athenahealth vs Tebra at a glance
| athenahealth (athenaOne) | Tebra | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Independent primary care and specialty groups that want one cloud platform for EHR, billing and patient engagement | Small independent practices that want EHR, billing and patient marketing together |
| Practice size | Independent practices and groups; no size limits published | Solo and group independent practices; billing companies |
| Starting price | Not published | Not published |
| Pricing model | Quote-based; athenahealth says pricing is a percentage of collections, with no long-term contracts | Quote-based bundles per prescribing provider; unlimited non-clinical staff |
| Core approach | Integrated cloud suite of EHR, practice management, billing and patient engagement | Modular packages from EHR Starter or Billing Starter up to All in One |
| EHR integrations | athenahealth Marketplace of third-party apps; ambient AI partners including Suki | Lab, imaging and other healthcare tool connections; PDMP integration |
| HIPAA / BAA | Trust Center published; request BAA with contract | Offers a BAA; policies based on HITRUST CSF; AICPA service auditor report |
| Platforms | Web; athenaOne iOS app (iPhone, iPad); athenaPatient app | Web; Tebra Mobile for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch |
| Notable strength | Patient self-scheduling, check-in, messaging and telehealth through athenaPatient | Reviews, web profiles and Google Business Profile tools in its All in One or Patient Experience + Marketing packages |
| Main drawback | No public pricing; collections-based fees rise with revenue | No public pricing; Starter packages leave out telehealth and patient marketing tools |
Key differences
Pricing structure
Neither vendor publishes prices, but they quote differently. athenahealth says athenaOne's cost is based on a percentage of collections, with no long-term contracts, so your bill rises as revenue grows. Tebra licenses per prescribing provider (MD, DO, NP or PA), includes unlimited access for non-clinical staff and says providers billing 100 claims or fewer a month may qualify for lower-tier pricing. Tebra lists compliance fees of about $75 per provider one time for EPCS setup and $500 per facility for PDMP integration plus about $50 per user a year. Ask athenahealth to express its quote as an estimated monthly amount at your current collections.
Platform scope and bundles
athenaOne is a single cloud platform that combines the EHR, practice management, billing and patient engagement. Tebra sells packages you can start small with: EHR Starter for charting, e-prescribing, labs and MIPS; Billing Starter for practice management and billing; EHR+ for both plus telehealth; a separate Patient Experience + Marketing package; and All in One, which includes everything. A practice that only needs billing software, or only an EHR, has a cleaner entry point with Tebra.
Patient engagement and marketing
athenaOne's athenaPatient app lets patients view results, message the care team, self-schedule, check in before the visit and join telehealth visits when the practice turns those features on. Tebra's All in One package covers online scheduling, digital intake, custom reminders and messaging, and it adds marketing: review management, broadcast messages, web profiles and Google Business Profile tools, which are also sold as a separate package. athenahealth focuses on serving existing patients. Tebra also helps attract new ones.
AI and integrations
athenahealth takes a partner approach to AI documentation. Ambient Notes became generally available with Suki's ambient technology in May 2025, and Microsoft lists Dragon solutions for athenahealth. The athenahealth Marketplace offers third-party apps that connect to athenaOne. Tebra builds its own AI tools, including AI Note Assist for charting and AI tools for review replies and patient billing. Its EHR connects with labs, imaging centers and other healthcare tools.
Which should you choose?
Both can run a small independent practice. athenaOne tends to suit groups that want a deeper platform and marketplace. Tebra tends to suit smaller practices that want straightforward bundles and help with patient acquisition.
Choose athenahealth if:
- You are a multi-provider primary care or specialty group planning to grow
- You want patient self-service through a dedicated patient app
- You want to choose among ambient AI scribe partners inside the EHR
Choose Tebra if:
- You want to start with only an EHR or only billing and add more later
- Your front desk and billing staff need unlimited logins at no extra cost
- You want review management and web profiles from your EHR vendor
If you prefer a published per-provider price, compare eClinicalWorks or AdvancedMD.