March 18, 2026
14 min read
By Albert Wong, PhD · Clinical Psychologist
SimplePractice Alternatives in 2026: An Honest Look at What's Out There
The right SimplePractice alternative depends on why you want to leave. If insurance billing runs your week, look at TherapyNotes. If you're private-pay and care most about the booking experience, look at Jane. If the monthly bill and note time are the problem, or you supervise pre-licensed clinicians, look at Practice Harbor. And if you rely on e-prescribing inside your EHR, check that feature first, because most therapy-first alternatives don't have it.
This page is a decision guide: who each alternative is for, what it costs as of September 2026, and what to check before you commit. It isn't a feature-by-feature grid. For that, see the head-to-head Practice Harbor vs SimplePractice comparison, and if you've already decided to move, go straight to how to switch from SimplePractice without losing your data.
A disclosure up front: I'm Albert Wong, a clinical psychologist, and I built Practice Harbor. Weigh what I say about it accordingly.
Quick picker: if your reason for leaving is…
| Your main reason | Look at | Why | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance billing is most of your week | TherapyNotes | Built around behavioral-health billing and claims | AI notes are a paid add-on; per-clinician group pricing |
| You run a private-pay practice and care most about client experience | Jane | Polished booking and scheduling | Started in allied health; entry plan caps monthly appointments |
| You want AI notes and the whole practice for less | Practice Harbor | AI notes included on every plan; free for pre-licensed clinicians | Newer and smaller; no e-prescribing |
| You supervise pre-licensed associates | Practice Harbor | Co-signing, hours logging, and associates free on every plan | Same as above |
| You need e-prescribing in the same system | Stay, or shortlist EHRs with e-prescribing | Many therapy-first EHRs, including ours, do not prescribe | Confirm controlled-substance support before you move |
| You also treat medical patients or work in a mixed clinic | A general medical EHR (for example, Charm Health) | Built for many specialties, not only therapy | Therapy notes and treatment plans feel like medical charting |
The baseline: what SimplePractice costs now
Per SimplePractice's pricing page as of September 2026, solo plans are Starter $49, Essential $79, and Plus $99 per month (billed monthly). AI documentation is extra: Note Taker is listed at $35 a month and Care Aide at $59 a month for the account owner, with Note Taker included in Care Aide. E-prescribing is a separate add-on. So a solo clinician who wants AI-drafted notes is typically comparing alternatives against $114 to $158 a month before payment processing. The full breakdown is in SimplePractice pricing explained.
SimplePractice still works well for plenty of therapists. If yours is fine and you rely on its e-prescribing or a specific integration, staying is a reasonable answer.
Five questions that matter more than a feature grid
- How long does a note take? You'll write thousands. If each takes 15 minutes instead of 3, that difference is hours every week.
- Does the telehealth work every time? Test it with a colleague on a phone and a laptop, not in a sales demo.
- Can you predict the bill? Add up the base plan, AI notes, telehealth upgrades, claims, and per-clinician fees for your actual practice, not the headline price.
- Can you reach a person when it breaks? Ask what support is included on the plan you'd actually buy.
- Can you leave? Confirm you can export notes, demographics, documents, and billing history in a format another system can read.
The alternatives, by who they fit
TherapyNotes
TherapyNotes is the steady, unglamorous choice. If your frustration is billing or reliability, it's the first one to trial. The interface is dated, but it was built for behavioral health from the start.
Pricing as of September 2026 (vendor's published rates): Solo $69 a month; group practices $79 for the first clinician plus $50 for each additional clinician. Its AI documentation tool, TherapyFuel, is $40 per clinician per month, so an AI-assisted solo setup is about $109 a month before other add-ons. More detail in TherapyNotes pricing.
Not ideal if: you want AI notes included, or you're adding several clinicians and watching per-seat costs.
Jane
Jane is the best-looking of the group, with excellent scheduling and online booking. It started in allied health (physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage) and later added mental health, and some therapy-specific workflows show it.
Pricing as of September 2026 (vendor's published rates, USD): Balance $54 a month, limited to 20 appointments a month; Practice $79; Thrive $99. The AI Scribe is $15 a month per opted-in practitioner. Because 20 appointments a month is well under a typical solo caseload, most full-time therapists land on Practice or Thrive. For the other direction, see Jane App alternatives.
Not ideal if: most of your clients use insurance, or you want therapy-native treatment planning.
Ensora Mental Health (formerly TheraNest)
TheraNest now sells as Ensora Mental Health. It covers scheduling, notes, telehealth, a client portal, and billing in one system, with plan tiers that gate some features. We couldn't confirm its current prices from the vendor's own site in September 2026, so get a quote for your practice size and ask which tier includes the AI features, online booking, and claims you need.
Not ideal if: you want one flat price with every feature included.
Charm Health
Charm is a general medical EHR rather than a therapy-first one. That's a strength if you share a system with prescribers or primary care, and a weakness if you're a solo therapist: templates and treatment plans read like medical charting. Check its current plans and limits on the vendor's site.
Not ideal if: you want notes and treatment plans designed around psychotherapy.
Practice Harbor
This is ours. Every feature is on every plan; the price depends on career stage:
| Plan | Who | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Licensed | Students, interns, and associates | Free |
| Licensed | Solo licensed clinician | $19/mo |
| Established | Practices with team members | $39/mo (includes your licensed seat) + $19/mo per additional licensed clinician |
What's included:
- AI progress notes in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, or your own template, drafted from a session recording, dictation, or a few typed lines; nothing is filed until you sign
- Scheduling, online booking, reminders, and two-way Google Calendar sync
- Browser telehealth with a waiting room and no app to install
- Client portal, intake packets with e-signature, secure messaging
- Insurance claims at 25¢ each (ERA posting included) and eligibility checks at 15¢, with no monthly clearinghouse fee; card payments at 3.15% + 30¢
- Supervision with note co-signing and hours logging; associates free on every plan
- Import from a previous EHR's export, and export everything at any time
- BAAs with every vendor in the stack; transcription and drafting run with zero data retention and session audio is never used to train models
What's not:
- No e-prescribing and no AI receptionist or phone answering
- Newer and smaller than the vendors above, with fewer integrations
Monthly cost for a solo clinician with AI notes (as of September 2026)
| Platform | Base plan | AI notes | Typical total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimplePractice | $49–$99 | +$35 (Note Taker) or +$59 (Care Aide) | $114–$158 on Essential or Plus |
| TherapyNotes | $69 | +$40 (TherapyFuel) | $109 |
| Jane | $54–$99 | +$15 (AI Scribe) | $94–$114 on Practice or Thrive |
| Practice Harbor | $0–$19 | Included | $0–$19 |
Prices from each vendor's published pricing as of September 2026, monthly billing, before payment processing, claims fees, and promotions. Vendors change prices; confirm on their sites before you decide.
How to test two finalists in one week
- Write three real-length notes in each (de-identified), timing yourself.
- Run a telehealth call with a colleague on a phone and on a laptop.
- Book yourself as a test client through the public booking page and portal.
- If you bill insurance, submit a test claim or ask for a walkthrough of claim and ERA posting.
- Price your real setup: clinicians, AI notes, claims volume, card processing.
- Ask how their import works, and what their export gives you if you leave.
If you're also weighing budget options beyond this list, the budget EHR shortlist covers the low-cost end of the market.
Finish Your Notes Before You Leave the Office
Free for pre-licensed clinicians. $19/mo when you're licensed. No credit card to start.
Your data is always yours. Always exportable. Always encrypted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to SimplePractice?
It depends on why you are leaving. TherapyNotes suits insurance-heavy practices that want dependable billing. Jane suits private-pay practices that care most about booking and client experience. Practice Harbor suits therapists who want AI notes included in a low monthly price and supervisors with pre-licensed associates, who are free. If you rely on e-prescribing inside your EHR, confirm an alternative has it before switching.
Is there a cheaper alternative to SimplePractice with AI notes?
Yes. As of September 2026, SimplePractice charges $49 to $99 a month plus $35 or $59 for its AI note add-ons. TherapyNotes is $69 plus $40 for TherapyFuel, and Jane is $54 to $99 plus $15 for its AI Scribe. Practice Harbor includes AI notes on every plan: free for pre-licensed clinicians and $19 a month for a licensed solo clinician. Confirm current prices on each vendor’s site.
Which SimplePractice alternatives have e-prescribing?
Many therapy-first EHRs do not include e-prescribing, and Practice Harbor does not offer it. If you prescribe, or share a system with a prescriber, confirm e-prescribing and controlled-substance support directly with any vendor on your shortlist, or consider a general medical EHR.
Can I move my client records out of SimplePractice?
Yes. Export your client demographics, notes, documents, and billing history before you cancel, and keep an encrypted copy of your own. Most alternatives, including Practice Harbor, can import from a previous EHR’s export. Run both systems side by side for a couple of weeks before you cancel the old one.
Categories: Practice Management, EHR Comparison, Getting Started
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