Softwr

Software · head to head

Athenahealth vs Dentally

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Software

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dentally logo

Dentally

Software

Cloud Dental Practice Management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dentally 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; Dentally pricing is per site and scales with the number of surgeries: Starter is £125 a month at 3 surgeries but £575 a month at 9
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Dentally covers Cloud scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Dentally actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Dentally differ
AttributeAthenahealthDentally
Starting price$140/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
Founded19972015

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Athenahealth

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

Only in Dentally

  • Cloud scheduling
  • Digital charting
  • Patient portal
  • SMS/Email reminders
  • Patient communication
  • Imaging support
  • Treatment planning
  • Mobile app

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 Dentally
  • Medical Recordsnot Dentally
  • Practice Managementnot Dentally
  • Telehealthnot Dentally

Dentally

  • Cloud dental practice management for UK NHS and private practicesnot Athenahealth
  • Appointment scheduling, charting and patient records across multiple sitesnot Athenahealth
  • Producing clinical notes with AI transcription during appointmentsnot 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

Dentally

  • Pricing is per site and scales with the number of surgeries: Starter is £125 a month at 3 surgeries but £575 a month at 9
  • Phone support is not included on the Starter plan, which is chat only
  • Multi site operation and a customer success manager require the Essentials plan or higher
  • AI clinical note transcription is metered at 45 per surgery per month on Essentials and 90 on Pro
  • Digital imaging through Dentally Vision, custom integrations and custom email domains are Pro only
  • Starter and Essentials are restricted to approved partner integrations

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Dentally

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Scheduling
    • Charting
    • Patient portal
  • Professional$149/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Insurance management

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 Dentally if

  • You need cloud scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital charting.
Dentally review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Dentally better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Dentally at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Dentally?
Dentally has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $140/month for Athenahealth and Free for Dentally.
Does Athenahealth or Dentally run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Dentally runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Dentally for free?
Yes. Dentally 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 Dentally is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that Dentally cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Dentally covers Cloud scheduling, Digital charting, Patient portal, SMS/Email reminders. 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
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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Athenahealth

More on Dentally

Keep looking

Other head to heads