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Healthcare · head to head

Epocrates vs Kareo Clinical

Epocrates logo

Epocrates

Healthcare

Mobile clinical reference and decision support app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kareo Clinical logo

Kareo Clinical

Healthcare

Specialized EHR and practice management for independent and small practices

From
$89/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 pricing page not publicly accessible; Kareo Clinical kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Epocrates covers Drug Reference, Kareo Clinical covers Electronic Health Records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epocrates and Kareo Clinical actually diverge.

Attributes where Epocrates and Kareo Clinical differ
AttributeEpocratesKareo Clinical
Starting priceFree$89/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMobileWeb, Mobile
Founded20002010

Identical on both: 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 Epocrates

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

Only in Kareo Clinical

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Scheduling
  • Patient Portal
  • Medical Billing
  • ePrescribing
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies

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 Carenot Kareo Clinical
  • Medical Recordsnot Kareo Clinical
  • Practice Managementnot Kareo Clinical
  • Telehealthnot Kareo Clinical

Kareo Clinical

  • Practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practicesnot Epocrates
  • Electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinicsnot Epocrates
  • Insurance claim submission and patient payment collectionnot Epocrates

Where each one falls short

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

Epocrates

  • Pricing page not publicly accessible

Kareo Clinical

  • Kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • Tebra publishes no rate: pricing varies with provider count, features and implementation requirements and is quoted during a demo
  • Billing counts clinical providers such as MDs, DOs, NPs and PAs, so adding a prescriber raises the bill even though non clinical staff are free
  • Electronic prescribing of controlled substances setup costs about $75 per provider as a one time fee
  • PDMP integration costs $500 one time per facility plus about $50 per user per year

Pricing, plan by plan

Epocrates

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

Kareo Clinical

$89/month
  • Clinical Starter$89/month
    • EHR
    • Scheduling
    • Patient Portal
  • Clinical Plus$189/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Billing
    • Analytics

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 Kareo Clinical if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want scheduling.
Kareo Clinical review

Questions people ask

Is Epocrates or Kareo Clinical better?
Neither clearly leads. Epocrates starts at Free and Kareo Clinical at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epocrates or Kareo Clinical?
Epocrates has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Epocrates and $89/month for Kareo Clinical.
Does Epocrates or Kareo Clinical run on more platforms?
Epocrates runs on Mobile. Kareo Clinical runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Epocrates for free?
Yes. Epocrates has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kareo Clinical starts at $89/month.
What is Epocrates best used for?
Epocrates is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth. Of those, patient care and medical records are not what Kareo Clinical is typically brought in for.
What can Epocrates do that Kareo Clinical cannot?
Epocrates covers Drug Reference, Interactions, Dosing Calculators, Disease Information. Kareo Clinical covers Electronic Health Records, Scheduling, Patient Portal, Medical Billing. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Epocrates: How much does Epocrates cost?

Epocrates pricing information is not available to public access. Users must authenticate or contact the vendor to view pricing details.

Source
Kareo Clinical: How much does Kareo Clinical (now Tebra) cost?

Kareo Clinical pricing is not published publicly. Pricing is based on the number of clinical providers in your practice, not seat licenses. Setup includes optional EPCS at $75/provider and PDMP Integration at $500 one-time per facility plus $50/user/year.

Source
Kareo Clinical: Does Tebra charge for front desk staff and medical assistants?

No. Tebra provides unlimited non-clinical staff access at no extra cost. Front desk staff, medical assistants, billers, and office admins can all access scheduling, charting, and claims modules without increasing billing.

Source
Kareo Clinical: Are there reduced rates for low-volume practices on Tebra?

Yes. Practices with providers billing under 100 claims monthly receive lower-tier pricing for those low-volume providers.

Source
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