If you’ve spent more than five minutes in a therapist Facebook group, you’ve seen the thread: someone asks about EHR software, and the replies turn into a 200-comment war.
SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes. TherapyNotes vs Therapy Brands. Everyone has feelings.
This post isn’t about feelings. It’s about what actually matters when you’re running a private practice in 2026 – billing efficiency, documentation speed, client portal usability, and whether the thing won’t crash during your 6pm crisis session.
I’ve dug through hundreds of real therapist reviews, pricing pages, and changelog notes so you don’t have to.
The Short Answer (If You’re Already Overwhelmed)
- SimplePractice – Best for solo practitioners who want beautiful design and a polished client experience
- TherapyNotes – Best for clinicians who prioritize documentation speed and group practice billing
- Therapy Brands (TheraNest, Therasoft, etc.) – Best for large group practices that need deep customization and don’t mind a steeper learning curve
Now let’s go deeper.
What These Three Actually Are
Quick clarification before we compare:
- SimplePractice is a standalone EHR company, now owned by Unified Practice Health
- TherapyNotes is independently owned, founded by and for behavioral health clinicians
- Therapy Brands is a private equity-backed conglomerate that owns TheraNest, Therasoft, Procentive, Luminare Health, and others – think of it as the “platform holding company” of mental health software
This context matters because it shapes product philosophy, pricing, and support quality.
Pricing in 2026
SimplePractice
- Starter: ~/mo (1 clinician, limited features)
- Essential: ~/mo (most solos land here)
- Plus: ~/mo (groups, more storage, advanced features)
Add-ons for telehealth and billing can push your actual cost higher. Free 30-day trial available.
TherapyNotes
- Solo: ~/mo (all features included)
- Group: ~/mo for first clinician + /mo per additional clinician
Telehealth is included (no add-on fees). Generally considered the better value for what you get.
Therapy Brands / TheraNest
- Pricing varies significantly by product and organization size
- TheraNest starts around /mo for solo, scales with client volume
- Expect custom pricing for enterprise/group setups
Documentation: Where Therapists Spend Most of Their Time
The honest truth: documentation is where EHRs earn or lose your loyalty.
SimplePractice
Beautiful interface. Good template options. But many therapists report that the note editor – while visually clean – is slower to navigate when you’re doing high-volume notes at end of day. The forms and intake documents are genuinely excellent.
TherapyNotes
Built by clinicians. The note workflow is fast, logical, and feels like it was designed by someone who has actually written 50 progress notes in a week. Disorder-specific templates (CBT, DBT, etc.) are built in. The tradeoff: it looks like it was designed in 2015, because a lot of it was. Function over form.
Therapy Brands (TheraNest)
Deep customization of note templates. If you have specific documentation requirements (e.g., for Medicaid billing, specialized populations), TheraNest often wins on flexibility. The learning curve is real, though.
Billing and Insurance: The Make-or-Break Feature
If you’re paneled with insurance, your EHR’s billing tools aren’t optional – they’re your revenue pipeline.
SimplePractice
Good billing for straightforward insurance panels. The UI is clean. However, power users (high claim volume, complex billing situations) often hit limits. Some practices report claim rejection rates that are higher than they’d like.
TherapyNotes
Consistently rated higher for billing accuracy and claim management by practices that run high volume. Real-time eligibility checks. ERA processing. The billing module feels like it was built for practices that take insurance seriously.
Therapy Brands
Built for scale. If you’re running a group practice with multiple payers, Medicaid contracts, or complex billing scenarios, Therapy Brands products often have features SimplePractice and TherapyNotes simply don’t. You pay for that complexity in setup time and cost.
Client Portal and Telehealth
SimplePractice
The client portal is genuinely excellent. Online booking, intake forms, messaging, and telehealth all feel polished. Clients tend to love it. If client experience and self-scheduling are priorities, SimplePractice wins this category clearly.
TherapyNotes
Functional telehealth (included in price). Client portal is solid but less polished than SimplePractice. Online scheduling was added later and feels like it. Gets the job done – but doesn’t wow anyone.
Therapy Brands
Varies by product. Some Therapy Brands platforms (like Luminare) have strong telehealth. TheraNest’s portal is functional but not a selling point.
Support and Reliability
This is where private equity ownership starts to show.
- SimplePractice: Support has declined in recent reviews since acquisition. Chat support is available but wait times have increased. Many users report feeling like a ticket number.
- TherapyNotes: Consistently the highest-rated for customer support. Real humans. Fast response. They answer the phone. Independent ownership seems to matter here.
- Therapy Brands: Mixed. Depends heavily on which product and account tier you’re on. Enterprise clients get more attention.
AI Features in 2026: Where Are They?
Every EHR is claiming AI now. Here’s the reality:
- SimplePractice has AI-assisted note drafting in beta for some plans. Early reviews are mixed – it helps with structure, but requires significant editing.
- TherapyNotes has been slower to roll out AI features but announced integrations in late 2025. They tend to move carefully rather than first.
- Therapy Brands acquired several AI-adjacent tools and is pushing AI documentation hard. Quality varies by product.
If AI note drafting is a priority, also look at dedicated tools like Upheal, Mentalyc, or Blueprint – they integrate with most EHRs and often outperform the EHR’s native AI features.
Who Should Choose What
| Your Situation | Best Fit |
|---|---|
| Solo, private pay or simple insurance | SimplePractice |
| Solo, complex insurance billing | TherapyNotes |
| Small group (2-5 clinicians) | TherapyNotes |
| Larger group, Medicaid, high complexity | Therapy Brands (TheraNest or Therasoft) |
| Client experience is your top priority | SimplePractice |
| Documentation speed is your top priority | TherapyNotes |
| You hate calling support | TherapyNotes |
What Hasn’t Changed
Despite all the features, AI buzzwords, and pricing changes, the therapists who are happiest with their EHR tend to share one thing: they chose based on their actual workflow, not marketing copy.
Before you sign up for anything, do this:
- Start a free trial (SimplePractice and TherapyNotes both offer them)
- Write 5 fake progress notes in it
- Run a test claim through billing
- Try the client-facing intake flow from your phone
- Call support with a fake question and see how it goes
That 30 minutes will tell you more than any comparison post (including this one).
The Bottom Line
In 2026, TherapyNotes remains the workhorse choice for clinicians who want reliability, strong billing, and support that actually picks up. SimplePractice wins on design and client experience. Therapy Brands is for practices that have outgrown both.
None of them are perfect. All of them will frustrate you at some point. The goal isn’t to find the perfect EHR – it’s to find the one whose strengths match your actual practice.