In the competitive landscape of healthcare technology, Athelas EMR has gained recognition for its AI-powered revenue cycle management and ambient documentation features. However, as practices evolve and operational demands intensify, many healthcare providers are discovering that they need more specialized solutions, better pricing transparency, or enhanced customer support that goes beyond what Athelas currently offers.
In this guide, we've compiled a list of the top 8 Athelas alternatives, including SPRY. We'll break down each alternative, compare features, and help you find the perfect fit based on your practice specialty, size, and clinical priorities.
Let's explore which EHR solution is best suited to take your practice beyond what Athelas can offer.
What is Athelas EMR?
Athelas is a healthcare technology company involved in revenue cycle management (RCM), ambient AI and electronic medical records (EMRs), designed to streamline healthcare operations and improve patient outcomes. Founded in 2016, Athelas has 800 employees based in Mountain View, CA, and achieved unicorn status in 2022 with a valuation of $1.5 billion. Athelas merged with healthcare software company Commure in 2023, creating a combined entity valued at $6 billion.
Key Featuers
AI-Powered Ambient Documentation
Ambient AI adapts to your unique style to deliver chart notes just as you'd write them. Scribed chart notes automatically sync to your EMR while you do other tasks.
Revenue Cycle Management
Athelas processes millions of data points to reveal powerful insights on your practice's financial health, allowing you to make confident decisions that drive growth and stability.
EHR Integration
Athelas streamlines healthcare data management by seamlessly integrating remote patient monitoring (RPM) vitals into over 80 EHR systems, including Epic, Cerner, and Athena.
AI Copilot Features
Copilot mode can answer questions, retrieve data, and run tasks on your behalf. Ambient AI automatically generates CPT and ICD-10 codes for your encounter.
While these features are valuable, many users cite pricing transparency issues, overselling of revenue recovery capabilities, and system reliability concerns as reasons to seek better alternatives.
Common Pain Points
Based on verified user reviews from Capterra and industry feedback:
Pricing Transparency IssuesAthelas does not offer upfront pricing on its website and requires significant user information before providing cost details, making budget evaluation challenging for practices.
Overselling Revenue RecoveryOne practice reported being told they were underbilling by approximately $120,000 per month, but the actual recoverable amount was closer to $6,000, indicating potential overselling of capabilities.
System Reliability ConcernsUsers continue to have problems that cause issues with patient and employee trust in the system, though the company shows willingness to address concerns.
Why Look for Athelas EMR Alternatives?
While Athelas offers innovative AI-powered features, many practices have discovered specific limitations that impact their operational efficiency and growth potential. User reviews consistently highlight concerns such as lack of pricing transparency, complex setup processes requiring extensive information sharing, and questions about the accuracy of revenue recovery projections.
For practices seeking more reliable, transparent, and specialty-focused solutions, exploring Athelas alternatives has become not just optional—but essential.
- Better Pricing Transparency: Modern practices want clear, upfront pricing without extensive data collection requirements
- Specialty-Specific Features: Rehabilitation and therapy practices need workflows built specifically for their clinical needs
- Live Customer Support: Modern practices want instant access to support, not just automated responses
- Proven Efficiency Gains: Practices prefer platforms with verified user testimonials showing measurable documentation time reductions
- Integrated Billing Excellence: Practices need reliable billing platforms with high clean claims rates and fast reimbursement
Comparison Table
Top Athelas EMR Alternatives
1. SPRY
SPRY is purpose-built for rehab and therapy-focused clinics, offering a tightly integrated EMR, scheduling, billing, and patient engagement suite. Here's how it solves the exact problems that make practices look beyond Athelas:
Overview- SPRY is the inventor of SPRY EMR, an integrated practice management solution that enables rehab therapy professionals to succeed in practice and in business—from the front desk to clinical operations to the back office. SPRY has once again outperformed in G2's Summer 2025 Reports, winning 15 badges, including 7 Leader awards, and securing top spots across Medical Billing, Physical Therapy, and EHR categories.
Key Strengths
- AI-powered documentation: Users report documentation time reduced from 30 minutes to just 7 minutes per patient with automated SOAP note assistance
- Transparent pricing: More reasonable pricing than WebPT - especially when you consider what is included and not charged as "ad-on" modules
- Industry-leading support: SPRY secured the No. 1 spot on the Physical Therapy Relationship Index, earning the prestigious Best Relationship badge
- Rapid implementation: SPRY has earned a reputation for flexible workflow customizations, short migration times, and high-velocity claims processing
- PT-optimized workflows: "SPRY is a gamechanger in the physical therapy world" (G2 Review)
G2 Rating: 4.1/5 | Capterra Rating: 4.2/5 (156 reviews)
Best Fit For- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology practices seeking specialized workflows, rapid implementation, and therapy-specific features with exceptional customer support.
2. Epic Systems
Overview- Epic Systems is a leading provider of healthcare software, offering comprehensive EHR solutions widely adopted by large healthcare organizations. Epic Systems Corporation is the largest EHR vendor with 41.3% of hospital installations.
Key Strengths
- Market leadership: Epic Systems Corporation holds the largest market share among EHR vendors in the United States, commanding 28.21% of the market
- Comprehensive functionality: Offers a wide range of features supporting various medical specialties
- Strong interoperability: Integrates seamlessly with other systems, facilitating smooth data exchange
- Enterprise scalability: Suitable for large healthcare organizations with complex needs
Best Fit For- Large rehabilitation hospitals, health systems, and enterprise organizations with dedicated IT resources requiring extensive customization and interoperability.
3. athenahealth (athenaOne)
OverviewAthenaHealth leads the EHR market with a more extensive customer base and higher market share, offering cloud-based EHR and practice management services, emphasizing connectivity and interoperability.
Key Strengths
- Industry-leading clean claims: Practices that use athenaOne have 98.4% of their claims accepted the first time they are submitted
- Exceptional uptime: athenaOne has an industry leading 99.98% uptime, so athenaOne is there when you need it
- Prior authorization success: Clients who rely on athenaOne and our team of authorization specialists have a 98% success rate for authorizations
- Market presence: AthenaHealth has a larger customer base, serving 6,721 clients compared to Epic's 2,292
Pricing: Basic Plan starting at approximately $140 per month per provider
Best Fit For- Medium to large practices prioritizing revenue cycle optimization with strong billing requirements and comprehensive financial management needs.
4. Oracle Cerner
Overview-Cerner, with the second largest global market share of approximately 25%, offers a proven track record and extensive experience in the healthcare IT space. Acquired by Oracle in 2022.
Key Strengths
- Advanced analytics: Provides advanced analytics tools for informed decision-making
- Population health management: Supports initiatives to improve community health outcomes
- Customizable workflows: Allows tailoring to specific clinical workflows
- Global presence: Trusted by healthcare organizations worldwide
Pricing- Base EMR Subscription starts at $25 per user monthly, with Ambulatory EMR plan at $250 monthly
Best Fit For-Large hospitals and health systems requiring comprehensive data analytics and population health management capabilities.
5. DrChrono
Overview-DrChrono EHR is a software that combines EMR, PM, revenue cycle management, and medical billing to provide high quality product and services to medical practices. DrChrono has been voted #1 mobile EHR for 9 years running.
Key Strengths
- Mobile-first design: DrChrono is cloud-based and one of a select few to be official Apple mobility partners
- Customization capabilities: DrChrono offers extensive scalability capabilities and is flexible enough to help medical practices grow
- iPad optimization: For the cost of an iPad, you could have a fully functioning office from billing to medical records
- Revenue cycle management: Built-in billing with business intelligence tools for analyzing payment trends
G2 Rating:- 4.3/5 (203 reviews) | Capterra Rating: 4.4/5 (112 reviews)
Best Fit For- Small to mid-sized practices requiring mobile-first functionality with extensive customization options and iPad-native workflows.
6. WebPT
Overview- WebPT has been named Best for Physical Therapists in Software Advice's 2025 list of Best Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software, earning an impressive 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 473 verified user reviews.
Key Strengths
- PT-specific design: Purpose-built software designed by therapists, for therapists
- Market penetration: WebPT is trusted by over 150,000 rehab therapy professionals and serves more than 40% of the outpatient rehab market
- Compliance features: Built-in compliance features help keep practices on track with Medicare and HIPAA
- AI-powered features: Get the EMR software that makes charting 30% faster
Limitations- Users report system slowness, frequent outages with at least one major outage per quarter lasting over a day, and expensive costs including patient appointment reminder fees
Best Fit For- Established physical therapy practices seeking proven PT-specific workflows with comprehensive market presence and established features.
7. eClinicalWorks
Overview- eClinicalWorks offers integrated EHR and practice management with AI-powered virtual assistant capabilities. eClinicalWorks, LLC accounts for 6.57% of the EHR market.
Key Strengths
- AI virtual assistant: eClinicalWorks offers a virtual assistant named Eva
- Comprehensive platform: Multi-specialty support with population health management tools
- Cloud-based solution: Comprehensive EHR and practice management platform serving various practice sizes
- Voice AI transcription: Advanced voice recognition for documentation efficiency
Best Fit For- Multi-specialty practices or larger organizations requiring comprehensive population health management with diverse clinical needs beyond single specialties.
8. NextGen Healthcare
Overview-NextGen provides flexible EHR and practice management solutions with strong customization options for practices of all sizes. NextGen Healthcare has a market share of 5.37%.
Key Strengths
- Ambulatory care focus: NextGen Healthcare provides software designed specifically for ambulatory care
- Specialty workflows: Customizable templates for different medical specialties
- Automated reporting: Offers automated reporting for improved operational insights
- Mobile accessibility: Good cross-device functionality and responsiveness
Best Fit For- Multi-specialty practices including rehabilitation services that need flexible workflow customization with good mobile access and established platform reliability.
Why SPRY EMR?
Rapid Market Recognition
"A year ago, SPRY wasn't even ranked among the top 85 companies. By the G2 Summer 2024 Report, we had advanced to fourth place, and now, just a quarter later, we've reached the No. 3 spot on the Physical Therapy Grid® in the G2 Fall 2024 Report". This remarkable growth demonstrates real user satisfaction and platform effectiveness.
Superior Customer Relationships
SPRY secured the No. 1 spot on the Physical Therapy Relationship Index, earning the prestigious Best Relationship badge, highlighting their commitment to customer success—a stark contrast to Athelas's reported trust issues.
Proven Efficiency Excellence
Unlike Athelas's unverified claims, SPRY delivers measurable results: users report documentation time reduced from 30 minutes to just 7 minutes per patient, allowing practitioners to focus more on patient care.
Transparent, Competitive Pricing
SPRY is a much better cost for service option compared to WebPT, especially when you consider what is included and not charged as "ad-on" modules. Unlike Athelas's opaque pricing structure, SPRY offers clear, upfront costs.
AI-Forward Innovation with Reliability
"Spry has been a game changer in all aspects of our daily operation as a company, from improving therapist workflow and efficiency to improving billing and administrative team tasks. It is very AI forward with advanced features that are unmatched".
How to Choose the Right Alternative
When replacing Athelas EMR, consider the following critical factors:
1. Practice Specialty Alignment
- Rehabilitation Therapy: SPRY offers specialized workflows built specifically for PT, OT, and SLP practices
- General Practice: athenahealth provides comprehensive tools for various medical specialties
- Large Health Systems: Epic and Oracle Cerner offer enterprise-grade solutions
2. Pricing Transparency and Total Cost
- Look for platforms with upfront pricing rather than requiring extensive data collection
- Consider total cost including implementation, training, and ongoing support
- Evaluate what's included versus what requires additional fees
3. Support Quality and Responsiveness
- SPRY users consistently highlight "the best customer service of any EMR I have used"
- Verify support availability (24/7 vs business hours)
- Check response time commitments for technical issues
4. Implementation and Migration Timeline
- SPRY has earned a reputation for short migration times
- Consider practice downtime during transition
- Evaluate data migration support and training requirements
5. Measurable Efficiency Gains
- Look for platforms with verified user testimonials showing specific time savings
- Evaluate documentation time reduction capabilities
- Consider automation features that reduce administrative burden
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why should I switch from Athelas EMR?A: If you've experienced pricing transparency issues, system reliability concerns, or need more specialized workflows, alternatives like SPRY offer better clarity and specialty-specific optimization.
Q2: Is SPRY only for therapy practices?A: SPRY is optimized for rehabilitation therapy workflows (PT, OT, SLP) but offers comprehensive EMR and billing support designed specifically for these specialties.
Q3: What's the average cost of an Athelas alternative?A: Prices vary significantly. Oracle Cerner starts at $25/user/month, athenahealth at $140/provider/month, while SPRY offers transparent pricing starting at $150/provider/month with comprehensive features included.
Q4: Can I migrate my data from Athelas to another platform?A: Yes, most reputable platforms offer data migration support. SPRY is known for particularly smooth migration processes with short transition times.
Q5: Do these alternatives offer better customer support than Athelas?A: SPRY users consistently report "the best customer service of any EMR I have used" and "the easiest and best onboarding experience", addressing common Athelas support concerns.
Q6: Are these alternatives secure and compliant?A: All listed platforms are HIPAA compliant and offer ONC-certified EHR systems with robust security features and audit capabilities.
Conclusion
Choosing an EHR system is a significant decision that impacts daily operations, staff efficiency, and patient care quality. While Athelas EMR offers AI-powered features and revenue cycle management, the evolving healthcare technology landscape provides numerous alternatives that may better address specific practice needs, particularly regarding pricing transparency, specialty-specific workflows, and customer support quality.
SPRY's consistent recognition in G2 reports and user testimonials makes it a particularly compelling choice for rehabilitation therapy practices seeking measurable efficiency gains and exceptional support. For larger organizations, Epic and Oracle Cerner provide enterprise-grade solutions, while athenahealth offers strong revenue cycle management for general practices.
The key to successful EHR selection lies in identifying which solution aligns best with your practice specialty, size, budget constraints, and growth plans. Whether you're a solo practitioner seeking specialized therapy workflows, a growing practice needing reliable support, or a large organization requiring enterprise-grade features, there are proven alternatives available.
Take advantage of demos and implementation consultations offered by these platforms to experience their capabilities firsthand before making your final decision. Remember that the "best" EHR is the one that your team will actually use effectively and that supports your practice's specific goals while delivering measurable improvements in efficiency and patient care.
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