Digitail vs.Shepherd are both veterinary practice management systems (PIMS) designed to simplify your clinic’s workflow, but they take different approaches to solving everyday veterinarian challenges.
So, how do you choose? Which platform offers the features that best match your practice’s needs? Which one delivers better value for the cost?
Here’s a side-by-side breakdown to help you decide which PIMS best fits your clinic’s needs today and into the future.
Digitail is a true all-in-one cloud-based PIMS designed to centralize your veterinary clinic’s operations, covering every part of the patient journey — from appointments and EMRs to invoicing and client communication.
✓ Built-in AI assistant for SOAP notes, summaries, treatment planning, and discharge instructions
✓ Voice-to-invoice capabilities to capture every charge during the exam
✓ AI-powered intake forms that collect and summarize patient history before the visit
✓ Unified medical records with SOAP templates, lab integrations, and document storage
✓ Native pet parent app with real-time updates, two-way chat, booking, and record access
✓ Online booking with optional e-deposits
✓ Telemedicine and digital prescriptions are built directly into the platform
✓ Automatic invoicing tied to medical records and inventory
✓ Advanced reporting for financial, operational, and medical insights
✓ Integration with third-party tools and open API for flexibility
Clinics often highlight Digitail’s sleek, modern interface and how easy it is for both staff and pet parents to use:
We love how everything is connected—from exams to invoicing. The client portal is a game changer for reducing phone calls and keeping pet parents in the loop.
Veterinarians love how Digitail boosts both team efficiency and client satisfaction:
It’s modern, it’s cloud-based, and it makes practice management easier. Digitail customer service is very responsive, which is crucial for any busy practice.
Shepherd is a cloud-based PIMS. Its main focus is minimizing manual data entry and making documentation fast and intuitive for veterinary teams. The downside of that simplicity is that it doesn’t offer enough flexibility for practices with evolving or more advanced needs.
✓ Real-time medical records that auto-generate invoices as treatments are recorded
✓ One-click treatment plans and templated SOAPs
✓ Task lists and built-in whiteboard for team coordination
✓ Inventory tracking, patient reminders, and client communication tools
Users appreciate Shepherd’s focus on medical records and how it speeds up charting and invoicing:
Shepherd saves our doctors so much time. You just check off a treatment and it’s added to the invoice automatically.
Others point out areas where functionality could be improved to better support everyday clinic work:
The basics are covered, but we’d like better search options and the ability to attach images to notes. It can feel a bit limiting.
While both platforms offer subscription-based pricing, the total cost of ownership (TCO) varies depending on practice needs and growth plans.
Digitail provides custom pricing based on the number of veterinarians and includes all core features: AI tools, client communication, online booking, telehealth, and multi-location support. There are no surprise add-ons or extra charges for client-facing features. Onboarding and ongoing support are included, keeping ramp-up costs low.
For growing practices, this predictable, all-inclusive model simplifies budgeting. Digitail also eliminates the need for multiple third-party tools. Features like 2-way chat, digital forms, and compliance tracking are built-in, helping reduce software sprawl and long-term costs.
Shepherd uses a tiered pricing structure, generally based on the number of users. It’s competitively priced for smaller clinics, but lacks some built-in functionality (e.g., telehealth, mobile app, advanced analytics), which may require external solutions or workarounds. Over time, practices may need to supplement with third-party integrations or custom development, which can increase long-term costs.
When it comes to AI, Digitail is in a league of its own.
Digitail includes Tails AI, a comprehensive built-in AI assistant that:
This significantly reduces vets` manual admin time and ensures records are complete and compliant.
Digital`s AI is tested and proven in real veterinary practices, delivering measurable impact across the full patient journey.
But don’t just take our word for it:
Digitail’s AI tools cut my documentation time in half. The SOAP notes practically write themselves, and the dictation feature is a game-changer. I’m spending more time with patients and less on paperwork.
Dr. Liza Price, Riverside Veterinary Clinic
Read Dr. Price’s full experience implementing AI at Riverside Veterinary Clinic on our blog.
Shepard’s AI features remain more limited, and newer systems are still in early development stages. The platform requires more manual processes, whereas Digitail automates workflows, reducing staff workload and potential for human error. Without built-in dictation capabilities, doctors must spend more time on documentation rather than patient care.
Both platforms prioritize simplicity, but their user experiences cater to different workflows.
Shepherd is praised for its clean, minimalist interface that’s easy to pick up, especially for teams transitioning from paper records. The learning curve is shallow, and everyday tasks like scheduling and billing are easy to navigate. However, its simplicity can become a limitation as practice needs evolve.
Digitail offers a more robust and modern experience without overwhelming the user. Its workflows are thoughtfully designed around real clinical workflows, not just a simplified interface. It streamlines complex processes like treatment planning and patient intake, helping staff work faster and more accurately with fewer clicks.
Built-in team chat and client messaging keep everyone in sync, and automated, streamlined workflows minimize training time. It works smoothly across desktop, tablet, and mobile, with personalized onboarding that makes the platform easy to adopt for all practice sizes.
The communication approaches differ significantly between platforms.
Digitail has invested heavily in client-facing tools. It offers a dedicated pet parent app that achieves high adoption rates compared to web portals, providing clients with a seamless, all-in-one experience.
Beyond core features like appointment management, two-way chat with the clinic, and medical record access, the app enhances engagement through personalized educational content, real-time updates (e.g., lab results or treatment plans), and telemedicine consultations.
Digitail also uses automated reminders (SMS and in-app) to cut down on no-shows and an online booking system, which makes scheduling easier for clients.
Shepherd, on the other hand, relies on email and a web portal for client interactions. While it offers online booking and reminders, the lack of a dedicated app limits its convenience. Some users report intermittent portal functionality issues, and since reminders are email-based, they often end up in spam folders, reducing their effectiveness.
Shepherd also lacks built-in telemedicine or chat, limiting its ability to support modern, remote-first care.
Both platforms provide streamlined SOAP note creation, customizable templates, and digital medical records.
Digitail enhances this with AI integration, structured discharge notes, consent forms with eSignatures, and compliance dashboards to monitor record completion. Its record-keeping tools support voice dictation, auto-filled treatment plans, and reminders for incomplete records, helping improve both speed and legal compliance.
Shepherd offers SOAP medical record workflows and an intuitive interface. However, some users have noted that entering prescriptions involves navigating between different tabs and pages, making the process more click-heavy than necessary.
Shepherd provides adequate reporting for basic practice management needs, covering standard financial and inventory metrics.
Digitail offers significantly more robust analytics, including COGS tracking, staff performance metrics, and detailed compliance reporting. These insights prove particularly valuable for multi-doctor practices and those with multiple locations.
While Shepherd shows what happened in your practice, Digitail helps explain why it happened and suggests improvements – a distinction that becomes more important as practices grow.
Digitail operates independently without the limitations of corporate ownership, enabling rapid innovation and agile development driven by clinics’ needs. This independence means no conflicts of interest with other business units and faster response to veterinary-specific needs.
Shepherd is owned by Synergy Pet Group, a parent company that may use clinic data across its businesses and display third-party promotions in client tools. This corporate structure can impact development priorities and introduce potential conflicts between veterinary needs and broader business objectives.
| Digitail | Shepherd | |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| All-in-one | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Independent | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Built-in AI Assistant | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes, in beta |
| AI Dictation | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes, in beta |
| AI Patient Intake | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| AI Discharge Notes | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Online booking system | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Pet Parent App | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Telemedecine & 2-way chat | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Client education | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Reminders | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes, but limited |
| Compliance dashboard | ✅ Yes | ❌No |
| Medical records & templates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Labs integrations | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| POS & online payments | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Consent forms & eSignature | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| User permissions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Multi-location setup | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Support | ✅ Yes, always free | ✅ Yes |
Choosing the right PIMS isn’t just about ticking feature boxes—it’s about finding the right fit for your team, your clients, and the way your practice works.
If you’re leaning toward streamlined workflows, built-in client engagement, and modern tools like telemedicine and AI-powered documentation, Digitail stands out. It’s built for growth, designed to reduce admin load, and offers everything in one place, without needing extra add-ons.
But every clinic is different. The best way to know if Digitail fits? See it in action.
Book a personalized demo to explore how Digitail works with your real workflows, so you can make the right choice with confidence.
Digitail is the all-in-one cloud platform that allows you to run your entire practice with one single tool. We are your trusted partner for enhancing patient engagement, streamlining your processes, and growing your practice.
