OpenSRP to CommCare Transition Guide
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for transitioning from Ona’s OpenSRP tool to CommCare, using CommCare’s most affordable, $100 month Standard Plan.
Why Transition from OpenSRP to CommCare?
OpenSRP was built for integrated service delivery and longitudinal tracking, especially in community health, but often requires developer support to update workflows, manage deployments, and access data. This creates challenges for many programs, including high technical overhead, limited flexibility for non-developers, and a reliance on external teams for support and customization. CommCare offers a no-code alternative that enables program teams to design and update workflows, manage users across locations, and access real-time data through robust offline support, built-in reporting, granular permissions, and dedicated customer support.
Here is a summary of the common challenges with OpenSRP and the benefits organizations gain by switching to CommCare:
Area |  | |
|---|---|---|
Application development | Requires developers | No-code form and app builder |
Case management | Supported via code | Supported via UI |
Role-based access control | Manual or developer-led setup | Configurable in platform UI |
Reporting & analytics | External dashboarding required | Built-in dashboards and exports |
Hosting | Self-hosted or Ona-managed | Dimagi-hosted (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR compliant) |
Updates & iteration speed | Slower, developer dependent | Rapid iteration via drag-and-drop |
Step-by-Step Instructions
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to help organizations easily transition from OpenSRP to CommCare on their own.
1. Prepare for your Transition
2. Re-Build Form(s) in CommCare
Option 1: Recreate your forms Manually
3. Set up Case Management
4. Create Users
5. Migrate Existing Data into CommCare
As you transition from OpenSRP to CommCare, you may want to bring over data previously collected—especially if you're continuing to work with the same individuals, households, or other tracked entities. While migrating data is optional, it's highly recommended for programs using case management, where you want to continue following up with the same cases or carry forward key information.
OpenSRP to CommCare Data Migration: Step-by-Step Instructions
Export OpenSRP client or event data into CSV
Clean and flatten the data so each row = one case
Match the case properties in your CommCare app
Include a blank
case_idcolumn for new casesGo to Data > Import Cases from Excel in CommCare HQ
Upload and map columns to CommCare case properties
💡 If you want to carry over metadata (e.g., who registered the case, timestamps), import them as case properties with appropriate naming.