Switching feels vivid and scary; staying feels free. It isn’t. The loyalty tax just invoices you differently — in write-offs, in evenings of documentation, in the hires you make to compensate for software.

Migration is also far smaller than it looks: specialists move your data, configure your workflows, enroll your payers, and train your team. The real cost comparison isn’t switching vs. free — it’s eight weeks of transition vs. another year of leakage.