The Short Answer
There is no single best EHR for direct primary care in 2027. The right choice depends on how you like to chart, how you bill members and how many tools you want to run. Elation is the charting-first choice, Hint and Atlas.md keep charting and membership billing in one DPC-native platform, Akute offers flexible low-cost entry plans, Cerbo suits integrative and inventory-heavy clinics, and Charm is the lowest-cost option with a free plan.
This comparison is for DPC owners planning their 2027 stack. Every price and feature below was checked on the vendor's own website in October 2026. Plans change, so confirm the details on a demo before you sign.
DPC EHR Comparison Table
| EHR | Published price | Membership billing | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elation | Personalized quote | Native memberships and payments | Charting-first primary care clinicians |
| Hint | Launch from $290 per month, 1 clinician, unlimited members | Core of the platform, with employer billing on Pro and Scale | Membership-first and employer-focused DPC |
| Atlas.md | $300 per registered provider per month, unlimited patients | Built in, with prorating and fixed-rate options | DPC-native all-in-one, in-house dispensing |
| Akute | $100 per month (first 50 patients) to $550 per month (2 clinicians, 300 patients) | Integrated payment processor, Hint Core as an add-on | Low-cost start and automation-minded clinics |
| Cerbo | $281 per month per full-time prescribing provider | Subscriptions, recurring payments, online invoicing | Integrative, functional and supplement-heavy DPC |
| Charm | Free plan (50 encounters per month), or $200 per provider per month | Recurring card payments | Lowest fixed cost, configurable chart |
The table is ordered for reading, not ranked. Each of these is a real choice for a DPC clinic, and the right one depends on your practice.
Elation
Elation is a primary care EHR known for clinical charting. Elation was named Best in KLAS 2026 for Small Practice Ambulatory EHR (1 to 10 physicians, independent), and its DPC page describes itself as purpose-built for primary care.
For DPC specifically, Elation now describes native memberships and payments, with automated recurring billing, ACH and credit card processing, payment failure alerts, patient self-enrollment and flexible plan management. It also highlights ePrescribing, integrated telehealth, note scribing and automated follow-up tracking.
Elation does not publish list prices. You fill out a short form and a practice specialist responds with personalized pricing.
Elation is a strong fit if charting quality is your top priority and you want a mature primary care chart. Ask to see family and employer membership plans in the demo, since those are the plans that vary most from clinic to clinic.
Hint
Hint began in membership billing and now offers a full EHR on the same platform. Hint's clinical side covers customizable charts, longitudinal records, medications, diagnoses and lab trends, plus ePrescribing, lab orders, refills, integrated scheduling, secure messaging, phone, SMS, fax, online booking, intake forms and a member portal. Hint describes it as one patient record, one login and one member portal.
Hint's Launch plan starts at $290 per month and includes one clinician and unlimited members, with $290 per month per additional clinician. Hint says you pay nothing until you launch. The Pro plan starts at $320 per month (one clinician and 100 members) and adds employer management and billing, eligibility autosync and advanced membership pricing. Scale starts at $770 per month (500 members) and adds network management and commissions.
Hint is a strong fit for clinics where memberships and employer contracts are central to the business, and for owners who want billing and charting on one record.
Atlas.md
Atlas.md is built for direct care and keeps its pricing simple. It is $300 per month per registered provider, with unlimited patients and a 30-day free trial. Card payments are 2.1% plus 30 cents and ACH is 1.1% plus 30 cents.
The subscription includes membership billing with prorating and fixed-rate options, lab integrations with Quest, LabCorp and smaller regional labs, in-house pharmacy with unlimited inventory, prescriptions and dispensing, and fax, phone, email and text integration with automatic tracking of patient correspondence. Atlas.md also includes the Patient Hub, the Company Hub for employer clients, mobile apps, and Atlas Consult for remote specialist consultations. Support is available by email and phone.
Atlas.md is a strong fit for solo and small DPC clinics that want one DPC-native system, especially those that dispense medications in-house.
Akute
Akute describes itself as an automation-first EHR for modern care, including direct primary care. It offers customizable charting, flexible scheduling, task and document management, custom chart templates, secure messaging, online intake forms, appointment reminders and cohort-based reporting.
Akute publishes three tiers. Launch is $100 per month for the core EMR and the first 50 patients. Essentials is $300 per month for one clinician and 100 patients, and includes lab ordering and results, faxing, cohort automations, inventory management, secure portal messaging, ePrescribing, telemedicine, patient self-scheduling and an integrated payment processor, with additional patients at $0.75 each. Premium is $550 per month for two clinicians and 300 patients, and adds multi-location support and premium phone and email support. Hint Core billing is listed as an optional add-on.
Akute is a strong fit for new clinics that want a low-cost start and for owners who like building automated cohorts and workflows inside the EHR.
Cerbo
Cerbo serves direct primary care alongside functional and integrative medicine, IV and BHRT, med spa and cash-based practices. It offers a configurable patient portal with custom forms, online scheduling and two-way secure messaging, inventory management for supplements and supplies, a Fullscript integration, more than 60 integrations and partners including labs, and billing that supports subscriptions, recurring payments and online invoicing.
Cerbo publishes per-user pricing. A full-time prescribing provider is $281 per month and a part-time prescribing provider is $174 per month, with lower prices for non-prescribing and supporting providers and $63 per month for additional full-time staff. Cerbo says it does not lock clinics into long-term contracts.
Cerbo is a strong fit for DPC clinics with integrative care, supplement sales or a lot of in-house inventory.
Charm
Charm (CharmHealth) is a cloud EHR, practice management and medical billing system. It is not DPC-specific, which matters if you want membership workflows out of the box, but it does support recurring card payments on weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual schedules.
Charm's pricing is the lowest on this list. The free plan covers one provider, up to 50 encounters per month and up to 1,000 patients. The encounter plan is $0.50 per encounter per month with a $25 monthly minimum, and the provider plan is $200 per provider per month with unlimited encounters. ePrescribing is an add-on on the free and encounter plans.
Charm is a reasonable fit for cost-conscious clinics, hybrid practices that still bill some insurance, and owners comfortable configuring their own templates.
How to Choose by Practice Stage
Pre-launch and the first 100 members
Favor a platform you can launch on quickly and afford before revenue arrives. Hint's pay-nothing-until-launch offer, Atlas.md's 30-day free trial, Akute's $100 Launch tier and Charm's free plan all lower the cost of getting started. Pick the chart you enjoy using, because you will spend more time in it than in any other tool. The DPC software stack by stage guide covers what else you need before opening day.
Growing past 300 members
Billing complexity becomes the deciding factor. If employers are part of your plan for 2027, compare Hint Pro's employer management and eligibility autosync, Atlas.md's Company Hub and Elation's native memberships in side-by-side demos. Ask how each one handles a dependent being added mid-month.
Multi-provider and multi-location
Look closely at per-clinician pricing and multi-location support. Akute's Premium plan lists multi-location support, Hint's Scale plan adds network management, and Cerbo and Atlas.md price per provider. Ask about part-time clinician pricing, since Hint and Cerbo both publish lower part-time rates.
Integrative or supplement-heavy
Cerbo's inventory management and Fullscript integration are built for this. Atlas.md's in-house dispensing is also worth a look if you dispense medications.
Where Tabflows Fits
Tabflows is not an EHR, and it is not ranked in this comparison. Whichever EHR you choose, your clinic's work will still cross several tools. A patient text becomes a refill, a lab result needs a call, an employer needs an enrollment answer. Those handoffs get hard because the tools are siloed, not because anyone is dropping the ball.
Tabflows connects the tools you already use and gives your team one place for team chat, tasks and patient context, with managed workflows for repeat work and a dedicated tech team that sets it up around your clinic. It works alongside Elation, Hint, Atlas.md, Akute, Cerbo and Charm, so you can choose the EHR on its clinical merits.
Related Guides
- Best DPC software for 2027
- Best EHR for direct primary care clinics
- Best EHR systems for primary care physicians
- Best DPC software (2026)
- DPC software stack by stage
- Hint Clinical charting workflow
- Akute workflow for DPC
FAQ
What is the best EHR for a DPC practice in 2027?
The best DPC EHR for 2027 depends on how you chart and how you bill. Elation is a strong pick for clinicians who put charting first and was named Best in KLAS 2026 for small independent ambulatory practices. Hint and Atlas.md are DPC-native platforms that keep charting and membership billing together. Akute is a flexible, automation-first EHR with low-cost entry plans. Cerbo fits DPC clinics with integrative, supplement or inventory-heavy workflows. Charm is the lowest-cost option, with a free plan.
How much does a DPC EHR cost?
Based on vendor pricing pages checked in October 2026, Atlas.md is $300 per registered provider per month, Hint's Launch plan starts at $290 per month with one clinician and unlimited members, Akute ranges from $100 per month for the first 50 patients to $550 per month for two clinicians and 300 patients, Cerbo is $281 per month for a full-time prescribing provider, and Charm offers a free plan and a $200 per provider per month plan. Elation provides personalized pricing on request.
Is Hint an EHR or just billing?
Both. Hint started in membership billing and now offers a clinical EHR with charting, ePrescribing, labs, refills, scheduling, messaging and a member portal on the same record as billing. Hint also sells membership and billing on its own for clinics that keep a different EHR.
Can Elation handle DPC membership billing?
Elation's DPC page describes native memberships and payments, including automated recurring billing, ACH and card processing, payment failure alerts, patient self-enrollment and flexible plan management. Ask for a demo with your own plan structure, especially family and employer plans.
Should I switch EHRs going into 2027?
Switch if your current EHR cannot do a core job you need next year, such as employer billing, a second clinician or a second location. If your EHR charts well and the friction is in messages, refills, labs and follow-ups crossing tools, connecting the tools you have is usually less disruptive than migrating charts.
Where does Tabflows fit in a DPC EHR decision?
Tabflows is not an EHR and is not ranked in this comparison. It works alongside whichever EHR you choose, giving your team chat, tasks and patient context across the EHR, billing and messaging, with managed workflows and a dedicated tech team.
FAQs
What is the best EHR for a DPC practice in 2027?
The best DPC EHR for 2027 depends on how you chart and how you bill. Elation is a strong pick for clinicians who put charting first and was named Best in KLAS 2026 for small independent ambulatory practices. Hint and Atlas.md are DPC-native platforms that keep charting and membership billing together. Akute is a flexible, automation-first EHR with low-cost entry plans. Cerbo fits DPC clinics with integrative, supplement or inventory-heavy workflows. Charm is the lowest-cost option, with a free plan.
How much does a DPC EHR cost?
Based on vendor pricing pages checked in October 2026, Atlas.md is $300 per registered provider per month, Hint's Launch plan starts at $290 per month with one clinician and unlimited members, Akute ranges from $100 per month for the first 50 patients to $550 per month for two clinicians and 300 patients, Cerbo is $281 per month for a full-time prescribing provider, and Charm offers a free plan and a $200 per provider per month plan. Elation provides personalized pricing on request.
Is Hint an EHR or just billing?
Both. Hint started in membership billing and now offers a clinical EHR with charting, ePrescribing, labs, refills, scheduling, messaging and a member portal on the same record as billing. Hint also sells membership and billing on its own for clinics that keep a different EHR.
Can Elation handle DPC membership billing?
Elation's DPC page describes native memberships and payments, including automated recurring billing, ACH and card processing, payment failure alerts, patient self-enrollment and flexible plan management. Ask for a demo with your own plan structure, especially family and employer plans.
Should I switch EHRs going into 2027?
Switch if your current EHR cannot do a core job you need next year, such as employer billing, a second clinician or a second location. If your EHR charts well and the friction is in messages, refills, labs and follow-ups crossing tools, connecting the tools you have is usually less disruptive than migrating charts.
Where does Tabflows fit in a DPC EHR decision?
Tabflows is not an EHR and is not ranked in this comparison. It works alongside whichever EHR you choose, giving your team chat, tasks and patient context across the EHR, billing and messaging, with managed workflows and a dedicated tech team.