SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes: Which EHR is Best?

Choosing the right Electronic Health Record (EHR) is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make for your private practice. It’s the backbone of your operations, handling everything from notes and billing to client communication. The SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes debate is often at the center of this decision for mental health professionals. Both are powerful, popular platforms, but they cater to slightly different needs and workflows. This comprehensive comparison will break down the essential features to help you determine the best EHR for therapists running solo or group practices.

Making the wrong choice can lead to administrative headaches, lost time, and frustration. Making the right one can streamline your entire practice, giving you more time to focus on what truly matters: your clients. We will explore the nuances of cost, usability, billing, telehealth, and support to give you a clear picture of which platform is the right fit for your unique practice.

At a Glance: SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes

Before we get into the details, let's start with a high-level overview. SimplePractice is often seen as the modern, all-in-one solution with a sleek interface and built-in marketing features. TherapyNotes is known for its robust, workflow-driven system and exceptional customer support, particularly for insurance-based practices.

Here’s a quick comparison of how they stack up in key areas:

The Bottom Line: Pricing and Plans Compared

For most private practice owners, the cost is a primary factor. Understanding the different pricing structures is essential to avoid surprise fees and find a plan that scales with your practice. Both platforms have transparent pricing, but their models are fundamentally different.

SimplePractice Pricing

SimplePractice uses a tiered subscription model. This means you select a plan that includes a bundle of features. Their plans are designed to grow with your practice.

• Starter Plan: This entry-level plan is designed for solo practitioners who are just getting started and primarily manage self-pay clients. It includes basic practice management features like scheduling, paperless intakes, and client portal access.
• Essential Plan: This is their most popular plan. It adds crucial features for insurance-based practices, including claim submission and tracking. It also fully integrates their telehealth platform.
• Plus Plan: Aimed at group practices, this plan includes all features of the Essential plan but adds the ability to manage multiple clinicians, add practice managers, and includes advanced analytics.

SimplePractice pricing is structured as an all-in-one fee, with credit card processing being a separate, standard percentage-based fee. This can be appealing for those who want predictable monthly costs without worrying about add-on fees for core features like telehealth.

TherapyNotes Review: Pricing Structure

TherapyNotes offers a more à la carte pricing model. Their core subscription is on a per-user basis, which is straightforward and easy to understand. However, several key features are considered add-ons, which requires careful calculation to determine your total monthly cost.

1. Solo Plan: A flat monthly fee for the first user.
2. Group Plan: A lower monthly fee for each additional clinician.
3. Practice Biller/Scheduler Role: A small additional fee for non-clinical staff who need access.

Where the cost can change is with their add-on services:

• Telehealth: This is an extra monthly fee per clinician who uses it.
• E-prescribe: This is another significant monthly fee for prescribers.
• Credit Card Processing: They partner with a payment processor, and this service also has a monthly fee in addition to transaction fees.

Verdict on Pricing

• For the budget-conscious solo practitioner (self-pay): TherapyNotes might be slightly cheaper if you don't need telehealth or other add-ons. Its base plan is very affordable.
• For the all-inclusive solo practitioner (insurance & telehealth): SimplePractice's Essential plan often provides better value, as telehealth is bundled in, which can be a significant saving compared to TherapyNotes' add-on fee.
• For group practices: The math can get complicated. You need to map out exactly which features each clinician needs. If only some clinicians need telehealth, TherapyNotes could be more cost-effective. If everyone needs everything, SimplePractice's Plus plan might be simpler to manage and more economical.

Getting Started: Ease of Use and Onboarding

An EHR can have all the features in the world, but if it’s clunky and difficult to navigate, it will slow you down. The user experience is a major differentiator between SimplePractice and TherapyNotes.

The SimplePractice Experience

SimplePractice is known for its clean, modern, and visually appealing interface. It feels more like a contemporary web application than a traditional piece of medical software. The dashboard provides a quick snapshot of your day, including appointments, alerts, and recent activity. For many users, this intuitive design shortens the learning curve. The onboarding process is guided, with checklists and tutorials to help you set up your account, import clients, and configure your settings. This makes it a strong contender as an EHR for private practice owners who are not very tech-savvy.

The TherapyNotes Experience

TherapyNotes has a more traditional, text-based interface. While it may not look as slick as SimplePractice, it is incredibly functional and workflow-oriented. The standout feature is the To-Do List. This feature automatically populates with required actions for each client session—like writing a progress note, submitting a claim, or creating a treatment plan. Clinicians who thrive on structure and task management often fall in love with this feature. It creates a clear, chronological workflow that minimizes the chances of missing important administrative or clinical tasks. The learning curve might be slightly steeper, but its logical structure is a major plus for many.

Verdict on Ease of Use

This comes down to personal preference. If you prioritize a modern aesthetic and an intuitive, visually-driven interface, SimplePractice is the winner. If you prioritize a structured, task-driven workflow that ensures you never miss a step, TherapyNotes is superior.

Core Clinical Features: Notes, Billing, and Portals

Beyond the look and feel, the core functionality for managing your clinical and administrative work is paramount.

Note-Taking and Templates

Both platforms offer robust note-taking capabilities, but with different approaches.

• SimplePractice: Offers a wide variety of note and assessment templates, including the option to purchase Wiley Treatment Planners. This integration allows you to pull goals, objectives, and interventions directly into your treatment plans and progress notes, saving a significant amount of time. Customization is also a strong suit, allowing you to build your own templates from scratch.
• TherapyNotes: Is praised for its highly structured and efficient note-taking process. The templates are designed to be clear, compliant, and quick to complete. The system cleverly pulls information from previous notes and the treatment plan, reducing redundant data entry. While perhaps less flexible in template design than SimplePractice, its process is optimized for speed and thoroughness.

Billing and Insurance Management

This is where many practices make their decision. A streamlined billing process is essential for financial health.

1. Claim Submission: Both systems have integrated clearinghouses for electronic claim submission. The process is straightforward in both: complete a note, and the system prompts you to generate and submit the claim.
2. Payment Processing: SimplePractice has its own integrated payment processor, making it easy to manage credit card payments directly within the platform. TherapyNotes integrates with an external processor, which may require an extra setup step and a separate monthly fee.
3. Insurance Tracking: Both platforms excel at tracking claim statuses, managing ERAs (Electronic Remittance Advice), and posting payments. TherapyNotes is often lauded in user reviews for its exceptionally robust and clear revenue cycle management.

For a detailed TherapyNotes review, many users point to its billing and insurance features as a primary reason for choosing it, especially for practices with a heavy insurance caseload.

Patient Portal and Engagement

• SimplePractice: Offers a feature-rich and professional-looking client portal. Clients can request appointments, complete all intake paperwork electronically, send secure messages, and pay their bills. This creates a seamless and professional experience for the client from the very first interaction.
• TherapyNotes: Also has a secure client portal for sharing documents and completing intake forms. It is functional and secure, but generally considered less modern and comprehensive than the SimplePractice portal.

The Virtual Practice: Telehealth Capabilities

Telehealth is no longer an optional feature for most practices. The integration and quality of the video platform are key considerations.

SimplePractice Telehealth

Telehealth is a core part of the SimplePractice platform, included with their Essential and Plus plans. It’s fully integrated, meaning you don't need any third-party software. Clients receive a link through the portal, and the session is launched directly from the calendar. It includes features like screen sharing and, on some plans, an interactive whiteboard. The all-in-one nature is a huge plus.

TherapyNotes Telehealth

TherapyNotes offers telehealth as a paid add-on. While it is also integrated, the fact that it costs extra per user can be a drawback for some. The service is reliable and HIPAA-compliant, providing a secure video connection for sessions. However, it lacks some of the advanced interactive features found in SimplePractice. It’s a solid, functional solution but less feature-rich.

Verdict on Telehealth

If your practice is heavily reliant on telehealth and you want a seamless, feature-rich experience for both you and your clients, SimplePractice is the clear winner. If you only have a few clinicians who need telehealth or you prefer to use a separate telehealth provider, TherapyNotes allows for that flexibility.

When You Need Help: Customer Support

When something goes wrong, you need to know you can get help quickly. This is an area where the two platforms have a well-known difference.

• SimplePractice Support: Support is primarily handled through an online ticketing system and email. While they have an extensive library of help articles and video tutorials, you cannot typically pick up the phone and talk to a support person immediately. Response times are generally good, but it’s not the same as live phone support.

• TherapyNotes Support: This is arguably TherapyNotes' biggest selling point. They are famous for their exceptional customer support, which includes unlimited phone and email support. Users consistently report being able to reach a knowledgeable, friendly human being quickly to resolve their issues. For clinicians who are less comfortable with technology or who run complex insurance-based practices, this level of support is invaluable.

Verdict on Support

If you value the ability to get immediate help over the phone, TherapyNotes is the undisputed champion. If you are comfortable with online support systems and self-service help centers, SimplePractice's support is more than adequate.

Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for Your Practice

So, after comparing SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes, which is the best EHR for private practice? The honest answer is: it depends entirely on your priorities.

You should choose SimplePractice if:

• You want a modern, all-in-one platform with a beautiful user interface.
• A seamless, feature-rich client portal and integrated telehealth are top priorities.
• You value built-in marketing tools like a professional website.
• You run a primarily self-pay practice or want a simple, bundled price for all features.

You should choose TherapyNotes if:

• You run a heavily insurance-based practice and need a robust, workflow-driven system.
• You love the idea of a to-do list that guides your every administrative step.
• Exceptional, accessible phone support is non-negotiable for you.
• You prefer an à la carte pricing model to pay only for the specific features you use.

Both platforms offer free trials, and the best way to make a final decision is to use them. Import a test client, write a note, schedule an appointment, and explore the billing workflow. Your hands-on experience will ultimately be the best guide to choosing the EHR that will support and grow with your practice for years to come.