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Healthcare · head to head

Epic Systems vs Kareo

Epic Systems logo

Epic Systems

Healthcare

Leading electronic health records system 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: Epic Systems no free version or trial; enterprise pricing only with custom negotiation required; Kareo kareo is now part of Tebra and sold under the Tebra brand rather than as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Epic Systems covers Revenue Cycle Management, Kareo covers Scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Epic Systems and Kareo differ
AttributeEpic SystemsKareo
Starting priceOn request$99/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, 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 Epic Systems

  • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Clinical Decision Support
  • Population Health
  • Lab Systems
  • Imaging Systems
  • Pharmacy Systems
  • HITRUST
  • On-premise deployment

Only in Kareo

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

Both cover

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Patient Portal
  • HIPAA
  • SOC2
  • 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 Carenot Kareo
  • Medical Recordsnot Kareo
  • Practice Managementnot Kareo
  • Telehealthnot Kareo

Kareo

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

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

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

Epic Systems

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Epic Systems review.

Kareo

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Epic Systems if

  • You need revenue cycle management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want clinical decision support.
Epic Systems review

Choose Kareo if

  • You need scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want medical billing.
Kareo review

Questions people ask

Is Epic Systems or Kareo better?
Neither clearly leads. Epic Systems 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, Epic Systems or Kareo?
Epic Systems starts at On request and Kareo at $99/month.
Does Epic Systems or Kareo run on more platforms?
Epic Systems runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Kareo 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. Of those, patient care and medical records are not what Kareo is typically brought in for.
What can Epic Systems do that Kareo cannot?
Epic Systems covers Revenue Cycle Management, Clinical Decision Support, Population Health, Lab Systems. Kareo covers Scheduling, Medical Billing, Payment Processing, Labs. Both handle Electronic Health Records, Patient Portal, HIPAA, SOC2.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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