Software · head to head
Allscripts vs Athenahealth

Allscripts
Software
Healthcare IT solutions for care coordination
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Allscripts pricing is not publicly available; all quotes require direct contact with sales; Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
- They diverge on capability: Allscripts covers Practice Management, Athenahealth covers Medical Billing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Allscripts and Athenahealth actually diverge.
| Attribute | Allscripts | Athenahealth |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $140/month |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 1986 | 1997 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Allscripts
- Practice Management
- Population Health
- Care Coordination
- HL7
- FHIR
- On-premise deployment
- Desktop support
Only in Athenahealth
- Medical Billing
- Patient Engagement
- Telehealth
- Clearinghouses
- Health Information Exchanges
- SOC2
Both cover
- Electronic Health Records
- Analytics
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- HIPAA
- HITRUST
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Mobile support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Allscripts
- Electronic health records and practice management for healthcare providersnot Athenahealth
- Healthcare IT solutions for revenue cycle management and patient engagement (now Veradigm)not Athenahealth
Athenahealth
- Patient Carenot Allscripts
- Medical Recordsnot Allscripts
- Practice Managementnot Allscripts
- Telehealthnot Allscripts
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Allscripts
- Pricing is not publicly available; all quotes require direct contact with sales
- Transitioned to Veradigm brand in 2022; legacy Allscripts product line integrated into Veradigm suite
Athenahealth
- High implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
- Pricing tiers not transparently listed, requiring custom quotes
Pricing, plan by plan
Allscripts
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Allscripts review.
Athenahealth
$140/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Athenahealth if
- You need medical billing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want patient engagement.
Questions people ask
- Is Allscripts or Athenahealth better?
- Neither clearly leads. Allscripts starts at On request and Athenahealth at $140/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Allscripts or Athenahealth?
- Allscripts starts at On request and Athenahealth at $140/month.
- Does Allscripts or Athenahealth run on more platforms?
- Allscripts runs on Web. Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- What is Allscripts best used for?
- Allscripts is most often used for electronic health records and practice management for healthcare providers, healthcare it solutions for revenue cycle management and patient engagement (now veradigm). Of those, electronic health records and practice management for healthcare providers and healthcare it solutions for revenue cycle management and patient engagement (now veradigm) are not what Athenahealth is typically brought in for.
- What can Allscripts do that Athenahealth cannot?
- Allscripts covers Practice Management, Population Health, Care Coordination, HL7. Athenahealth covers Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth, Clearinghouses. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Analytics, Labs, Pharmacies.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Athenahealth: What platforms does Athenahealth serve?
Athenahealth's athenaOne serves small to medium-sized physician practices and hospitals with integrated clinical, financial, and operational workflows.
SourceAthenahealth: What is the pricing model for athenaOne?
Athenahealth uses customized pricing with percent-based or encounter-based models. Starting price reported at $140/month with implementation costs ranging from $5,000-$20,000 for small businesses.
SourceAthenahealth: Does Athenahealth include revenue cycle management?
Yes, athenaOne includes network-driven claims scrubbing with 95%+ first-pass rates, denial management, and A/R optimization.
SourceAthenahealth: What patient engagement features does Athenahealth offer?
Athenahealth provides athenaCommunicator for patient portals, automated appointment reminders, online scheduling, telehealth integration, digital intake, and broadcast messaging.
SourceAthenahealth: How many pre-built integrations does Athenahealth have?
Athenahealth's marketplace includes over 250 pre-integrated third-party apps, allowing practices to extend functionality without custom development.
Source
