Cloud vs desktop homeopathy software: Similia and three alternatives

Start with the work you need to continue

For practitioners who want browser access and the ability to continue manual repertorisation through connection gaps, Similia is a practical first option to evaluate. Its permanent Free plan includes semantic search across eight classical repertories and an allowance of three new cases and three manual repertory analyses a month. Its paid installed app adds offline cases, rubric selection, grading and locally calculated remedy totals using downloaded eligible sources.

The attraction is a path from free online study to paid online-and-offline case work in the same product. Offline mode is currently Beta, requires initial downloads and reconnection at least every 30 days, and is unavailable on Free or trial. AI and semantic search need internet. A required library, analysis method or different offline constraint may change the choice; the comparison below makes those differences explicit.

Starting points and manual offline work

Browser access, installation, cloud synchronisation and offline capability are separate questions. An installed program can sync online; a browser-based service can also offer an installed offline app. The useful comparison is which tasks remain available in each state.

Why Similia fits a browser-to-offline workflow

Similia gives you a way to evaluate the reference-and-case workflow before choosing a paid source edition. The Free plan needs no card. It includes eight classical repertories with AI semantic repertory search, and 21 classic materia medica books are publicly readable. You can create three new cases and three manual repertory analyses a month. The limit applies to new work, not to how many cases you store. AI case analysis is not included. Semantic search of materia medica needs eligible paid access.

Similia’s semantic repertory search connects “fear of being alone at night and wants company” with Kent’s “MIND – FEAR – alone, of being – night”. Open the result to inspect the source wording before adding a rubric.

Pro carries that workflow into a larger caseload with unlimited cases and manual repertory analyses. It also adds Notes-to-Rubric, AI case analysis, live audio transcription and photo analysis. These AI features use credits from an allowance that depends on your billing term. Top-ups are available when you need more credits. In other words, unlimited cases does not mean unlimited AI. AI processing of case notes, photos and audio requires current processing consent; practitioners must review generated suggestions.

Choose your edition by the sources you use: Pro Base does not include every premium repertory or book. For example, Complete Repertory 2026 requires the Complete edition, with translations sold separately. Confirm each required edition, language and add-on before switching.

Offline mode is a Beta feature of the paid installed app. After an initial download while connected, it covers creating and editing local cases and manual repertory analyses, including rubric selection, grading and local remedy totals. It also covers notes, repertory keyword search and browsing, and materia medica reading and keyword search. Saved changes synchronise after reconnection while the app is open. The table above sets out the validation and online-task requirements; the offline feature belongs to the paid installed app, not an ordinary browser tab.

Similia’s paid installed app supports offline manual case and analysis work with downloaded sources. AI features need an internet connection.

One working day, two connection states

Start online with semantic repertory search, continue in the paid installed app with downloaded rubrics and manual analysis while disconnected, then synchronise saved changes after reconnection while the app is open. You can also use Pro’s online AI toolkit when it fits the task.

For this workflow, the reason to consider Similia is the combination of a free browser starting point, manual case work and optional paid offline/AI capabilities. Confirm the required source editions and test the paid offline Beta on fictional records before relying on it.

Complete Dynamics: installed, with optional cloud sync

Despite its name, the free Browser Edition is installed software, not a web app. It lets you browse and search the Complete Repertory by text and remedy, but has no case analysis or materia medica. The paid Practitioner edition adds repertorisation, case management, materia medica and cloud syncing. Master adds richer synonyms, materia medica search, formulas and editing. Installed editions work offline, and the case module manual describes a cloud database and synchronisation, so desktop does not mean no cloud here. Extra content and languages vary by edition. It suits practitioners who want to work offline on Windows, macOS, Linux or Android.

RadarOpus desktop: package libraries and validation terms

RadarOpus desktop runs on Windows and macOS. It supports offline reference work and repertorisation after activation, with online licence validation every 30 days without a dongle or every 12 months with one. The longer dongle interval is a relevant distinction if your work genuinely requires long periods without validation. Check the required library package, language and operating-system compatibility.

OpusGo is a separate native iOS/Android product with its own licence and a permanent free tier containing Kent and selected classical texts, plus analysis and patient tools. Its plans are separate from RadarOpus desktop.

Vithoulkas Compass: browser-only, subscription plus credits

Vithoulkas Compass runs in desktop, tablet and phone browsers, with nothing to install. It offers three expert-system analyses: Solve, Differential and Specific Remedy Analysis. Synapse helps with rubric selection, and search includes synonyms and related rubrics. Each listed analysis uses one credit, and credits only work with an active subscription. Plan on an internet connection for the browser workflow. It suits practitioners with reliable internet who want expert-system analysis without installing anything.

Does Similia fit your working day?

1. Start with the sources. Confirm the repertory editions, books and languages you need. Free lets you evaluate classical repertory search and small manual analyses; paid editions and add-ons determine premium-source access.
2. Separate manual and AI tasks. Similia’s paid installed-app Beta covers offline case work, rubric selection, grading, local remedy totals and downloaded reference work. AI processing, semantic search and transcription require internet.
3. Check the real connection constraint. If you can reconnect within 30 days and are comfortable evaluating a Beta feature, test your required downloads and manual tasks in the paid installed app. The Pro trial does not include offline mode.
4. Verify continuity before moving real records. Use fictional cases to check export/import compatibility, offline changes and synchronisation. Do not assume universal migration or automatic merging of concurrent edits.

Another product may fit better when a required library or analysis method is tied to it, when you need controls such as Complete Dynamics Master’s repertory editing, or when you cannot accept Beta functionality or the 30-day validation limit. RadarOpus offers a longer validation interval with a dongle. Vithoulkas Compass takes a browser expert-system approach. Those are specific exceptions to assess against your work.

Switching checklist

Don’t assume one program can import another’s cases. Test first:

• Sources and editions: check which edition or package includes each text you use regularly, including language add-ons.
• Fictional records: use invented cases, including follow-ups, until you have read the provider’s data-processing terms.
• Export and import: check what your current program can export and what the new one can import. Move a fictional case across, see what survives, and keep your old data until you are satisfied.
• Device licensing: Complete Dynamics sells iOS separately and Master is not available on mobile. RadarOpus desktop runs on Windows and macOS. Similia’s offline mode works only in its installed app. OpusGo has its own licence.
• Sync conflicts and recovery: edit one fictional case on two devices, one of them offline, then reconnect and see which version survives. Find out how to restore a case before you need to.
• Periodic validation: confirm the exact deadline for your chosen licence and set a reconnection reminder. Choose a licence whose validation interval covers the longest gap you expect.
• Connection-dependent work: identify the AI or semantic-search tasks you still need to complete before disconnecting. Apply that check to each product, even when its manual analysis works offline.

Finally, switch to aeroplane mode and run your longest-gap tasks on a fictional case. Then reconnect and check what synced.

A practical starting point

For practitioners who want free browser-based repertory search followed by paid manual offline work, start by evaluating Similia. Create a fictional case on Free, inspect the source rubrics and build a manual analysis. When you need a larger workload, a premium source, offline access or the AI toolkit, choose the Pro edition around that requirement.

For offline work, test the paid installed-app Beta with downloaded eligible sources; for AI work, check the included credit allowance and internet requirements. Review Similia plans and pricing to choose the next step for your actual workflow.

Both screenshots credited to https://www.similia.io/