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Healthcare · head to head

Cerner vs Epic Systems

Cerner logo

Cerner

Healthcare

Health information technology solutions for healthcare organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Epic Systems logo

Epic Systems

Healthcare

Leading electronic health records system for healthcare organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cerner no published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes; Epic Systems no free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required
  • They diverge on capability: Cerner covers Revenue Cycle, Epic Systems covers Revenue Cycle Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cerner and Epic Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Cerner and Epic Systems differ
AttributeCernerEpic Systems
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Desktop, Mobile

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare), founded (1979).

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 Cerner

  • Revenue Cycle
  • Patient Engagement
  • HL7
  • FHIR

Only in Epic Systems

  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Patient Portal
  • Clinical Decision Support
  • Imaging Systems
  • Pharmacy Systems
  • HITRUST

Both cover

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Population Health
  • Lab Systems
  • HIPAA
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support
  • Desktop support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Cerner

  • Hospital and acute care EHR for chart review and clinical documentationnot Epic Systems
  • Mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devicesnot Epic Systems

Epic Systems

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cerner

  • No published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes

Epic Systems

  • No free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required
  • Lengthy implementation timeline: 12-24 months for single hospitals, 3-5 years for multi-system rollouts
  • Customization and workflow adaptation requires extensive consulting services
  • Very high licensing costs ranging from 100,000 to 30 million USD depending on organization size

Pricing, plan by plan

Cerner

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner review.

Epic Systems

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Epic Systems review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cerner if

  • You need revenue cycle.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want patient engagement.
Cerner review

Choose Epic Systems if

  • You need revenue cycle management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want patient portal.
Epic Systems review

Questions people ask

Is Cerner or Epic Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Cerner starts at On request and Epic Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cerner or Epic Systems?
Cerner starts at On request and Epic Systems at On request.
Does Cerner or Epic Systems run on more platforms?
Cerner runs on Web, iOS, Android. Epic Systems runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
What is Cerner best used for?
Cerner is most often used for hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation, mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices. Of those, hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation and mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices are not what Epic Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Cerner do that Epic Systems cannot?
Cerner covers Revenue Cycle, Patient Engagement, HL7, FHIR. Epic Systems covers Revenue Cycle Management, Patient Portal, Clinical Decision Support, Imaging Systems. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Population Health, Lab Systems, HIPAA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cerner: Does Cerner publish its pricing?

No, Cerner does not publish standard pricing. As an enterprise healthcare EHR vendor (now acquired by Oracle), pricing is customized per healthcare organization based on size, bed capacity, modules required, and implementation scope. Contact Oracle Health for pricing.

Source
Epic Systems: What is Epic's market position?

Epic holds 36 percent of the U.S. EHR market and manages over 280 million patient records across 1,200+ healthcare organizations. Among hospitals with over 300 beds, Epic has 52 percent market share, and 71 percent market share in major academic medical centers as of 2026.

Source
Epic Systems: Is there a free trial or demo available?

Epic does not offer a free version or trial. The software is enterprise-only with custom pricing negotiated directly with organizations. Typical implementation timelines for single hospitals range from 12 to 24 months, and multi-hospital systems can take 3 to 5 years for phased rollouts.

Source
Epic Systems: How does Epic integrate with third-party systems?

Epic provides multiple integration pathways: FHIR R4 APIs, HL7 v2 messaging, CCDA document exchange, and proprietary APIs through Epic Showroom (formerly App Orchard). Over 1,000 certified apps are available in the marketplace, enabling real-time data synchronization and interoperability.

Source
Epic Systems: What is included in Epic's unified platform?

Epic provides a truly unified system spanning inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, surgical, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, billing, and population health on a single database. It includes appointment scheduling, medical billing, clinical decision support, patient portal (MyChart), telehealth capabilities, and analytics.

Source
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