What's the Difference
Mirth Connect vs. Rhapsody: The smarter choice for healthcare integration
Mirth Connect by NextGen Healthcare delivers unmatched flexibility, developer control, and affordability, trusted by teams from small clinics to large national and international networks.
Built for Any Size Team—Not Just Enterprises
Mirth Connect gives your team more ways to scale
Small Practices & Clinics
Lightweight, affordable, self-managed
Mid-Size Medical Groups
Extensible, flexible and highly efficient
Large Health Systems
Mirth Command Center* + Scalable, flexible architecture and robust security
Integration Vendors & OEMs
API-enabled, AI-ready, customizable, secure
What sets Mirth Connect apart
| Feature / Benefit | Mirth Connect by NextGen Healthcare | Common Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & Cost | Affordable & Transparent Pricing: Choose a package that fits your needs, includes unlimited channels/connections per server and allows scaling without extra costs | High upfront subscription fees, charged per endpoint |
| Ideal Use | Small, mid, and large organizations | Designed mainly for large enterprise/HIEs |
| Developer Control | Advanced scripting (Java, JS), robust APIs, data transformations, debugging tools, workflow automation | Limited scripting, low-code UI |
| Ease of Use / Learning Curve | Intuitive design, strong documentation, in-demand training | Expensive vendor training and support |
| Scalability | High-performance large-volume processing, vertical and horizontal scaling | Shared instances risk performance and security |
| Customization | Modular and extensible, open API, flexible for custom logic | Limited flexibility, closed extensions |
| Deployment Flexibility | Cloud, on-premise, and hybrid-environments | Limited deployment options |
| Monitoring & Alerting | Cloud native Mirth Command Center*, Built-in and advanced alerting | Complex setup, limited depth and scalability |
| Security | Secure HTTPS & SSL/TLS encryption, Role-based access control, MFA, LDAP | Additional purchases and third-party tools required. |
| Support | Expert support, exclusive community portal access, resource library, knowledge base, release notes, training webinars, upgrades, and more | Additional purchase required |
| Availability | International, available world-wide | Limited or no international availability |
*Mirth Command Center is currently only available in the United States. The information presented in this table is for general comparison purposes only and is not intended to represent the full scope of features, pricing, or performance of any single competitor. Details are based on publicly available information as of the date of publication and may not reflect the most current offerings. Readers should verify information directly before making decisions.
The channels and features within Mirth Connect allow you to build integrations quickly. If I’m asked on Monday to integrate a new system into the hospital network, it will be installed and ready for testing in a week.
FAQs
Common Questions
You’re not the only one asking these…
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Is Mirth still open source
The legacy open-source version remains available but is no longer maintained. The commercial version provides a superior experience with ongoing updates, enhanced features, and dedicated support.
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How does Mirth scale compared to Rhapsody?
Mirth Connect scales through multi-instance deployments and advanced clustering, delivering high availability and performance across distributed environments, while giving you full control, not a black-box container.
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What if my team has strong developer skills?
Mirth Connect is ideal for developers, offering full scripting in Java and JavaScript, customizable connectors, and API-driven workflows. Your team can tailor integrations, embed business logic, and scale deployments without sacrificing security or being limited by a black-box platform.
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Do I lose support compared to Rhapsody?
Not at all - Mirth Connect packages include robust support - no need to pay extra to work with our world-class team.
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Can I run Mirth Connect in the cloud or manage multiple servers?
Yes. Mirth Connect is cloud-agnostic and supports multi-instance environments. With Mirth Command Center, you get centralized visibility across environments, whether hosted on-prem, in your private cloud, or with a managed service provider. -
What’s different between Mirth Connect and the open-source forks?
Open-source forks are no longer maintained by NextGen Healthcare and rely entirely on third-party developers, raising concerns around security, stability, and long-term viability. These forks lack critical enterprise features like the Mirth Command Center, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and the SSL generator, and they offer no official support. In contrast, the commercial version of Mirth Connect is actively developed by NextGen Healthcare, backed by high-quality support, and includes a robust roadmap for innovation. -
Is there a Mirth solution for clinical researchers?
Mirth Connect for Research is a complimentary license for active studies linked to non-profit research institutions. Learn more here.
Testimonials
What do practices say about Mirth Connect
Why Teams Choose Mirth Over Rhapsody
Built for Builders. Ready for What’s Next.
Mirth Connect continues to be the integration engine of choice for teams who demand flexibility, control, and results. In 2025, the new commercial model unlocks faster innovation, enterprise-grade security, and a modernized user experience.
With the introduction of the Mirth Command Center, Mirth Connect now delivers a complete, cloud-ready platform that combines developer power with operational simplicity. From HL7 message generation to SSL encryption, MFA, and real-time monitoring, Mirth Connect is purpose-built for healthcare interoperability at scale. Whether you're a nimble startup or a large-scale enterprise, Mirth Connect equips your team with the tools to move fast, stay secure, and grow with confidence.
With the introduction of the Mirth Command Center, Mirth Connect now delivers a complete, cloud-ready platform that combines developer power with operational simplicity. From HL7 message generation to SSL encryption, MFA, and real-time monitoring, Mirth Connect is purpose-built for healthcare interoperability at scale. Whether you're a nimble startup or a large-scale enterprise, Mirth Connect equips your team with the tools to move fast, stay secure, and grow with confidence.
Performance & ROI
Enterprise-level outcomes, without enterprise-level costs
Mirth Connect powers millions of real-time messages daily, supporting some of the largest health systems in the world. In fact, a large percentage of Mirth usage comes from health IT vendors, who rely on its flexible architecture for both EHR integration and third-party data pipelines. Its modular design reduces infrastructure sprawl, improves security, and adapts to your unique workflows.
Don’t trade flexibility for complexity.