Healthcare & Medical · head to head
Athenahealth vs SimplePractice
Athenahealth
Healthcare & Medical
Cloud-based medical practice management
- From
- $140/month
- Rated
- -
SimplePractice
Healthcare & Medical
Practice management and EHR for mental health and therapy
- From
- $49/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; SimplePractice no API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
- They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, SimplePractice covers Scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and SimplePractice actually diverge.
| Attribute | Athenahealth | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $140/month | $49/month |
| Founded | 1997 | 2011 |
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
- Electronic Health Records
- Medical Billing
- Patient Engagement
- Analytics
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- Clearinghouses
- Health Information Exchanges
Only in SimplePractice
- Scheduling
- Client Portal
- Notes
- Billing
- Documents
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Electronic clearinghouses
Both cover
- Telehealth
- 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 Care
- Medical Records
- Practice Management
- Telehealth
SimplePractice
- Patient Care
- Medical Records
- Practice Management
- Telehealth
Both are used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
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
SimplePractice
- No API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
- Lacks AI clinical documentation in base plan, requiring manual note typing which takes 15-30 minutes per session
- Reporting and customization features are limited compared to competitors, with weak insurance workflow support
- Hidden costs beyond base pricing, with real cost often 3x higher after add-ons and annual increases
- Telehealth component reported as unstable and frequently unreliable by some users
Pricing, plan by plan
Athenahealth
$140/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.
SimplePractice
$49/month- Starter$49/month
- Scheduling
- Documentation
- Client portal
- Essential$79/month
- Billing and payments
- Insurance claim filing
- Telehealth
- Plus$99/month
- Website builder
- Advanced reporting
- ePrescribe integration
Which should you pick?
Choose Athenahealth if
- You need electronic health records.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want medical billing.
Choose SimplePractice if
- You need scheduling.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want client portal.
Questions people ask
- Is Athenahealth or SimplePractice better?
- Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and SimplePractice at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or SimplePractice?
- Athenahealth starts at $140/month and SimplePractice at $49/month.
- Does Athenahealth or SimplePractice 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.
- What can Athenahealth do that SimplePractice cannot?
- Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Analytics. SimplePractice covers Scheduling, Client Portal, Notes, Billing. Both handle Telehealth, HIPAA, SOC2, Cloud deployment.
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.
SourceSimplePractice: What does SimplePractice pricing include?
SimplePractice tiers start at $49 (Starter), $79 (Essential), and $99 (Plus) per clinician per month. Add-ons cost extra, including AI Note Taker at $35/month and ePrescribe at $49/month plus $89 setup.
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.
SourceSimplePractice: Does SimplePractice include telehealth?
Yes, all SimplePractice tiers include HIPAA-compliant integrated telehealth, allowing therapists to conduct secure video sessions directly from the platform.
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.
SourceSimplePractice: Is AI documentation included in SimplePractice?
No, AI clinical notes are not included in base pricing. SimplePractice offers an optional AI Note Taker add-on for $35/month that provides basic transcription, though it lacks advanced note generation features of competitors.
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.
SourceSimplePractice: Does SimplePractice support international or non-US workflows?
No, SimplePractice is designed for US practices only and does not support non-US workflows, insurance structures, or currencies, limiting its use for international practitioners.
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