Summary
The strongest alternative to Epic for an independent private practice is Wai, the clinic platform that runs the consultation and the front desk on a single patient record. Epic is the scale leader, with more than 325 million patients holding a current record in its software, and it reaches smaller groups through Community Connect and Garden Plot.12 Its Garden Plot announcement of 10 March 2022 set availability at groups with more than 40 providers.2 A smaller private clinic often wants something it can start quickly. Wai prepares the briefing and drafts the note and letters for signature, while calls and WhatsApp reach a shared thread with booking and payments alongside.45 Clinician plans start online, and most Studio locations are live within a week.6 A practice that shares patients with an Epic hospital should look first at Community Connect, which Epic itself recommends where available.2 Wai is also built to connect to Epic over FHIR R4, set up per health system.7 The table compares the routes as read on 9 November 2026.
Epic cells come from Epic's own pages as read on 9 November 2026. The Wai cells come from our own pages.
See it in your clinicBring 1 real consultation and see the note and the letter it produces.
Request a demo| What you get | Epic | Wai |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | More than 325 million patients with a current record | Built for private clinics and individual clinicians |
| Route for smaller groups | Community Connect through a local health system, or Garden Plot | Clinician starts online, Studio after a demo |
| Garden Plot threshold | More than 40 providers, as announced 10 March 2022 | Works for a single clinician or a whole location |
| Published price | Not listed on the pages read | Clinician prices on our pricing page |
| Patient app | MyChart | Wai Profile with records and results |
| Front desk channels | Not listed on the pages read | Calls, email, web forms and WhatsApp in 1 thread per patient |
| Connection between the 2 | Interoperability programme | Built to connect to Epic over FHIR R4, set up per health system |
A clinic platform sized for independent practice
Wai covers the day as a clinic experiences it. The note and letters are drafted for signature, and every reply is drafted for a person to approve.45 Booking links read each doctor's calendar, and deposits and invoices run into the clinic's own Stripe account.5 Clinic management software shows the scope.
Connection is a stated design goal. Wai is built to connect to Epic and Oracle Health over FHIR R4, and signed notes and letters export into any other system.7 The guide to Epic AI charting and third-party tools and the switching checklist set out the steps, and the guide to adding AI beside an existing record covers running alongside. Clinicians decide what enters the record.
Epic's strengths at scale
Epic's reach in the record market is very large. Its about page states more than 325 million patients with a current record and a #1 Overall Software Suite ranking in KLAS for 16 years running.1 MyChart gives patients a widely recognised front door.3
Epic has also built routes for groups outside large systems. Community Connect has extended Epic to nearby medical groups since 2007, and Garden Plot offers a hosted environment for independent groups.2 Clinicians in those groups keep the benefit of shared records with local hospitals.
Published prices on 9 November 2026
Epic's pages read that day published no price. Wai publishes Clinician and Clinician Plus prices on its pricing page, with a 7-day trial, and scopes Studio per location in a demo.6 The private practice EHR price index sets wider figures in context.
Choosing the route that fits the practice
The referral network usually decides this. A practice embedded with an Epic hospital should explore Epic's routes first, and an independent clinic that wants its whole day on a single record should start with Wai. Clinical leads should make the final call.
Would 1 real consultation settle it? Bring 1, and see the note and the letter it produces.
Request a demoFrequently asked questions
Can a small private practice get Epic?
Epic's routes are Community Connect through a local health system, and Garden Plot, which was announced for groups with more than 40 providers.2 Check current eligibility with Epic.
What is the best alternative to Epic for a private clinic?
How much does Epic cost a private practice?
Epic's pages read on 9 November 2026 published no price. Ask Epic or your local health system directly.
Does Wai connect to Epic?
Wai is built to connect to Epic over FHIR R4, set up per health system with its FHIR address and app registration, and signed notes and letters can be exported.7
Can Wai run my whole clinic?
Wai runs the consultation, the front desk, booking and payments on a single patient record.5
How fast can we start?
Clinician starts online with a 7-day trial, and most Studio locations are live within a week.6
Sources
- About Epic, read 9 November 2026
- Garden Plot, a shared environment where independent medical groups can grow, read 9 November 2026
- Software, read 9 November 2026
- For clinicians, read 9 November 2026
- Platform, read 9 November 2026
- Pricing, read 9 November 2026
- Integrations, read 9 November 2026
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