Comparison

athenaText vs UTSWRefer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

athenaText

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
Read full description

Collaborate. Consult. Connect. Introducing athenaText, the free, secure text messaging service designed especially for health care providers. Collaborate instantly Exchange information instantly and collaborate easily across care teams. Share texts, images, and medication information with your colleagues. Communicate with security and confidence Because athenaText enables HIPAA-compliant messaging, there's no need to be cryptic to avoid revealing PHI. Communicate clearly and share texts and images with the confidence that your communications are secure. Consult with your peers on the go Tap a network of HCPs across the country, courtesy of Epocrates, the #1 medical app trusted by 1 out of 2 US physicians. Invite HCPs to join you in secure conversations. Add the latest drug information athenaText is also built into athenaOne mobile app as well as athenahealth's desktop services athenaClinicals (EHR) and athenaCoordinator (order transmission & care collaboration). At your clinic or on the go, secure communication is just a tap away.

About

UTSWRefer

This app provides healthcare professionals with streamlined access to UT Southwestern's network of specialists and services. It facilitates patient referrals, hospital transfers, and access to clinical trials and educational resources within a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.

Highlights
  • Patient referral forms
  • Hospital transfer requests
  • Clinical trial search
  • CME search
  • Physician directory
  • Managed care contracts
Read full description

UTSWRefer is a mobile solution delivering an unrivaled referral experience with UT Southwestern’s network of specialty physicians across North Texas with expertise in more than 80 areas of medical specialization, including the most complex cases. With UTSWRefer, physicians gain stream-lined access with UT Southwestern Medical Center including one touch access to hospital transfers, clinical trials, CME, referrals by phone, accepted insurances, and more. o Easily refer a patient to UT Southwestern using our secure HIPAA-compliant form or by phone o Request hospital transfer o Clinical Trial search o Continuing Medical Education Search o Location or Clinic Site directory o Provider or faculty directory o Access UT Southwestern latest scientific advancements o Current UTSW Managed Care contracts

Screenshots

athenaText3 screens
UTSWRefer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: UTSWRefer at 5.0 against athenaText's 3.9. athenaText's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (377 vs 18). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

UTSWRefer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: athenaText has 377 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

athenaText ships an update every 4 weeks, UTSWRefer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
athenaText versus UTSWRefer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterathenaTextUTSWRefer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (377 ratings)5.0 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings377 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB42 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperathenahealthUT Southwestern Medical Center

Customer experience

athenaText

All ratings377 ratings
Positive70.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative26.3%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive75.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative20.0%

UTSWRefer

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

athenaText

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

UTSWRefer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

athenaText

No in-app purchases

None

UTSWRefer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is athenaText free?
athenaText is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is UTSWRefer free?
UTSWRefer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, athenaText or UTSWRefer?
UTSWRefer is rated higher. athenaText averages 3.9 out of 5 from 377 ratings, while UTSWRefer averages 5.0 from 18 ratings.
Do athenaText or UTSWRefer have ads?
Neither athenaText nor UTSWRefer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, athenaText or UTSWRefer?
athenaText ships an update every 4 weeks, and UTSWRefer every 3 months. Most recently, athenaText was updated on November 1, 2026 and UTSWRefer on November 3, 2026.

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