What is the best SimplePractice alternative for private-pay therapists?

For private-pay therapists who do not need insurance claims, CoralEHR is a strong SimplePractice alternative because it focuses on clinical documentation, AI notes, telehealth, scheduling, Stripe payments, and a simpler private-pay workflow. Therapists who bill insurance may prefer SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or another EHR with more billing infrastructure.

What is a cheaper alternative to SimplePractice?

CoralEHR starts at $29/month for solo private-pay therapists — the price SimplePractice's Starter plan used to be before its 69% increase in March 2025. When comparing costs, include base plan price, AI notes, group sessions, card processing, extra clinicians, and add-ons rather than only the advertised starter price.

Is SimplePractice or CoralEHR better for private-pay therapists?

CoralEHR is purpose-built for private-pay therapists — telehealth and Stripe payments are included on every plan, and AI documentation (notes, treatment plans, form builder) is included on Professional with no per-seat add-on. SimplePractice is a better fit if you also bill insurance, since it includes full claims submission and ERA/EOB processing.

How much does SimplePractice cost compared to CoralEHR?

SimplePractice starts at $49/month (Starter), with most therapists choosing Essential at $79/month for client reminders, Wiley planners, and calendar sync. AI notes are a $35/clinician/month add-on, so matching CoralEHR Professional's AI documentation costs about $114/month. CoralEHR starts at $29/month with free migration, AI documentation on the $79 Professional plan, a 30-day free trial, and a 20% annual discount — SimplePractice offers no annual discount.

Do SimplePractice card fees matter when comparing EHRs?

Yes. SimplePractice processes cards at 3.15% + $0.30 per transaction, which can materially change the real monthly cost for private-pay therapists who collect most fees by card. Compare the base EHR subscription together with payment processing, AI notes, clinician seats, and any add-ons.

Does SimplePractice include AI-powered notes?

SimplePractice offers its AI Note Taker as a paid add-on at $35/clinician/month on every plan. Note that from June 16, 2026, SimplePractice may retain de-identified session transcripts to improve its AI features. CoralEHR includes AI-powered clinical note generation on its Professional plan with no per-seat add-on cost.

Can I switch from SimplePractice to CoralEHR?

Yes. SimplePractice allows CSV and PDF data exports. CoralEHR's onboarding team helps you import client data and set up your new practice in a single session — and can help you verify your export is complete before you cancel.

Does CoralEHR support insurance billing?

No. CoralEHR is designed exclusively for private-pay practices. If you bill insurance, SimplePractice or TherapyNotes may be a better fit.

Which EHR has better telehealth?

Both include HIPAA-compliant 1:1 video with screen sharing. CoralEHR includes group video sessions on every plan; SimplePractice gates group telehealth to its $99 Plus plan (or a $20/month add-on on Essential), and reviewers have reported recurring reliability problems with its video since 2024.

What kind of support does each platform offer?

SimplePractice offers live chat and email support, with phone support only on the Plus plan — and reviewers frequently report difficulty reaching a human. CoralEHR offers direct access to the founder's personal line and personalized onboarding for every practice.

EHR Comparison

CoralEHR vs SimplePractice

Compare pricing, card fees, AI notes, telehealth, and the EHR workflows that matter when you do not need insurance billing overhead.

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Starting monthly price, before feature fit

Price is only the first pass. The full comparison below covers AI notes, telehealth, payments, migration, support, and private-pay workflow fit.

CoralEHR

$29

SimplePractice

$49+

TherapyNotes

$69

Public starting prices change. Use this chart as a quick orientation, then verify current pricing on each vendor's site.

Choose SimplePractice if…

You bill insurance and need built-in claims submission and ERA processing
You want a large, established marketplace of integrations and add-ons
You run a multi-discipline wellness practice (not just therapy)
You need Wiley Treatment Planners for structured treatment planning (included on Essential and Plus)
You prefer a platform with a large user community and extensive knowledge base

Choose CoralEHR if…

You run a private-pay-only practice and want a streamlined, focused workflow
You want AI documentation — notes, treatment plans, and form builder — included on Professional with no per-seat fee, vs SimplePractice's $35/clinician/mo AI Note Taker add-on
You want group video sessions and full 2-way Google Calendar sync without being pushed to a $99 tier
You prefer founder-led, personalized support over ticket-based help desks
You want a locked-in rate with a ~20% annual discount — SimplePractice bills monthly only, with no annual discount

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

How CoralEHR stacks up against SimplePractice and TherapyNotes across every category that matters.

O Overview

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Best For	Solo private-pay	Solo & group, all payers	Solo & group, insurance-heavy
Scheduling & Reminders	✓ Email & SMS reminders	~ Email, SMS & voice on Essential & Plus; no client reminders on Starter	~ Email free; $0.14 per text or phone reminder
Key Integrations	Stripe, Google Cal	Stripe, Google Cal, clearinghouses	Built-in clearinghouse (Claim.MD)
Data Export	CSV, PDF export	Per-note PDFs; users report incomplete exports	CSV, PDF export

P Pricing

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Starting Price (Solo)	$29/mo	$49/mo	$69/mo
Per Additional Clinician	From $35/clinician/mo	$74/clinician/mo	$50/mo per additional
Free Trial	✓ 30-day free trial, no credit card	✓ 30-day free trial, no credit card	✓ 30-day free trial, no credit card
No Setup Fees	✓ No setup fees + free white-glove migration	✓	✓
Annual Discount	✓ ~20% off annual billing	✗ Monthly billing only	✗

B Billing & Claims

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Insurance Billing	✗ Private-pay focused	✓	✓
Electronic Claims	✗	✓	✓
Superbills	✓	✓	✓
ERA/EOB Processing	✗	✓	✓
Integrated Payments	✓ Stripe integration	✓ Required integrated processing; 3.15% + $0.30 per transaction	✓ Built-in processing; 3.1% + $0.30 per transaction
Cost Per Claim	N/A	$0.25-$0.50/claim	$0.14/claim
Client Invoicing	✓	✓	✓
Revenue Dashboard (30/90/365-day, AR aging, payouts)	✓ 30/90/365-day filters, AR aging buckets, full payouts dashboard	~ Basic billing reports	~ Basic billing reports; no visual analytics dashboards

T Telehealth

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Built-in Video	✓ HIPAA-compliant video	✓ 1:1 telehealth included on all plans (since March 2025 repricing)	✓ Basic 1:1 telehealth included
Included in Base Price	✓ All plans	✓ 1:1 video on all plans	✓ Basic 1:1 on all plans
HIPAA-Compliant Video	✓ Encrypted, HIPAA-eligible AWS infrastructure	✓	✓
Screen Sharing	✓	✓	~ Premium Telehealth $15/clinician/mo add-on
Group Video Sessions	✓	~ Plus only; +$20/mo add-on on Essential; not on Starter	~ Up to 16 participants via Premium Telehealth $15/mo add-on
Mobile Telehealth	✓	✓ iOS & Android app	✓ Via mobile app or browser

D Documentation & AI

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Progress Notes	✓ Template-aware sections, markdown + rich text	✓	✓
Note Type Coverage	8 types	✓ SOAP/DAP/BIRP	✓ SOAP/DAP/BIRP; reviewers call templates rigid
Treatment Plan Templates	22 templates	✓ Custom plans on Essential & Plus	✓
AI-Powered Notes	✓ Scratchpad → AI draft → AI judge → clinician redraft → sign	~ AI Note Taker $35/mo per clinician add-on; may retain de-identified transcripts for AI training from June 16, 2026	~ TherapyFuel $40/clinician/mo add-on (incl. ambient Scribe)
AI Features Beyond Note-Drafting	11 AI features	~ AI Note Taker $35/mo (scribe + pre-appointment summaries)	~ TherapyFuel: scribe, contact notes, client-history summaries
AI Form Builder (plain-language → form)	✓ Describe a form in plain language; iterative chat refinement; version history with diff	✗	✗
AI Progress Reports (PDF, date-ranged)	✓ Weekly summaries of patient data - assessments, treatment plan, notes, recommendations. Clinician-reviewed; AI assists, does not replace clinical judgment	✗	✗
Custom Forms	✓ Drag-and-drop, undo/redo, autosave, 17 question types	✓	~ Limited templates
E-Signatures	✓	✓	✓
Wiley Treatment Planners	✗ Built-in modality templates instead	✓ Included on Essential & Plus; not on Starter	✓ $15/mo add-on

M Modality-Specific Tools

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
EMDR Builder (Shapiro 8-phase, SUD/VOC)	✓ Shapiro 8-phase, target sequencing, SUD 0-10, VOC 1-7, body-scan installation	✗	✗
IFS Builder (Schwartz parts mapping)	✓ Manager / exile / firefighter parts mapping, burden tracking	✗	✗
ERP Builder (Foa fear hierarchies, SUDS)	✓ Foa fear-domain hierarchies, SUDS pre/peak/post (0-100), response prevention	✗	✗
ACT Builder (hexaflex, VLQ)	✓ Hexaflex, 10-domain VLQ, 7 named defusion techniques, 1-5 snapshots	✗	✗
SPT Builders (Synergetic Play Therapy)	✓ SPT-Child (caregiver partnership) + SPT-NARM (adult disconnection patterns)	✗	✗
Modality-Specific Builder Count	6 builders	0	0

P Patient Symptom Tracking

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Roadmapped Conditions	Tourette's live; ADHD + OCD next	✗	✗

I In-Session Therapy Tools

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Digital Sand Tray (play therapy miniatures)	✓ Search 200+ miniatures, favorites, "Surprise Me" mode, fullscreen pop-out for client-facing sessions	✗	✗
EMDR Bilateral Stimulation Tool	✓ Horizontal/vertical/diagonal BLS patterns, speed control, fullscreen for screen sharing	✗	✗
Guided Breathing Exercises	✓ Box, 4-7-8, calm breath patterns with visual pacing	✗	✗
Grounding Exercise (5-4-3-2-1 sensory)	✓ 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding exercise	✗	✗
Feelings Volcano (children's emotional regulation)	✓ Feelings volcano - children's emotional regulation interactive	✗	✗
Worry Muncher (cognitive defusion)	✓ Worry muncher - cognitive defusion exercise	✗	✗
Total Built-in Therapy Tools	6+ tools	0	0

I Interoperability & Data Portability

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
FHIR R4 API	✓ FHIR R4 endpoints for Patient, Encounter, Observation, Condition, MedicationStatement, DocumentReference	✗	✗
US Core Profiles (USCDI)	✓ US Core profiles compliant - meets USCDI v3 data classes	✗	✗
SMART on FHIR App Launch	✓ SMART on FHIR app launch with OAuth 2.0 / OIDC for third-party app integration	✗	✗
Multi-Provider Data Sharing	✓ FHIR-based handoff to neurologists, PCPs, psychiatrists for shared patient care; powers TicVision and other vertical integrations	✗	✗

C Client Portal

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Online Scheduling	✓	✓	✓
Digital Intake Forms	✓	✓	✓
Secure Messaging	✓	✓	✓
Client Payment Portal	✓	✓	✓
Document Sharing	✓	✓	✓
Appointment Reminders	✓	~ Essential & Plus only; none on Starter	✓

S Security & Compliance

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
HIPAA Compliant	✓	✓	✓
BAA Provided	✓	✓	✓
Two-Factor Auth (2FA)	✓	✓	✓
Data Encryption	✓ Encrypted in transit and at rest on AWS	✓ AES-256	✓ AES-256
Audit Logs	✓	✓	✓

S Support

Feature	CoralEHR	SimplePractice	TherapyNotes
Phone Support	✓ Founder's personal line	~ Plus plan only	✓
Live Chat	✗	✓	✓
Email Support	✓	✓	✓
Knowledge Base	✓	✓	✓
Onboarding Assistance	✓ Personalized pilot onboarding	✓	✓
Dedicated Account Manager	✓ Founder-led support	✗	✗

What switching from SimplePractice actually looks like

Before (SimplePractice)

✗ $49-$99/mo tiers built for insurance billing - the entry plan jumped 69% overnight in March 2025 under private-equity ownership, with no annual discount
✗ Nickel-and-dimed: AI notes +$35/clinician, group sessions +$20/mo on Essential, extra clinicians $74/mo (Plus required), annual CPT fee, 3.15% + $0.30 card processing
✗ Full 2-way Google Calendar sync only on the $99 Plus tier - no sync at all on Starter
✗ Telehealth quality and disconnect complaints since 2024 - 525+ logged outages in three years
✗ From June 2026, AI Note Taker transcripts may be retained (de-identified) to train its AI
✗ Insurance-billing UI on every screen; support by ticket, not conversation

After (CoralEHR)

✓ Telehealth, scheduling & payments on every plan - no add-on maze
✓ AI notes, treatment plans & forms on Professional - no per-seat add-on
✓ Price-lock guarantee - your rate never changes
✓ Clean private-pay workflow + a direct line to the founder

Migration is straightforward

Export your data from SimplePractice (CSV + PDF), and the CoralEHR team imports client demographics, appointment history, and documents in a single onboarding session. Most solo practices switch in under an hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about switching from SimplePractice to CoralEHR.

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Reviewed by Aanish Sachdev, Co-Founder of CoralEHR

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