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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs Calm

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Calm logo

Calm

Healthcare

Sleep, meditation and relaxation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Calm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Calm free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Calm covers Sleep Stories.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Calm actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Calm differ
AttributeAthenahealthCalm
Starting price$140/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded19972012

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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 Athenahealth

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Medical Billing
  • Patient Engagement
  • Telehealth
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Only in Calm

  • Sleep Stories
  • Guided meditations
  • Daily Calm
  • Breathing exercises
  • Calm Body stretching
  • Apple Health
  • Apple Watch
  • Samsung Health

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Athenahealth

  • Patient Carenot Calm
  • Medical Recordsnot Calm
  • Practice Managementnot Calm
  • Telehealthnot Calm

Calm

  • Workout trackingnot Athenahealth
  • Nutrition managementnot Athenahealth
  • Health monitoringnot Athenahealth
  • Fitness coachingnot Athenahealth
  • Wellness improvementnot Athenahealth

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Athenahealth

  • High implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
  • Pricing tiers not transparently listed, requiring custom quotes

Calm

  • Free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment
  • Only one meditation per day included in free tier (Daily Calm)
  • Annual pricing is among the highest in the meditation app category
  • Less extensive free content library compared to Insight Timer (which has 100,000+ free meditations)
  • Limited customization of meditation sessions; mostly follows Calm's curated content

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Calm

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily Calm
    • Select Sleep Stories
    • 1 breathing exercise
  • Premium Monthly$12.99/month
    • All content unlocked
    • Sleep Stories
    • Masterclasses
  • Premium Annual$69.99/year
    • All content unlocked
    • Sleep Stories
    • Masterclasses
  • Family Plan$99.99/year
    • Up to 6 accounts
    • All Premium content
    • Separate customization per member

Which should you pick?

Choose Athenahealth if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want medical billing.
Athenahealth review

Choose Calm if

  • You need sleep stories.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want guided meditations.
Calm review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Calm better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Calm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Calm?
Calm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $140/month for Athenahealth and Free for Calm.
Does Athenahealth or Calm run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Calm runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Calm for free?
Yes. Calm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Athenahealth starts at $140/month.
What is Athenahealth best used for?
Athenahealth is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth. Of those, patient care and medical records are not what Calm is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that Calm cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Calm covers Sleep Stories, Guided meditations, Daily Calm, Breathing exercises. Both handle Web support.

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.

Source
Calm: What does Calm's free tier include?

The free plan includes 1 breathing exercise, Day 1 of programs, select Sleep Stories, and Scenes, plus the famous Daily Calm feature and bedtime stories. Most content is locked behind the paid tier.

Source
Athenahealth: 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.

Source
Calm: What is included in Calm Premium?

Calm Premium (all paid tiers are identical) includes The Daily Calm, Sleep Stories narrated by celebrities, exclusive music playlists, masterclasses taught by experts, Daily Move video lessons for stretching and mindful movement, and the entire content library.

Source
Athenahealth: Does Athenahealth include revenue cycle management?

Yes, athenaOne includes network-driven claims scrubbing with 95%+ first-pass rates, denial management, and A/R optimization.

Source
Calm: How much does Calm Premium cost?

Monthly subscription is $12.99/month, annual is $69.99-$79.99/year, Family Plan is $99.99/year (includes 1 Admin + 5 Members), and lifetime membership is available as a one-time payment.

Source
Athenahealth: 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.

Source
Calm: Does Calm offer pricing for organizations or teams?

Yes. Calm offers organizational plans for groups of 5-300 people with per-seat pricing based on total 'covered lives.' Larger groups receive deeper discounts. Pricing is significantly reduced compared to individual subscriptions.

Source
Athenahealth: 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
Calm: Does Calm work offline?

Calm's app functions offline for already-downloaded content. Downloaded Sleep Stories, meditations, and Music programs can be accessed without an internet connection.

Source
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