SimplePractice Review 2024: Pros & Cons, Pricing, & Alternatives

SimplePractice Review – Key Takeaways

• SimplePractice is a very popular mental health EHR system that allows you to manage your entire practice from one suite of features.
• Marketing and business management features could be helpful for small practices that are just getting started, however, the relatively high price of the system could be prohibitive for some.
• Recently, SimplePractice has encountered concerns and criticism over changes to its privacy practices. Several users are unhappy with the company’s increases in pricing and shift away from catering to small practices.

What is SimplePractice?

SimplePractice is a popular mental health EHR system with a number of features including scheduling, documentation, telehealth, and business management tools. SimplePractice costs $29 – $99 monthly, depending on the features needed. SimplePractice includes a 30-day free trial with no credit card information due at sign-up.

SimplePractice is one of our favorite EHRs that we’ve tested. In our review of the best mental health EHRs, we gave it the award for best EHR for new mental health practices and practices that bill insurance.

Client Management & Intake

Adding and setting up new clients in SimplePractice is remarkably intuitive. The client portal allows clients to submit clinical and demographic information prior to their first appointment.

For my sample client, most of the intake process was done within the client portal, including assessments like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, as well as clinical intake forms, demographics, and various legal agreements and consents. The system allows clients to enter a custom electronic signature and sign all of their documents from within the system.

Forms for couples, minors, and other edge cases are included with minimal input needed from the practitioner. All documents are quickly viewable from a client’s demographics page and can be exported in various formats.

Managing clients within the EHR is very intuitive and includes a lot of automation that minimizes the amount of manual work required by practitioners. Clients can be searched and organized by a few different parameters like name, insurance carrier, and appointment – I feel like it would be easy to manage the demographics of a large number of clients with SimplePractice.

Because of its rich set of features, we have awarded SimplePractice with a score of 5 out of 5 stars in the “Client Intake & Forms” category of our scoring criteria.

Scheduling

SimplePractice’s calendar system allows practitioners to easily set up their availability and manage calendar rules and views.  Additionally, at the “Essential” subscription plan ($69 monthly) and up, clients are able to request appointments themselves that follow rules that are customizable by the practice.

SimplePractice’s calendar and scheduling system is just as intuitive as the rest of the platform and very well-designed. It minimizes manual work and would be more than adequate in most cases, but does lack some deep-level customization and automation settings. However, this can be expected with the simplicity of its design.

Clients can easily see all of their upcoming appointments from their client portal and log into telehealth appointments. One issue I ran into while testing SimplePractice is the lack of support for clients in multiple time zones. Any appointment reminders, as well as the client portal, will reflect the time zone of the practice, so practitioners will have to manually remind clients of what timezone is being reflected. This could definitely prove to be troublesome for practices that offer services in multiple locations. It is disappointing to see a feature like this being omitted from the system, where it can be seen in other systems like TherapyNotes.

SimplePractice’s calendar allows practices to manage multiple locations, as well as telehealth sessions all from the same dashboard, and couples or group sessions can easily be coordinated, as well.

Overall, SimplePractice’s calendar and scheduling system are stellar. It packs all the functionality a practice might need with none of the clutter that you might find in a system like CounSol.

Since its calendar and scheduling systems are so rich, we have awarded SimplePractice a score of 5 out of 5 stars in the “Calendar & Scheduling” category of our scoring criteria.

Add-on service: Calendar Syncing and Appointment Requests

At higher pricing plans, both calendar syncing and appointment requests can be unlocked. While both are included in the free trial, a practice has to be signed up for the “Plus” subscription at a base price of $99 monthly to access these features long-term.

Treatment Planning & Notes

Clinical documentation in SimplePractice aims to help the practitioner have as little manual work and writing as possible. With the addition of the Wiley Treatment Planner add-on, this is made even easier. SimplePractice has an intuitive workflow that allows practitioners to establish diagnosis and treatment plans simultaneously, and each successive treatment plan can be auto-populated by those previous.

I was very impressed with how intuitive treatment planning is in SimplePractice – the Wiley Treatment Planner add-on was very useful and would likely be worth the extra cost.

Aside from the Wiley Treatment Plans, the templates and systems bundled with SimplePractice are already a cut above much of the competition. Creating, filling, and signing documentation is quick and painless process with SimplePractice.

Progress notes are similarly intuitive, allowing practitioners to complete various types of notes common in the industry such as SOAP notes and DAP notes, and also having simplified templates or more detailed ones. SimplePractice also includes a premade template for group therapy notes.

An interesting feature worth noting is the ability to keep separate sets of notes among clients. A practitioner is able to enter a progress note which is kept in view of the client for transparency, but the practitioner can also enter a psychotherapy note which the client cannot view. This would be very valuable if notes need to be documented around sensitive topics. Templates for notes and treatment plans can be generated and customized to whatever the practice’s liking may be.

In SimplePractice, a client page is broken down based on the sessions they have had – which can all be renamed to whatever your liking may be. Practitioners are then able to enter and sign whatever clinical or administrative documentation may be needed, including GAD or PHQ-9 assessments, external attachments, and so on.

All in all, I was very impressed with the workflow involved in SimplePractice’s documentation system. The system operates intuitively, and I needed no support to jump right in and get started. I believe any practice would easily integrate with SimplePractice’s notetaking system and would make working with large volumes of clients as easy and painless as possible. Because of this, we have awarded SimplePractice a score of 5 out of 5 stars in the “Treatment Planning & Notetaking” category of our scoring criteria.

While SimplePractice has a great documentation system, My Best Practice is even better. Learn more in our comprehensive My Best Practice review.

Add-on service: Wiley Treatment Planners – $15 monthly; included with Plus subscription plan

Practices have the option of including the Wiley Treatment Planner add-on, which, out of all the add-ons available, probably adds the most value to the base software. This add-on is not available for Starter plans, costs an additional $15 monthly for Essential plans, and is included in Plus plans.

Telehealth

Either as an add-on of $15 to the Starter subscription plan ($29 monthly) or bundled into the higher subscription plans, SimplePractice does have a built-in telehealth platform. This platform is intuitive and easy to use for both practitioner and client, although it does require that a client register for client portal access.

SimplePractice’s telehealth platform has a look and feel that is very similar to Google Meets, so users that are familiar with this should feel right at home using telehealth with SimplePractice. The platform is HIPAA-compliant and has a few additional features that place it a cut above other EHR offerings, like CounSol or TherapyNotes. Both client and practitioner are able to share their screen or work together on a shared whiteboard. In addition, either party can create custom backgrounds.

To access a telehealth session, clients simply have to log into their client portal and click a clearly labeled button that will lead them to the session.

Its simplicity has earned SimplePractice a score of 4 out of 5 stars in the “Telehealth” category of our scoring criteria.

Insurance Billing

Insurance billing is one of the areas where SimplePractice really shines. In a small or solo practice, there would be no need for dedicated insurance billing staff, as SimplePractice can handle the majority of requests and claims needed.

All of SimplePractice’s insurance billing features can be accessed through a dedicated dashboard that allows practices to process claims, generate superbills, check the status of claims, and view any insurance payments.

Insurance billing features are not available with the starter plan but do become available at the Essential and Plus plans. With the Essential plan, practices receive 10 free claims per month, and Plus members receive 35. After the free claims have been exhausted, they cost $0.25+ per claim, depending on the type of claim.

Due to its ease of use, SimplePractice has earned a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars in the “Insurance Billing” category of our scoring criteria.

Client Payment Methods, Collection, & Processing

Just as with the rest of SimplePractice, collecting client payments is intuitive and easy to use. Invoices can be set to be generated and sent to clients automatically or manually. The PMS allows for collecting and recording client payments via cash, check, or card processing.

Card processing costs 2.95%, plus $0.30 per successful transaction. It allows for use of credit cards, debit cards, as well as HSA and FSA cards which are all processed through a third-party clearing house.

Card processing costs 2.95%, plus $0.30 per successful transaction. It allows for the use of credit cards, debit cards, as well as FSA and HSA cards for mental health which are all processed through a third-party clearing house. The PMS also allows practices to document transactions that are processed through an external system. Simple Practice also allows practices to easily assign credit to a client’s account in the event of alternate payment methods or arrangements.

Clients are able to manage and pay balances from the client portal website or mobile app, and can also elect to enter all payment information securely there. This is a great feature, as it allows clients to feel they have more control over their balances, and reduces the workload for the practice. Due to this, SimplePractice has earned a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars in the “Client Payment Methods, Collection, & Processing” category of our scoring criteria.

Practice Management & Reports

SimplePractice supports a good level of capability in managing either a solo practice or a practice with multiple practitioners or staff members. Different roles can be assigned with different levels of access to the EHR, depending on what is needed. SimplePractice offers a wide range of reports that can be run, and at the Plus pricing plan, an analytics dashboard is included that helps practices ensure its finances and services are all well-documented and understood.

SimplePractice also has options for marketing solutions including a built-in website builder and the Monarch therapist directory. We looked at this in-depth; read more in our review of the SimplePractice website builder and our Monarch directory review.

Group Practices:

I believe that SimplePractice would suit group practices particularly well, however, the cost of adding additional practitioners can get rather expensive, as a practice first must be on the Plus plan, and then must pay an additional $59 monthly per practitioner.

If your practice can stomach the cost of entry, you will be met with a wide variety of tools and functionality that will help your group practice be its best. Internal messaging, the ability to manage levels of access, a custom business website, and a listing on SimplePractice’s Monarch therapist directory are all huge benefits that are unlocked at the Plus pricing level.

We did an in-depth review of SimplePractice Website Builder. It offers a great deal of value to the SimplePractice suite and is a great addition to the EHR.

Solo Practices:

Solo practices have access to the same premium features as group practices when subscribed to the Plus plan, however, solo practices also have the option of getting access to SimplePractice at a much lower cost. If your needs are relatively limited, a solo practice can get robust functionality for just $29 monthly. Even at this low level, SimplePractice has a wide variety of reports and business tools that are built into the software that will help keep your practice steady.

SimplePractice has a very strong set of features for practice management and reporting. Because of this, it has earned a score of 5 out of 5 stars in the “Practice Management & Reporting” category of our scoring criteria.

Customer Service & Training

SimplePractice offers very robust customer service and training. While it does lack the personalized touch of a dedicated white-glove customer service representative like CounSol offers, I would say that it is ultimately not needed.

True to its name, SimplePractice really is simple enough to learn and implement very quickly and intuitively. If a user does run into issues, there is a help documentation center and FAQ that has a huge amount of information that can easily be searched. As well, SimplePractice offers on-demand classes wherein a software specialist will guide you through the features of the software and provide a place to ask questions.

SimplePractice also has a community forum in which users can ask questions and gain clarification – it seems like this is relatively active, and allowed me to get to the bottom of questions much faster than if I had to write to customer service.

SimplePractice has relatively strong customer service and training which has earned it a score of 4 out of 5 stars in the “Customer Service & Training” category of our scoring criteria.

SimplePracice Mobile App

The addition of a mobile app is a feature that really stands out with SimplePractice. The system offers three mobile apps including the main practice management app, a client portal app, and a telehealth app. The main app would be invaluable to a practitioner that is frequently away from a computer, as it allows practitioners to message clients, manage scheduling, view billing information, and add administrative notes. It is worth noting that the full notetaking functionality, as well as a few other features, are not accessible through the app.

The client portal app would be a great addition for clients, as it allows them to easily access all the features of the client portal without having to log into a computer every time. The telehealth app is available for both practitioners and clients, and syncs automatically with both of the other apps, so users can jump back and forth between them quickly.

Access to SimplePractice’s mobile app is included in every subscription level, and it’s one of the features that differentiates SimplePractice from competitors like TheraNest or TherapyNotes. A mobile app is something that is hard to find in any other EHR system.

SimplePractice Pricing – How Much Does SimplePractice Cost?

SimplePractice base prices range from $29 to $99 monthly for a solo practice. SimplePractice pricing is split into a few different subscription plans, with some optional add-ons as well.

Pricing plans are split into “Starter,” “Essential,” and “Plus.” The cost of SimplePractice can quickly add up depending on the features that your practice requires. The price plans can be a bit confusing at times, as some add-ons that are piecemeal in lower plans are included in more expensive plans.

SimplePractice includes a free 30-day trial that does not require a credit card to access. The free trial offers all of the functionality of the Plus plan.

SimplePractice Additional Add-Ons & Other Fees

• Additional practitioners can be added if a practice is subscribed to the Plus plan. Each additional practitioner costs $59 monthly.
• Staff practice managers can be added to a Plus plan for a cost of $39 monthly.
• Electronic insurance claims requests cost $0.25 per claim.
• Credit card processing costs 2.95% plus $0.30 per successful transaction.
• Telehealth can be added to the Starter plan for $15 monthly.
• Wiley Treatment Planner can be added to the Essential plan for $15 monthly.

Who is SimplePractice Right For?

Practices that are seeking an easy-to-use solution with low setup time should definitely consider SimplePractice. This EHR system is ideal for your practice to easily migrate a large volume of clients or set up a new system of documentation with little headache. Combined with the host of premium features that are available, SimplePractice is an attractive option for many. Because of its great features, SimplePractice has earned a place on our list of the best mental health EHRs.

Practices That Want Great Ease of Use

SimplePractice lives up to its name. If you want a solution that requires little setup and is easy to use right out of the box, then SimplePractice is a fantastic option.

Migrating Practices with a Lot of Clients

SimplePractice offers a feature that allows migrating practices to upload their client list in a large batch. Other EHR systems don’t allow for this functionality and forces practices to tediously enter clients one by one.

Visit Simple Practice – Free Trial For Up To 2 Months (new clients only)

Practices that Want to Grow Their Business

Practices that subscribe to the Essential plan or higher get access to a custom business website builder, a listing on SimplePractice’s Monarch therapist directory, and a very nice business analytics dashboard. These integrations will help a practice to gain an audience and give you the data you need to make informed business decisions.

Practices that Want to Eliminate Extra Work

SimplePractice’s intuitive systems for documentation, scheduling, and intake remove the need for things like paper forms and manually entering data line by line. Intake is automated through the client portal system, and clinical and administrative documentation is remarkably easy to use with automations that help eliminate extra work for you and your staff.

Who May Want an Alternative to SimplePractice?

SimplePractice has no support for electronic prescriptions, so, psychiatric or medical providers would need to look to third-party software for their needs. Meanwhile, practices that have clients in multiple time zones may find it frustrating that SimplePractice does not account for time zones in client communications – I could definitely see that causing a few problems. SimplePractice is also relatively expensive which could be prohibitive to new or smaller practices.

Psychiatric Practices or Medication Providers

SimplePractice does not offer any sort of functionality for offering electronic prescriptions. If your practice focuses on medication, and you prefer electronic prescribing to paper, then SimplePractice may not work for you. TherapyNotes is a similar offering that does offer this feature. To learn more, check out our TherapyNotes Review.

Practices that Have Clients in Multiple Time Zones

SimplePractice does not automatically account for client time zone differences. All appointment reminders and notifications will be given to clients in the practice’s time zone. For practices that offer telehealth services across a wide area, this may become a problem.

What Users Are Saying About SimplePractice

Across multiple user review aggregate sites, SimplePractice tends to garner high praise. It is important to look at a variety of user review sites to get a full picture of what is being said about SimplePractice. When we look at a few of our trusted sources, we can see a few trends that stand out for what users have to say.

The Good:

Excellent User Interface

Users tend to agree that SimplePractice offers an excellent user interface that is easy to navigate overall, with very few bugs.

Intuitive Features and Automation

A large portion of user reviews noted that SimplePractice’s core features offer some of the finest automation that can be found in mental health EHR systems. Many remarked that this has helped their practices eliminate unnecessary and tedious work.

Easy Onboarding and Good Support

SimplePractice users agree that the system is very easy to set up with lots of helpful videos and trainings.

The Bad:

Customer Trust Issues

SimplePractice changed ownership not too long ago and became a publicly traded company. Many users noted that after this happened, SimplePractice dramatically raised prices and many users felt like SimplePractice was no longer trustworthy.

High Price

SimplePractice can get very expensive if you add up all of the various add-ons. Some users don’t like that simple features like the client appointment request widget are locked behind the most expensive plan.

Too Focused on Big Practices

A lot of SimplePractice users noted that after the company changed ownership and structure, the focus seemed to shift to large practices, rather than small or solo practices. This has led some to believe that SimplePractice no longer has the best interest of small businesses in mind.

SimplePractice Vs. TherapyNotes

TherapyNotes can accomplish much of what SimplePractice does – especially the practice management and business features – at a lower cost of entry. However, SimplePractice is more well-known, and well-supported, and offers greater ease of use and premium features than TherapyNotes. It is also worth noting that TherapyNotes does not offer the ability to import large amounts of client data at once as SimplePractice does.

To get a better idea of which system would be best for you, check out our comprehensive TherapyNotes review as well as our comparison of SimplePractice vs. TherapyNotes.

SimplePractice Vs. TheraNest

SimplePractice is much more intuitive and easy to use than TheraNest. TheraNest is also designed almost exclusively for smaller practices, as its pricing structure is based on client caseload, rather than features on offer. Similarly, TheraNest offers more business development tools at a lower cost than SimplePractice does, which may be favorable for a practice that’s just starting out.

TheraNest costs range from $39 – $91 monthly, depending on caseload volume. Uniquely, TheraNest does not charge any additional fees for additional practitioners or staff.

To get a better idea of which system would be best for you, check out our comprehensive TheraNest review and our comparison of TheraNest vs. SimplePractice.

How to Sign Up for SimplePractice

You can sign up for a SimplePractice free trial on the SimplePractice website. To download the SimplePractice for Clinicians App, it can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, but you must register your practice through your web browser on the SimplePractice website first.

History of SimplePractice

SimplePractice was founded in 2012 as a private company by co-founders Howard Spector and Ralph Zimmerman.¹

After that point, the waters get a bit murky in terms of business structure. It is clear that at some point between then and now, SimplePractice was acquired by publicly traded company EngageSmart which provides other software-as-a-service solutions, however more details on this history are difficult to find.²

Concerns Over SimplePractice Privacy Practices

In August 2023, SimplePractice updated its privacy practices and terms of service to reflect that SimplePractice will collect aggregated, anonymized user data, including client data. This sparked a bit of controversy from providers across various social media platforms. SimplePractice later released a statement via email indicating that they will never sell client data and that SimplePractice aligns fully with HIPAA and remains fully HIPAA-compliant.

SimplePractice Final Verdict

Overall, our time with SimplePractice was very positive. The free trial unlocks access to the features of the most expensive plan, which gives you a taste of the full functionality of the software. The service is excellent in quality but has a few issues in terms of longevity and reliability, as well as relative cost. This has earned SimplePractice an overall score of 4 out of 5 stars in our independent review.

Ease of use and smart automation seems to be at the core of SimplePractice, as every feature has been automated in some way to eliminate extra work that specifically faces mental health workers. Everything from client intake to documentation to billing can be handled quickly and easily.

The main drawback to SimplePractice is its pricing structure. Many of the most desirable and useful features are quite expensive to unlock compared to competitors like TherapyNotes or CounSol, which may prove prohibitive to smaller practices or new businesses.

You should consider signing up for SimplePractice’s free trial if you:

• Are willing to pay a bit more for premium features
• Want intuitive and easy-to-use features
• Need to import a large number of clients
• Need tools to help grow your business

Free Trial For Up To 2 Months (new clients only)

You should consider looking for an alternative to SimplePractice if you:

• Need a more budget-friendly option
• Need electronic prescription functionality
• Want more hands-on customer support
• Need just a few premium features and don’t want to pay for extras

FAQ’s

How Do I Cancel My SimplePractice Subscription?

Canceling a subscription with SimplePractice is easy to accomplish. Simply navigate to the settings tab, select “Subscription Information,” and then select “Cancel my account.”

Does SimplePractice Offer Refunds?

No. SimplePractice offers a free trial for 30 days and does not offer refunds for any purchases made after that period.

Please visit the SimplePractice Terms of Service and SimplePractice Privacy Policy for more information.

Is SimplePractice Cloud-Based?

Yes. SimplePractice is a cloud-based piece of software that is accessed through a web browser, or through a mobile app to a limited degree. This means that no data is stored locally and that an internet connection is required to use SimplePractice.

Does SimplePractice Have a Client Portal?

Yes. Client portal access is included in all pricing plans and is integral in client intakes, and is very useful throughout a client’s services.

What do Clients See in SimplePractice?

Clients can use the SimplePractice client portal to access any outstanding balances or invoices, update payment information, view certain documents, request new appointments, view upcoming appointments, and join telehealth sessions.

Is the SimplePractice App Free?

Yes, the SimplePractice mobile app is free to download, however, users must have an active account and subscription, or an active free trial to use the app. The client portal app and telehealth app are also free.

What is SimplePractice Considered?

SimplePractice is a comprehensive EHR system for mental health practices. It differs from an electronic medical records (EMR) system in that it is built specifically for mental health practices rather than the larger medical community.

How Much Does SimplePractice Charge?

SimplePractice offers three subscription plans ranging from $29 – $99 monthly, depending on the features you need.

Is SimplePractice Hard to Use?

True to its name, SimplePractice is one of the simplest EHR platforms I’ve ever used. It is very easy and quick to use and would be simple for any practice to get started with.