SimplePractice Review 2026: Top Features, Pros and Cons

SimplePractice is an American web-based EHR system that has been automating clinic management and treatment processes for over 10 years.

If you google the phrase "practice management software," SimplePractice EMR will be one of the leading references.

Today we are going to understand why the software has received such recognition, look at its interface from the inside, highlight its advantages, and identify its disadvantages. This SimplePractice review covers scheduling, client management, telehealth, AI notes, pricing, and more so you can decide if it is the right fit for your practice in 2026.

What Is SimplePractice?

SimplePractice is a cloud-based EHR and practice management platform built primarily for mental health professionals, therapists, counselors, and other private practice clinicians. Founded in 2012 by Howard Spector while he was training as a Marriage and Family Therapist, the platform has grown to serve more than 250,000 active clinicians across the United States, according to SimplePractice's own reviews page. In January 2024, SimplePractice's parent company EngageSmart was taken private by Vista Equity Partners in an acquisition valued at approximately $4 billion. That ownership change is part of the context behind the price-increase complaints some users have reported since.

The platform brings together scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, telehealth, and a client portal under one roof. It is designed with solo practitioners and small group practices in mind, which means the interface tends to be clean and approachable rather than overwhelming.

Key facts at a glance:

• Best suited for: Solo practitioners and small group practices (1 to 5 clinicians)
• Compliance: HIPAA-compliant
• Deployment: Web-based with iOS and Android mobile apps
• Pricing: Starts at $49 per month
• Free trial: 30 days available

Understanding what the platform is built for helps you evaluate it honestly. SimplePractice excels in ease of use and clinical workflows for individual therapists. Where it tends to fall short is in advanced reporting, customisation, and scalability for larger group practices.

Scheduling

The scheduling function is the hallmark of any PMS. SimplePractice sticks to the familiar, easy-to-understand calendar form of scheduling.

You can switch between day/week/month views and use colour-coding depending on the status of the appointment.

From the home page of the calendar, you can manage the waiting list, search for clients in the search bar, and open the learning centre.

Scheduling an appointment is straightforward: click an empty slot, select or create a client, choose the appointment type (client appointment, event, or out of office), set the time, location, duration, and billing details, and save. Invoices can be created directly from the calendar once an appointment is confirmed.

Pros

1. Create therapy notes directly on the appointment card in the calendar.
2. Use colours to highlight different types of appointments.
3. A waiting list simplifies handling empty lots and reduces no-shows.
4. Automated reminders are free.

Cons

1. Some users mentioned the need for a note icon to be present for future appointments, not only past ones, to alert them of sessions that require notes or documentation.
2. There is no option to specify the acquisition channel when booking an appointment.
3. Even when calendar sync is available, issues with slow updates to the calendar can be problematic, causing users to see outdated information.
4. Insufficient customisation of appointment reminders.

Client Management

Clients and contacts are the second tab in the SimplePractice interface. The list can be sorted by first name, last name, recently viewed, inactive contacts, or waiting list status.

Using the "+" button in the upper right corner, you can create a new client profile, a new appointment, or customise availability.

When creating a new client, you specify the client type, contact details, reminder preferences, and billing type. Once created, the platform prompts you to send automated intake forms covering consent for telehealth, credit card authorisation, informed consent for psychotherapy, notice of privacy practices, GAD-7/PHQ-9, and several others.

The finished client card looks like this:

Pros

1. Add invoices, do charting, and send secure messages directly to the customer from their card.
2. HIPAA-compliant.
3. Upload documents directly to the card.

Cons

1. No integration with labs.
2. Handling client credit cards can be problematic with cards expiring, changes due to fraud, or the need to update card information.

Online Booking and Client Portal

With the online booking portal, clients can send an appointment request for a specific day. Availability is configured in the clinic calendar, and all incoming requests appear under the Requests tab on the home page. Clients log in, click "Request now," select from available appointment types and locations, and receive a full confirmation by email. You can control how far in advance clients can book, and the automatic confirmation message text is editable on any plan.

You can configure how many days in advance the client can select an appointment.

The interface for online booking is as follows:

Pros

1. Client Portal app, available for iOS and Android.
2. All requested appointments are confirmed by the doctor.
3. All of the client's paperless intake forms are available to him on the portal.
4. The Billing & Payments tab contains balance information, payment history, insurance billing, and invoices.

Cons

1. In order to customise the portal, you need to create a website in the software interface, which is not always necessary, although it looks presentable.
2. There is no country-based restriction on making an appointment.

Treatment Notes and Documents

In this section, we will look at charting, billing, forms, and other workflow documents.

Treatment notes and administrative notes ('sticky notes') are available in the client record. Using the New button, you can create different types of notes, depending on the type of private practice you specified during registration. For mental health professionals, for example, see the following menu:

• diagnosis and treatment plan
• good faith estimate
• mental status exam
• scored measure
• other document.

When adding a new treatment plan, you select the diagnosis code, the time of diagnosis, and one of the four SimplePractice templates offered:

• Simple
• Basic
• Advanced
• Wiley.

The "Create new template" function allows you to create your own document from scratch using questions, text, and divider blocks.

AI Therapy Notes

SimplePractice has introduced a new AI-powered therapy notes feature, designed to streamline clinical documentation and save practitioners time. This tool automatically generates progress notes based on session details, and can reduce manual data entry while maintaining HIPAA compliance.

How It Works

• Session summary input. After an appointment, briefly outline key discussion points, interventions, or client responses in the AI notes tool.
• AI-generated draft. The system processes your input and creates a structured note using industry-standard formats (e.g., SOAP or DAP).
• Customization & approval. Edit the draft to add nuances, correct terminology, or align with your practice style before finalizing and saving it to the client's record.

Pros

1. Cuts note-taking time by up to 50%, according to SimplePractice.
2. Reduces documentation fatigue with templatized, consistent notes.
3. Integrates directly with existing progress notes and treatment plans.

Cons

1. Requires manual review to ensure accuracy and personalization.
2. Limited flexibility for non-standard note formats (e.g., narrative-style documentation).
3. Note Taker is available as an add-on to any SimplePractice plan. The price is $35/month per clinician.

This feature is ideal for busy clinicians seeking efficiency but may need refinement for complex cases. For a hands-on look, check SimplePractice's AI Therapy Notes demo.

SimplePractice Pricing Plans

Now it's time to answer the main question:

"How much does SimplePractice cost?"

SimplePractice offers 3 main plans (Starter, Essential, and Plus) with a 70% discount if you start a paid plan within 7 days of your free trial. In addition, you can experience a 30-day trial period and pay the full price later.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the standard pricing tiers:

• Starter Plan: $49 per month. Designed for solo practitioners, this tier includes scheduling, client management, intake forms, and a built-in website. It does not include insurance claim filing.
• Essential Plan: $69 per month. The most popular plan for growing practices, it includes everything in Starter plus automated insurance claim filing (with a set number of included claims), appointment reminders, and electronic remittance advice (ERA) setup.
• Plus Plan: $99 per month. Designed for larger practices, this tier adds premium customer support, managed credit card processing, and group scheduling functionalities.

For group practices, additional clinicians are added at $74 per clinician per month on the group plan. Managed insurance billing is also available as a service, reported at 6% of collections with a minimum of $750 per month. That minimum makes it a costly option for lower-volume practices. Add-on costs include the AI Note Taker at $35 per clinician per month and e-prescribing starting at $14.70 per month plus a one-time $89 setup fee.

According to some users, the cost of using the platform is not the most practical. Clients report that SimplePractice does not differentiate between full-time and part-time clinicians in terms of pricing, which leads to a lot of unreasonable spending on the part of clinic owners.

Is SimplePractice Worth the Cost in 2026?

For solo practitioners who use the platform daily, most users find the price reasonable given the breadth of features included. The scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth tools are all bundled together, which means you are not paying separately for each component.

However, the value proposition shifts for group practices. The per-clinician pricing model can push costs significantly higher for practices with three or more providers. A few cost-related considerations worth keeping in mind:

• Managed billing costs 6% of collections, with a reported minimum of $750 per month.
• The AI Note Taker add-on adds $35 per clinician per month.
• E-prescribing adds $14.70 per month plus an $89 setup fee.
• There is no pricing distinction between full-time and part-time clinicians.

If you are a solo therapist or counselor in private practice, SimplePractice is competitively priced. If you are running or scaling a group practice, it is worth running the numbers carefully before committing.

Medical Billing and Insurance Claims

The billing tab is located on the left side of the main interface. In it, you can see recent activities and all billing documents. This dedicated area acts as the financial hub for your practice, allowing you to track outstanding balances and manage daily transactions efficiently.

You can add a payment from the appointment card directly from the calendar. The following payment types are available:

• Online card on file
• Cash
• Check
• External card.

All invoices can be exported. In Settings, you can configure superbills, general billing automations (time of sending invoices), and the billing process for new customers.

SimplePractice Payments deposits practitioner funds directly to the bank account on file, typically within two business days of a successful transaction. For practices using managed billing, collections are processed through the platform and remitted on the same schedule. See the FAQ below for more on how SimplePractice pays you.

Insurance Clearinghouse Integration and Claim Autofill

One of the standout features of SimplePractice is its integrated clearinghouse functionality for insurance claims. Instead of relying on a third-party billing service, the platform allows you to submit electronic claims directly. The system offers an autofill feature that automatically populates claim forms with client data, diagnosis codes, and service information already stored in the client card. This drastically reduces manual data entry errors.

Please note that the amount of included insurance claim filling is different for each tariff. Additional claims cost starting at $0.50 per claim. The platform handles ERA and EOB processing automatically, reconciling payments directly to the appropriate client ledgers.

Pros

1. Filling in a quick chart note directly from the customer profile.
2. Customer signature in the patient portal.
3. Attach files to progress notes up to 50MB in size.
4. Your logo is on every document.
5. AutoPay feature.

Cons

1. There are no font choices or other text modifications in the treatment plan.
2. A progress note can only be added from the calendar. You can't add it from customer card.
3. Billing can be a hassle sometimes if you are just starting off and unfamiliar with the process.
4. When you have a new client, you are automatically set to "cash" instead of the card.
5. There is a learning curve when first implementing the system, and there are occasional issues with the software's updates.
6. Users are concerned about increases in processing fees for credit card transactions, which could result in higher operating costs for their practices.

SimplePractice Telehealth and Video Capabilities

SimplePractice telehealth offers a robust, HIPAA-compliant video platform that is available in both a desktop version and a dedicated mobile app. Developed with the expertise of a trusted mobile app development company USA, healthcare providers can depend on a reliable connection for their virtual sessions.

You can start an online appointment directly from the appointment card in your calendar. A link to the conference is sent to the client in the appointment reminder by email or SMS.

In the online reception settings, you can switch on a timer, receive notifications of new messages in the reception chat, change your ringing background, and use the host control functions.

• Use waiting rooms.
• Get a confirmation message to prevent ending a session unintentionally.

The video interface is clean and requires no additional software downloads for the patient. Patients simply click the link and join the session through their web browser or the SimplePractice client app.

Pros

1. Group online sessions.
2. Chat and whiteboard during the call via the telehealth platform.
3. Ability to pin participants' place on the screen during a group call.
4. High-quality video and audio on the dedicated patient mobile app.

Cons

1. There is no split-screen feature for filling out notes during online counselling.
2. There are reports of troubleshooting issues during SimplePractice telehealth sessions, which can disrupt service delivery.
3. Practitioners report occasional call drops or connectivity issues that could potentially interrupt therapy sessions.
4. It is very hard to screenshare and use it for sharing worksheets and handbooks.
5. If a call drops for some reason, reconnection takes a long time.

SimplePractice Integrations

SimplePractice connects with a focused set of third-party tools rather than offering an open API or broad integration marketplace. This approach keeps things simple for individual practitioners but creates limitations for practices that rely on automation or custom workflows.

Current integrations and connection options include:

• Google Calendar and iCal: Two-way calendar sync to keep your schedule aligned across platforms.
• Stripe: Built-in payment processing for collecting client payments online.
• Luminare Health and Availity: For insurance eligibility verification.
• Zoom: Available as a telehealth alternative on certain configurations.
• Wiley Practice Planners: Pre-built treatment plan content for mental health professionals.

No Public API or Webhook Support

What is notably absent is any form of API access or webhook support. According to reviews of the platform, SimplePractice offers no public API and no webhooks, which means it cannot be connected to automation tools in any meaningful way and cannot be integrated with custom internal systems. For solo practitioners this is rarely a concern, but for growing practices that want to connect their EHR with marketing tools, CRM systems, or advanced analytics platforms, this is a real limitation. It matters most for group practices that depend on automating referral tracking, cross-location scheduling, or reporting workflows. If integrations and automation are a priority for your practice, you will want to consider alternatives that offer more open connectivity.

Website Builder and Professional Directory

As a value-add for new practices, SimplePractice includes a built-in website builder and a listing in their professional directory. This feature is available to help therapists establish an online presence without needing to hire a web developer or pay for external hosting.

The website builder allows you to create a customizable, professional-looking site directly within the platform. You can showcase your specialities, list your rates, display your availability, and allow clients to book appointments directly through your custom site. The sites are designed to be mobile-responsive and integrate seamlessly with your SimplePractice scheduling calendar. If you want more design flexibility than the built-in tool offers, a dedicated website builder gives you more templates and branding options for a standalone marketing site.

Additionally, clients searching for therapists can find your profile on the SimplePractice professional directory. This directory serves as a referral network, helping potential clients discover your services based on location, specialty, and insurance compatibility.

Once clients can find your practice online, they can also leave public feedback about it. If a review on your Google listing violates the platform's policies, you can report it, and it will be taken down after a manual review by Google's team.

SimplePractice for Group Practices

SimplePractice was built with solo practitioners in mind, and that heritage shows when you start adding clinicians to your account. The platform does support group practices, but there are meaningful trade-offs to be aware of before signing up.

What works well for groups:

• Each clinician gets their own calendar, client list, and documentation workspace.
• The group plan includes shared billing and insurance management.
• Practice owners can see a combined view of scheduled appointments across the team.

Where group practices run into friction:

• There are no admin-level reporting dashboards that break down performance by individual clinician.
• The per-clinician pricing at $74 per additional provider adds up quickly for practices with five or more providers.
• There is no role-based permissions system, which means you have limited ability to control what staff members can view or edit.
• The lack of API access makes it difficult to connect SimplePractice with the tools that group practices commonly use, such as referral tracking, advanced analytics, or multi-location scheduling systems.

For practices with one to three clinicians, SimplePractice is still a workable solution. For practices aiming to scale beyond that, the platform's architecture starts to feel limiting.

Reports and Analytics

Reports are available under the Analytics tab on the left side of the home page. The home page is a dashboard where you can quickly view income, number of appointments, notes, and outstanding balances for the month, year, or time period without any details.

The Reports tab allows you to take a deeper and more detailed look at your clinic's analytics.

SimplePractice offers four types of reports, for a total of 17 reports:

• Income
• Billing
• Clients & Appointments
• Insurance.

All reports can be exported in two formats: CSV and Excel.

Pros

The platform has basic reports with a simple interface that is hard to get confused with.

Cons

1. The reports don't have visualisations in the form of graphs, which helps you digest information more easily.
2. You cannot create your own custom reports.
3. There are no marketing or service quality reports in SimplePractice.
4. When stacked up against other EMR tools, the reporting functions in SimplePractice might seem a bit on the simple side. Those who need deeper data analysis and detailed information might feel the features are too restricting.
5. For financial details, the platform doesn't go into depth. It's missing the kind of reports that break down sales details, dig into profits, or give average figures for various service types.

What Real Users Say About SimplePractice

Across public review platforms and practitioner communities, SimplePractice generates a split picture. On Trustpilot, the platform holds a 2.8 out of 5 rating across 1,612 reviews. The recurring complaints in that dataset center on SimplePractice customer service response times, pricing increases since the Vista Equity Partners acquisition, and friction during insurance enrollment setup.

The specific issues most commonly cited include:

• Support delays. Multiple reviewers describe waiting days for resolution of billing or account issues, with live chat and email being the primary channels. Phone support exists but wait times are reported as inconsistent.
• Price increases. Users who joined several years ago note that subscription costs have risen over time, and several cite the ownership change as a factor.
• Insurance enrollment friction. Practitioners report that getting insurance panels set up inside the platform takes longer than expected, particularly for new practices.

On the positive side, the same review base frequently praises the platform's ease of use, the quality of the client portal experience, and the overall design of the scheduling and documentation tools. Practitioner communities on Facebook echo these themes, with solo therapists generally satisfied and group practice owners more likely to flag the per-seat pricing and limited admin controls as frustrations.

The credit card handling complaints noted in the billing section above reflect a wider pattern: users report that updating client payment details when cards expire or are replaced due to fraud can be cumbersome, adding administrative overhead for front-desk staff.

Overall, the user sentiment picture is consistent with a platform that works well for what it was designed to do, namely solo private practice, and shows its limits most clearly when practices grow or when things go wrong and support is needed quickly.

SimplePractice Alternatives

We've gone through the key parts and features of the practice management system, SimplePractice. Now you've got a good rundown of what this platform offers.

Deciding already?

Take a moment before you do, because we're about to dive into some other options you might want to think about.

Medesk

Medesk is a versatile cloud medical system that works well for all types of healthcare industry professionals. With lots of preset clinical notes, it makes your workflow smoother and keeps patients happier.

Its strong analytics section, with over 40 different reports, gives you the lowdown on your peers, your work, and how well you're getting the word out. And you can jack up your game with other features like electronic health records, a clinic CRM, organising tasks, and heaps more.

Medesk has a permanently free plan for up to 2 users, 1,000 patient records, and 50 appointments per month. No credit card required. The Pro plan adds unlimited users and unlimited patient records, with a 7-day free trial. For full details, see our Pricing page.

Carepatron

This one's perfect for smaller setups. It's got a straightforward setup with a bunch of handy bits: scheduling, heads-ups for appointments, slots showing online, video calls, and others.

Carepatron plays nice with other software to work even better. But just so you know, it's missing stuff for doing your to-dos or reporting on them.

It'll set you back about $12 a month, and there's a no-money test drive too.

PracticePal

Over at PracticePal, they're serving up a cloud service with different bits you can plug into. On deck, there are calendars, a spot for booking online, client info, clinic scribbles and forms, the numbers, managing tasks, and chit-chat tools.

Even though it has lots to offer, PracticePal doesn't do automatic 'you're booked' messages, fancy chart reports, or labels.

The base rate's £25 monthly, with some extra costs tagged on.

Frequently Asked Questions About SimplePractice

1. Is SimplePractice good for solo therapists?

Yes. SimplePractice is one of the most polished EHR platforms available for solo practitioners. The interface is intuitive, the client portal is well-designed, and the bundled features cover everything a solo therapist needs on a daily basis. Most solo users find the Starter or Essential plan sufficient for their workflow.

2. Does SimplePractice accept insurance?

SimplePractice supports insurance billing, including electronic claim submission and ERA/EOB processing. The platform integrates with major clearinghouses for eligibility verification and claim management. However, managed billing (where SimplePractice handles claims on your behalf) costs 6% of collections and comes with a reported minimum fee of $750 per month, which may not suit all practices.

3. Can I use SimplePractice for group practice?

SimplePractice does offer a group practice plan, but it comes with per-clinician pricing that can become costly at scale. The platform also lacks admin-level reporting and role-based permissions, which are features that growing group practices typically need. Practices with more than three to five clinicians often find that alternatives offer better value and more flexibility.

4. How does SimplePractice handle telehealth?

SimplePractice includes a built-in HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform accessible from the appointment card in the calendar. It supports group sessions, a waiting room, in-session chat, and a whiteboard. That said, users have reported occasional connectivity issues and call drops, and there is no split-screen view for taking notes during a session.

5. What is the SimplePractice cancellation policy?

SimplePractice operates on a monthly subscription with no long-term contract required. You can cancel at any time without a penalty. Your access to the platform and client data continues until the end of your current billing cycle.

6. Are there any hidden fees with SimplePractice?

While the base monthly subscription covers most core features, there are add-on costs to be aware of. Insurance claims beyond your plan's limit cost $0.50 each, the AI Note Taker is $35 per month, and e-prescribing carries an extra charge. Additionally, credit card processing fees apply to all client transactions.

7. Does SimplePractice help with data migration?

SimplePractice does not offer a dedicated, hands-on data migration service for users on standard plans. They provide self-serve import tools for client contacts and basic data. If you are moving from another EHR with complex historical records, you will likely need to manually export and re-enter your past clinical documentation.

8. What is SimplePractice customer support like?

SimplePractice customer support is primarily accessible via live chat and email during standard business hours. Phone support is available, but wait times can occasionally be long during peak hours. Users generally report that the support team is helpful for basic troubleshooting, though complex technical issues may take longer to resolve.

9. Is SimplePractice reputable?

SimplePractice is one of the most widely used EHR platforms in US private practice, trusted by more than 250,000 practitioners according to the company's own reviews page. User sentiment is mixed: solo therapists tend to rate the platform highly for ease of use and the client portal experience, while complaints center on support response times and pricing increases following the 2024 acquisition by Vista Equity Partners. It is a legitimate, established platform with a long track record, but practitioners should review current pricing and support expectations before committing.

10. How much does SimplePractice cost a month?

Base plans range from $49 per month (Starter) to $99 per month (Plus). Group plans add $74 per clinician per month. Managed insurance billing is available at 6% of collections with a reported minimum of $750 per month. Add-ons such as the AI Note Taker ($35 per clinician per month) and e-prescribing ($14.70 per month plus setup) increase the total further. A 30-day free trial is available.

11. What is better than SimplePractice? (SimplePractice alternatives)

The right alternative depends on what SimplePractice falls short on for your practice. For scheduling flexibility and multi-practice clinic workflows, platforms like Medesk offer strong calendar management and over 40 analytics reports without the per-seat pricing model that makes SimplePractice expensive at scale. For documentation, SimplePractice is genuinely strong for solo therapists, so alternatives only become necessary when group practice admin controls or open integration options matter. If the absence of API access or webhooks is blocking your workflows, that is the clearest signal to evaluate other platforms.

12. How does SimplePractice pay you?

SimplePractice Payments deposits practitioner funds directly to the bank account on file, typically within two business days of a completed transaction. For practices using managed billing, insurance collections are processed through the platform and remitted on the same schedule. See the Medical Billing section above for more detail on billing configuration options.

13. Is SimplePractice worth it?

For solo practitioners, SimplePractice is worth it for most use cases. The combination of scheduling, documentation, telehealth, and billing in a single clean interface saves real time, and the bundled pricing compares favourably against building an equivalent stack from separate tools. The value equation changes for group practices, where per-seat pricing, limited admin reporting, and the absence of API access can make the platform feel overpriced relative to what it delivers. Whether SimplePractice is worth it ultimately comes down to your practice size, how heavily you use insurance billing, and how much you value ease of use versus flexibility.

Summing Up

There you have it! Fingers crossed, our review helps you pick a practice management system that's right for you.

Here is a brief summary of the main pros and cons of SimplePractice PMS.

Pros:

• User-friendly and intuitive interface
• Wide range of features
• HIPAA compatibility
• Mobile app
• Integration with a variety of third-party applications

Cons:

• Limited customisation options
• No data visualization in reports
• Unable to create custom reports
• No marketing or quality of service reports
• The cost may not be practical for some users.
• Customer support does not respond quickly.

Overall, SimplePractice is a powerful and feature-rich practice management platform that is suitable for both individual practitioners and group practices.

However, before you start using the platform, it is important to familiarise yourself with the SimplePractice cost and make sure it fits your specific needs.

Compare your PMS with:

• Cliniko
• CareCloud
• Carepatron
• Power Diary
• PracticePal
• WriteUpp
• Jane