no going back, or moving on for us. Whether it is scheduling, or patient/client management, Shepherd is a breeze. Finally, the support is OUTSTANDING! They always have an answer and they are truly invested in our success! One more, they update regularly with noteworthy functionality and much of it is driven by client input. Overall score: 15 out of 10! Cons You have to pay attention to set up. Shepherd is very robust and you need to "think about" how you want it to operate and function. If you do that, you're in good shape. If you make assumptions during set-up and you don't follow their instructions and advice, you can get yourself into trouble. ASK QUESTIONS and pay attention. Switched from [IDEXX Neo](https://www.capterra.com/p/145988/IDEXX-Neo/) Less cost, more functionality, more user friendly and time-saving, money saving features and integrations. Alternatives considered [Covetrus Pulse](https://www.capterra.com/p/130107/Covetrus-Pulse/) [NaVetor](https://www.capterra.com/p/178450/Patterson-Technology/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd Better, easier, less costly, more feature function and more available integrations. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. KS Katrina S. Veterinarian owner Veterinary ### "I love Shepherd" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 28, 2025 Customer support is very responsive and helpful. The overall cost for me as a single doctor practice is a good value Pros I like that it has an easy-to-use, attractive interface. Using Shepherd is intuitive and I can easily navigate. Cons I am disappointed that AI and transcription services, as well as text messages are at an additional fee. Alternatives considered [ezyVet](https://www.capterra.com/p/99977/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software/) Reasons for choosing Shepherd The cost for Shepherd for my small business was more affordable Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/172485/Shepherd-App/reviews/) Popular comparisons [DaySmart Vet vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/133166-172485/DaySmart-Vet-vs-Shepherd-App)[Instinct Science vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/172485-234498/Shepherd-App-vs-Instinct-EMR)[ezyVet vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/99977-172485/ezyVet-Cloud-Vet-Software-vs-Shepherd-App) [Cornerstone Software vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/99976-172485/Cornerstone-Practice-Management-vs-Shepherd-App)[Covetrus Impromed vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/95888-172485/ImproMed-vs-Shepherd-App)[IDEXX Neo vs Shepherd](https://www.capterra.com/compare/145988-172485/IDEXX-Neo-vs-Shepherd-App)  Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)