TherapyNotes, TheraNest, TheraPlatform…
Are you wondering how to differentiate between all the mental health care EHRs out there that sound pretty much the same? We get it: Getting confused or overwhelmed by the options out there is the last thing any of us want while looking for new mental health software for our practices.
So, we’re here to help you get things straight and kick that decision paralysis to the curb with our series of mental healthcare EHR comparison guides — created for all you solo practitioners out there who could use more support in choosing the best practice management solution for your clinical practice.
In today’s guide, we’ll compare TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice on the basis of the following key points:
- Notable Practice Management Software Features
- EHR Platform Usability
- Company Ownership Structure
- EHR Subscription Pricing
- Real User Reviews
Once we’ve explored the highlights and lowlights of TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice, let’s round out your options by also taking a look together at how user-friendly industry newcomer Orchid compares to the competition.
Note: This mental healthcare EHR comparison guide is primarily geared toward exploring the needs and subscription rates of solo private practice owners only, with minimal attention to group practices who have additional team members. We’ve done our best to attempt to approach these competitor comparisons of solo practice management software features in a fair, honest, and balanced way for the benefit of therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals who are searching for the right practice management solution for their solo practice.
Practice Management Software Features: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
Key Takeaways:
- Both TherapyNotes and SimplePractice include many of the core features that private practice clinicians have come to expect from a quality practice management solution in 2023, including:
- Capacity for unlimited clients, patient electronic health records, and appointments
- Secure client portals
- Robust billing and claims processing capabilities
- Appointment management calendar
- Security practices aligned with HIPAA compliance regulations
- But the feature offerings of TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice differ in many ways, most notably in how many more key features SimplePractice includes in their upper subscription tiers.
EHR-Integrated Clinician Marketplace Directory
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| TherapyNotes does not offer any type of online marketplace or directory. | Most SimplePractice subscriptions include the ability to list your private practice profile on their integrated provider directory, called Monarch. |
| The lack of this feature has a negative effect on providers’ ability to grow their practices. That’s because online directories help clinicians with search engine optimization (SEO) and take away barriers to prospective clients being able to self-schedule via public clinician profiles. | Monarch gives mental healthcare providers a platform for passively promoting their business: Prospective clients can discover them through search engines or the directory’s search filters. Clients can even self-schedule appointments through the clinician’s online scheduler that’s directly integrated with their SimplePractice account calendar. |
Mobile App
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| TherapyNotes does not have a client mobile app, despite users asking for a better way to manage their practice on-the-go for years. | SimplePractice offers two mobile apps:
|
| In an increasingly mobile-first world, not having a mobile app limits the user experience (UX) for both clients and clinicians. | For providers’ clients, SimplePractice’s mobile app features include telehealth dial-in access, appointment reminders via push notifications, payment processing, and the ability for clients to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments — creating a smoother patient engagement UX, which is a real selling point for a lot of providers trying to build their client base. |
Integrated Online Appointment Scheduling
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| Providers can manually schedule appointments with clients on their TherapyNotes account calendar. An appointment notification is then sent to that client. | SimplePractice makes client self-scheduling easy with access to appointment scheduling from both the providers’ portal and the provider’s public directory profile on Monarch. |
| If they have access to their provider’s portal link, clients can request appointments through that patient portal. But TherapyNotes does not have a public online client scheduling tool that’s discoverable to prospective clients without the provider’s patient portal link. | Their publicly accessible appointment scheduling tool linked to each provider’s profile can help to reduce client scheduling friction for prospective clients. |
Customizable Notes & Forms Library
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| TherapyNotes features a relatively small library of ready-made templates. | SimplePractice features an extensive library of ready-made templates for notes, forms, and assessments. |
| Their template customization capabilities are very limited, which can make document management more time-consuming for users. | All of their templates are customizable. You can also create new templates from scratch, although that document management process can be a little clunky. |
EHR Platform Usability: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
Key Takeaways:
- As we tested TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice, it became clear that TherapyNotes’s user interface (UI) is overall more straightforward and less overwhelming to navigate than SimplePractice’s UI.
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| The UI for TherapyNotes is overall clean and functional, despite some design elements feeling a little outdated. | SimplePractice’s UI has a more modern product design aesthetic. |
| But it’s organized in a way that makes it easy to find the basic functionality, which can then be delved into more deeply for more nuanced features — creating a less overwhelming UX. | But the way features are organized can be overwhelming, especially for less tech-savvy users. |
Company Ownership Structure: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
Key Takeaways:
- Ownership, organizational structure, and company culture are all important considerations that should not be overlooked while shopping around for new mental health software for your business.
- TherapyNotes is a private, independently owned company, while SimplePractice is owned by publicly traded company EngageSmart Inc (NYSE: ESMT).
💡Did you know? Private vs public ownership, organizational structure, and the company’s speed of growth are all things that can influence the priorities of leaders at the top, which has a trickle-down effect on product decisions — which then affects customer UX. These factors also have an impact on employee work/life experiences, which can affect the quality of customer care the company offers.
| TherapyNotes | SimplePractice |
| TherapyNotes was founded by husband-wife duo Dr. Debra Pliner and Brad Pliner, and it remains a privately-owned company by the Pliners. | SimplePractice is owned by publicly-traded parent company EngageSmart Inc. |
| In regards to its workplace culture, TherapyNotes has earned an average of 4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor from current and former employees. | SimplePractice’s working conditions are rated an average of 3.7 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, which is slightly less favorable than TherapyNotes. |
| Many TherapyNotes users rave about the platform’s excellent, responsive, and personalized customer service. That’s notable because accessible, timely, and knowledgeable customer support is often overlooked, depersonalized, and/or outsourced by companies in favor of accelerated growth. So it stands out when companies like TherapyNotes recognize that high-quality customer support should be treated as a crucial must-have for customer satisfaction. | Many current and former employees say that the company’s rapid growth has degraded leadership’s attention to valuing company culture. Undervalued and overworked employee culture tends to lead to more burnout and less innovation across departments, which has a direct impact on customer UX. |
EHR Subscription Pricing: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
Key Takeaways:
- Without appointment reminders, telehealth, secure messaging, fully customizable notes and forms, or the ability to list your practice in their mental healthcare provider directory, SimplePractice’s lowest subscription tier is not a viable option for the average clinician looking for a useful product management solution.
- TherapyNotes offers a more transparent pricing structure, while SimplePractice’s structure comes across as deceptive once users recognize that the cheapest plan is largely unusable.
- For solo practitioners, the Solo plan for TherapyNotes ($49/month) is more affordable than SimplePractice’s comparable Essential plan ($69/month). That said, SimplePractice’s plan includes more features, the value of which users may want to weigh against the steeper costs.
TherapyNotes Subscription Pricing
All plans include a 30- day free trial before any subscription charges.
| Features of all TherapyNotes plans |
At no extra cost, TherapyNotes users get the capacity to manage electronic health records for unlimited
clients and access to:
|
| Features of TherapyNotes subscription plan add-ons |
Users can pay to add any of the following features to any TherapyNotes subscription
plan.
|
| TherapyNotes | Solo Plan | TherapyNotes | Group Plan | TherapyNotes | Enterprise Plan |
| Starts at $49/month | Starts at $59/month | Starts at $59/month |
| Unable to add additional clinicians | $30 add-on cost per additional clinician |
|
| Best for solo practitioners | Best for smaller group practices | Best for larger group practices (30+ users) |
SimplePractice Subscription Pricing
All plans include a 30- day free trial before any subscription charges.
| Features of all SimplePractice plans |
|
| SimplePractice | Starter Plan | SimplePractice | Essential Plan | SimplePractice | Plus Plan |
| Starts at $29/month | Starts at $69/month | Starts at $99/month |
|
|
Add-ons included in this subscription tier:
|
Real User Reviews: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
As part of researching this article, we browsed real user reviews of TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice so we could share a more nuanced perspective of each EHR platform.
Learn more below about some of the most salient positive and negative points made by TherapyNotes users and SimplePractice users.
Positive User Reviews: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
TherapyNotes Positive User Reviews: Key Takeaways
| Above all else, users rave about TherapyNotes’s reputation for high-quality customer support from knowledgeable product experts who actually reply quickly and helpfully via phone and email. |
| Many users appreciate that TherapyNotes requires them to complete intake forms and treatment plans for clients before continuing with any progress notes. That small detail can have a big impact: Its guidance shows a prioritization of medical ethics and compliance, since that process helps users make sure they’re including all necessary documentation in their electronic health record. |
| TherapyNotes users like the automated task reminders to-do list feature, as it helps them stay on top of all the ins-and-outs of running their practice. |
SimplePractice Positive User Reviews: Key Takeaways
| Users appreciate the SimplePractice client app, which makes it easy for clients to jump on calls from wherever they are, even without computer access. |
| Many SimplePractice users rely on their robust template library to streamline document management work and ensure compliance in their clinical documentation. |
| SimplePractice users appreciate the customizable email and text reminders that help to reduce the likelihood of client no-shows. |
Negative User Reviews: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
TherapyNotes Negative User Reviews: Key Takeaways
| TherapyNotes users are frustrated that TherapyNotes still doesn’t have a mobile app to improve patient engagement or manage their practice more conveniently. |
| Users would prefer if TherapyNotes could add a secure messaging platform to their EHR to make client communication easier, beyond only being able to share forms and automated appointment reminders. |
| Many TherapyNotes users report struggles with navigating their insurance claims process, which is available through their clearinghouse partnership with Change Healthcare. |
SimplePractice Negative User Reviews: Key Takeaways
| Many SimplePractice users are frustrated by paying more than competitors for basic functionality. For example, although it’s included in the expensive higher tiers, telehealth in the lowest tier is only available for an additional monthly fee. |
| Users have reported that SimplePractice’s customer support team is not very reliable: Sometimes users have to wait days to receive help, which can have a big negative impact on private practice when critical issues arise and clients’ health is on the line. |
| Many users attribute the feature-stripping of lower subscription tiers and overall pricing increases to EngageSmart’s acquisition of SimplePractice, which has negatively influenced those users’ trust in the product. |
TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice Alternatives: Orchid
Not sure if either TherapyNotes or SimplePractice is the right practice management solution for your practice?
If so, we recommend learning more about other SimplePractice alternatives — like Orchid.
Orchid is a budding EHR platform made by and for mental healthcare providers running their own private practice. Our user-friendly UI, affordable pricing, and all-in-one suite of features is ideal for behavioral health clinicians of all types, including but not limited to: therapists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists.
We’re a privately owned Y Combinator-backed startup that’s hard at work prioritizing the feedback and experiences of our customers. Orchid’s mission is ultimately to make mental healthcare more accessible and affordable, while saving private practitioners time, money, and headaches with our efficient, effective EHR platform.
Let’s take a look at some of the key reasons why Orchid is one of the emerging SimplePractice alternatives you should consider in your search for the right EHR platform for your solo mental health practice.
Notable EHR Considerations: Orchid
User-friendly UI/UX
Our team has tested every EHR out there and taken feedback to heart from our users and other clinicians in the field. The result is Orchid: an EHR platform with a clean, user-friendly UI that cuts through the noise and creates a more effortless UX for clinicians.
Public online provider directory
The success of your private practice is our top priority. In support of that goal, all providers on Orchid get their own profile listing on our marketplace of mental health providers. Orchid’s marketplace directory is discoverable through search engines, which means every provider listed in our directory gets an SEO boost to their brand. Every provider profile in our directory is fully integrated with our online client scheduling tool, which makes it easier for prospective clients to access appointment scheduling and easier for you to manage client charts more efficiently.
Drag-and-drop template customization
Orchid’s template library is fully customizable, using an intuitive drag-and-drop functionality that makes it even easier to build and revise your own personalized templates as needed. Instead of using a template editor like SimplePractice’s, where you have to create each template linearly, Orchid gives you the chance to rearrange sections of your templates as you work on them, creating a much more efficient UX in regards to document management.
HIPAA-compliant secure messaging
Orchid features a secure messaging platform in app where users streamline client communication without worrying about HIPAA compliance. Clinicians can also use our messaging tool to connect with other professionals in the Orchid community and grow your referral network.
Stellar customer support
You (yep — you) are our number one priority here at Orchid. After all, the success of your practice influences the success of our product and the wellbeing of your clients. For a company with the ambitious mission to improve the mental healthcare industry for all, it makes sense that we’d prioritize best-in-class customer service with fast response times and thoughtful support, plus a user-exclusive comprehensive Help Center for all your self-service support needs.
Optional AI-powered notes assistant
In keeping up with the latest innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Orchid has developed an optional AI-powered feature that helps clinicians more efficiently and effectively create HIPAA-compliant progress notes and streamline the often-tedious document management process. Orchid’s AI-powered notes assistant is 100% optional for users — clinicians are free to choose to continue to manage notes manually in our user-friendly mental health software instead. But clinicians who’ve given our AI tool a chance have found that it saves them a lot of the time and headaches that those administrative document management tasks used to cause them.
Super low credit card processing fees
Via our payment processing partner Stripe, Orchid charges some of the lowest credit card processing fees in the industry: 1.99% to 2.5% per transaction, depending on your subscription tier.
Simplified subscription pricing
To help simplify your budgeting concerns, Orchid offers a transparent two-tier subscription plan structure, with a flat-rate monthly fee per tier. All of the basics you need to run your practice are included in both tiers, with more advanced functionality available in the higher tier. That means, unlike many competitors, we don’t charge additional fees for EHR essentials like telehealth, secure messaging, or automated appointment reminders.
Subscription Pricing: Orchid
Below, check out some of the highlights from our two subscription plans.
To explore all of Orchid’s features, sign up for a free, no-commitment, 30- day free trial.
Both plans include a 30- day free trial before any subscription charges.
| Orchid Core Plan | Highlights | Orchid Complete Plan | Highlights |
| $19.99/month flat rate (no hidden fees) | $28.99/month flat rate (no hidden fees) |
| Unlimited client scheduling, telehealth, and clinical documentation | Includes everything from the Core plan |
| Integrated Stripe payment processor with 2.5% + $0.30 fee per transaction (a credit card processing fee that’s lower than either TherapyNotes or SimplePractice) | Even lower credit card processing fee: 1.99% + $0.30 per transaction (currently the lowest in the industry!) |
| Electronic health record management tools, including templatized support for treatment plans and medical coding for behavioral health | Unlimited file storage to minimize your need for additional practice management systems and enhance document management all in one place |
| Automated email and text reminders (with no additional send fees) | External calendar syncing with Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook |
| Fully customizable drag-and-drop template library for notes, forms, and assessments to streamline the document management process | White-glove customer support on things like free template conversion, free portability from other EHRs, and anything else that comes up for your practice that could use some extra guidance and problem-solving from our team |
| Your own personalized profile in Orchid's professional directory | Access to growing provider referral network via our secure messaging platform that lets you connect to fellow Orchid professionals in addition to securing client communication |
| Client portal access where clients can manage their appointments and assignments | Early access to test new features and share candid feedback that has a direct impact on product development |
| HIPAA compliant secure messaging platform for client communication | (optional) AI-powered document management tools for streamlining progress notes |
| And much more… | And much more… |
Real User Reviews: Orchid
We actually mean it when we say we want to hear from clinicians about their experiences with Orchid. It’s honest feedback like yours that keeps us all growing and making each workday a little easier to manage.
So with that in mind, check out some of the feedback we’ve heard recently from Orchid customers about why they’re growing their practices with Orchid vs the competition:
- One user echoed the experiences of many Orchid mental healthcare providers: “I have used several platforms for my private practice, and Orchid is very helpful and effective in managing my business with minimal effort that goes into administrative work.”
- Another user shouted out the community networking aspect of Orchid’s all-in-one platform: "I appreciate Orchid’s holistic perspective of bringing a variety of accessible resources to one place. As a professional, I also take comfort in having access to a variety of other professionals for consultation and referral.”
- Plus, we often hear from users how much they appreciate Orchid’s all-in-one suite of features, including: easy invoicing, online client self-scheduling, a streamlined client registration process, customizable note-taking, our excellent customer service, and “a clean and aesthetically pleasing interface that is also very easy and simple to navigate.”
💡Did you know? We tend to trust our peers’ opinions more than we trust brand marketing. That’s why "word of mouth" is still at the top of the game when it comes to marketing practices — and why we knew you’d want to hear from some of Orchid’s customers, no just from us. 😉
Final Takeaways: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
Based on our research of TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice, you may want to keep in mind the following differences between TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice while considering a new EHR for your practice.
- SimplePractice suffers from a slump in the quality perception of their customer support, while TherapyNotes users rave about their love for TherapyNotes customer support.
- TherapyNotes offers more affordable subscription pricing for solo practitioners, but SimplePractice offers more comprehensive features.
- SimplePractice offers more customization functionality in their notes and forms templates than TherapyNotes offers – although, neither platform features the complete control over template customization that Orchid offers with our document management features.
- TherapyNotes could benefit from creating a mobile app, as it’s lagging behind in that functionality compared to SimplePractice, which offers two mobile apps (client and clinician).
- SimplePractice offers more automation opportunities for users than TherapyNotes does, including public client self-scheduling, exposure through their own provider directory, and customizable appointment reminders.
FAQ: TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice
What are some of the key features that both TherapyNotes & SimplePractice offer?
Both EHR platforms include capacity for unlimited clients, a calendar to manage appointments, a secure client portal, robust billing and insurance claims processing, and overall HIPAA compliant security practices.
Does TherapyNotes or SimplePractice have an integrated provider directory?
SimplePractice includes a provider directory, but TherapyNotes does not have any comparable feature. On SimplePractice’s higher-tier subscriptions, providers can customize and list their own profile on Monarch, SimplePractice’s online directory where clients can discover and self-schedule sessions with providers.
Does TherapyNotes have a mobile app?
No, TherapyNotes does not have a client mobile app.
Does SimplePractice have a mobile app?
Yes, SimplePractice has two mobile apps: one for clients and one for clinicians, which enhances the on-the-go experience for all users. Both are available on their higher subscription plans.
How do TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice compare in regards to client scheduling capabilities?
SimplePractice makes it easy for clients to schedule appointments through both Monarch (their provider directory) and each provider’s client portal, which takes a fair amount of busywork off providers’ plates.
By comparison, the client scheduling capabilities of TherapyNotes are more limited: Clients can request appointments through provider portal links, but there’s no way for prospective clients to discover and self-schedule through any public directory that offers client scheduling.
What’s the difference between the customizable template libraries in TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice?
TherapyNotes offers useful pre-made notes and forms templates, but their template library is small and includes very limited customization options.
SimplePractice features a much more substantial templates library, and they’re all customizable in a more sophisticated way than TherapyNotes templates, improving document management UX.
How does the UI/UX of TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice compare?
In general, TherapyNotes has a less overwhelming UI than SimplePractice, which can create a better UX in particular for less tech-savvy users.
Is TherapyNotes a privately owned or public company?
TherapyNotes is privately owned by its founders, husband-wife duo Brad Pliner and Dr. Debra Pliner.
Is SimplePractice a privately owned or public company?
SimplePractice is owned by parent company EngageSmart Inc, which is a publicly traded company (NYSE: ESMT).
What are the key pricing differences between TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice for solo practitioners?
The best plan for solo practitioners that TherapyNotes offers is their Solo plan, which costs $49/month (before any add-ons).
The best plan for solo practitioners that SimplePractice offers is their mid-tier Essential Plan, which costs $69/month (before any add-ons). SimplePractice also offers a lower tier plan, but it lacks many essential features for practices of any size.
When looking at affordability, TherapyNotes comes out ahead, but when considering total value, SimplePractice offers more features that may account for the $20/month price difference between the best TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice plans for solo practitioners.
What do real users say about the quality of customer support offered by TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice?
TherapyNotes users shout out their exceptional, timely, and personalized customer support experiences.
Meanwhile, SimplePractice users often note that they’ve experienced longer wait times and less personalized support experiences as SimplePractice has grown.
How does Orchid compare to TherapyNotes vs SimplePractice?
Up-and-coming practice management solution Orchid is a user-friendly, provider-centric EHR platform with affordable, transparent subscription pricing for solo practitioners.
Orchid includes features that neither TherapyNotes nor SimplePractice offer, such as:
- Online client self-scheduling tools included in either subscription tier (instead of only via higher tiers like SimplePractice)
- Lower credit card processing fees than any other practice management systems currently on the market
- An optional AI integration that helps providers automate a more efficient progress notes process in line with HIPAA regulations
- Fully customizable drag-and-drop templates for creating things like notes and forms
- Automated text and email reminders at no extra charge (unlike TherapyNotes and SimplePractice who require add-on fees or higher subscription tiers for access to automated reminders)
- A searchable provider directory that’s fully integrated into Orchid’s EHR and online appointment scheduling tools (unlike TherapyNotes who doesn’t have a directory) and available on either subscription tier (unlike SimplePractice who only gives directory profile access to higher subscription tiers)
Is it easy to switch to Orchid from another EHR?
Yep! Let our hands-on team make the switch super seamless for you. We’ll help with transferring all of your client charts to our secure platform, and even offer comprehensive onboarding support to get you up and running in no time on Orchid. We can’t wait to welcome you to your practice’s new online home!
Looking to see how Orchid compares to TheraNest vs SimplePractice?
We’ve got a guide for that, too:
Christian Acharte, MD, MPH
Christian Acharte MD, MPH is an attending Physiatrist with advanced training in Pain Medicine and Brain Injuries. He is also the Director of Research at Pennsylvania Pain and Spine Institute. His years as a practicing chronic pain physician in the greater Philly area have shown him firsthand what a vital role mental health plays in pain management.
