Medcurity is purpose-built for small healthcare — a good thing. But it's cloud-only at ~$499/yr, so your data lives in its database. Ward shares the small-practice focus, starts at $0, keeps PHI on your machine, and ships the 2026 readiness report.
| Medcurity | Ward | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | ~$499/yr (~$41/mo) | $0 (local) / $159/mo (Solo) |
| Free complete SRA tier | No | Yes |
| Local-first (PHI on your machine) | No — cloud-only | Yes — default |
| Mac / Windows / Linux desktop | Web app only | Yes |
| SRA rigor | Good, AI-assisted | ONC-rubric-based (~120 scored Qs) |
| 2026 Security Rule readiness meter | Partial | Yes — live, severity-weighted, per-mandate (proposed/final) |
| Per-mandate POA&M (owner/target/overdue) | Basic | Yes — gaps and 2026 mandates, both tracked |
| Cadence tracking (scan / pen-test / IR) | Thin | Yes — due dates + overdue reminders |
| AI features | Paid/cloud tier | BYO-key, unmetered, PHI-scrubbed |
| BAA / asset / policy depth | Thinner | BAA + verification, asset inventory & data map, versioned policies with attestation |
| MSP multi-client console | Limited | Yes — $99/client/mo |
The honest take: Medcurity is a respected, small-practice-native tool with AI-assisted SRAs. Ward's edge is the free local-first tier (PHI never leaves the building), the deeper BAA/asset workflow, the built-in 2026 report, and bring-your-own-key AI you don't pay us to run.
Start with a complete local-first Security Risk Assessment at $0 — upgrade only when you want cloud sync, the 2026 gap report, and the audit binder.
Start your free SRA