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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs Softdent

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Softdent logo

Softdent

Dental

Intelligent Dental Practice Management System

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Softdent now supported as a Carestream Dental product (softdent.com redirects to carestreamdental.com); no pricing is published, only support and installation scheduling links
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Softdent covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Softdent actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Softdent differ
AttributeAthenahealthSoftdent
Starting price$140/month$249/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Windows
CategoryHealthcareDental
Founded19972010

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Softdent

  • Patient scheduling
  • Electronic health records
  • Clinical charting
  • Imaging integration
  • Billing and invoicing
  • Treatment planning
  • Insurance claims
  • Inventory management

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Athenahealth

  • Patient Carenot Softdent
  • Medical Recordsnot Softdent
  • Practice Managementnot Softdent
  • Telehealthnot Softdent

Softdent

  • Practice managementnot Athenahealth
  • Patient schedulingnot Athenahealth
  • Clinical documentationnot Athenahealth
  • Financial managementnot Athenahealth
  • Multi-location coordinationnot 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

Softdent

  • Now supported as a Carestream Dental product (softdent.com redirects to carestreamdental.com); no pricing is published, only support and installation scheduling links

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Softdent

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Clinical records
    • Billing basics
  • Professional$399/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Advanced imaging integration
    • Treatment planning tools
  • Enterprise$599/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Multi-location management
    • Advanced analytics

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 Softdent if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want electronic health records.
Softdent review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Softdent better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Softdent at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Softdent?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Softdent at $249/month.
Does Athenahealth or Softdent run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Softdent runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
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 Softdent is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that Softdent cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Softdent covers Patient scheduling, Electronic health records, Clinical charting, Imaging integration. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web 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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