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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs Covetrus Pulse

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Covetrus Pulse logo

Covetrus Pulse

Veterinary

Veterinary operating system with pharmacy and client engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Covetrus Pulse ties clinical software to a supply and pharmacy relationship, which is a commercial dependency worth deciding on deliberately
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Covetrus Pulse covers Practice management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Covetrus Pulse actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Covetrus Pulse differ
AttributeAthenahealthCovetrus Pulse
Starting price$140/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Cloud, iOS, Android
CategoryHealthcareVeterinary
Founded1997Unknown

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

Only in Covetrus Pulse

  • Practice management
  • Integrated prescription management
  • Client engagement

Both cover

  • Analytics

What people use each for

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

Athenahealth

  • Patient Carenot Covetrus Pulse
  • Medical Recordsnot Covetrus Pulse
  • Practice Managementnot Covetrus Pulse
  • Telehealthnot Covetrus Pulse

Covetrus Pulse

  • Practices dispensing heavily that want prescriptions filled without leaving the systemnot Athenahealth
  • Groups wanting one platform across clinical, client and pharmacynot Athenahealth
  • Clinics moving off legacy on-premise systems such as AVImarknot 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

Covetrus Pulse

  • Ties clinical software to a supply and pharmacy relationship, which is a commercial dependency worth deciding on deliberately
  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • Covetrus also owns older systems, and roadmap attention across a portfolio is a fair question
  • Cloud-only, so consultations depend on clinic connectivity

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Covetrus Pulse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Covetrus Pulse 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 Covetrus Pulse if

  • You need practice management.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, iOS, Android.
  • You also want integrated prescription management.
Covetrus Pulse review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Covetrus Pulse better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Covetrus Pulse at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Covetrus Pulse?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Covetrus Pulse at On request.
Does Athenahealth or Covetrus Pulse run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Covetrus Pulse runs on Web, Cloud, 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 Covetrus Pulse is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that Covetrus Pulse cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Covetrus Pulse covers Practice management, Integrated prescription management, Client engagement. Both handle Analytics.

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
Covetrus Pulse: What does Covetrus Pulse cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and not published.

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
Covetrus Pulse: What makes it different?

Covetrus is an animal-health distributor and pharmacy, so prescription fulfilment and home delivery sit inside the same company rather than behind an integration.

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
Covetrus Pulse: Is the supply relationship a concern?

It is worth deciding deliberately. The convenience is real, and so is tying your clinical system to a distributor you also buy from.

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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