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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs CareStack

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CareStack logo

CareStack

Dental

All-in-One Cloud Dental Software

From
$829/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; CareStack essentials plan starting price $829/month is per location, not per user
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, CareStack covers Cloud-based platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and CareStack actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and CareStack differ
AttributeAthenahealthCareStack
Starting price$140/month$829/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded19972015

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 CareStack

  • Cloud-based platform
  • Patient scheduling
  • Clinical charting
  • Revenue cycle management
  • Patient communication
  • Online booking
  • Insurance verification
  • Business intelligence

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Athenahealth

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

CareStack

  • Dental practice management and patient schedulingnot Athenahealth
  • Multi-specialty charting and digital imagingnot Athenahealth
  • Insurance eligibility verification and claims managementnot Athenahealth
  • AI-powered clinical notes and diagnosis assistancenot 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

CareStack

  • Essentials plan starting price $829/month is per location, not per user
  • Intelligence plan adds $470/month minimum to base Essentials cost
  • Pricing based on number of locations, chairs, and providers (not per-user)
  • Core charting and imaging capabilities limited to base Essentials plan
  • AI-powered clinical features require Intelligence plan upgrade

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

CareStack

$829/month
  • Essentials$829/month
    • Scheduling, charting, imaging
    • Patient portal
    • Insurance management
  • Intelligence$1299/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • AI-powered clinical notes
    • Voice perio charting

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 CareStack if

  • You need cloud-based platform.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want patient scheduling.
CareStack review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or CareStack better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and CareStack at $829/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or CareStack?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and CareStack at $829/month.
Does Athenahealth or CareStack run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. CareStack runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 CareStack is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that CareStack cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. CareStack covers Cloud-based platform, Patient scheduling, Clinical charting, Revenue cycle management. Both handle Cloud deployment, 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
CareStack: How much does CareStack cost?

CareStack starts at $829 per month for the Essentials plan and $1,299 per month for the Intelligence plan. Pricing is customized based on the number of locations, chairs, and providers. Custom plans are available and implementation fees may apply.

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
CareStack: What is included in each CareStack plan?

The Essentials plan ($829/month) includes scheduling, charting, imaging, patient portal, and insurance management. The Intelligence plan ($1,299/month) adds AI-powered clinical notes, voice perio charting, X-ray analysis, and clinical diagnosis features.

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
CareStack: Are there additional fees for CareStack add-ons?

Yes, CareStack offers optional add-ons including VoiceStack (AI phone system), CareRevenue (RCM services), and ACE DSN (dental procurement) that can be added to either plan at additional cost. No other additional charges apply beyond the monthly subscription.

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
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
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