If you are comparing physiotherapy software in the UK right now, the practical questions are about UK insurer billing (Healthcode, Bupa, AXA), exercise prescription as a separate cost, and whether per-practitioner pricing actually works for how your clinic uses associates and locums. The main platforms that come up for UK physios are Cliniko, TM3 (Blue Zinc), PPS (Rushcliff), WriteUpp, Jane, Nookal and Pabau. Each has different strengths on notes, booking and UK-specific billing. None of them is a perfect fit for every clinic, which is why the comparison matters.
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Cliniko is a cloud-based practice management system popular with UK allied health clinics, including physiotherapy. It covers scheduling, clinical notes, invoicing, online booking, payments and reporting. UK clinics use it for physio and similar disciplines. It does not offer native Healthcode integration; clinics needing electronic PMI claims typically use a third-party bridge (such as Effra) or submit directly.
Pricing is tiered by number of practitioners rather than strictly per head: approximately $45/mo for a solo, $95 for 2-5 practitioners, scaling up to $395 for larger teams (USD, converted at billing). The full feature set is included at every tier. Exercise prescription is not native; most UK users pair it with Physitrack or Rehab My Patient as a separate subscription.
TM3 is a UK-developed cloud system with a strong physiotherapy user base. It includes appointments, clinical notes, billing, online booking, embedded payments (ClearAccept) and reporting. It is positioned for UK private practice workflows and has physiotherapy-specific planning and care delivery tools.
Pricing is subscription-based and usually quoted per user or site; it is one of the platforms UK physios mention alongside Cliniko and WriteUpp. Insurance billing support is present but confirm the exact Healthcode flows for your main insurers. Exercise prescription is typically handled via integration.
PPS (Private Practice Software from Rushcliff) is a UK system used by physiotherapy and other private practices. It offers appointment scheduling, treatment notes (SOAP), client and insurance billing, online booking, KPI reports and database auditing. It has a documented integration with Rehab My Patient for exercise prescription.
Pricing starts from around £15-£60 per month depending on package. Some professional associations (e.g. Physio First) have offered extended trials or discounts. It is one of the more customisable UK options, which is a strength for clinics with specific billing or notes requirements.
WriteUpp is a UK cloud PMS aimed at healthcare professionals including physiotherapists. It includes scheduling, clinical notes, invoicing, online booking, payments and direct Healthcode integration for major UK insurers (Bupa, AXA Health, WPA and others). This native UK billing support is a meaningful differentiator for clinics with significant PMI volume.
Pricing is per-user with practice fees: Flex around £19.95/mo, Solo £27.95/mo, Group from £45.95/mo for 2+ clinicians. Add-ons for online booking and video. It is one of the platforms that surfaces most often when UK physios discuss alternatives to Cliniko.
Jane is a cloud PMS with strong clinical charting, treatment plans, scheduling, billing and client portal features. It has a UK presence and documented support for Healthcode submission (beta and export flows). It is popular for the depth of its notes and workflow tools.
Pricing is plan-based with per-practitioner elements on higher tiers. UK-specific setup and billing configuration are available. Exercise prescription depth is limited compared to dedicated tools; most users pair it with Physitrack or similar.
Nookal (Australian origin with UK users) and Pabau (UK-based) are the other two platforms that regularly appear in UK physio comparisons. Both offer cloud PMS with booking, notes and billing. Healthcode support varies by configuration and requires verification for your specific insurer mix. Pricing is per-practitioner or per-location models; exercise prescription is typically via integration or add-on rather than core.
| Platform | Type | UK focus | Insurance billing | Exercise prescription | Pricing model | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliniko | Cloud | International (UK users) | No native (third party or direct) | Bolt-on / integration | Tiered by practitioners | Clean interface, booking, notes |
| TM3 (Blue Zinc) | Cloud | Strong UK physio | Supported (verify Healthcode) | Via integration | Per user / site (quote) | UK private practice fit |
| PPS (Rushcliff) | Cloud / server | UK private practice | Built-in insurance billing | Rehab My Patient integration | From ~£15-£60/mo | Customisable, UK billing |
| WriteUpp | Cloud | UK healthcare | Native Healthcode | Bolt-on / integration | Per user + practice fee (~£20-£50+) | Direct UK insurer claims |
| Jane | Cloud | International (UK support) | Healthcode support (beta/export) | Bolt-on / integration | Plan-based, per-practitioner elements | Clinical notes and plans depth |
| Nookal / Pabau | Cloud | UK users (AU/UK origin) | Healthcode in some configs | Bolt-on / integration | Per practitioner or location | Alternative cloud options |
| Bespoke (ESRE) | Cloud (owned) | UK bespoke | Built for your insurers (Healthcode where registered) | Built in, no separate sub | One-off cost, no per-clinician fees | Ownership, exact fit, single record |
Start with your clinic type and volume of PMI work, then work backwards.
Most UK physio platforms price per practitioner or by tier that scales with headcount, and treat exercise prescription as a separate subscription (Physitrack at £19.49 + VAT per practitioner per month or Rehab My Patient from around £11-20). UK PMI billing adds another layer: either native Healthcode support (rare and valuable) or a third-party bridge or manual process.
For a solo or small fixed team with low PMI, the per-practitioner model and bolt-on exercise cost may be acceptable. For a clinic that uses associates, locums or is growing, or that processes significant Bupa/AXA volume, the cumulative monthly cost and the split between systems (notes here, exercises there, claims somewhere else) becomes material. Switching platforms later is expensive and disruptive; understanding the full stack cost and data flow before committing is worth the due diligence.
All of the platforms listed above include clinical notes and some form of record management. What varies is how rigorously they support the HCPC Standards of proficiency for physiotherapists and the CSP record-keeping guidance, including audit trails, consent capture, and retention aligned with the NHS Records Management Code of Practice (8 years for adult health records). UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply to all health data. This is covered in more detail in the clinical notes and record-keeping article below.
If you want to see what the bespoke route actually looks like for the comparison workflows discussed here, ESRE's live physiotherapy demo opens without a login. Sign in as a physio and write up a treatment with an exercise plan, or as the patient and see it on your phone. It is a working system, not a screenshot.
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The platforms above are built for typical private MSK physiotherapy. Clinics with heavy NHS-contracted work, complex multi-pathway referral routes (self-pay + PMI + FCP + corporate), or mixed services (physio + Pilates + classes) often find that generic PMS systems force workarounds for the things that matter to them: specific outcome measure exports, authorisation tracking, or reporting on DNA and utilisation that matches their contracts.
For clinics in these categories, a bespoke system built around actual clinical, billing and compliance workflows can reduce the ongoing friction of working around a system that was not designed for your clinic type. You own the system outright with no per-clinician subscription fees, and it can be built AI-ready from day one for features like automated SOAP structuring and exercise plan generation. See why clinics choose bespoke for the full picture.
For independent small clinics with low PMI, Cliniko or WriteUpp are the most commonly discussed. WriteUpp or PPS if you want stronger native UK insurance billing. TM3 for UK physio-specific design. None of the off-the-shelf options include full exercise prescription without an additional subscription (Physitrack or Rehab My Patient). The best choice depends on your PMI volume, use of associates, and whether you want to avoid per-practitioner scaling.
Most vendors do not publish full pricing. The stack (PMS + exercise prescription + Healthcode friction + accounting) commonly lands at £30 to £150 per practitioner per month depending on platform and add-ons. WriteUpp and PPS are often cited for UK billing strength. Cliniko is transparent on tiered pricing. Always request a quote based on your actual clinician count and calculate the five-year total including the separate exercise subscription. See our costs article for the detailed breakdown.
All major platforms support basic clinical record-keeping. What varies is the rigour of audit trails, consent capture, retention logic aligned with the Records Management Code of Practice, and how easily you can export the evidence an HCPC audit or CSP QA process might require. See our clinical notes and record-keeping article for a detailed assessment.
For a fixed small team it may be manageable. For clinics that use associates or locums, or that are growing, the linear cost and the split data (notes in one system, exercises in another) becomes a real operational and financial issue. A bespoke system removes both the per-clinician fees and the bolt-on problem.