SimplePractice has established itself as one of the most popular practice management platforms in the mental health field, serving over 225,000 practitioners with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set. For many therapists, counselors, and other wellness professionals, it represents their first step into digital practice management, offering an approachable way to handle scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth in one integrated system.
Over 225,000 clinicians use SimplePractice — making it one of the most widely adopted EHRs in mental health care. Its accessible design helped many therapists move their practices online for the first time.
However, platforms like CarePaths are taking the next step — going beyond convenience to deliver research-based clinical outcomes and deeper behavioral health integration.
To create this SimplePractice review, I’ve analyzed the platform extensively. I believe it’s the ideal choice if:
However, SimplePractice might not be the best choice if:
In this case, you should consider CarePaths: a comprehensive practice management platform founded by clinical psychologists that offers automated Measurement-Based Care developed with leading researchers, transparent pricing at $49/month with unlimited claims, and specialized support for academic training programs and clinical supervision.
Because of that, I’ve included a detailed look at CarePaths later in this SimplePractice review, as a strong alternative for clinicians seeking behavioral health specialization. If you’re ready to explore a clinician-designed approach, you can start with CarePaths’ 30-day free trial here.
Table of contents:
SimplePractice was founded in 2012 by Howard Spector, who identified the need for more intuitive practice management software while training to become a Marriage and Family Therapist.
Together with technologist Ralph Zimmermann, he built a platform designed to simplify the business side of private practice.
The company initially focused on solo practitioners with cash-only practices but quickly evolved to include insurance billing capabilities and telehealth in 2018. SimplePractice became part of the EngageSmart portfolio, which was later acquired by Vista Equity Partners in January 2024 for approximately $4 billion, taking the company private.
Today, SimplePractice serves as an all-in-one practice management and EHR platform for health and wellness professionals.
Its user base includes therapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and dietitians. The platform emphasizes its role as a business partner in private practice, focusing on creating tools that save time for practitioners managing their own businesses.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Intuitive, user-friendly interface accessible to non-technical users | ❌ Customer support can have slow response times |
| ✅ Comprehensive feature set including telehealth and client portal | ❌ Pricing escalates significantly as practice grows |
| ✅ Large user base and established market presence | ❌ Some customization limitations for specialized workflows |
| ✅ Strong mobile apps for both clinicians and clients | ❌ Phone support only available during business hours |
| ✅ Seamless telehealth integration | ❌ Concerns about private equity ownership impact |
SimplePractice’s scheduling system centers on a color-coded calendar that displays appointments by day, week, or month.
Practitioners can create individual, couple, or group appointments, with the ability to set recurring sessions for regular clients. The system supports customizable appointment types linked to specific service codes, which automatically generate charges when appointments are completed.
The platform includes a waitlist feature for managing prospective clients when schedules are full. Automated appointment reminders can be sent via text, email, or voice call, with clients able to confirm or cancel directly from text and voice reminders. Calendar sync capabilities allow integration with Google Calendar (including two-way sync with advanced setup), Microsoft 365 Outlook, and Apple Calendar.
Online booking functionality enables clients to request appointments through the Client Portal, with practitioners maintaining control by approving or declining requests. The system supports scheduling for multiple clinicians in group practices, with filtering options to view specific providers or locations.
Source: SimplePractice
The documentation system provides templates for various clinical needs including progress notes, treatment plans, and intake forms.
SimplePractice offers formats like SOAP and DAP notes, with the ability to create custom templates using a drag-and-drop builder. The platform includes integration with Wiley Treatment Planners on Essential and Plus plans, providing access to over 1,000 pre-written treatment goals and interventions.
An AI-powered Note Taker feature, available as an add-on for $35/month, can transcribe and summarize telehealth sessions. The system deletes recordings after transcription for privacy. Progress notes can be manually populated with information from previous sessions using the “Load last note” feature, reducing documentation time.
Group therapy documentation allows creating both general session notes and separate individual notes for each participant.
Source: SimplePractice
SimplePractice automates much of the billing workflow.
When practitioners complete appointments with associated service codes, the system can automatically generate invoices for client accounts. For insurance clients, claims can be created and submitted electronically to all major payers including Medicare and Medicaid, though automatic claim creation requires the separate Managed Billing add-on.
The platform includes features for insurance eligibility verification, with automatic checks available on the Plus plan. Electronic Remittance Advice processing updates claim statuses and records payments automatically for practices enrolled with payers. Clients can pay bills online through the portal using credit cards, debit cards, or HSA/FSA cards.
Pricing for billing features varies by plan tier.
The Starter plan allows electronic claim filing at $0.50 per claim, Essential includes 10 free claims per month, and Plus includes 35 free claims monthly. Additional claims can be purchased at varying rates depending on your plan tier.
Billed monthly, cancel anytime
Billed monthly, cancel anytime
Billed monthly, cancel anytime
The integrated telehealth feature provides HIPAA-compliant video sessions for individual and group therapy, supporting up to 15 participants.
Sessions launch directly from the calendar, with unique links generated for each appointment that expire after use. Clients join without needing accounts or passwords, accessing sessions through web browsers or the dedicated Telehealth by SimplePractice app.
Features include screen sharing, an interactive whiteboard, and a virtual waiting room where practitioners control entry. Video quality includes noise suppression and virtual background options. The platform maintains HITRUST certification for security compliance.
The Client Portal provides a secure platform for client engagement. Through the portal or SimplePractice Client Portal app, clients can request appointments, complete paperwork, view and pay bills, access documents, and message their practitioner securely. The portal supports profile switching for clients seeing multiple providers or managing family member accounts.
SimplePractice offers separate mobile apps for clinicians and clients. The clinician app provides access to schedules, client records, documentation, and billing functions. Features vary between iOS and Android, with iOS offering more comprehensive access to past notes. Both apps support biometric login and maintain HIPAA compliance through encryption and secure data handling.
Source: SimplePractice
While SimplePractice excels at providing an accessible entry point into practice management, several limitations reveal areas where specialized platforms may better serve specific practice needs.
Customer Support Challenges: While SimplePractice now offers phone support during business hours, users frequently report slow response times for email tickets and receiving generic responses that don’t address specific problems. For a platform managing critical practice operations, these support limitations can create frustration during urgent situations.
Escalating Costs: SimplePractice’s tiered pricing model means essential features require expensive upgrades. The base Plus plan costs $99 monthly for solo practitioners, with additional clinicians adding $69-74 each. Features many consider basic, like automatic insurance verification and higher claim allotments, are locked behind the most expensive tier. The recent private equity acquisition has heightened concerns about future price increases.
Measurement-Based Care Implementation: While SimplePractice added Measurement-Based Care features in 2023, the implementation may not meet the needs of clinicians deeply committed to evidence-based practice. The system lacks the research-backed foundation and comprehensive automation found in platforms designed specifically around MBC principles.
Source: SimplePractice
Workflow Flexibility: Despite offering customization options, SimplePractice’s one-size-fits-most approach can frustrate practices with specialized requirements. The platform excels at general practice management but may lack the depth needed for specific behavioral health workflows or academic training programs.
These limitations aren’t failures but rather the natural result of prioritizing broad market appeal. However, they create clear opportunities for platforms that emphasize behavioral health specialization, transparent pricing, and deeper clinical integration.
SimplePractice has set the standard for ease of use and accessibility in practice management — it’s polished, reliable, and ideal for general wellness professionals.
But for clinicians focused on behavioral health outcomes, supervision, and evidence-based care, CarePaths offers a more clinically grounded approach, integrating automated Measurement-Based Care and transparent pricing designed by psychologists for psychologists.
CarePaths addresses these specialized needs by providing a comprehensive practice management platform designed by and for behavioral health professionals.
Founded in 2000 by clinical psychologists Geoff Gray, PhD and Maureen Hart, PhD, the platform emerged from direct experience with the administrative burdens and documentation requirements that take therapists away from patient care.
A key differentiator for CarePaths is its fully integrated Measurement-Based Care system, developed in collaboration with Bruce Wampold, PhD, a leading psychotherapy researcher.
This evidence-based approach systematically tracks patient progress using standardized assessments delivered automatically through the CarePaths Connect mobile app. Patients complete brief questionnaires (approximately 5 minutes weekly) with no administrative burden placed on therapists.
Results appear immediately as visual graphs at the top of patient charts, providing both therapists and clients with clear progress indicators.
The system includes over 40 validated assessments that can be customized for specific populations or treatment approaches. This MBC integration is free for up to 30 clients per therapist, with unlimited clients available for just $9 monthly.
CarePaths offers its EHR and practice management system for $49 per month per licensed therapist.
This price includes unlimited electronic claims submission, telehealth for individuals and groups, automated appointment reminders via SMS and email, insurance eligibility verification, AI-generated clinical note summaries, and secure patient messaging.
Unlike SimplePractice’s per-claim fees, CarePaths includes unlimited claims in the base price.
The platform provides specialized pricing for different practice situations: $10 monthly for practitioners seeing fewer than 15 sessions, group discounts at $34 monthly for part-time therapists, and student pricing at $5.75 monthly. Non-profit organizations and academic centers receive additional discounts.
By Bruce Wampold PhD
Complete Practice Management System
Getting Started?
CarePaths’ documentation system reflects its clinical origins.
The platform includes an extensive library of templates that can be customized for various treatment approaches. Progress notes can be pre-populated from previous sessions, with the ability to carry forward relevant information. The AI-assisted session summary feature, included free with the subscription, can generate draft notes from teletherapy sessions while maintaining HIPAA compliance.
The system supports batch documentation for group and family sessions. Integration with billing means completed notes automatically generate charges and can trigger claim creation, eliminating duplicate data entry. Custom forms can be created to match specific program requirements or clinical workflows.
CarePaths particularly excels in serving university training clinics and practices with supervision arrangements.
The platform supports supervision models where unlicensed recent graduates can practice therapy under licensed therapists, a critical feature for academic programs. Students can track their outcomes as developing therapists using real data.
The platform scales effectively from solo practitioners to large organizations, with particular strength in serving behavioral health focused practices. University training clinics benefit from the educational value of the measurement-based care system, allowing students to see their clinical development through objective outcome data.
The CarePaths Connect mobile app serves as a digital front door for practices. New patients can find therapists, verify insurance coverage, and view available appointments. Existing clients use the app to schedule appointments, complete assessments, and communicate securely with their therapist.
The patient portal integrates with the MBC system, with automated reminders for appointments and assessments helping reduce no-shows and maintain consistent data collection.
| Feature | SimplePractice | CarePaths |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Pricing | $49–99+ with tiered features | $49 with most features included |
| Measurement-Based Care | ✅ Available (added 2023) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deeply integrated with research foundation |
| Customer Support | Phone, email, and chat available | Training included, support available |
| Free Claims | 10–35 per month depending on plan | Unlimited |
| AI Documentation | $35/month add-on | Included free |
| Clinical Focus | General health and wellness | Behavioral health specialization |
| Founded By | Entrepreneur and technologist | Clinical psychologists |
| Ownership | Private equity (Vista) | Independent |
| University Training Support | General features | Specialized academic programs |
The choice between SimplePractice and CarePaths ultimately depends on your practice philosophy and priorities.
👉Choose SimplePractice if you value joining the most popular platform with the largest user community.
It’s ideal for practitioners who prioritize a polished, modern interface and want to start quickly without a steep learning curve. The platform works well for those serving diverse health and wellness specialties beyond behavioral health, and who prefer the backing of a major private equity firm with substantial resources.
👉Choose CarePaths if you're committed to behavioral health excellence and want technology that enhances rather than simply documents your clinical work.
It’s designed for therapists who value comprehensive Measurement-Based Care developed by leading researchers, appreciate transparent and inclusive pricing without per-claim fees, and need specialized support for university training clinics and supervision arrangements. The platform particularly suits those who value a solution created by clinical psychologists who understand the realities of behavioral health practice.
Both platforms serve their audiences effectively. SimplePractice democratized practice management with its user-friendly approach and broad market appeal, while CarePaths focuses on behavioral health depth with evidence-based tools designed by practitioners. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize mainstream accessibility or specialized behavioral health features backed by clinical research.
