athenahealth remains one of the strongest EMR platforms available in 2026, particularly for practices where revenue cycle management is the top priority. Its billing engine is battle-tested across a network of 160,000+ providers, and the benchmarking data this network generates gives practices genuine insight into their financial performance relative to peers. In our evaluation, athenahealth scored highest in interoperability and billing, reflecting its deep payer connections and participation in major health information exchanges. Where it falls short of the top spot is in usability and mobile experience, areas where newer platforms have established a higher bar. The percentage-based pricing model also introduces cost unpredictability that some practices find difficult to budget around. For practices that can absorb the pricing structure and value proven billing infrastructure, athenahealth delivers reliable, comprehensive functionality.
"Billing is rock solid. The clinical side has improved but still requires too many clicks."
"Reliable platform with excellent payer connectivity. Support could be faster for smaller practices."
"We have been on athena for five years and the billing performance keeps us loyal despite the cost."
Mid-size and growing practices that prioritize billing performance and interoperability, and are comfortable with a percentage-of-collections pricing model that scales with their revenue.
See how athenahealth stacks up against other EMR systems in a side-by-side comparison.