athenahealth vs Cerner

Founded in 1997 in San Diego and now headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, athenahealth provides a cloud-based platform that integrates electronic health records, revenue cycle management, practice operations, and patient engagement tools. Their athenaOne suite combines AI-powered features like ambient documentation, predictive analytics, and automated billing workflows to help providers reduce administrative burden and improve clinical efficiency. The platform also supports telehealth, mobile access, open API integrations, and participation in a national provider network, making it highly adaptable for practices of various sizes and specialties. Athenahealth’s percentage-based pricing model aligns with practice revenue, and their Success Community gives users input into product evolution. While users value its automation and flexibility, some report challenges with implementation, usability, and contract clarity. Still, athenahealth’s broad capabilities and ongoing innovation make it a strong contender for modern, data-driven healthcare delivery.

Cerner, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the most established names in healthcare IT. Over the decades, they built a comprehensive suite of role-oriented solutions that serve providers, patients, employers, government agencies, and researchers. At the center of their platform is a robust electronic health record (EHR) system that connects clinical documentation, scheduling, patient portals, and education resources. They also provide advanced revenue cycle management, population health tools, and analytics powered by their Lights On Network®, which delivers real-time dashboards and benchmarking.
Beyond clinical and financial functions, Cerner has offered managed services through partnerships with AWS, SaaS products like Cerner Millennium® and Soarian®, and tiered customer support that ranges from help desk services to specialized engineering assistance. Their focus on security and compliance, backed by ISO 9001:2000 certification and an A+ Better Business Bureau accreditation, reflects a long-standing commitment to quality.