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Healthcare · head to head

Kareo vs Medscape

Kareo logo

Kareo

Healthcare

Cloud-based EHR and billing for small practices

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medscape logo

Medscape

Healthcare

Medical information, education, and news for healthcare professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Medscape 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; Medscape medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).
  • They diverge on capability: Kareo covers Electronic Health Records, Medscape covers Medical News.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kareo and Medscape actually diverge.

Attributes where Kareo and Medscape differ
AttributeKareoMedscape
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20101996

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Mobile), 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 Kareo

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Scheduling
  • Patient Portal
  • Medical Billing
  • Payment Processing
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Only in Medscape

  • Medical News
  • Drug Database
  • Medical Calculators
  • CME Courses
  • Disease Information
  • Specialty Content
  • EHR Systems

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile 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 Medscape
  • Electronic health records and e-prescribing for small clinicsnot Medscape
  • Insurance claim submission and patient payment collectionnot Medscape

Medscape

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

Medscape

  • Medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).

Pricing, plan by plan

Kareo

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

Medscape

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Medical news
    • Drug database
    • CME

Which should you pick?

Choose Kareo if

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

Choose Medscape if

  • You need medical news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug database.
Medscape review

Questions people ask

Is Kareo or Medscape better?
Neither clearly leads. Kareo starts at $99/month and Medscape at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kareo or Medscape?
Medscape has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Kareo and Free for Medscape.
Does Kareo or Medscape run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Medscape for free?
Yes. Medscape 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 Medscape is typically brought in for.
What can Kareo do that Medscape cannot?
Kareo covers Electronic Health Records, Scheduling, Patient Portal, Medical Billing. Medscape covers Medical News, Drug Database, Medical Calculators, CME Courses. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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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