A quick overview of the four systems
All four platforms are used by Australian psychology and allied health practices. All four handle appointment scheduling, client records and invoicing at a basic level. The differences start to matter when you look at billing complexity, NDIS capability, team size, and how much setup and customisation each system requires.
HalaxyHalaxy is an Australian-built platform and one of the most widely used PMS in the country for psychology and allied health. It was built with the Australian billing environment in mind, which means Medicare, DVA and private health fund claiming are genuinely integrated — not bolted on as an afterthought.
Best for: Solo practitioners and small-to-medium psychology and allied health practices with complex billing requirements, including Medicare Better Access, DVA, WorkCover and private health.
Strengths:
- Australian-built and Australian-focused — Medicare, DVA and private health billing are core features, not add-ons
- Free base tier available, which makes it accessible for practitioners just starting out
- Strong automation for appointment reminders, invoicing and claiming
- Active Australian user community and regular updates
- NDIS basic billing available, though Splose is more advanced for complex NDIS needs
- The interface can feel cluttered, especially for new users — setup and configuration matter a lot
- Some features require a paid plan to unlock
- Getting the most out of Halaxy takes time and proper configuration; most practices we work with are only using a fraction of what the system can do
Who chooses Halaxy: Psychology practices, psychiatry, OTs, physios, speech pathologists and dietitians with a mix of Medicare, DVA and private billing. Also popular with practices wanting a free starting tier before scaling.
ClinikoCliniko is a Australian-based platform with a strong Australian user base, particularly among allied health practices. It’s known for being clean, intuitive and relatively easy to learn — which makes it a popular choice for larger teams where multiple practitioners need to use the system with minimal training.
Best for: Medium-to-large allied health practices and group clinics with multiple practitioners, particularly those who prioritise ease of use and team-wide adoption.
Strengths:
- Clean, uncluttered interface that most practitioners find easy to navigate
- Strong scheduling and calendar management for multi-practitioner clinics
- Good client communication tools including online bookings and automated reminders
- Well-regarded customer support
- Regular product updates
- Medicare and DVA claiming works via a built-in Tyro Health integration — functional and smooth, but requires a separate Tyro Health account with its own fees, unlike Halaxy where billing is fully native
- NDIS billing requires additional configuration and third-party tools
- Monthly pricing is per-practitioner, which can add up for growing clinics
Who chooses Cliniko: Group allied health clinics, physiotherapy and occupational therapy practices with multiple practitioners, and practices where ease of onboarding is a priority.
Zanda (formerly Power Diary)
Power Diary rebranded to Zanda in 2023 — same company, name change only. The platform has continued to develop its feature set and remains widely used among psychology and allied health practices.
Best for: Practices that want strong telehealth features built into the platform and native Medicare and DVA billing without additional fees.
Strengths:
- Built-in telehealth functionality — video sessions can be run directly within the platform
- Native Medicare and DVA billing — free and built in, no third-party integration needed
- Strong scheduling tools with detailed calendar management
- Good client portal for online bookings and forms
- Australian-based support team
- Some users find the interface busier than Cliniko
- Pricing is worth reviewing carefully for your practice size
Who chooses Zanda: Psychology and allied health practices that use telehealth regularly, and practices that want a well-rounded general-purpose platform with strong scheduling and native Medicare and DVA billing.
SploseSplose is the newest of the four platforms and was built specifically for Australian allied health practices with a strong focus on NDIS. If a significant part of your billing is NDIS funding, Splose is worth serious consideration.
Best for: NDIS-registered providers and allied health practices with a high volume of NDIS billing, particularly OTs, speech pathologists and support coordinators.
Strengths:
- Purpose-built for NDIS billing — PRODA integration and NDIS claiming are central features, not additions
- Clean, modern interface that is generally well-regarded by new users
- Strong progress note and goal-tracking functionality suited to NDIS work
- Growing quickly with regular feature releases
- Strong community among NDIS-focused allied health practitioners
- Newer platform, so some features that more established systems have are still in development
- Less suited to practices where NDIS is a minor part of the billing mix — the platform is optimised for NDIS
- Medicare and private health billing is available but not as deeply developed as in Halaxy
- Fewer integrations currently available compared to Halaxy or Cliniko
How to choose the right system for your practice
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
- If Medicare and DVA billing accuracy is your top priority and you want an Australian-built system with a free starting tier — look at Halaxy.
- If you run a group clinic with multiple practitioners and need something that’s easy for your whole team to use without extensive training — look at Cliniko.
- If you’re already on Power Diary or you run regular telehealth sessions and want a smooth migration or a strong video platform — look at Zanda.
- If NDIS billing makes up a significant part of your work and you want a system built specifically for that environment — look at Splose.
- And if you’re already on one of these systems but feel like you’re not getting full value from it — that’s a configuration issue, not a system issue. Most psychology and allied health practices we work with are only using a fraction of what their PMS can do. That’s usually fixable without switching platforms.
Not sure which system is right for your practice — or whether your current setup is working as hard as it should?
We offer a free 30-minute PMS audit for psychology and allied health practices. We’ll look at how your system is currently configured, identify what’s being underused, and give you a clear picture of what could be improved — regardless of which platform you’re on.
We work with Halaxy, Cliniko, Zanda and Splose across psychology and allied health practices nationally. Our team handles setup, configuration, training, billing integration and ongoing support — so you can focus on your clients, not your admin system.
Time Well Spent provides virtual reception, practice management and AHPRA-compliant marketing services for psychology and allied health practices across Australia. Learn more about our [virtual reception services] and [allied health marketing support].