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Candid Health vs Waystar

Compared by PracticeAll's healthcare IT team · Updated · How we review

The short answer

Candid Health and Waystar both automate insurance claims, but for different buyers. Candid is an API-first revenue cycle platform with a configurable rules engine, built for digital health companies, MSOs, medical groups and billing companies, and it connects mainly to modern EHRs such as Healthie, Elation and Canvas. Waystar is a large, established platform that works alongside hundreds of PM and hospital systems, from Epic to AdvancedMD, and adds prior authorization, estimates and patient payments. Your EHR and engineering resources usually decide it.

Choose Candid Health if you run a digital health company, MSO or multi-state group with technical staff and want claims to flow from your platform through an API.

Choose Waystar if you use a mainstream PM or hospital system and want eligibility, authorizations, claims, denials and patient payments from one established vendor.

Candid Health vs Waystar at a glance

Candid HealthWaystar
Best forDigital health companies, MSOs, medical groups and billing companies with technical resourcesPractices, ASCs, labs and health systems with in-house billing teams
Practice sizeGrowing multi-provider and multi-state organizations; 200+ customersPhysician practices to large health systems; 30,000+ clients
Starting priceNot publishedNot published
Pricing modelQuote-based; varies with size, volume and servicesQuote-based; rates not published
Core approachAPI-first claims automation with a configurable rules engine and optional human supportEnd-to-end RCM software from eligibility to remittance, with AltitudeAI
EHR integrationsAPIs, HL7v2, pre-built links to Healthie, Elation, Canvas, Medplum, Welkin and others500+ EHR and PM systems, including Epic, eClinicalWorks, NextGen and AdvancedMD
HIPAA / BAAStates HIPAA compliance; SOC 2 compliant badge; Type 1 SOC 1 report (2026); request BAAHITRUST CSF certification announced 2021; request BAA
PlatformsCloud web app and APIsCloud web interface or inside your PM system
Notable strengthBuilt for engineering teams to embed billing in their own productBroad PM coverage and patient payment tools
Main drawbackFew pre-built links to mainstream practice EHRsBuilt around existing PM systems, less suited to custom-built platforms

Key differences

Who each is built for

Candid says it serves more than 200 healthcare organizations and markets to medical groups, MSOs, digital health organizations and billing services. Its customer stories include Talkiatry, Tia, Nourish and Brave Health. Waystar says it serves more than 30,000 clients representing over 1 million providers, from physician practices and ASCs to labs, post-acute providers and large health systems. A small independent practice on a common PM system fits Waystar's model more naturally than Candid's.

Automation approach

Candid's platform is built around a rules engine with preconfigured payer rules that it keeps updated, plus custom rules customers can write. It checks codes, eligibility and required data before submission and tracks a touchless claim rate, the share of claims finalized without human work. Waystar applies AltitudeAI, which it describes as predictive, generative and agentic AI, across eligibility, claims and denials, and cites a 98.5% average first-pass clean claims rate. These descriptions and figures come from the vendors.

EHR integration

Candid integrates through APIs, native HL7v2 support and pre-built connections to newer EHRs, including Healthie, Elation, Canvas, Medplum, Welkin and Avon. That fits companies that built their own clinical platform. Waystar publishes a supported systems list covering hundreds of PM and hospital systems, including Epic, eClinicalWorks, NextGen, AdvancedMD and Kareo, and staff can work in Waystar or inside their PM system. If your EHR is on only one list, that likely settles it.

Scope, services and maturity

Waystar is a public company (Nasdaq: WAY) with financial clearance, prior authorization, patient estimates, patient payments and denial tools. Candid focuses on the claim lifecycle and reporting, offers services "for when a human touch is required," and added a software-only option in 2023. Candid raised a $120 million Series D led by Sixth Street Growth in July 2026. Waystar, formed through a 2017 merger, has the longer track record; Candid is newer and growing quickly by its own reporting.

Which should you choose?

These products overlap on claims but serve different buyers. Start with your EHR and whether you have engineers.

Choose Candid Health if:

  • You are a digital health company or MSO billing across many states
  • Your EHR is Healthie, Elation, Canvas or a custom platform with API access
  • You want to write your own claim rules and measure touchless claims

Choose Waystar if:

  • You run an independent practice, ASC or health system on a mainstream PM system
  • You want prior authorization, estimates and patient payments in the same vendor
  • You prefer an established vendor with a long client list

For an API-first clearinghouse you build on yourself, see Stedi, or athenahealth RCM if you would rather have EHR and billing from one vendor.

Read the full reviews

Candid Health reviewDigital health companies and MSOs automating claims with an in-house RCM teamContact for pricingWaystar logoWaystar reviewPractices wanting clearinghouse, eligibility and denial tools in one platformContact for pricing

Sources

  1. Candid Health homepage
  2. Candid Health integrations
  3. Candid Health automation and AI
  4. Candid Health about us
  5. Candid Health Series D announcement (July 2026)
  6. Candid Health Type 1 SOC 1 announcement (March 2026)
  7. Waystar: About us
  8. Waystar: Physician and specialty practices
  9. Waystar: Supported systems
  10. Waystar achieves HITRUST CSF certification (April 2021)

Candid Health vs Waystar: FAQ

How does Candid Health compare to Waystar for RCM and medical billing?

Candid is an API-first claims automation platform for digital health companies, MSOs and medical groups that want claims to flow from their own systems with as little manual work as possible. Waystar is a broad RCM platform that works beside hundreds of PM and hospital systems and adds prior authorization, estimates and patient payments. Candid suits technical, fast-growing organizations; Waystar suits traditional practices and health systems.

Is Candid Health or Waystar better for a small practice?

For most small independent practices, Waystar is the more natural fit, because it supports common PM systems and does not require engineering work. Candid can work for a smaller organization whose EHR has a Candid integration, such as Healthie or Elation, but it is built mainly for growing groups and digital health companies. Neither publishes pricing, so compare quotes.

Do Candid Health and Waystar integrate with athenahealth or eClinicalWorks?

Waystar lists eClinicalWorks on its supported systems list, along with Epic, NextGen and AdvancedMD. Candid's published pre-built EHR integrations are newer platforms such as Healthie, Elation, Canvas and Medplum, and it offers APIs and HL7v2 for custom connections. If you use athenahealth or eClinicalWorks, confirm the connection and its cost with Candid before evaluating further.

Are Candid Health and Waystar HIPAA compliant, and do they sign a BAA?

Both handle claims data as HIPAA business associates, so expect to sign a BAA. Candid states its platform is HIPAA compliant, shows a SOC 2 compliant badge on its website and reports a Type 1 SOC 1 examination with a clean opinion in 2026. Waystar announced HITRUST CSF certification in April 2021. Ask each vendor for its current audit report and BAA before contracting.

Can you switch from Waystar to Candid Health, or use both?

Switching is possible but involves new payer enrollments for remittances, EHR integration work and running both systems while open claims settle. Because Candid aims to manage the full claim lifecycle and Waystar covers much of the same ground, running both long term would duplicate cost. Plan a cutover date and keep reporting from the old system for A/R follow-up.