Healthcare & Medical · head to head
Athenahealth vs Practice Fusion
Athenahealth
Healthcare & Medical
Cloud-based medical practice management
- From
- $140/month
- Rated
- -
Practice Fusion
Healthcare & Medical
Free cloud-based EHR for medical practices
- From
- $199/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Practice Fusion cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
- They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Medical Billing, Practice Fusion covers e-Prescribing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Practice Fusion actually diverge.
| Attribute | Athenahealth | Practice Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $140/month | $199/month |
| Founded | 1997 | 2005 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare & Medical).
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
- Telehealth
- Analytics
- Clearinghouses
- Health Information Exchanges
- HITRUST
- SOC2
Only in Practice Fusion
- e-Prescribing
- Lab Orders
- Patient Portal
- Scheduling
- Imaging Centers
- ONC Certified
Both cover
- Electronic Health Records
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- HIPAA
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Athenahealth
- Patient Carenot Practice Fusion
- Medical Recordsnot Practice Fusion
- Practice Managementnot Practice Fusion
- Telehealthnot Practice Fusion
Practice Fusion
- Small to medium medical practicesnot Athenahealth
- Primary care clinicsnot Athenahealth
- Independent clinicians needing electronic chartingnot Athenahealth
- Practice management and billing workflowsnot 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
Practice Fusion
- Cloud-based architecture requires constant internet connectivity
- Requires annual commitment for pricing
Pricing, plan by plan
Athenahealth
$140/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.
Practice Fusion
$199/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Practice Fusion review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Athenahealth if
- You need medical billing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want patient engagement.
Choose Practice Fusion if
- You need e-prescribing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want lab orders.
Questions people ask
- Is Athenahealth or Practice Fusion better?
- Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Practice Fusion at $199/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Practice Fusion?
- Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Practice Fusion at $199/month.
- Does Athenahealth or Practice Fusion 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 Practice Fusion is typically brought in for.
- What can Athenahealth do that Practice Fusion cannot?
- Athenahealth covers Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth, Analytics. Practice Fusion covers e-Prescribing, Lab Orders, Patient Portal, Scheduling. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Labs, Pharmacies, HIPAA.
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