An AVImark alternative for clinics done with the back-room server

Why clinics look for an AVImark alternative

Clinics look for an AVImark alternative mainly because of the server: what it costs, who maintains it and what happens to the records if it fails. AVImark is Covetrus's on-premise system, with 599 reviews on Capterra at 4.1 stars, and Capterra's profile says it runs in over 11,000 veterinary hospitals. The price is the second reason, because Covetrus does not publish one.

• Your records live on a server in the building. A flood, a theft or a failed drive is a records problem, not just an IT problem.
• Servers cost money on a cycle. Covetrus's own cost-of-ownership article puts server hardware for server-based software at US$3,000 to US$7,000, replaced every three to five years, plus support and backup costs. It does not name AVImark specifically, but the arithmetic is the same.
• Remote access is remote desktop. Covetrus's own support runs remote sessions through TeamViewer.
• No published price. Covetrus publishes no price for AVImark, and Capterra lists it as contact vendor.

None of this is a deadline. AVImark is supported, so move when it suits you, not because you feel pushed.

Is PetGrid a good AVImark alternative?

PetGrid is a good AVImark alternative for a clinic that wants the server out of the building, a published price, an owner app and a free move. It is not the right choice if you depend on AVImark's inventory, reordering or pharmacy connections.

• No server to own. PetGrid runs in the cloud. There is no machine in the back room to back up, patch or replace.
• A price you can read. $259 CAD a month per practice plus $90 CAD per veterinarian, monthly with no long-term contract, and no setup fee.
• An owner app in your clinic's name. Owners request appointments, see records, ask for refills and chat with your team, included in the price; see the app for your clients.
• AI in every plan, a person in charge. AI Assist drafts SOAP notes from shorthand or dictation, summarises a patient's history and drafts replies; owners get vet-approved visit summaries and Pip. A person approves everything AI writes.
• Your data, out whenever you want it. Reports download as CSV and an admin can download the whole clinic as one ZIP at any time. See import and export.
• Security, stated plainly. Each clinic's records are walled off by row-level security and backups are encrypted every night. Records are encrypted in transit and at rest, and PetGrid has no SOC 2 audit yet; see the security page.

If the server is the problem, PetGrid removes it. If inventory and pharmacy integrations are the heart of your clinic, AVImark is still the stronger tool.

Where AVImark is the better choice

AVImark is the better choice if you rely on its inventory, want an online pharmacy connected to prescribing, need a phone line for support, or your team knows it well and nothing is pushing a move.

• Inventory. AVImark offers reordering, CUBEX integration and cloud-based Intelligent Inventory. PetGrid's inventory is basic: stock tracked by lot, received and dispensed, with no purchase orders, automatic reordering or supplier price feeds.
• Online pharmacy. AVImark integrates with the vRxPro online pharmacy and a simplified digital script process. PetGrid's prescriptions are issued on the chart, and refill requests from owners wait for a vet to approve.
• Texting today. Through Covetrus Comms, AVImark clinics have two-way texting, emails and postcards. PetGrid's two-way texting is new, and part of the paid AI Front Desk add-on, which comes with the clinic's number.
• Support hours and a phone line. Covetrus offers chat Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm ET, and phone and forms 9am to 7pm ET. PetGrid offers email support on weekdays, 9:00 to 17:00 Eastern Time, with no phone line.

AVImark and PetGrid at a glance

See every feature side by side: 36 rows in eight grouped tables, AI, security and data export included, each with a one-line verdict.

What does AVImark cost compared with PetGrid?

Covetrus does not publish a price for AVImark, and Capterra lists it as contact vendor, so a direct comparison is not possible. PetGrid costs $259 CAD a month per practice plus $90 CAD per veterinarian, with no server to buy.

In practice that is $349 CAD a month for a one-vet clinic and $529 CAD for three vets. Vet techs, front desk and pet owners are free. The pricing page has the details.

When you compare, count the server too: the hardware, its replacement cycle, backups and whoever looks after it. And check your AVImark agreement's notice period before you move, because we found no AVImark contract terms on Covetrus's public pages.

How to switch from AVImark to PetGrid

Switching from AVImark to PetGrid is two exports and two free imports, plus an optional third for vaccine history. Covetrus's own AVImark data conversion, by comparison, takes 3 to 5 weeks for a first pass and 1 to 2 days for the final one, with fees not stated.

1. Export your clients and pets. AVImark exports to CSV. One row per pet, with the owner repeated across rows, is exactly what PetGrid's importer expects, and column headings do not have to match.
2. Check the file before anything is saved. Upload it in Settings, Import. PetGrid shows you what it found, row by row, and saves nothing until you say so.
3. Bring the history. Export visit history as a second CSV with headings close to these: Pet name, Owner email, Date, Time, Reason, Veterinarian, Notes. Each visit is filed as a completed appointment on the pet's chart, and running the same file twice adds nothing twice.
4. Add vaccine history. Vaccine history comes in free from a third CSV, each shot with its next due date, so care reminders continue.

Lab results, prescriptions, invoices, inventory and reminders are not imported, so keep AVImark available to look things up while you settle in. Our guide to switching veterinary software without losing data walks through the whole move.

The verdict: AVImark or PetGrid?

Stay on AVImark if its inventory, pharmacy connections and phone support run your clinic and the server is no burden. Pick PetGrid if you want the server gone, the whole price up front, an owner app included and a free move.

Questions people ask

Read the clinic questions and answers

The short version

AVImark is a capable, long-serving system, and its inventory and pharmacy tools are ahead of PetGrid's. PetGrid is the AVImark alternative for the clinic that wants the server gone, a price it can read, an owner app included and a move that costs nothing.

The clearest way to decide is to try it with your own export and see what PetGrid makes of it before anything is saved. Common questions are answered in the switching FAQ, and the veterinary practice management software roundup compares the wider field.