Short answer: for most Australian practices, Heidi or Lyrebird is the easier starting point. Both are built for Australian clinics, say they keep patient data onshore and connect to Best Practice. Tandem is a strong European scribe, but its published hosting is in the EU.
I build health apps, including a blood pressure tracker, and I teach clinicians how to use AI safely. This comparison uses each vendor’s own published information as at 9 October 2026. Vendors change prices and features often, so confirm the details before you sign up.
Heidi vs Lyrebird vs Tandem at a glance
| Heidi | Lyrebird | Tandem | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (AUD) | Free plan; paid Clinician and Practice plans (price at sign-up) | Free plan; Pro A$160/month annual or A$240 monthly, ex GST | Not published in AUD; contact sales |
| Data in Australia | Says data is processed onshore for Australian users | Says all data is processed and stored in Australia | Published hosting is in the EU (Sweden) |
| Clinical software | Best Practice, MedicalDirector and others | Best Practice, Genie, Gentu and others | Many European record systems |
| Audio kept? | Says audio is not stored | Says audio is deleted after each consult | See vendor terms |
| Best for | Most GPs and specialists | GPs and clinics on Best Practice | Groups working in Europe |
Our verdict on each scribe
Heidi: the flexible all-rounder
Heidi is an Australian company and one of the most widely discussed scribes in local general practice. It says it stores data in the user’s region and processes Australian data onshore. It integrates with Best Practice and MedicalDirector, has a free plan and offers a wide range of note templates. Paid prices are shown at sign-up, so compare the current price for your region.
Lyrebird: clear local pricing
Lyrebird is also Australian and publishes its prices in AUD, which makes budgeting easy. It says all data is processed and stored in Australia and that audio is deleted at the end of each consultation. It has a two-way integration with Best Practice and connects to Genie and Gentu.
Tandem: built for Europe
Tandem is a Swedish scribe that integrates with many European record systems. Its published technical measures say it runs on Microsoft Azure in the EU, with Sweden as the primary region. That may suit groups that also practise in Europe, but most Australian practices will prefer a scribe that keeps data onshore.
Are AI scribes regulated in Australia?
Partly. The TGA’s digital scribes guidance says a scribe that only transcribes or translates a consultation is not a medical device. A scribe that analyses the conversation and generates a diagnosis or treatment recommendation the clinician did not state is a medical device and must be included in the ARTG before it can be supplied.
Privacy law and professional obligations apply either way. Ahpra’s guidance on AI says practitioners remain responsible for the care they provide and the records they keep, and the RACGP has published a fact sheet for practices adopting scribes.
How do you choose an AI scribe for your practice?
- Start with your clinical software. A scribe that pushes notes straight into your record saves the most time.
- Confirm where data is stored and processed, and whether audio is kept. Get it in writing.
- Trial two scribes on real consults, with patient consent, and compare editing time and accuracy.
- Check that templates match your specialty and your letters.
- Write a short practice policy: consent wording, review of every note, and what to do when a note is wrong.
Where to learn more
Our AI for doctors programme covers AI scribes, safe prompting and privacy for Australian clinicians, using real workflows. If you are choosing a general AI assistant as well, read our Claude vs ChatGPT comparison.
