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Healthcare · head to head

Cerner vs Kareo

Cerner logo

Cerner

Healthcare

Health information technology solutions for healthcare organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kareo logo

Kareo

Healthcare

Cloud-based EHR and billing for small practices

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cerner no published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes; Kareo kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Cerner covers Revenue Cycle, Kareo covers Scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cerner and Kareo actually diverge.

Attributes where Cerner and Kareo differ
AttributeCernerKareo
Starting priceOn request$99/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
Founded19792010

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 Cerner

  • Revenue Cycle
  • Population Health
  • Patient Engagement
  • HL7
  • FHIR
  • Lab Systems
  • On-premise deployment
  • Desktop support

Only in Kareo

  • Scheduling
  • Patient Portal
  • Medical Billing
  • Payment Processing
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Both cover

  • Electronic Health Records
  • HIPAA
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

Cerner

  • Hospital and acute care EHR for chart review and clinical documentationnot Kareo
  • Mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devicesnot Kareo

Kareo

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cerner

  • No published pricing on vendor website; enterprise healthcare software requires custom quotes

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Cerner

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cerner review.

Kareo

$99/month
  • Starter$99/month
    • EHR
    • Scheduling
    • Patient Portal
  • Professional$199/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Billing
    • Reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Cerner if

  • You need revenue cycle.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want population health.
Cerner review

Choose Kareo if

  • You need scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want patient portal.
Kareo review

Questions people ask

Is Cerner or Kareo better?
Neither clearly leads. Cerner starts at On request and Kareo at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cerner or Kareo?
Cerner starts at On request and Kareo at $99/month.
Does Cerner or Kareo run on more platforms?
Cerner runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kareo runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Cerner best used for?
Cerner is most often used for hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation, mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices. Of those, hospital and acute care ehr for chart review and clinical documentation and mobile clinical access for physicians and care teams on point-of-care devices are not what Kareo is typically brought in for.
What can Cerner do that Kareo cannot?
Cerner covers Revenue Cycle, Population Health, Patient Engagement, HL7. Kareo covers Scheduling, Patient Portal, Medical Billing, Payment Processing. Both handle Electronic Health Records, HIPAA, SOC2, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cerner: Does Cerner publish its pricing?

No, Cerner does not publish standard pricing. As an enterprise healthcare EHR vendor (now acquired by Oracle), pricing is customized per healthcare organization based on size, bed capacity, modules required, and implementation scope. Contact Oracle Health for pricing.

Source
Kareo: Does Kareo publish its pricing?

No. Kareo (now rebranded as Tebra) uses custom per-practice pricing that varies based on the number of providers, features needed, and implementation requirements. Pricing is determined during a demo with the sales team.

Source
Kareo: Are there discounts for adding multiple modules?

Yes. Tebra states that many practices qualify for bundled pricing or volume incentives when adopting multiple modules like EHR, billing, and patient experience tools together.

Source
Kareo: What are the additional costs for controlled substance prescribing?

For providers who prescribe controlled substances, EPCS setup costs approximately $75 per provider as a one-time fee, and PDMP integration costs $500 one-time per facility plus around $50 per user per year.

Source
Kareo: Does Kareo offer a free trial?

Kareo's website does not mention a free trial option. Access to pricing and trial arrangements requires contacting the sales team to request a demo.

Source
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