Shepherd review

Shepherd is the clearest buy for an independent clinic. It charges only for doctor licenses: the first doctor costs $349 a month, or $299 when the clinic processes payments through Shepherd Pay, doctors two and three add $99 each, and every doctor after that adds $49. Technicians, CSRs and practice managers log in at no cost. The subscription covers medical records, scheduling, invoicing and inventory in one system, automated reminders, a pet parent portal, wellness plans and AI tools that transcribe the visit into the record and draft discharge instructions. Onboarding and support are included. The extras are published too: two-way texting is $99 per 5,000 messages and data migration is $2,475 paid in full. Multi-location groups pay $249 per location plus $99 per doctor, and nonprofits pay a flat $299 a month. Large specialty and referral hospitals will find deeper department tools at ezyVet, Provet Cloud or Vetspire.

Who it is for

Independent general practices with one to six doctors

Price

$299 per month for one doctor with Shepherd Pay, $349 without; doctors two and three add $99 each.

Shepherd starts at $299 a month for one doctor with Shepherd Pay, or $349 without.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Records, scheduling, invoicing and inventory in one connected system
• Automated reminders and a portal where pet parents see records and reminders
• Embedded AI transcription that writes to the record and drafts discharge instructions
• Wellness plans with customizable options
• Open API and SOC 2 and TX-RAMP certification

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Unlimited users: technicians, CSRs and managers get logins at no extra cost
• Strength: Every price, including add-ons and data migration, is published on the pricing page
• Strength: Single-location billing starts 12 weeks after onboarding begins
• Weakness: Two-way texting is an add-on at $99 per 5,000 messages
• Weakness: Data migration is a one-time fee of $2,475 paid in full
• Weakness: The $299 rate requires processing payments through Shepherd Pay

Key facts

• Deployment: Cloud
• Pricing model: Per doctor; unlimited other users
• Multi-location: $249 per location per month plus $99 per doctor
• New practice offer: 50% off the subscription for 12 months for qualifying startups

Where it ranks

Shepherd is No. 1 in our Best Veterinary Practice Management Software verdict.