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Healthcare · head to head

Athenahealth vs Dentrix

Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dentrix logo

Dentrix

Healthcare

The Most Trusted Name in Dental Practice Management

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments; Dentrix the Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor
  • They diverge on capability: Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Dentrix covers Patient scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Athenahealth and Dentrix actually diverge.

Attributes where Athenahealth and Dentrix differ
AttributeAthenahealthDentrix
Starting price$140/month$299/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, Api
Founded19971989

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Telehealth
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Only in Dentrix

  • Patient scheduling
  • Electronic health records
  • Treatment planning
  • Insurance claim processing
  • Clinical charting
  • Imaging integration
  • Patient communication
  • Revenue cycle management

What people use each for

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

Athenahealth

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

Dentrix

  • Practice management, charting and scheduling for dental officesnot Athenahealth
  • Dental insurance claims, treatment planning and patient billingnot Athenahealth
  • Managing imaging alongside clinical records in one systemnot 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

Dentrix

  • The Dentrix product page publishes no price and no licence term, and directs buyers to request a demo or contact the vendor
  • Automatic software updates, in product chat support and priority access to specialists come through the paid Connected Care Essentials plan rather than the base software
  • Dentrix is sold as customisable packages and suites rather than one product, so what a practice gets depends on which suite it buys
  • Henry Schein One sells two separate practice management systems side by side, Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend, so buyers must choose between them rather than moving between editions

Pricing, plan by plan

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Dentrix

$299/month
  • Dentrix G7$299/month
    • Patient scheduling
    • Treatment planning
    • Insurance management
  • Dentrix Enterprise$499/month
    • Multi-location support
    • Centralized management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Dentrix Ascend$399/month
    • Cloud-based platform
    • Automatic updates
    • Remote access

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 Dentrix if

  • You need patient scheduling.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Api.
  • You also want electronic health records.
Dentrix review

Questions people ask

Is Athenahealth or Dentrix better?
Neither clearly leads. Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Dentrix at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Athenahealth or Dentrix?
Athenahealth starts at $140/month and Dentrix at $299/month.
Does Athenahealth or Dentrix run on more platforms?
Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android. Dentrix runs on Windows, Web, Api.
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 Dentrix is typically brought in for.
What can Athenahealth do that Dentrix cannot?
Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Dentrix covers Patient scheduling, Electronic health records, Treatment planning, Insurance claim processing.

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
Dentrix: Does Dentrix publish pricing online?

No, Dentrix does not disclose specific pricing, subscription tiers, costs, or licensing fees on their website.

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
Dentrix: How can I get a Dentrix pricing quote?

Contact Dentrix's sales team via the 'Request a Demo' or 'Request Info' options on their website, call 800-336-8749, or visit their support contact page.

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
Dentrix: Does Dentrix offer customizable packages?

Yes, Dentrix mentions 'Dentrix Packages & Suites' as customizable options, but specific details and pricing for each package are not provided online.

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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