If you're comparing OpenRep with Similia in 2026, the short version: OpenRep is a Java desktop repertory, originally released as open-source OpenRep FREE by Vladimir Polony and hosted on Hpathy. It is not OOREP — that is a different, browser-based open-source project. Similia is a cloud-native platform with a free forever tier, seven classical repertories, 13 classic materia medica books, AI semantic search, and the full AI toolkit on Pro. The right choice depends on whether you want a local, GPL-licensed desktop install, or an AI-assisted browser workspace that syncs across devices.
Disclosure: I'm the founder of Similia. I've tried to be even-handed below — corrections welcome by email.
TL;DR — OpenRep vs Similia at a glance
OpenRep FREE (Hpathy / Vladimir Polony) is a Java desktop application: four repertories, a patient-management system, reversed materia medica, and GPL-3 source. A later commercial line, OpenRep SYNOPSIS (Polony & Weaver), advertises 16 repertories and 337 materia medica titles on homeopathyonline.org. OOREP is unrelated — see the OOREP vs Similia comparison if that is the product you meant.
Similia is web-based (no install), with a free forever tier and four Pro plans, built around AI semantic search, cross-device case management, and AI consultation tools.
| Dimension | OpenRep FREE | Similia |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (GPL-3). Later paid OpenRep SYNOPSIS: unpublished / see their site (no current list price published) | Free forever + Pro from $19.99/mo (14-day trial) |
| Repertories | 4: Repertorium Publicum, Boericke, Kent, Boenninghausen (Hpathy OpenRep) | 7 classical (Free) + 7 premium (Pro), incl. Complete Repertory 2026 |
| Materia medica | Reversed materia medica viewer (OpenRep FREE). SYNOPSIS advertises 337 MM / texts | 13 classic (Free) + Jan Scholten's full series on every Pro tier; 12+ modern total with add-ons |
| AI | None advertised | Semantic search (Free); Notes-to-Rubric, AI analysis, live audio, photo analysis (Pro) |
| Case management | Desktop Patient Management System (local) | Complete, simple-to-use, cloud-synced across devices |
| Cloud / desktop | Java desktop (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris) | Cloud-based; runs in any browser, any device |
| Best for | Practitioners who want a local open-source repertory install | Students, mobile-first, AI-curious — and busy expert practitioners |
What is OpenRep?
OpenRep is a desktop homeopathic repertory written in Java by Slovak programmer Vladimir Polony. Hpathy publishes it as Hpathy OpenRep FREE: the first professional-grade free homeopathic software in that project's telling, released as open source under GNU GPL 3 (as of 22 October 2008, per contemporary write-ups).
The official Hpathy feature list for OpenRep FREE is short and specific:
- Four repertories — Repertorium Publicum (Polony's Kent-based open repertory), Boericke, Kent, and Boenninghausen
- Patient Management System — local patient records, diagnoses and prescriptions
- Reversed materia medica and a strong keyword search
- Drag-and-drop repertorisation
- Any OS that runs a Java Runtime — Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris
That is a different product from OOREP ("open online repertory"), which is a browser lookup tool for public-domain repertories. If you landed here from an "oorep" search, read OOREP vs Similia — related conversation, different software.
The same lineage later produced OpenRep Professional and then OpenRep SYNOPSIS (Polony & Weaver / P&W Homoeopathy). SYNOPSIS's public page lists 16 repertories, 337 materia medica and additional texts, an advanced patient-management system, book-view repertory, and a free limited demo. A current purchase price is not listed on homeopathyonline.org — unpublished / see their site, or ask the vendor. This article's table is about OpenRep FREE, which is what most "openrep free homeopathic software" searches mean.
OpenRep does not advertise AI features (semantic search, notes-to-rubric extraction, live transcription, or photo analysis).
What is Similia?
Similia is a modern, cloud-native homeopathy platform with a free forever tier and four Pro editions. It runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone. The free tier ships seven classical repertories (Kent, Boericke, Boenninghausen's Therapeutic Pocketbook, Hering's Guiding Symptoms, Boger's Synoptic Key, Ward's and Roberts' Sensations As If), 13 classic materia medica books (Kent, Boericke, Clarke, Allen's Keynotes, Hering, Nash, Boger, Lippe, Paterson and more), AI-powered semantic search, and basic case management capped at 3 new cases and 3 analyses per month.
Every Pro tier (Base, Murphy, Complete, Saine) unlocks the full AI suite (Notes-to-Rubric extraction, AI Case Analysis, live audio consultation transcription, AI Photo Analysis), Jan Scholten's full materia medica series (Elements, Lanthanides, Minerals, Mosses, Ferns, Qjure, Wonderful Plants — 7 modern MM books), Materia Medica Search, the Periodic Table, and unlimited cases. Up to seven premium repertories are available across the Pro ecosystem — pick the matching edition for Murphy's MetaRepertory (Pro Murphy), Complete Repertory 2026 (Pro Complete), or Saine Repertory 2025 (Pro Saine).
Pricing is published on the Similia pricing page: Free, Pro Base $19.99/mo, Pro Murphy and Pro Complete $29.99/mo, Pro Saine $26.99/mo, all with a 14-day free trial. For the free-tier landscape, see free homeopathic software.
Side-by-side comparison
Pricing
OpenRep FREE is free software. There is no subscription and no licence fee for the Hpathy build.
OpenRep SYNOPSIS is a commercial edition of the same family. The official site advertises a limited free demo and paid licences; it does not publish a current list price. Treat any third-party figures as historical and confirm with the vendor.
Similia is transparent: Free, Pro Base $19.99/mo, Pro Murphy $29.99/mo, Pro Complete $29.99/mo, Pro Saine $26.99/mo, with optional one-time add-ons. The free tier never expires.
Repertories
OpenRep FREE ships four titles: Repertorium Publicum, Boericke, Kent, and Boenninghausen. That is a classical core, not a modern-synthesis library. SYNOPSIS claims 16 repertories, including a Polony & Weaver 2011 Therapeutic Pocket Book in German, English and Spanish — confirm the current list on the official site.
Similia ships 14 repertories across Free + Pro: 7 classical on the free tier (Kent, Boericke, Boenninghausen, Hering, Boger, Ward, Roberts) and 7 premium on Pro (Murphy's MetaRepertory, Complete Repertory 2026, Saine Repertory 2025, Suggesta 2.1, plus other extensions). Every repertory is searchable in parallel through the same semantic search bar.
Materia medica
OpenRep FREE includes a reversed materia medica viewer — useful for jumping from a remedy back to its rubrics — rather than a named 13-book reading library. SYNOPSIS advertises 337 materia medica and additional texts; treat that as a SYNOPSIS claim, not an OpenRep FREE claim.
Similia's materia medica is itemised: 13 classic books on Free. Every Pro edition bundles Jan Scholten's full series; Pro Murphy also bundles Murphy's Nature's MM 4th ed. Suggesta 2.1, Mangialavori 100 MM, Qrep5 and other modern titles are paid add-ons, bringing the total available to 12+ modern titles.
AI
OpenRep FREE and the published SYNOPSIS pages describe search, reversed MM and repertorisation. They do not advertise language-model search, notes-to-rubric extraction, live audio, or photo analysis.
Similia ships semantic search on every tier. Pro adds Notes-to-Rubric, AI Case Analysis, live audio transcription, and AI Photo Analysis. Details: AI features.
Case management
OpenRep's Patient Management System is a local desktop database. Cases live on the machine (or USB key, which the project historically supported). There is no cloud sync story on the official pages.
Similia ships complete, simple-to-use case management that is cloud-first: encrypted in transit and at rest, synchronised across signed-in devices, accessible from any modern browser. Free is capped at 3 new cases and 3 analyses per month; Pro is unlimited.
Platform & devices
OpenRep is a Java desktop program. Official compatibility is any JRE host: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris. You install it (or unzip it) and keep Java working. Mobile is not a first-class target.
Similia runs in any modern browser. There is nothing to install. iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Linux, Windows, macOS — all the same.
When OpenRep is the better choice
- You want a local, open-source desktop repertory. GPL-3 source and a Java install you can keep offline.
- You specifically want Repertorium Publicum alongside Kent, Boericke and Boenninghausen in one desktop UI.
- You already use OpenRep or SYNOPSIS and the workflow is muscle memory. Switching has a cost.
- You meant a desktop tool, not OOREP. If you wanted the browser open-source repertory, that is OOREP.
When Similia is the better choice
- You want native AI tools. Semantic search on Free; Notes-to-Rubric, AI Case Analysis, live audio, and photo analysis on Pro. OpenRep does not advertise equivalents.
- You work across devices. Cases need to follow you to a tablet on a home visit without a USB key or Java runtime.
- You want more than four classical repertories in one search bar, including Complete Repertory 2026, Murphy or Saine on Pro.
- You want a free tier you can test in the browser today. No Java install. See free homeopathic software and pricing.
- You want an 18-locale, RTL-safe clinical UI rather than a 2008-era desktop toolkit.
FAQ
Is OpenRep the same as OOREP?
No. OpenRep is Vladimir Polony's Java desktop project (Hpathy OpenRep FREE, later SYNOPSIS). OOREP is a separate open-source web repertory. Related, different product: OOREP vs Similia.
Is OpenRep really free?
OpenRep FREE is free and GPL-3. OpenRep SYNOPSIS is a later commercial edition with a limited free demo; current full-licence pricing is unpublished on the official site.
Does OpenRep have AI?
Not on the official Hpathy or SYNOPSIS pages. Similia ships semantic search on Free and the full AI toolkit on Pro.
Which has more repertories?
OpenRep FREE lists four. SYNOPSIS claims 16. Similia ships seven classical on Free and seven premium on Pro (14 across the ecosystem).
Can I use OpenRep and Similia together?
Yes. There is no lock-in. Many practitioners keep a desktop repertory for offline lookup and use Similia for cases, semantic search and the AI toolkit.
Verdict
OpenRep and Similia solve different jobs. OpenRep FREE is the right answer if you want a local, open-source Java repertory with Kent, Boericke, Boenninghausen and Repertorium Publicum, and you are willing to run a desktop install. SYNOPSIS is the paid continuation of that family if you need the larger advertised library — confirm today's licence with the vendor. Similia is the right answer if you want a browser workspace with seven classical repertories and 13 classic MM books on a free tier, AI semantic search, cloud case files, and the Pro AI toolkit at $19.99/mo.
Do not confuse this page with OOREP vs Similia. For the wider field, see best homeopathic software 2026, repertory software, and pricing.
