What’s the difference between
Coreplus and Power Diary?
We are frequently asked “What is the difference between Coreplus and Power Diary?” To make the answer to this question more readily available, we thought it would be helpful to do our own deep dive and post the findings here.
Through extensive research, as well as feedback received from users transitioning to Power Diary from Coreplus, we have compiled a review of the similarities and key differences, and importantly, how they compare on price and value.
We hope this helps to identify what is important to you in a practice management system so that you can make the right choice for your clinic needs.
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What are the Similarities?
First, it’s worth noting that Coreplus and Power Diary share many similarities.
Power Diary and Coreplus are prominent Australian cloud-based practice management systems. Both were early pioneers in online practice management, departing from traditional software that you would typically install on your computer or server, and then have to manually update and backup.
ADDITIONAL SIMILAR FUNCTIONALITIES INCLUDE:
- Calendar management
- Colour-coded appointments
- Group booking options
- SMS & Email Reminders
- Invoice creation*
- Xero integration*
- Medicare & DVA online claim submissions*
- Online Client Portal to allow clients to self-book
- Reporting**
- Electronic Session Notes/Electronic Health Records
- Letter writing tools*
- Data imports (Power Diary will provide this even for trial accounts whereas importing clients would trigger the end of Coreplus’ trial)
*Not offered in all of Coreplus’ plans
**Not all reports available in all of Coreplus’ plans
Why should you choose Power Diary?
REASON #1
Simple Pricing with Equal Access
Coreplus offers four plans, each with a different level of access to their features and functionality. For example, lower level plans do not offer features such as data backups or the capacity to generate invoices. The closest match to what Power Diary offers is the Coreplus “eHealth” plan, also noted as their most popular and full-featured plan, so we’ve used this for comparison purposes.
Power Diary offers four plan sizes based solely on the number of diaries you require. All plans give access to all features, so whether you are a single practitioner or a multi-disciplinary practice you will have access to the same features. You are able to add or remove diaries at any time and your plan size will be updated accordingly in either direction.
Keep scrolling to see our detailed price comparison for fixed costs for both systems, as well as variable costs (and functionalities!) for SMS messaging.
REASON #2
Prepayments to Improve Cash Flow and Attendance
Another important area to highlight is the online Client Portal. Both Coreplus and Power Diary’s client portals allow clients to go online, check clinician availability and book appointments themselves. This reduces workload as it eliminates the need to take calls or return missed calls.
Power Diary takes the client portal one step further with an integration with Stripe, enabling clients to pay at the time of booking. Accepting prepayments means you not only have better cash flow and reduced time spent on administration, but more importantly it almost guarantees that your clients will attend their appointments.
Additionally, all payments made online are automatically matched with the corresponding invoice, marking them as ‘Paid’.
REASON #3
Smarter SMS Logic
Automated appointment reminders can almost eliminate no-shows, and whilst both systems offer SMS and email reminders, there are some differences which set them apart.
With Coreplus, reminders are restricted to send only to the patient, and any responses to SMS reminders are grouped and viewable in a single inbox. So, to view SMS replies, you must keep this window open and frequently check to ensure all responses are processed.
Power Diary not only allows you to include additional recipients, such as partners or parents, but uses inbuilt logic to interpret every SMS response, automatically updating the appointment status as either confirmed or cancelled. Additionally, the respective clinician can be alerted via SMS or email, enabling timely action should a cancellation occur.
Furthermore, Power Diary allows you to create unlimited SMS and email templates, and easily send them to clients whenever you wish. With Coreplus, any ad-hoc SMS messages must be manually written, with no option to use a template.
REASON #4
Convenient Two-Way SMS Messaging
As well as appointment reminders, both systems provide an SMS messaging functionality to communicate directly with individual clients.
Whilst both offer two-way SMS messaging, only with Power Diary are messages grouped together into conversations for seamless two-way chat with clients, colleagues and other healthcare providers; all conveniently via the app.
With Coreplus, any messages sent and received are grouped together into a generic inbox, often causing communication to become disjointed. It is not possible to have conversation via SMS – which can be confusing to clients.
REASON #5
Free Unlimited Data Storage
By default, Coreplus users have a data storage limit of only 500MB. When exceeded, users must purchase additional data storage at an added monthly fee of $4.00 per 500MB required.
That doesn’t sound much, so putting this into context, a typical two-page PDF document is ~200KB. Let’s say each client file only has five of these, that would still be 1MB per client. So having 5,000 client files could potentially use around 5000MB, incurring an additional $28p/m on top of your subscription fee.
Something to bear in mind is record-keeping requirements. Although this will vary depending on the country, it is not uncommon for records to have to be kept for 7 years, or until a child client reaches the age of 25. Therefore, you cannot simply delete files when storage runs low.
With Power Diary, you needn’t worry about the amount of storage you require.
REASON #6
100s of Specialised Treatment Note Templates
Pre-prepared treatment note templates are one of Power Diary’s most loved features due to the huge time saving they allow.
Whilst Coreplus allows for templates to be created from scratch, including sections such as text areas, multiple choice, and image and body charting, Power Diary gives you a head start by providing over 100 specialised templates, which can be fully customised to fit the needs of every clinic. Depending on your computer, you can also use speech-to-text functionality with Power Diary, to further reduce the time you spend on your treatment notes.
REASON #7
Supporting Medical Professionals Globally
Being web-based means that customers can access their account from anywhere in the world from a computer, tablet or smartphone – all you need is an internet connection.
Although Coreplus is optimised for the Australian Allied Health market, there are various limitations for practitioners operating outside of Australia. These are encountered in situations such as entering client address details, SMS reminders which require an Australian telephone number, booking appointments due to time zones within the calendar limited to only those relevant to Australia, plus affecting various add-ons.
Power Diary supports practitioners across 23 different countries, with no limitations on any of the above features and functionalities due to location.
REASON #8
Everything is Kept in the Same Window
With Power Diary everything is kept within the same window, whereas in Coreplus the calendar is accessed via the main menu, but it opens the calendar in a new tab in your browser. This means that you will have two tabs open, one for searching clients, invoices or accessing information, and the other will have the calendar with your appointments.
This might seem like a minor detail but when you want to go back to the main menu or view a client’s details, you need to click on the original tab which would get tedious very quickly, especially if you have other websites open in your browser. Still not convinced of the downside to this? Head to reason #9…
REASON #9
Usability on Mobile Devices
As mentioned, a key benefit of a cloud-based system is portability; to work across devices such as a desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone without any reduced functionality.
Power Diary has been designed and tested to work well across all device types. Coreplus, however, acknowledges functionality difficulties on mobile devices, with users also reporting problems with simple functions such as making, updating or rescheduling appointments. As with a desktop, the calendar opens in a new tab so you’ll be switching between tabs on your smartphone to go between making a booking and viewing client details or other information in the system.
Power Diary further supports mobile users with the ability to view the address and contact details of your appointments from the calendar when viewing in Day view; furthermore, clicking on the address will launch your Maps app, and clicking on the contact number allows for easy dialling from your mobile.
REASON #10
Automatic Refreshing in the Calendar
Power Diary constantly updates the status of appointments in real-time, so there is no need to refresh your page to be able to see when the client has confirmed their attendance. The colour of the appointment will automatically change, giving you a quick visual as to which clients have confirmed. With Coreplus you have to remember to manually refresh the page, which is far less convenient and puts practitioners at risk of missing last minute updates if they don’t.
REASON #11
100% Money-Back Guarantee
Power Diary offers a unique 100% money back guarantee. If at any time during the first 12-months of using Power Diary you decide it is not right for you, you have the right to cancel your account and get a full refund of anything you’ve paid for to date, including all SMS charges. There are no strings attached. This is not something offered by Coreplus.
REASON #12
In-Platform Practice Operations Manual
When you start with Power Diary, you’re choosing the only practice management system with an in-platform Practice Operations Manual! The Practice Manual includes a core set of done-for-you policies and procedures developed by a team of industry experts with over 50 years of practice management experience, it covers everything your business needs to operate. Plus, you can edit, delete and archive the existing policies, add external links, upload files and add policies of your own.
Even better, it’s all available to you at no additional cost. Coreplus doesn’t offer this feature, in fact, no other practice management system does. Our customers have been calling this a game-changer, and we think you’ll agree!
No risk with our Money-Back Guarantee
Yes, you read that right! Simply start your account now, and if at any point over the next 12 months you decide Power Diary isn’t right for you, just let us know. We’ll refund 100% of any subscription fees you’ve paid.
Still not sure whether to choose Power Diary or Coreplus?
Here’s a chart where you can make a fair assessment…
| Power Diary vs. Coreplus | Power Diary | Coreplus |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 day trial with unlimited use and free SMS | Limited to 20 clients, 20 appointments and 20 invoices |
| Price for 1 practitioner (per week) | $10.40 ($45/month) | |
| Price for 3 practitioners (per week) | $31.15 ($135/month) | |
| Price for 7 practitioners (per week) | $72.70 ($315/month) | |
| Price for 15 practitioners (per week) | $155.80 ($675/month) | |
| Price for 30 practitioners (per week) | Must connect with a representative | |
| Calendar management | ||
| SMS & email reminders | Responses are automatically processed and updated within calendars. | Responses land in a generic inbox, and each must be processed manually. |
| 2-Way SMS chat | There is no character limit to our SMS messages. Conversations flow seamlessly via the SMS panel, keeping conversations grouped together | Yes, although each SMS has a limit of 1000 characters, and is billed per 160 characters. Messages received are grouped into an inbox. |
| Telehealth | Included with every account for no added cost. Fully integrated and very simple to use for all participants. Secure and compliant with all health standards. | Yes, Coreplus’ digital e-health and standard practice plans include the TeleConsult feature at no extra cost. |
| Online Forms | Easily create forms and surveys to suit your purpose, with a wide variety of specialist templates to start from if preferred. Send the unique link via SMS or email. Responses are automatically saved to the client record, including signatures. Able to apply clinic branding. | Send by email or SMS. Responses are uploaded to the client file for approval by the clinician. |
| Client management system | ||
| Treatment notes | Over 100 specialised and fully customisable templates. Speech-to-text functionality for added efficiency. Possible to duplicate previous notes and build from the templates. | Yes, but all templates must be created from scratch. Clinicians are unable to view the entire note edit history or duplicate previous notes. |
| Online bookings | A library of specialist and customisable templates available to choose from, or create your own. Able to request signatures. All responses are automatically saved to the client’s profile. You can even apply your clinic branding! | Able to create forms by using the questionnaire tool. No templates provided. |
| Waitlist | See who’s waiting, their preferred practitioner, and availability. Allows for bulk SMS messages to be sent directly to those on the waitlist. | See who’s waiting, their preferred practitioner, and timing preference (am/pm). Unable to send bulk SMS to a group of clients on waitlist. |
| Invoices & payments | Option to update currency on account. Able to set calendar alerts to flag clients with outstanding payments. Integrates with Xero and Stripe. | Unable to change currency from AUD or set custom pop-up alerts to flag when a client with outstanding invoices books a new appointment. Also unable to block clients from booking new appointments until their account is settled. Integrates with Xero apart from lowest tier plan. No integration with Stripe. |
| Credit card processing | Payments can be required and processed at the time of booking online, or at a later date. | Can integrate with Tyro for terminal-based EFTPOS payments, but it is not possible to accept payment online at the time of booking. |
| Reports & analytics | Yes, but restricted on lower tier plans. | |
| Money-back guarantee | ||
| Data import service | A free data migration included for all accounts, including free trials, by data import specialists. | A free data migration is included but not on the lowest tier plan. |
| Practice Operations Manual | This industry-first feature provides a core set of policies and procedures that are ready to use and easily adapted to your practice. |
*This comparison article reflects information available as of April 2020.
How Do Coreplus and Power Diary Compare on Price?
Pricing Models
Both systems have similar pricing models consisting of a monthly fee based on the number of active practitioners an account has (allowing for unlimited users, such as administrators, receptionists and bookkeepers), plus variable charges based on how many text messages are sent.
Whilst the basic pricing concepts are similar, the actual costs are significantly different. In short, Coreplus’ pricing progression is linear, so if you start with one diary and later find you need another, you’ll pay twice the price, or three times the price if you need three diaries etc; quickly adding up in periods of growth.
Power Diary’s pricing progression is non-linear; the more diaries you have, the less it costs per diary.
Fixed Costs
As at the time of writing, when comparing Coreplus pricing to Power Diary’s pricing, Power Diary comes in at a lower price for almost all plan levels, with even greater differences when you take into consideration our offer of 50% off for 6 months.
As the Power Diary pricing page shows cost per week, below is a comparison based on monthly rates to make it easier to compare. To derive the monthly fee, we just calculated as follows:
Power Diary Weekly Price x 52 weeks / 12 months = Monthly Price
You can see from the tables below how the subscription costs add up over time for different sized practices, demonstrating how Power Diary is significantly more affordable as clinics expand.
Cost Differences in Subscription Costs: Over 1 Year
| 1 Diary | 3 Diaries | 9 Diaries | 20 Diaries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Diary | $468 | $779 | $1 247 | $1 949 |
| Coreplus | $540 | $1 620 | $4 860 | $10 800* |
Cost Differences in Subscription Costs: Over 5 Years
| 1 Diary | 3 Diaries | 9 Diaries | 20 Diaries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Diary | $2 964 | $4 931 | $7 895 | $12 341 |
| Coreplus | $2 700 | $10 125 | $24 300 | $54 000* |
*Estimate based on per user/month pricing. Coreplus does not state pricing for 20+ Diaries on its website but says P.O.A. (Price On Application).
Prices are shown in AUD and are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Variable SMS Costs
For both systems, SMS messages are optional and incur an additional, variable cost.
Coreplus charges $0.10 per SMS (based on the eHealth plan – prices vary depending on plan) and Power Diary charges $0.15 per SMS sent.
The following tables compare the total cost of ownership of Coreplus vs Power Diary by combining the monthly subscription fee and the estimated SMS use fees – across multiple diaries over 1 year and 5 year periods.
(Estimated average usage: 5 appointments/day x 4 days x 46 working weeks / 12 months = 77 SMS reminders/month per practitioner.)
Cost Differences in Total Costs: Over 1 Year
| 1 Diary | 3 Diaries | 9 Diaries | 20 Diaries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Diary | $607 | $1 195 | $1 247 | $2 494 |
| Coreplus | $632 | $1 897 | $5 692 | $12 648* |
Cost Differences in Total Costs: Over 5 Years
| 1 Diary | 3 Diaries | 9 Diaries | 20 Diaries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Diary | $3 657 | $7 010 | $14 132 | $26 201 |
| Coreplus | $3 162 | $11 511 | $28 458 | $63 240* |
*Estimate based on per user/month pricing. Coreplus does not state pricing for 20+ Diaries on its website but says P.O.A. (Price On Application).
Prices are shown in AUD and are rounded to the nearest dollar.
So Power Diary has lower subscription fees, but Coreplus has lower SMS fees. However, when you consider both the subscription pricing and the SMS rates together, it is interesting to note that Power Diary still comes out as significantly more cost-effective in almost every scenario.
You can see why Power Diary is trusted by thousands of practitioners.
Try Power Diary for Yourself!
Here’s what Power Diary Clients are Saying…
“I’ve used a number of different practice management systems and there’s no doubt that Power Diary is best in class.”
Dr. Ryan Kaplan Clinical Psychologist
Be Psychology and Mental Health
"Helps me get organised and make my appointments for the week. I can easily visually see who is still owing payments and also it creates space for me to add extra things. Your help desk is amazing. Thank you!"
Sophie Egan,
Sophie EGAN Speech Pathology Clinic
"Great easy booking system - love that I can do reports, store patient notes, send emails, invoices and write letters. Has made my business seamless!"
Sarah Sealey,
Physiotherapist,
Amity Physio Pilates
"Really efficient planning and invoicing. The reminder emails and text messages have been reliable. I have been thoroughly impressed with Power Diary!"
Lauren Darsie,
Physiotherapist,
Childspace Paediatric Physiotherapy
"My business could not function without Power Diary. It enables our staff to work from anywhere. Love that we can customise the program to suit our business."
Margaret Asimus,
Skin and Wound Care Consultancy
"My clients love making appointments through our Client Portal… some wake up with pain in the middle of the night, and they grab their iPad or Tablet and book a time that suits them!"
Tony Logan-Stevens,
Remedial Massage Therapist,
Hands from Heaven
Happy customers are our lifeblood. We’d love you to join us.
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