An honest look at how MedScrub differs from Abridge, Nuance DAX, Heidi Health, Freed AI, and Suki — including where they're stronger than us.
Other tools have some of these. None have all four at this price.
Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Practice Fusion, DrChrono — real FHIR integration at $129/mo, not $800.
GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, local models. Every competitor locks you into their proprietary model.
Patient data never touches AI servers in identifiable form. Competitors process raw PHI behind BAAs.
Competitors with real EHR integration charge 3-8x more. The ones at this price don't integrate with your EHR.
| Category | MedScrub | Abridge | Nuance DAX | Heidi Health | Freed AI | Suki |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $129/mo Solo, no contract. $109/seat practice. | ~$208/mo Enterprise contracts only | ~$830/mo Enterprise only | $99/mo International, expanding to US | $84/mo Browser-based | $299/mo Per clinician |
EHR integration | Read + write via FHIR Epic, athena, eCW, Practice Fusion, DrChrono | Deep Epic integration Epic-focused, 3-6 month setup | Deepest EHR integration Epic, Oracle, MEDITECH — enterprise only | Limited Browser extension, some EHR partnerships | None Copy-paste from browser | Moderate Some EHR integrations, voice-first |
LLM choice | Any model GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Ollama | Proprietary only Locked to Abridge model | Microsoft only GPT-4 via Azure | Proprietary only Locked to Heidi model | Proprietary only Locked to Freed model | Proprietary only Locked to Suki model |
PHI handling | De-identified before AI PHI proxy strips 18 HIPAA identifiers | Processes raw PHI BAA with health systems | Processes raw PHI Microsoft Azure BAA | Processes raw PHI HIPAA-compliant infra | Processes raw PHI HIPAA-compliant infra | Processes raw PHI BAA available |
Setup time | Minutes Connect EHR, start using | 3-6 months Enterprise deployment | 3-6 months Enterprise deployment | Minutes Browser extension install | Minutes Browser-based, no install | Weeks Voice training + setup |
Practice size fit | Solo & small (1-10) Built for independent practices | Enterprise Large health systems | Enterprise Large health systems only | Solo to mid-size Affordable but limited integration | Solo to mid-size Cheap but no EHR integration | Mid-size to enterprise Voice-first workflow |
Beyond scribing | Pre-visit, chat, gap-finder, SOAP Full AI sidekick | Clinical documentation Ambient notes, research-backed | Clinical documentation Dragon dictation + ambient | Notes + templates Expanding feature set | Notes only Copy-paste workflow | Notes + voice commands Voice-first approach |
Data ownership | Your CDR Open CDR, your data, your control | Vendor cloud Data in Abridge infra | Microsoft cloud Data in Azure | Vendor cloud Data in Heidi infra | Vendor cloud Data in Freed infra | Vendor cloud Data in Suki infra |
The enterprise leader in ambient clinical documentation. Deep Epic integration, partnerships with Kaiser and UPMC, and JAMA-published research validating their approach. If you're a large health system, Abridge is the gold standard for ambient scribing.
Where they're stronger: JAMA studies, enterprise scale, deepest research backing, proven at major health systems
Where MedScrub wins: $129 vs $208, any LLM vs proprietary, no enterprise contract, PHI de-identified before AI, available to solo practitioners today
The incumbent. Microsoft's $19B Nuance acquisition brought Dragon Medical into the Azure/GPT-4 ecosystem. DAX Copilot has the deepest EHR integrations of any tool and benefits from Microsoft's enterprise relationships. The safe choice for CIOs.
Where they're stronger: Deepest EHR integration, Microsoft ecosystem, Dragon legacy, enterprise trust, widest deployment
Where MedScrub wins: 6x cheaper, no enterprise contract, LLM choice beyond Azure, PHI de-identified before AI, setup in minutes not months
Fast-growing ambient scribe from Australia, expanding into the US. Affordable pricing and a browser extension that works alongside most EHRs. Strong international presence but limited deep EHR integration in the US market.
Where they're stronger: Slightly cheaper, freemium tier, works alongside any EHR via browser extension
Where MedScrub wins: Real EHR read/write (not browser extension), any LLM, PHI de-identification, pre-visit planning and gap analysis (not just scribing)
Browser-based ambient scribe at an accessible price point. Popular with solo practitioners looking for basic documentation help. No EHR integration — you copy and paste notes into your chart. Simple and cheap, but limited.
Where they're stronger: Cheaper, simpler, zero setup — just open the browser and go
Where MedScrub wins: EHR integration (no copy-paste), PHI de-identification, pre-visit planning, clinical chat, gap analysis, any LLM, data you own
Voice-first AI assistant focused on dictation and ambient documentation. Mid-tier pricing with some EHR integrations. Strong voice interaction model but narrower feature set compared to full workspace tools.
Where they're stronger: Voice-first interaction, established in mid-market, good dictation experience
Where MedScrub wins: Less than half the price, any LLM, PHI de-identification, broader feature set (pre-visit, chat, gap-finder), deeper EHR integration at this price
Doximity isn't really a competitor — it's a physician network that added AI features. With 80% of US doctors on the platform, their free tools have massive reach. But AI is a feature bolted onto a network — no EHR integration, no structured data, no PHI de-identification.
Where they're stronger: Free, massive distribution, already on every physician's phone
Where MedScrub wins: Purpose-built sidekick, EHR integration, PHI protection, pre-visit planning, clinical chat, gap analysis — not AI as an afterthought
Every competitor processes your patients' raw PHI through their proprietary model on their cloud. MedScrub is architecturally different:
PHI proxy strips identifiers before data leaves your environment. AI models only see de-identified clinical content.
Because PHI is stripped, you can safely use any LLM. As models improve, you improve. Capital efficient by design.
Your Clinical Data Repository stores data on your terms. Switch tools anytime without losing your patient data to a vendor.