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Free vet AI scribes (2026): what's free and the limits
Updated October 26, 2026
4 AI scribes can be used free by any vet: PawfectNotes, Scribenote, OpenBark and Digitail Tails VIP. Covetrus AI is also free if your clinic runs Covetrus Pulse, and CoVet's free plan covers support staff only. Every free option limits something, so the table spells out what.
Every free option, side by side
| Tool | Free for | What's free and the limits | How notes get into your PMS | Paid upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PawfectNotes | Any vet | 50 sessions a month, every month. Never expires, no credit card, and the pricing page says it uses the same AI model as the paid plans. Support staff get free, unlimited seats. source checked 2026-10-26 | direct, built in or extension: ezyVet, Covetrus Pulse, Vetspire, Shepherd, DaySmart; copy or paste: AVImark, Cornerstone, ImproMed, Instinct, Provet, Digitail | StarterNotes $29/vet/mo annual (100 sessions); UnlimitedNotes $59/vet/mo annual |
| Scribenote | Any vet or clinic | Unlimited notes, but on standard AI models with standard transcription quality, and support is self-serve only. Custom templates, Multi-Language Mode and Scribephone are Pro features. Unlimited care-team members via Teams Mode. source checked 2026-10-26 | direct, built in or extension: ezyVet, Covetrus Pulse; copy or paste: AVImark, Cornerstone | Pro $79/DVM/mo annual ($99 monthly) |
| OpenBarkBeta | Any vet or hospital | Free and open source (Apache-2.0), but a beta not yet validated in real clinics. Runs on your own computer, which needs 16 GB of memory (Windows 10/11, macOS 13+ on Apple silicon, or Linux). No cloud copy and no account. source checked 2026-10-26 | copy or paste: Any PIMS (copy-paste) | None: there are no paid plans |
| Digitail Tails VIP | Any vet (standalone app) | Free standalone account; the first 5 transcriptions need no account. Digitail doesn't publish the free account's limits. Outside Digitail, notes are copied into your PMS. source checked 2026-10-20 | direct, built in or extension: Digitail | Included in Digitail Growth plans (quote only) |
| Covetrus AI in Pulse | Clinics on Covetrus Pulse | Free only inside Pulse: you need a Pulse subscription, and Covetrus doesn't publish Pulse pricing. Transcribes the exam, drafts SOAP notes and writes visit summaries in the Pulse record. source checked 2026-10-26 | direct, built in or extension: Covetrus Pulse | n/a (part of Pulse) |
| CoVet | Support staff only | The free Support plan is for administrative staff, credentialed techs and other support staff working for a paid CoVet user. It is not a free plan for vets. source checked 2026-10-26 | direct, built in or extension: ezyVet, Vetspire, Cornerstone, Provet, AVImark, ImproMed, Shepherd, Covetrus Pulse | Essentials $45.83/user/mo annual (100 generations); Unlimited $99/user/mo annual |
Plan details come from each vendor's own page, with the date we read it beside each one. Practice-software routes come from our listings, where each one has its own source.
Which free plan fits
- A low-volume vet or a trial run: PawfectNotes. Fifty sessions a month covers a part-time schedule, and you get the same AI model as the paid plans. Count last month's consults first: a full-time vet will pass 50 quickly. source checked 2026-10-26
- A busy clinic that wants no cap: Scribenote. Notes are unlimited; the trade-off is the standard model and self-serve support. Its 2-week Pro trial lets you compare the two tiers on the same visits. source checked 2026-10-26
- A clinic that wants nothing in the cloud: OpenBark, if you're comfortable with beta software and copying notes in by hand. source checked 2026-10-26
- Clinics already on Pulse: try Covetrus AI in Pulse before paying for anything else. See AI scribes for Covetrus Pulse.
- Clinics on Digitail: Tails VIP syncs into Digitail records and comes with Digitail's Growth plans.
Free trials, if you'd rather test a paid scribe
These have no free plan but let you try the paid product first:
- CoVet: yes (2 weeks); then $45.83/user/mo (Essentials, 100 records/mo, annual) · $99/user/mo (Unlimited). source checked 2026-10-26
- VetRec: yes (14 days, no credit card); then $99/vet/mo (annual) · $150/vet/mo (monthly) · Custom plans. source checked 2026-10-20
- ScribbleVet: yes (14 days); then $40/user/mo (Essential, 150 SOAPs/mo) · $150/DVM/mo annual or $200 monthly (Unleashed). source checked 2026-10-26
For what the paid plans cost side by side, see the cheapest vet AI scribe page.
Before you rely on a free plan
- Check the cap against a real month of consults, not an average day.
- Confirm how the note gets into your practice software on the free tier, not just on paid plans.
- Ask where recordings are stored and for how long, and add a consent line for clients.
- Decide who needs a login: PawfectNotes, Scribenote and CoVet all give support staff free seats in some form.
Questions clinics ask
Is there a completely free vet AI scribe?
Yes. PawfectNotes, Scribenote, OpenBark and Digitail Tails VIP can be used by a vet without paying. PawfectNotes caps you at 50 sessions a month, Scribenote is unlimited on its standard models, OpenBark is free open-source software that's still in beta, and Digitail's standalone app doesn't publish its limits.
Which free AI scribe works with ezyVet?
PawfectNotes (automatic write-back through a browser extension) and Scribenote (PIMSPal browser extension) both list ezyVet support, and both have a free plan. Scribenote's own help doc says integrations are for Pro users while its pricing page lists them on Free, so check before you rely on it. See ezyVet AI notes alternatives.
What is the catch with free plans?
Each one limits something different: a monthly session cap (PawfectNotes), the AI model and support level (Scribenote), beta status and your own hardware (OpenBark), or unpublished limits (Digitail). Covetrus AI is only free if you already pay for Pulse.
Is OpenBark ready for a clinic?
OpenBark labels itself a beta that hasn't been validated in real clinics, and it has no practice-software integration yet, so notes are copied in. It's free and runs on your own computer with no cloud copy, which some clinics prefer for privacy. OpenBark listing.