Software · head to head
Athenahealth vs Kareo Clinical
Kareo Clinical
Software
Specialized EHR and practice management for independent and small practices
- From
- $89/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Kareo Clinical kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
- They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Patient Engagement, Kareo Clinical covers Scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Kareo Clinical actually diverge.
| Attribute | Athenahealth | Kareo Clinical |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $140/month | $89/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 1997 | 2010 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
- Patient Engagement
- Telehealth
- Health Information Exchanges
- HITRUST
Only in Kareo Clinical
- Scheduling
- Patient Portal
- ePrescribing
Both cover
- Electronic Health Records
- Medical Billing
- Analytics
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- Clearinghouses
- HIPAA
- SOC2
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Mobile support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Athenahealth
- Patient Carenot Kareo Clinical
- Medical Recordsnot Kareo Clinical
- Practice Managementnot Kareo Clinical
- Telehealthnot Kareo Clinical
Kareo Clinical
- Practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practicesnot Athenahealth
- Electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinicsnot Athenahealth
- Insurance claim submission and patient payment collectionnot 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
Kareo Clinical
- Kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
- Tebra publishes no rate: pricing varies with provider count, features and implementation requirements and is quoted during a demo
- Billing counts clinical providers such as MDs, DOs, NPs and PAs, so adding a prescriber raises the bill even though non clinical staff are free
- Electronic prescribing of controlled substances setup costs about $75 per provider as a one time fee
- PDMP integration costs $500 one time per facility plus about $50 per user per year
Pricing, plan by plan
Athenahealth
$140/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.
Kareo Clinical
$89/month- Clinical Starter$89/month
- EHR
- Scheduling
- Patient Portal
- Clinical Plus$189/month
- Everything in Starter
- Billing
- Analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Athenahealth if
- You need patient engagement.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want telehealth.
Choose Kareo Clinical if
- You need scheduling.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want patient portal.
Questions people ask
- Is Athenahealth or Kareo Clinical better?
- Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Kareo Clinical at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Kareo Clinical?
- Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Kareo Clinical at $89/month.
- Does Athenahealth or Kareo Clinical run on more platforms?
- Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kareo Clinical runs on Web, Mobile.
- 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 Kareo Clinical is typically brought in for.
- What can Athenahealth do that Kareo Clinical cannot?
- Athenahealth covers Patient Engagement, Telehealth, Health Information Exchanges, HITRUST. Kareo Clinical covers Scheduling, Patient Portal, ePrescribing. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Analytics, Labs.
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.
SourceAthenahealth: 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.
SourceAthenahealth: Does Athenahealth include revenue cycle management?
Yes, athenaOne includes network-driven claims scrubbing with 95%+ first-pass rates, denial management, and A/R optimization.
SourceAthenahealth: 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.
SourceAthenahealth: 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