# athenaText vs Althea Smart EHR

The clearest difference is rating: Althea Smart EHR at 4.3 against athenaText's 3.9. Althea Smart EHR also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks). athenaText's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Althea Smart EHR holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 377 and 126 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of athenaText's written reviews are positive against 81% of Althea Smart EHR's.

athenaText ships an update every 4 weeks, Althea Smart EHR every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | athenaText | Althea Smart EHR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (377 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athenatext/id912505086/reviews) | **[4.3 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/althea-smart-ehr/id1437551888/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **377** | 126 |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | **81.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [athenahealth](https://appshunter.io/developer/535158438) | [Althea Care, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437551887) |

## What reviewers say

### athenaText

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/athenatext/id912505086)

A secure, HIPAA-compliant text messaging service for healthcare providers to collaborate, consult, and share information instantly. Communicate clearly and confidently with colleagues and a network of HCPs nationwide.

**Highlights:** HIPAA-compliant messaging, Instant collaboration, Share texts and images, Consult with peers nationwide, Integrated drug information

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient communication
- 🔒 HIPAA compliant
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Convenient for on-the-go use
- 👍 Streamlined with Athena EMR

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent notifications
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Login and sync issues
- 🐛 Delayed message loading
- 🐛 Limited functionality compared to web version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on login or when switching between screens
- Notifications not working or delayed
- Sync issues causing loss of messages
- Inability to log in or access the app after updates
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Snooze or do-not-disturb functionality
- Ability to dictate notes and sign off on charts
- Mass delete/management of message threads
- Improved push notifications and alerts
- Android app support


### Althea Smart EHR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/althea-smart-ehr/id1437551888)

This comprehensive electronic health record system integrates practice management, patient portal, and revenue cycle management. It offers a streamlined interface for doctors with extensive charting capabilities, patient communication tools, and secure document handling.

**Highlights:** Integrated EHR, Practice Management, Patient Portal, RCM, Single-page access to comprehensive patient data, Smart charting with voice recognition, macros, and templates, Patient messaging and appointment/reminder text messaging, Cloud-based faxing, Customizable user views

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is athenaText free?

athenaText is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Althea Smart EHR free?

Althea Smart EHR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, athenaText or Althea Smart EHR?

Althea Smart EHR is rated higher. athenaText averages 3.9 out of 5 from 377 ratings, while Althea Smart EHR averages 4.3 from 126 ratings.

### Do athenaText or Althea Smart EHR have ads?

Neither athenaText nor Althea Smart EHR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, athenaText or Althea Smart EHR?

athenaText ships an update every 4 weeks, and Althea Smart EHR every 9 days. Most recently, athenaText was updated on October 20, 2026 and Althea Smart EHR on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*