TheraNest and SimplePractice are two electronic health records (EHR) systems that offer great value to any mental health practice. TheraNest offers all of its features under every subscription plan, but SimplePractice has a wealth of premium options available. Let’s dive into our experience testing these two EHRs and how they differ in features, cost, and value.
TheraNest Vs. SimplePractice – At a Glance
While TheraNest and SimplePractice ultimately offer very similar services to mental health practices, there are some differences in how they accomplish this. Overall, we found that both platforms have many of the top features found on our list of the best mental health EHRs.
Some differences between SimplePractice and TheraNest are:
- SimplePractice offers more flexibility and customization than TheraNest.
- Forms and documentation are more comprehensive in SimplePractice.
- TheraNest suffers from some usability issues, most notably in its billing system.
- TheraNest pricing is based on caseload size, so practices with smaller caseloads may be able to save on costs.
TherapyNotes Vs. SimplePractice – Key Takeaways
TheraNest | SimplePractice | |
---|---|---|
Monthly Cost | $39 - $91 | $29 - $99 |
Free Trial? | Yes, 21 days | Yes, 30 days |
Offers Telehealth Platform | Yes | Yes |
Unlimited Clients on All Subscription Levels | No | Yes |
Unlimited Sessions on All Subscription Levels | Yes | Yes |
Cost per Additional Clinician | Unlimited clinicians included in base cost | $59 monthly, must be on Plus Plan |
Insurance Billing Costs | Variable, $0.17 - $0.25 per claim | $0.25 per claim |
Client Data Import | Yes, at no cost | Yes, at no cost |
ePrescription Features | Yes | No |
Estimated Annual Cost | $468 - $1,092 | $348 - $1,188+ |
TheraNest Vs. SimplePractice – Final Verdict
Overall, we found that SimplePractice offers more features than TheraNest does. However, this will come at a significant cost difference – particularly if you have more than one practitioner. But, if you are willing to pay a premium price, it offers more flexibility than most other mental health EHRs.
However, TheraNest is certainly an alluring and superior option for many. If you are looking for an EHR to handle the basics, have a relatively small caseload, or have more than one practitioner or staff member, TheraNest may be a better option than SimplePractice.
Do you bill insurance or plan to bill insurance?
SimplePractice is the top rated EHR for practices that bill insurance.* It has everything you need to run your practice—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing. Try SimplePractice free for up to two months!**
*According to Best Mental Health EHRs. **Offer valid only for new clients.
Pros & Cons of TheraNest
TheraNest really stands out when it comes to customer service responsiveness, quality of training offered, and ability to customize features and forms. However, deep levels of customization may require extensive training in the software and the forms and template library is pretty rudimentary.
Pros & Cons of SimplePractice
SimplePractice offers several useful features and benefits including a beautiful, modern interface, an intuitive scheduling and calendar system, and many additional features like Wiley Treatment Planner and a professional website builder. However, SimplePractice is relatively expensive compared to its competitors and has encountered many concerns over practice and client data privacy.
SimplePractice Vs. TheraNest – Costs
TheraNest uses the size of your caseload as a reference point for the cost of your subscription. This means that all standard features are offered at all subscription levels. SimplePractice, on the other hand, has a pricing structure that can get a bit confusing, and a number of extras can lead you to have a more expensive EHR than you first envisioned.
SimplePractice Cost
SimplePractice costs range from $29 – $99 monthly for solo practitioners, and these prices can increase depending on optional features. It is only possible to add additional staff members and clinicians at the most expensive subscription plan, and all of the extras can begin to raise the costs pretty quickly.
SimplePractice Costs
Plan | Features | Cost |
---|---|---|
Starter Plan |
| $29 monthly |
Essential Plan | All “Starter” features, plus:
| $69 monthly |
Plus Plan | All “Essential” features, plus:
| $99 monthly |
Additional Costs |
|
TheraNest Cost
Monthly costs for TheraNest fall in the range of $39 – $91+. TheraNest uses a simpler pricing system than SimplePractice; the size of your caseload dictates the price you pay, and all features are available at all subscription levels. As well, there are some premium add-ons and additional costs to consider, such as insurance claims.
TheraNest Costs
Plan | Features | Cost |
---|---|---|
Up to 30 clients |
| $39 monthly |
Up to 40 clients | Same as above | $50 monthly |
Up to 50 clients | Same as above | $60 monthly |
Up to 80 clients | Same as above | $91 monthly |
Additional Costs |
|
Resources For Your New Practice
SimplePractice – EHR For Therapists has everything you need to run your practice—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing. Try SimplePractice free for up to two months!* Free Trial
Grow Therapy – Easy Insurance Acceptance & Client Referrals Get paneled for free with the major payors in your state so you can also start seeing insurance clients. Don’t worry about unpaid claims! Any insurance claims that you submit are guaranteed. Schedule A Call To Learn More
* Offer valid only for new clients.
TheraNest Vs. SimplePractice – Which Offers a Better Value?
The value offered by SimplePractice or TheraNest depends on your practice’s circumstances. For instance, if you have less than 30 clients, TheraNest offers more features than the base SimplePractice plan. However, if you have a lot of clients, or need more practice management solutions than TheraNest, you may want to look at a more expensive SimplePractice plan.
Overall, TheraNest uses a much simpler pricing system than SimplePractice does and seems to be focused more heavily on growing practices. As your practice grows larger in caseload, and, most likely, revenue, the cost for the EHR will also increase. In contrast, SimplePractice has a pricing structure that can be trickier to understand, in which various subscription levels offer different key features. In this way, understanding the value offered by either platform requires careful consideration of exactly what your practice needs.
SimplePractice Vs. TheraNest – Key Features
SimplePractice and TheraNest both offer a wide range of key features to help you run your practice. During our review, we found that SimplePractice offers more tools in the way of practice management, marketing, and customization, however, TheraNest offers great, personalized customer service, and a much simpler pricing system.
Caseload & Practice Management
SimplePractice and TheraNest offer similar functionality and performance in terms of caseload management. However, SimplePractice offers far more customization and support for practice management and reporting.
TheraNest, however, does allow you to add an unlimited number of practitioners and staff members to your practice, whereas there is a per-practitioner monthly cost associated with this in SimplePractice – and you have to be on the most expensive price plan in order to add practitioners, as well.
So, while SimplePractice offers more overall functionality, this is going to come at a much steeper cost compared to TheraNest’s modest offerings.
Forms, Intake, & Documentation
TheraNest lacks some important pre-generated content, presets, and features in its forms, intake, and documentation process. To put it simply, during our review, we found that TheraNest just can’t compare to SimplePractice’s best-in-class documentation system.
Both platforms offer access to Wiley Treatment Planner, however, we found that SimplePractice does a better job of implementing and integrating Wiley into the overall EHR. Coupled with TheraNest’s overall lack of forms, and limitations in creating custom forms, SimplePractice is the clear winner in this category.
Scheduling & Calendar
As we’ve seen before, SimplePractice’s more advanced features cost a premium fee, however, they are leagues ahead of the competition. If all you need is basic functionality, TheraNest is adequate but doesn’t offer the same automation and intuitive design that SimplePractice’s calendar does.
Keep in mind that many of SimplePractice’s advanced calendar features are not unlocked until you subscribe to one of the most expensive subscription plans.
Billing Features
TheraNest does not offer a valuable system for either billing clients directly or for billing insurance. The systems are flawed, unintuitive, and outdated. While TheraNest offers fully customized and managed billing at a fee, SimplePractice’s system is usable enough not to need this extra cost.
Client Portal, Telehealth, & Other Features
Both TheraNest and SimplePractice offer similar functionality and pricing with their telehealth platforms. Similarly, they both offer Wiley Treatment Planner integration and client portals; however, TheraNest offers ePrescription features that SimplePractice does not.
SimplePractice includes access to a valuable, professional website builder, and includes a listing on the monarch therapist directory for certain subscription plans. As well, SimplePractice includes more features and add-ons for helping to grow and market your practice.
Ease of Use
During our review, we found that SimplePractice offers better ease of use than TheraNest does. With a superior, and more intuitive design, SimplePractice would be slightly easier for users to get acquainted with. In most areas, TheraNest does not lag far behind in ease of use, however, TheraNest’s calendar and billing systems are notable for their difficulty and poor design.
Do you bill insurance or plan to bill insurance?
SimplePractice is the top rated EHR for practices that bill insurance.* It has everything you need to run your practice—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing. Try SimplePractice free for up to two months!**
*According to Best Mental Health EHRs. **Offer valid only for new clients.
TheraNest Vs. SimplePractice- Which Is Right for You?
SimplePractice is a great choice for practices that are looking to expand and ensure that it will grow seamlessly with premium, automated features. TheraNest offers bundled pricing so more features are offered at a standard rate – this translates to potential savings for practices with smaller caseloads.
Some questions you should consider before deciding on an EHR platform:
- What are the essential features your practice needs?
- What is your budget?
- How many clients are on your caseload?
- Do you have multiple practitioners? What about administrative staff?
- Do you conduct sessions remotely or in person?
- Will you be billing insurance? How much experience do you have with this?
- Do you need to build a website for your practice?
Who Is SimplePractice Right For?
Judging by SimplePractice’s popularity, there are plenty of practices that would benefit from it. SimplePractice has enough customization and automated features to ensure minimal manual work, with great features to help you market and grow your business. Combined with the host of available premium features, SimplePractice is an attractive option for many.
Practices that Want to Grow Their Business
Practices that subscribe to the Essential plan or higher can use a custom business website builder, a listing on SimplePractice’s Monarch therapist directory, and a very nice business analytics dashboard – all of these are included in the base cost. 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.
To learn more about SimplePractice, read our comprehensive review of SimplePractice.
Who Is TheraNest Right For?
Those Who Want Excellent, Personalized Customer Support
TheraNest offers some of the best customer support available with mental health EHRs. Meanwhile, SimplePractice is a much larger company and doesn’t offer the level of personalized and detailed support that TheraNest does. TheraNest’s managed billing may be worth it for those that want a more concierge sort of experience.
Practices with Small Caseloads
TheraNest offers significant value, especially when your caseload is small. If you plan on maintaining only a small caseload, TheraNest offers a very cut-and-dry pricing plan that can help you simplify your practice.
Marketing Resources
Wix – Create A Website For Your Private Practice. Get Started with a free plan. Upgrade to have your own custom domain ( www.yourpracticename.com) for as little as $16 per month. Start Building
Choosing Therapy Directory (FREE) – Thousands of potential patients come to the directory each month. Once your profile on the Choosing Therapy Directory is active, you will have leads emailed to you when a potential client is interested. Sign Up
Who Should Look for Alternatives to TheraNest & SimplePractice?
While SimplePractice and TheraNest are great for many – some will find their practice is better served elsewhere.
Those Looking for the Most Advanced Documentation Features
TherapyAppointment offers the most advanced documentation features out of any mental health EHR. If you’re looking to take automation and documentation features to the next level, TherapyAppointment is your best bet.
Read more about TherapyAppointment in our detailed TherapyAppointment review.
Remote Practices That Need Unique Telehealth Features
TheraPlatform has the most unique and comprehensive telehealth platform out of any mental health EHR we’ve reviewed. It allows you to share resources, collaborate with clients on a whiteboard, and even play therapy-related games. If you plan on conducting a lot of telehealth sessions – particularly with kids – TheraPlatform is a great option.
Read our TheraPlatform review to learn more.
Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Grow Therapy – Easy Insurance Acceptance & Client Referrals Get paneled for free with the major payors in your state so you can also start seeing insurance clients. Don’t worry about unpaid claims! Any insurance claims that you submit are guaranteed. Schedule A Call To Learn More
EHR For Therapists
SimplePractice has everything you need to run your practice—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing. Try SimplePractice free for up to two months!* Free Trial
Practice Website
TherapySites – Websites For Therapists Made Simple. Choose from a selection of high-end, mobile-friendly website designs created just for therapists. Attracting new clients is easy with a professional online presence. The first two months of website hosting services are Free. Learn More
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Free Directory Listing
Choosing Therapy Directory – Thousands of potential patients come to the directory each month. Once your profile on the Choosing Therapy Directory is active, you will have leads emailed to you when a potential client is interested. Profiles are free through 2023. Sign Up
*Offer valid for new clients only.
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