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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs Cerner PowerWorks

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cerner PowerWorks logo

Cerner PowerWorks

Healthcare

Revenue cycle management and financial solutions from Cerner

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Cerner PowerWorks covers Medical Coding.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Cerner PowerWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Cerner PowerWorks differ
AttributeAthenahealthCerner PowerWorks
Starting price$140/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Desktop
Founded19971979

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Health Information Exchanges

Only in Cerner PowerWorks

  • Medical Coding
  • Charge Capture
  • Claims Management
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Financial Analytics
  • Billing Integration
  • Insurance Plans
  • Lab Systems

Both cover

  • Clearinghouses
  • HIPAA
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Athenahealth

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

Cerner PowerWorks

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

Both are used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Cerner PowerWorks

Nothing recorded yet. See the Cerner PowerWorks review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Cerner PowerWorks

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner PowerWorks review.

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 Cerner PowerWorks if

  • You need medical coding.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want charge capture.
Cerner PowerWorks review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Cerner PowerWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Cerner PowerWorks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Cerner PowerWorks?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Cerner PowerWorks at On request.
Does Athenahealth or Cerner PowerWorks run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Cerner PowerWorks runs on Web, Desktop.
What is Athenahealth best used for?
Athenahealth is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth.
What can Athenahealth do that Cerner PowerWorks cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Cerner PowerWorks covers Medical Coding, Charge Capture, Claims Management, Accounts Receivable. Both handle Clearinghouses, HIPAA, SOC2, Cloud deployment.

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
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
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
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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