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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs SimplePractice

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SimplePractice logo

SimplePractice

Healthcare

Practice management and EHR for mental health and therapy

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and SimplePractice actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and SimplePractice differ
AttributeAthenahealthSimplePractice
Starting price$140/month$49/month
Founded19972011

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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/month

No 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.
Athenahealth review

Choose SimplePractice if

  • You need scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want client portal.
SimplePractice review

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.

Source
SimplePractice: 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.

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
SimplePractice: Does SimplePractice include telehealth?

Yes, all SimplePractice tiers include HIPAA-compliant integrated telehealth, allowing therapists to conduct secure video sessions directly from the platform.

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
SimplePractice: 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.

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
SimplePractice: 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.

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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