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Healthcare & Medical · head to head

Epocrates vs Athenahealth

E

Epocrates

Healthcare & Medical

Mobile clinical reference and decision support app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Healthcare & Medical

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Epocrates has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Epocrates the App Store listing for Epocrates (seller Epocrates) states subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and introductory pricing applies only to the first subscription period; Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
  • They diverge on capability: Epocrates covers Drug Reference, Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epocrates and Athenahealth actually diverge.

Attributes where Epocrates and Athenahealth differ
AttributeEpocratesAthenahealth
Starting priceFree$140/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20001997

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare & Medical).

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 Epocrates

  • Drug Reference
  • Interactions
  • Dosing Calculators
  • Disease Information
  • Medical Procedures
  • Patient Education
  • EHR Systems

Only in Athenahealth

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Medical Billing
  • Patient Engagement
  • Telehealth
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Epocrates

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

Athenahealth

  • 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.

Epocrates

  • The App Store listing for Epocrates (seller Epocrates) states subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and introductory pricing applies only to the first subscription period

Athenahealth

  • High implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
  • Pricing tiers not transparently listed, requiring custom quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

Epocrates

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Drug references
    • Calculators
    • Interactions
  • Premium$99/year
    • Enhanced content
    • Offline access

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Epocrates if

  • You need drug reference.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mobile.
  • You also want interactions.
Epocrates review

Choose Athenahealth if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want medical billing.
Athenahealth review

Questions people ask

Is Epocrates or Athenahealth better?
Neither clearly leads. Epocrates starts at Free and Athenahealth at $140/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epocrates or Athenahealth?
Epocrates has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Epocrates and $140/month for Athenahealth.
Does Epocrates or Athenahealth run on more platforms?
Epocrates runs on Mobile. Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Epocrates for free?
Yes. Epocrates has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Athenahealth starts at $140/month.
What is Epocrates best used for?
Epocrates is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth.
What can Epocrates do that Athenahealth cannot?
Epocrates covers Drug Reference, Interactions, Dosing Calculators, Disease Information. Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Mobile 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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Related pages

More on Epocrates

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