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Software · head to head

Athenahealth vs MDLive

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Software

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MDLive logo

MDLive

Software

On-demand telehealth and virtual doctor visits

From
$59/visit
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; MDLive visit prices vary widely by service and insurance, from $0 up to $89 for urgent care, $179 for an initial therapy appointment and $299 for an initial psychiatry appointment
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, MDLive covers Video Consultations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and MDLive actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and MDLive differ
AttributeAthenahealthMDLive
Starting price$140/month$59/visit
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded19972002

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

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

Only in MDLive

  • Video Consultations
  • Mental Health Services
  • Psychiatry
  • Prescription Services
  • Urgent Care
  • Insurance
  • EHR Systems

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • 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 MDLive
  • Medical Recordsnot MDLive
  • Practice Managementnot MDLive
  • Telehealthnot MDLive

MDLive

  • Insured patients wanting upfront-priced telehealth visits across urgent care, primary care, mental health and dermatologynot 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

MDLive

  • Visit prices vary widely by service and insurance, from $0 up to $89 for urgent care, $179 for an initial therapy appointment and $299 for an initial psychiatry appointment
  • Follow-up mental health visits are billed at a flat rate before insurance: $140 for therapy and $159 for psychiatry
  • Not all insurance plans cover all MDLIVE services, so out-of-pocket cost depends on the specific plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

MDLive

$59/visit
  • Primary Care Visit$59/visit
    • Board-certified doctors
    • 24/7 availability
    • Prescriptions

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 MDLive if

  • You need video consultations.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want mental health services.
MDLive review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or MDLive better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and MDLive at $59/visit, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or MDLive?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and MDLive at $59/visit.
Does Athenahealth or MDLive run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. MDLive 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 MDLive is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that MDLive cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. MDLive covers Video Consultations, Mental Health Services, Psychiatry, Prescription Services. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Web support, Mobile 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
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Related pages

More on Athenahealth

More on MDLive

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