SimplePractice has become a notable name in practice management software, serving over 225,000 health and wellness professionals with its platform. It combines scheduling, billing, documentation, telehealth, and client engagement tools into a single, user-friendly system that has modified how private practices operate.
But as your practice evolves and your needs become more specific, you might find that an extensive solution, while convenient, doesn’t always provide the depth you need in critical areas. Just as a general practitioner might refer you to a specialist for specific conditions, sometimes your practice needs specialized tools that lead in particular aspects of practice management.
That’s where this guide comes in. Whether you’re looking to:
We’ll explore dedicated alternatives that lead in these specific areas. Some practices might use these tools alongside SimplePractice to enhance specific workflows, while others might find their replacement. This isn’t about finding a “better” platform, but rather the right fit for your practice’s unique needs and growth
Let’s dive into the best SimplePractice alternatives and discover which specialized solution aligns with your practice goals.
The Best SimplePractice Alternatives | ||
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Starts at: $0/mo G2 Score: 3.9 Capterra Score: 3.8 | CarePaths Best Alternative for Group Practices Seeking Value-Based Pricing and Clinical Excellence We chose CarePaths because it delivers advanced practice management with transparent, competitive pricing that can significantly reduce costs for practices while providing evidence-based tools developed with leading psychotherapy researcher Bruce Wampold, PhD, to systematically improve clinical outcomes. Read More | |
Starts at: Custom G2 Score: 3.2 Capterra Score: 4.1 | Valant Best Alternative for Enterprise Behavioral Health Management Valant excels with enterprise-grade architecture, 100+ specialized templates, and measurement-based care designed for large behavioral health organizations and agencies. Read More | |
Starts at: $59/mo G2 Score: 4.4 Capterra Score: 4.7 | TherapyNotes Best Alternative for Deep Clinical Documentation and Billing Excellence TherapyNotes provides form-based templates designed around insurance audit requirements with 24/7 unlimited support, making it ideal for practices prioritizing documentation depth and billing accuracy. Read More | |
Starts at: Custom G2 Score: 4.1 Capterra Score: 3.9 | Tebra (Kareo) Best Alternative for Integrated Growth and Marketing Tools Tebra combines practice management with a broad patient acquisition engine, including website development, SEO optimization, and reputation management for growth-focused practices. Read More | |
Starts at: Custom G2 Score: 3.6 Capterra Score: 4.1 | ICANotes Best Alternative for Rapid Psychiatric Documentation ICANotes offers psychiatric documentation with its button-driven system, allowing broad narrative notes in under 3 minutes for high-volume psychiatric practices. Read More | |
Starts at: $0 G2 Score: 4.5 Capterra Score: 4.5 | Carepatron Best Alternative for Solo Clinicians Starting Out Carepatron offers a broad free plan with unlimited clients, making it the ideal stepping stone for new practitioners building their practice without no costs. Read More | |
Starts at: $54/mo G2 Score: 4.0 Capterra Score: 4.8 | Jane Best Alternative for Multidisciplinary Clinic Management Jane’s native multidisciplinary design handles complex workflows across physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, and mental health services with resource management and online booking. Read More | |
Starts at: $29/mo G2 Score: 4.2 Capterra Score: 4.4 | TheraNest Best Alternative for Established Group Practices TheraNest’s caseload-based pricing and extensive customization make it ideal for group practices needing flexible scaling without per-clinician fees. Read More | |
Starts at: $25/mo G2 Score: 4.8 Capterra Score: 4.8 | Practice Better Best Alternative for Wellness/Coaching Crossover Practices Practice Better excels with program creation tools, lifestyle tracking, and supplement protocols, perfect for practitioners blending clinical care with wellness coaching. Read More | |
Starts at: $49.95/mo G2 Score: 4.4 Capterra Score: 4.7 | CounSol Best Alternative for Customization-First Private Practices CounSol provides unparalleled client portal customization and dedicated account management, ideal for practices wanting full control over their brand experience. Read More | |
Starts at: $0 G2 Score: 3.5 Capterra Score: 4.0 | OpenEMR Best Alternative for Technical Teams OpenEMR removes licensing costs entirely while providing complete control over data and unlimited customization through its open-source architecture. Read More |
SimplePractice is a cloud-based practice management and electronic health record (EHR) software serving over 225,000 health and wellness professionals.
Built as a versatile solution, it consolidates essential practice management tools into a single platform. Its key features include:
SimplePractice works by creating a workflow where all practice operations connect automatically.
Source: SimplePractice
When you schedule an appointment, the system can send automated reminders, generate the appropriate documentation templates, process payments, and submit insurance claims, without switching between different software platforms.
This integration eliminates redundant data entry and reduces administrative burden, allowing practitioners to focus more on client care.
However, as practices grow and specialize, they often need tools with more advanced features in specific areas.
Whether it’s advanced clinical measurement tools, enterprise-scale management capabilities, or specialized documentation workflows, many practitioners find themselves seeking alternatives that support their particular area of focus.
That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to help you find the specialized solution that best fits your practice’s requirements.
After testing SimplePractice and researching the practice management software market, we identified that while SimplePractice is a generalist platform, many practitioners need specialized tools that offer advanced features in specific areas.
Through user feedback and market analysis, we found that practices commonly seek more solutions for:
Each platform on this list represents a solution in one of these specialized areas, chosen for their ability to address specific limitations that SimplePractice users commonly encounter.
| ❗DISCLAIMER: We aren’t covering every single practice management tool in the market! Our focus is on highlighting the best alternatives that excel in specific areas where SimplePractice’s generalist approach may fall short. The goal is to help you find specialized solutions that match your practice’s unique needs. | | :—- |
CarePaths is a comprehensive, cloud-based EHR and practice management platform designed specifically for behavioral health professionals working to improve efficiency while ensuring better patient care.
Founded by clinical psychologists Geoff Gray, PhD and Maureen Hart, PhD, it combines clear, competitive pricing with advanced clinical tools. Its key features include:
For behavioral health professionals looking to optimize costs while improving their practice efficiency and clinical outcomes, CarePaths provides the value that SimplePractice’s traditional pricing model doesn’t match.
SimplePractice charges separately for various features and users, while CarePaths uses a different pricing model. Here’s where CarePaths stands out:
CarePaths provides straightforward pricing that reduces unexpected costs common in traditional systems.
Group practices may see significant savings, particularly larger practices. The predictable pricing structure supports sustainable expansion without dramatic cost increases as you grow.
The financial advantages include:
SimplePractice’s per-clinician model can become expensive as practices grow, with fees ranging from $49-99 per clinician plus additional fees for certain features.
CarePaths’ approach provides clear cost visibility, making budgeting straightforward and growth planning more predictable.
⚡ CarePaths in Action: A group practice switching to CarePaths could potentially save hundreds of dollars monthly depending on their size and feature use. With unlimited admin users included, they avoid extra account fees. These savings can be reinvested in practice growth or clinician compensation.
Founded by clinical psychologists, CarePaths reflects a deep understanding of mental health workflows.
The platform offers tools to improve therapy outcomes and communication across practices, with measurement-based care being a key part of a larger clinical excellence toolkit.
The platform includes:
This clinical focus benefits university training clinics and practices with supervision structures.
Students and supervised clinicians can track their development as therapists using real data, aligning with research-backed insights about professional development in psychotherapy.
⚡ CarePaths in Action: A university training clinic uses CarePaths to support student therapists under supervisors.
The supervision workflows allow seamless case review and sign-off, while students track their clinical development through outcome data. The special student pricing makes this financially feasible, supporting the next generation of therapists.
Source: CarePaths
CarePaths serves therapy practices with a shared understanding: everyone wants therapy that works and is affordable to provide and receive.
The platform’s collaboration with Bruce Wampold, PhD, one of the world’s leading psychotherapy researchers, ensures that clinical tools are grounded in evidence rather than trends.
Key benefits for your practice include:
While SimplePractice measurement-based care tools, CarePaths provides advanced integration with research foundations, making it a strong partner in practice improvement.
The difference is having a system designed to support continuous improvement in both clinical and business outcomes.
⚡ CarePaths in Action: After implementation, practices may reduce software costs and show improved patient outcomes through systematic tracking.
This data strengthens insurance negotiations and marketing by demonstrating treatment effectiveness. As insurers increasingly reimburse for measurement-based care, practices can generate additional revenue from services they’re already providing.
🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated alternatives like TherapyNotes and TheraNest, which offer strong practice management features.
However, CarePaths stands out by pairing competitive, transparent pricing with advanced clinical tools and evidence-based features, making it an excellent choice for practices that want to optimize costs while improving both their business operations and clinical outcomes.
CarePaths offers transparent, tiered pricing designed to be accessible for practices of all sizes:
🏅 NOTE: Additional features like e-prescribing ($49/month) and enhanced data storage are available as add-ons.
All paid EHR plans include unlimited administrative staff accounts, and group practices receive discounted rates. The platform offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
Choose CarePaths if:
Ready to optimize your practice costs while improving outcomes? Start your free 30-day trial of CarePaths and discover how transparent pricing and evidence-based tools can benefit both your bottom line and clinical outcomes.
Valant is a cloud-based EHR and practice management software designed for behavioral and mental health practices that need enterprise-level capabilities.
Founded by practicing psychiatrist Dr. David Lischner, it addresses the complex operational needs of large group practices and agencies. Its key features include:
Valant stands out for large behavioral health organizations in these critical areas:
Enterprise Architecture and Scale
While SimplePractice fits solo and small practices well, Valant provides the infrastructure large organizations require. The platform offers granular role-based access controls, multi-location support with location-specific scheduling and reporting, and the ability to manage complex multi-provider calendars across departments. This architecture supports agencies managing many providers across multiple service lines.
Advanced Clinical Documentation
Valant delivers over 100 specialized clinical sections for specific therapeutic modalities including DBT, CBT, MFT, and TMS. The measurement-based care system includes 80+ standardized outcome measures that auto-generates narratives and integrate directly into notes.
Revenue Cycle Management
The proprietary Claim Assist feature applies over 100 behavioral health-specific rules to fix billing errors before submission, achieving a 99%+ first-pass clean claim rate. With automated eligibility checking at 94% accuracy and integrated clearinghouse partnerships providing access to 5,000+ payers, Valant handles the complex billing needs of large organizations that SimplePractice’s billing tools may not fully support.
🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated athenaOne and AdvancedMD for enterprise needs.
While both offer strong multi-specialty capabilities, Valant provides advanced behavioral health-specific functionality for organizations needing enterprise-scale mental health practice management.
Source: Valant
Valant uses customized, quote-based pricing that fits each organization’s needs:
Source: Valant
Choose Valant if:
TherapyNotes is a web-based EHR built for behavioral health professionals who prioritize thorough clinical documentation and billing efficiency.
It combines advanced documentation templates with industry-leading support. Its key features include:
TherapyNotes excels in three key areas:
Superior Clinical Documentation Templates
TherapyNotes uses form-based note structures built around the “golden thread” concept, ensuring documentation flows seamlessly from intake through treatment plans to progress notes. Templates are designed with insurance audit requirements in mind, with enforced clinical compliance that requires specific documents before others can be created.
Exceptional Customer Support
Unlike SimplePractice’s limited support hours, TherapyNotes offers 24/7 unlimited phone and email support at no extra cost. Users report quick, knowledgeable assistance from staff who understand behavioral health workflows, providing not just technical help but practical guidance.
Advanced Billing Integration
The platform’s claim processing includes automatic checks before submission, reducing rejection rates. ERA processing includes assisted payment posting where the system automatically fills payment information and provides suggestions, easing what is often a manual process.
🏅 NOTE: We evaluated TheraNest and SimplePractice for documentation needs. While TheraNest offers solid features and SimplePractice has strong telehealth, TherapyNotes provides comprehensive clinical documentation combined with billing automation making it ideal for insurance-focused practices.
Source: TherapyNotes
TherapyNotes offers straightforward per-clinician pricing:
Choose TherapyNotes if:
Tebra is a healthcare technology platform that combines EHR and practice management and patient acquisition tools.
Created through the merger of Kareo and PatientPop, it serves as a complete operating system for independent practices seeking growth. Its key features include:
Tebra stands out in three areas:
Comprehensive Practice Growth Engine
Unlike SimplePractice’s basic online presence tools, Tebra provides a full Digital Front Door including professionally designed medical websites, automated SEO strategies, reputation management across multiple platforms, and managed Google advertising campaigns. The platform tracks website rankings, reputation scores, and new patient conversions from one dashboard.
SimplePractice focuses primarily on behavioral health and wellness, while Tebra supports 50+ medical specialties with tailored templates and workflows. This includes comprehensive lab integrations, e-prescribing with safety checks, and clinical decision support tools that go beyond mental health applications.
🏅 NOTE: We reviewed AdvancedMD and Epic for growth-focused practices. While AdvancedMD fits smaller practice management and Epic supports large health systems, Tebra offers integration of clinical operations with patient acquisition tools for independent practices.
Source: Tebra
Tebra uses customized quote-based pricing including:
Source: Tebra
Choose Tebra if:
ICANotes is a specialized behavioral health EHR that offers clinical documentation through its button-driven charting system. It allows psychiatrists and mental health professionals to create narrative notes in under three minutes. Its key features include:
ICANotes is important in three areas:
Revolutionary Documentation Speed
The proprietary button-driven system can reduce documentation time to 2-3 minutes per note. Clinically logical sequences generate detailed narrative sentences automatically, saving significant time daily for busy practitioners.
Specialized Psychiatric E-Prescribing
Unlike SimplePractice’s add-on prescribing, ICANotes includes e-prescribing as a core feature with DrFirst EPCS Gold in certain plans. It supports DEA-compliant controlled substance prescribing with PDMP integration that can reduce check time by 67%.
Deep Behavioral Health Content
ICANotes provides 150+ behavioral health-specific templates and 75+ rating scales. The automatic E/M coding analyzes clinical content to suggest the highest appropriate billing code, maximizing reimbursements and ensuring compliance.
🏅 NOTE: We evaluated Luminello (now discontinued) and Valant for psychiatric documentation. While Valant provides broad features, ICANotes offers a quick documentation workflow suited for high-volume psychiatric charting.
ICANotes uses per-clinician monthly subscriptions:
Choose ICANotes if:
Carepatron is a cloud-based practice management platform offering a free plan specifically designed to reduce financial barriers for new practitioners. Founded in 2021, it provides modern, intuitive tools without upfront costs. Its key features include:
Note: Practitioners are billed per user on all plans.
Carepatron is recommended for new practitioners in three areas:
Zero-Cost Entry Point
While SimplePractice starts at $49/month, Carepatron’s free plan includes unlimited clients, telehealth, a client portal, and automated billing. This removes financial pressure for practitioners building their client base.
Modern, Accessible Interface
Built in 2021 with modern web standards, Carepatron offers a generational leap in user experience compared to SimplePractice’s older design. The learning curve is significantly gentler for practitioners new to practice management software.
Integrated AI Automation
Carepatron includes limited AI features in the free plan with automated transcription features, while SimplePractice charges $35/month for similar AI features. This automation is crucial for solo practitioners managing their own administrative workload.
🏅 NOTE: We evaluated TheraNest and Practice Better for new practitioners. While TheraNest is recommended for behavioral health workflows and Practice Better serves holistic practitioners well, Carepatron offers an accessible entry point with broad features at no cost.
Source: Carepatron
Choose Carepatron if:
Jane is a practice management platform designed to handle the complex workflows of multidisciplinary clinics. Created by clinic owner Alison Taylor and developer Trevor Johnston, it supports diverse practitioners at once. Its key features include:
Jane makes the list because of three reasons:
Native Multidisciplinary Design
Unlike SimplePractice, which expanded from therapy to other disciplines, Jane was built specifically for clinics offering physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and mental health simultaneously. It supports resource/room booking and discipline-specific template filtering.
Superior Online Booking
Jane provides a dedicated booking website (yourclinic.janeapp.com) where clients filter by discipline, practitioner, or treatment type. Automated waitlist management notify patients when slots open, keeping schedules full across all services.
Flexible Pricing Structure
Jane’s tiered licensing (half-license for <24 hours/week) lowers costs for part-time specialists and contract practitioners. Unlimited administrative staff profiles are free, unlike SimplePractice’s per-user pricing for some roles.
🏅 NOTE: We reviewed Practice Better and TheraNest for multidisciplinary needs. While Practice Better is great at wellness coaching and TheraNest offers mental health features, Jane provides multidisciplinary clinic management with specific workflows.
Source: Jane
Choose Jane if:
TheraNest is a practice management software known for its flexible caseload-based pricing and extensive customization capabilities tailored for growing group practices. Its key features include:
TheraNest stands out in three fundamental ways:
Superior Cost Structure
While SimplePractice charges $59-99 per clinician monthly, TheraNest’s caseload pricing charges $98/month for 80 clients regardless of staff size. A 10-clinician practice could save $500-600 monthly, with costs based on caseload rather than team size.
Advanced Customization
TheraNest’s Dynamic Form Builder allows practices to create custom forms with specialized assessments and treatment plans, providing flexibility for specific practice needs.
Group Practice Infrastructure
With five permission levels, multi-location support, and streamlined supervision workflows, TheraNest provides administrative tools built for multi-clinician operations.
🏅 NOTE: We reviewedTherapyNotes and ICANotes for group practices. While TherapyNotes offers documentation and ICANotes offers psychiatric specialization, TheraNest provides cost-effective growth with broad customization for growing teams.
Source: TheraNest
Choose TheraNest if:
Practice Better is a platform designed for health professionals blending therapeutic approaches with coaching, education, and lifestyle interventions. Founded by holistic nutritionist Nathalie Garcia, it combines clinical care and wellness coaching. Its key features include:
Practice Better excels in three key areas:
Program Creation and Content Delivery
While SimplePractice offers basic group features, Practice Better supports fixed-date programs, evergreen courses, self-paced content, and email sequences. Practitioners can offer their expertise through educational content.
Wellness-Specific Engagement Tools
Practice Better includes food journals (600,000+ food database), lifestyle tracking integrated with Fitbit and Oura, task management with automated reminders, and supplement protocol integration with Fullscript. SimplePractice provides more basic journal features.
Integrated Protocol Management
Practitioners create protocols combining supplements, food plans, and lifestyle advice. Direct integration with Fullscript and That Clean Life enables supplement ordering and meal planning options.
🏅 NOTE: We evaluated Healthie and TheraNest for wellness practices. While Healthie is known for its nutrition features and TheraNest offers practice management, Practice Better provides a blend of clinical care with educational content and lifestyle coaching.
Source: Practice Better
Choose Practice Better if:
CounSol is a HIPAA-compliant practice management system that offers advanced customization for mental health professionals wanting full control over their client-facing experience. Its key features include:
CounSol differentiates itself in three ways:
Advanced Portal Customization
While SimplePractice offers limited branding options, CounSol provides control over colors, fonts, icons, images, and custom pages. The portal can function as your primary web presence, removing the need for a separate site.
Flexible Payment Processing
Unlike SimplePractice’s Stripe-only approach, CounSol supports multiple gateways including CardConnect, Square, PayJunction, and others like Braintree upon request. This allows for more flexibility in payment processing choices.
White-Glove Support Model
Every CounSol user receives a personal account manager who understands their specific setup. This contrasts with SimplePractice’s general support model relying on ticket systems.
🏅 NOTE: We evaluated TheraNest and TherapyNotes for customization. While TheraNest offers billing features and TherapyNotes provides documentation workflows, CounSol offers extensive control over client-facing customization and branding.
Source: CounSol
Choose CounSol if:
OpenEMR is a free, open-source electronic health record and practice management software that eliminates licensing costs while providing complete control over data and customization. Its key features include:
OpenEMR stands out in three ways:
Eliminate Licensing Costs
SimplePractice costs approximately $950-1,200 annually per provider, while OpenEMR provides a complete EHR with zero licensing fees. A five-provider practice could save approximately $28,000 over five years, redirecting funds toward support or growth.
Complete Data Ownership
OpenEMR offers full database control with standard data formats for portability. Unlike SimplePractice’s cloud-only model, practices can host on-premises or migrate providers. Note that SimplePractice does allow free data export.
Unlimited Customization
The open-source architecture enables modification from clinical forms to application components. Practices can create specialized alerts, custom modules, and modify core features which is not possible not possible with SimplePractice’s closed platform.
🏅 NOTE: We reviewed FreeMED and GNUmed for open-source needs. While FreeMED offers basic EMR functionality and GNUmed provides primary care features, OpenEMR offers a comprehensive platform with professional-grade features and ONC certification.
Source: OpenEMR
Choose OpenEMR if:
While SimplePractice is a comprehensive, user-friendly platform for general practice management, the diverse needs of modern mental health practices often require specialized solutions. Based on our research, here are the best SimplePractice alternatives for specific requirements:
Remember, choosing the right practice management software isn’t about finding the “best” platform, but rather the one that aligns with your specific practice needs, growth trajectory, and business philosophy. Many practices successfully combine these tools or transition between them as their needs evolve.
Ready to optimize your practice costs while improving outcomes? Discover how CarePaths can help reduce your software expenses while providing comprehensive tools for clinical excellence. Start your free 30-day trial today and join behavioral health professionals making smart business decisions for better outcomes.