Software · head to head
Kareo vs Calm
The short version
- Only Calm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Kareo kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product; Calm free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment
- They diverge on capability: Kareo covers Electronic Health Records, Calm covers Sleep Stories.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kareo and Calm actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Kareo
- Electronic Health Records
- Scheduling
- Patient Portal
- Medical Billing
- Payment Processing
- Labs
- Pharmacies
- Clearinghouses
Only in Calm
- Sleep Stories
- Guided meditations
- Daily Calm
- Breathing exercises
- Calm Body stretching
- Apple Health
- Apple Watch
- Samsung Health
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Kareo
- Practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practicesnot Calm
- Electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinicsnot Calm
- Insurance claim submission and patient payment collectionnot Calm
Calm
- Workout trackingnot Kareo
- Nutrition managementnot Kareo
- Health monitoringnot Kareo
- Fitness coachingnot Kareo
- Wellness improvementnot Kareo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Kareo
- 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
Calm
- Free tier is severely limited, with almost all content requiring payment
- Only one meditation per day included in free tier (Daily Calm)
- Annual pricing is among the highest in the meditation app category
- Less extensive free content library compared to Insight Timer (which has 100,000+ free meditations)
- Limited customization of meditation sessions; mostly follows Calm's curated content
Pricing, plan by plan
Kareo
$99/month- Starter$99/month
- EHR
- Scheduling
- Patient Portal
- Professional$199/month
- Everything in Starter
- Billing
- Reporting
Calm
Free- FreeFree
- Daily Calm
- Select Sleep Stories
- 1 breathing exercise
- Premium Monthly$12.99/month
- All content unlocked
- Sleep Stories
- Masterclasses
- Premium Annual$69.99/year
- All content unlocked
- Sleep Stories
- Masterclasses
- Family Plan$99.99/year
- Up to 6 accounts
- All Premium content
- Separate customization per member
Which should you pick?
Choose Kareo if
- You need electronic health records.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want scheduling.
Choose Calm if
- You need sleep stories.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want guided meditations.
Questions people ask
- Is Kareo or Calm better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kareo starts at $99/month and Calm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kareo or Calm?
- Calm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Kareo and Free for Calm.
- Does Kareo or Calm run on more platforms?
- Kareo runs on Web, Mobile. Calm runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Calm for free?
- Yes. Calm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kareo starts at $99/month.
- What is Kareo best used for?
- Kareo is most often used for practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practices, electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinics, insurance claim submission and patient payment collection. Of those, practice management, scheduling and billing for independent medical practices and electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinics are not what Calm is typically brought in for.
- What can Kareo do that Calm cannot?
- Kareo covers Electronic Health Records, Scheduling, Patient Portal, Medical Billing. Calm covers Sleep Stories, Guided meditations, Daily Calm, Breathing exercises. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Calm: What does Calm's free tier include?
The free plan includes 1 breathing exercise, Day 1 of programs, select Sleep Stories, and Scenes, plus the famous Daily Calm feature and bedtime stories. Most content is locked behind the paid tier.
SourceCalm: What is included in Calm Premium?
Calm Premium (all paid tiers are identical) includes The Daily Calm, Sleep Stories narrated by celebrities, exclusive music playlists, masterclasses taught by experts, Daily Move video lessons for stretching and mindful movement, and the entire content library.
SourceCalm: How much does Calm Premium cost?
Monthly subscription is $12.99/month, annual is $69.99-$79.99/year, Family Plan is $99.99/year (includes 1 Admin + 5 Members), and lifetime membership is available as a one-time payment.
SourceCalm: Does Calm offer pricing for organizations or teams?
Yes. Calm offers organizational plans for groups of 5-300 people with per-seat pricing based on total 'covered lives.' Larger groups receive deeper discounts. Pricing is significantly reduced compared to individual subscriptions.
SourceCalm: Does Calm work offline?
Calm's app functions offline for already-downloaded content. Downloaded Sleep Stories, meditations, and Music programs can be accessed without an internet connection.
SourceRelated pages
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