Tool profile
Shepherd: cost, fit and limits
Shepherd is a cloud veterinary practice management system sold at shepherd.vet that prices per doctor licence, gives all other staff free logins, and lists three AI tools in its menu named SummarizeAI, TranscribeAI and DiagnoseAI.
What to know first
Shepherd posts a full price list. A single-location clinic pays $349 per month for the first doctor, or $299 with Shepherd Pay, then $99 for doctors two and three and $49 for each after that. Multi-location, nonprofit and teaching-hospital rates are listed too. Two-way texting and data migration cost extra. The pages read do not state the company's legal name or country.
Shepherd at a glance
| Maker | Not stated on the vendor pages, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | $299 per month for one doctor with Shepherd Pay |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Veterinary Practice Management Software in 2026, rank 3 of 13 |
| Website | shepherd.vet |
Who Shepherd is best for
Single-doctor clinics
The first doctor costs $299 with Shepherd Pay, and the technicians and front-desk staff need no paid licence, so a small team sees one clear monthly line.
Nonprofits and shelters
A flat $299 per month applies to verified 501(c)(3) organizations, which removes the per-doctor sums for groups that run several vets.
Veterinary colleges
A teaching-hospital rate of $399 per location per month is listed for colleges and universities that use Shepherd to train students.
Shepherd plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Single location, per doctor | $349 per month first doctor ($299 with Shepherd Pay) | Doctor two and three cost $99 each, and later doctors $49 each, with unlimited users, onboarding and support. |
| Multi-location | $249 per location per month, plus $99 per doctor | Drops to $199 per location when every site uses Shepherd Pay. Larger groups are quoted. |
| Nonprofit | $299 per month flat | Flat price for 501(c)(3) organizations, with nonprofit status verified before the service agreement is signed by the clinic. |
| Teaching hospital | $399 per month per location | Rate for veterinary colleges and universities that use Shepherd for teaching, charged per location rather than per doctor. |
| Relief vets add-on | $99 per month | Lets a clinic add unlimited relief vets, and the add-on can be switched on or off from month to month. |
Checked November 2026.
What Shepherd does
- AI tools menu
- The navigation lists SummarizeAI, TranscribeAI and DiagnoseAI. The pricing page mentions summaries of patient records, but the pages read do not explain how DiagnoseAI or TranscribeAI work.
- Two-way texting
- SMS and MMS messaging with clients is sold at $99 per 5,000 messages, so a high-volume clinic should estimate its monthly texts before choosing the plan.
- Wellness plans
- Customizable wellness plans are part of the product, with nine options shown in the plan view on the pages read, which suits clinics that sell preventive care as a monthly membership.
- Shepherd Pay
- Practices that use the vendor's payment product save $50 a month on the subscription, and multi-site groups save $50 per location when every site uses it.
How Shepherd handles your data
The pricing and about pages read for Shepherd do not state whether customer data trains any model, how long records are kept, where they are hosted or which security certifications apply. The vendor's own pages therefore give no basis for a data-handling judgment, and the legal entity and country are not named either. A clinic that wants to use the AI tools on patient records should request the data processing terms, the hosting location and a written statement on model training before signing the service agreement.
Where Shepherd falls short in practice
- Delayed billing start. Billing for single-location practices begins 12 weeks after onboarding, which helps cash flow during the move but means the first invoice arrives well after the first day of use.
- Migration fee. Data migration is a one-time $2,475, payable in full or as $230 a month for twelve months, which totals $2,760 when spread out over the year.
- Opaque AI tools. SummarizeAI, TranscribeAI and DiagnoseAI are named in the menu only. The pages read give no accuracy, usage limit or data-use details for any of them.
Works with
Alternatives to Shepherd
Shepherd: common questions
How much does Shepherd cost for one doctor?
As of November 2026 the first doctor on a single-location plan is $349 per month, or $299 per month when the clinic uses Shepherd Pay. Technicians, front-desk staff and other non-doctor users get logins at no extra charge. A one-time migration fee of $2,475 applies to moving old data.
When does Shepherd billing start?
For single-location practices, billing begins 12 weeks after onboarding according to the pricing page. The wait applies to the subscription, not to the one-time migration fee, which the page says can be paid in full or spread over twelve months at $230 a month.
What are SummarizeAI, TranscribeAI and DiagnoseAI?
They are the three AI tools named in Shepherd's menu. The pricing page mentions summaries of patient records, but the pages read give no details on how TranscribeAI or DiagnoseAI work, how accurate they are or whether they cost extra. Ask for a demo.
Is there a discount for nonprofit clinics?
Yes. The pricing page lists a flat $299 per month for 501(c)(3) organizations, and the nonprofit status is verified before the service agreement is signed. A separate $399 per location per month rate covers veterinary teaching hospitals at colleges and universities.
Does Shepherd charge extra for texting?
Yes. Two-way texting over SMS and MMS is listed at $99 per 5,000 messages. The Relief vets add-on is separate at $99 per month, so a clinic that adds both should budget them on top of the $299 or $349 doctor fee.