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Healthcare · head to head

Epic Systems vs UpToDate

Epic Systems logo

Epic Systems

Healthcare

Leading electronic health records system for healthcare organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UpToDate logo

UpToDate

Healthcare

Evidence-based clinical decision support for healthcare providers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Epic Systems no free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required; UpToDate upToDate does not publish subscription prices; the vendor (Wolters Kluwer) sorts buyers into separate individual, clinic-wide, and institutional subscription tracks and requires contacting the organization through its subscription-payment-options page rather than showing a rate for any of them.
  • They diverge on capability: Epic Systems covers Electronic Health Records, UpToDate covers Clinical Evidence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Epic Systems and UpToDate differ
AttributeEpic SystemsUpToDate
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, Mobile
Founded19791992

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Epic Systems

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Patient Portal
  • Clinical Decision Support
  • Population Health
  • Lab Systems
  • Imaging Systems
  • Pharmacy Systems

Only in UpToDate

  • Clinical Evidence
  • Drug Information
  • Calculators
  • Medical Images
  • Videos
  • CME Credits
  • EHR Systems
  • Mobile

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Epic Systems

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

UpToDate

  • 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.

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

UpToDate

  • UpToDate does not publish subscription prices; the vendor (Wolters Kluwer) sorts buyers into separate individual, clinic-wide, and institutional subscription tracks and requires contacting the organization through its subscription-payment-options page rather than showing a rate for any of them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Epic Systems

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Epic Systems review.

UpToDate

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the UpToDate review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Epic Systems if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want revenue cycle management.
Epic Systems review

Choose UpToDate if

  • You need clinical evidence.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug information.
UpToDate review

Questions people ask

Is Epic Systems or UpToDate better?
Neither clearly leads. Epic Systems starts at On request and UpToDate at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epic Systems or UpToDate?
Epic Systems starts at On request and UpToDate at On request.
Does Epic Systems or UpToDate run on more platforms?
Epic Systems runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. UpToDate runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Epic Systems best used for?
Epic Systems is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth.
What can Epic Systems do that UpToDate cannot?
Epic Systems covers Electronic Health Records, Revenue Cycle Management, Patient Portal, Clinical Decision Support. UpToDate covers Clinical Evidence, Drug Information, Calculators, Medical Images. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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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