Provet Cloud (formerly Provet) is a Finnish-developed cloud PIMS used by practices across the UK. It has strengths in multi-site management and cloud accessibility. Users complain about three things again and again. Customer support, the accuracy of the financial reports, and features promised in the sales process that never arrived. Capterra shows 4.1 out of 5 from 88 reviews, checked in July 2026. The leading alternatives below score 4.6 and 4.7. If your practice is considering alternatives, here is what the UK market offers.
The complaints that drive practices away from Provet Cloud tend to cluster around three areas:
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A cloud PIMS built in New Zealand, with a strong UK presence. It is the most reviewed alternative here, at 4.6 out of 5 from 278 Capterra reviews in July 2026. Many people regard ezyVet as the most complete cloud veterinary software. It holds full clinical records, stock management, automatic billing and detailed financial reports. It connects to labs such as IDEXX and Zoetis. The interface is complex, and the learning curve is steep, but practices that invest in the setup describe it as worth the effort.
Pricing is quote-based and generally positioned at the higher end of the market. Best suited to medium to large practices and multi-site groups that need enterprise-level features and can absorb the setup time.
A UK-developed PIMS with a heritage stretching back decades. Merlin offers client and patient management, appointment scheduling, invoicing, stock control, and integration with major UK lab services and pharmaceutical suppliers. It is familiar to many UK vets and has a well-established support team.
Merlin has a more traditional interface than the newer cloud platforms, which some practices prefer for speed and others find dated. Best suited to single-site or small multi-site practices wanting established UK support.
A comprehensive UK PIMS now under the Covetrus umbrella. RoboVet handles scheduling, clinical records, billing, pharmaceutical supplier integration, and stock management. Its strength is in dispensing workflows and pharmaceutical management, which reflects Covetrus's supply chain background.
The Covetrus acquisition brings vendor consolidation concerns similar to those in other verticals (IDEXX in vet software, TELUS in farm software). Best suited to practices that value strong dispensing and supply chain integration.
A cloud-based UK PIMS focused on simplicity and mobile accessibility. VetIT offers appointment scheduling, billing, stock control, and client engagement features, with a mobile app that works offline for house calls and farm visits. The interface is cleaner and simpler than ezyVet or RoboVet.
Best suited to independent practices and ambulatory/mixed practices that need mobile functionality without enterprise complexity.
The newest entrant, built by veterinarians with an AI-first approach, and the highest-rated here at 4.7/5 on Capterra from 87 reviews (checked July 2026). Shepherd focuses on reducing administrative burden through automation: AI-assisted clinical notes, automated reminders, and modern workflows. It is cloud-based with a clean interface.
Best for practices that want to cut vet burnout through automation. They must also accept a newer platform that is still adding features.
| Platform | Type | UK Support | Lab Integration | Multi-Site | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ezyVet | Cloud | Yes (24/7) | IDEXX, Zoetis | Strong | Most comprehensive feature set |
| Merlin | Cloud/Server | Yes (UK team) | UK labs | Moderate | UK heritage, familiar to UK vets |
| RoboVet | Cloud/Server | Yes | Covetrus supply chain | Strong | Dispensing and pharmaceutical management |
| VetIT | Cloud | Yes | Major UK labs | Basic | Mobile app, offline capability |
| Shepherd | Cloud | Yes | Building | Basic | AI automation, modern interface |
| Bespoke (ESRE) | Cloud | Yes (UK-based) | Any (built to spec) | Built to spec | Ownership, no per-vet fees |
The Competition and Markets Authority is reviewing the UK veterinary market through 2025 and 2026. It is examining pricing transparency and corporate consolidation. It is also examining the links between software vendors, pharmaceutical suppliers and practice groups. The review has increased scrutiny on vendor lock-in and data portability. Ask one question of any software you are considering. If you decide to leave in two years, can you export your clinical records in a form you can use? Full CMA compliance guide.
One complaint above is different from the others. Features were promised during the sales process, and they did not arrive.
Support quality and report accuracy show themselves in a few months. A promise about a future feature cannot be tested at all before you sign.
Three things can be tested, and they matter more than any roadmap.
We build veterinary systems on engage.re. Your meaning is held as data, so an export carries the definitions with the records. You hold your own keys, and we publish the platform behaviour at version 2.0.0 so a third party can build a system that conforms.
We set out the other four questions in vendor lock-in, what can you prove. We explain why verification decides software risk in AI writes code fast.
For practice groups running 3+ sites, the per-vet pricing model of off-the-shelf PIMS platforms becomes a significant ongoing cost. A group with 15 vets across four sites can spend £3,000-£10,000 per month on software subscriptions, which totals £180,000-£600,000 over five years.
A bespoke practice management system built around how your group actually operates eliminates per-vet fees permanently. It integrates with whichever lab services, pharmaceutical suppliers, and payment systems your practices use, without being tied to a single vendor's ecosystem. The clinical data belongs to the practice, not the software company.
If you want to see what the bespoke route actually looks like, ESRE's live veterinary demo opens without a login. Sign in as a vet to open a clinical record. Sign in as a group owner to see lab connections and CMA pricing across sites. It is a working system, not a screenshot.
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