Software · head to head
Athenahealth vs NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare
Software
Integrated EHR and practice management solutions
- From
- $150/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; NextGen Healthcare pricing is not publicly available; all contracts require custom quotes from sales
- They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Medical Billing, NextGen Healthcare covers Practice Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and NextGen Healthcare actually diverge.
| Attribute | Athenahealth | NextGen Healthcare |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $140/month | $150/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1997).
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
- Medical Billing
- Patient Engagement
- Health Information Exchanges
- SOC2
- Mobile support
Only in NextGen Healthcare
- Practice Management
- Revenue Cycle Management
- On-premise deployment
- Desktop support
Both cover
- Electronic Health Records
- Telehealth
- Analytics
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- Clearinghouses
- HIPAA
- HITRUST
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Athenahealth
- Patient Carenot NextGen Healthcare
- Medical Recordsnot NextGen Healthcare
- Practice Managementnot NextGen Healthcare
- Telehealthnot NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare
- Cloud-based EHR and practice management for ambulatory and specialty practicesnot Athenahealth
- AI-assisted clinical documentation to reduce after-hours charting timenot 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
NextGen Healthcare
- Pricing is not publicly available; all contracts require custom quotes from sales
Pricing, plan by plan
Athenahealth
$140/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.
NextGen Healthcare
$150/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the NextGen Healthcare review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Athenahealth if
- You need medical billing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want patient engagement.
Choose NextGen Healthcare if
- You need practice management.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want revenue cycle management.
Questions people ask
- Is Athenahealth or NextGen Healthcare better?
- Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and NextGen Healthcare at $150/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or NextGen Healthcare?
- Athenahealth starts at $140/month and NextGen Healthcare at $150/month.
- Does Athenahealth or NextGen Healthcare run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 NextGen Healthcare is typically brought in for.
- What can Athenahealth do that NextGen Healthcare cannot?
- Athenahealth covers Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Health Information Exchanges, SOC2. NextGen Healthcare covers Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management, On-premise deployment, Desktop support. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Telehealth, 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