This review examines how SimplePractice’s AI note-taking tool performs in real-world therapy workflows, drawing on feedback from therapists who use it in practice. We assess note quality, recording and transcription behavior, pricing, compliance, and day-to-day usability, and place it in context alongside more specialized documentation tools such as Mentalyc.
We will help you to answer: is SimplePractice AI the right fit for your practice in 2026? Or whether a dedicated clinical documentation tool would better support your needs.
Overview: What Is SimplePractice AI?
SimplePractice AI is an AI-powered documentation feature built directly into the SimplePractice EHR, designed to help clinicians draft psychotherapy notes from dictation or uploaded session audio.
Because it’s embedded within a broader practice-management system, SimplePractice AI focuses primarily on streamlining documentation inside the client chart. This approach works well for clinicians who want basic note automation within their existing workflow.
However, SimplePractice AI is largely centered on producing structured documentation rather than focusing on note accuracy and analyzing the session itself. It does not evaluate patterns across sessions, surface clinical blind spots, or provide insight into therapeutic progress or the client–therapist relationship over time.
Key Takeaways — SimplePractice AI Review 2026
| Area | Summary |
|---|---|
| What it does well | AI-assisted draft notes inside an existing EHR |
| Main limitations | AI is a note-assist feature, not a clinical-insight or progress-tracking platform with high note quality |
| Workflow fit | Best for clinicians already committed to SimplePractice |
| Compliance | HIPAA compliant, BAA included, SOC/HITRUST-level controls |
| Pricing model | Monthly EHR subscription plus paid AI add-on |
| Best value for | Clinicians who prefer to keep documentation and basic reporting inside their existing SimplePractice workflow |
SimplePractice Note Taker Reviews — Real Therapist Experiences
Pricing and performance are two recurring themes in therapist feedback on SimplePractice’s AI note-taking features. Several users note that costs can increase over time as usage grows, making long-term budgeting less predictable for busy practices:
“The monthly fee keeps increasing… I started paying the basic price, two years later I’m paying twice as much.” — Rossana, via Trustpilot
Time-to-completion is another common concern, particularly for clinicians working with tight schedules between sessions. Some therapists report that note generation can take longer than expected:
“My main gripe is the amount of time it takes to generate a progress note. I only have 10 minutes between patients… With other programs, writing a note can take me as little as three minutes. It generally takes more than five minutes with SimplePractice.” — Jenn Fernandez, via Trustpilot
Taken together, these reviews suggest that while SimplePractice is effective for centralizing practice management and documentation within a single platform, cost scalability and note-generation speed are important factors to consider—especially for clinicians who rely heavily on AI features or are planning for long-term practice growth.
Who SimplePractice AI Is Best For
SimplePractice AI is generally a good fit for clinicians who prioritize convenience within an all-in-one EHR over deeper clinical analysis and note accuracy.
For clinicians evaluating SimplePractice AI reviews, the key consideration is often scope.
SimplePractice AI is designed to support efficient documentation inside the EHR, rather than offering deeper visibility into clinical progress, session dynamics, or how therapeutic work evolves over time.
SimplePractice AI Features — Complete SimplePractice Note Taker Review
SimplePractice AI Documentation Features
AI-assisted note generation
SimplePractice’s AI Note Taker supports documentation by transcribing session audio or clinician-dictated summaries and generating draft progress notes directly inside the EHR. These drafts would require clinician review before being finalized in the client chart.
Supported note templates
The tool produces notes in commonly used formats such as SOAP, DAP, and BIRP, following the template structure already configured in SimplePractice. While this promotes consistency, it also means note structure is largely constrained by the EHR’s existing templates.
Clinical language & accuracy
Draft notes follow a clear, structured clinical format, but they are not intended to replace clinical reasoning. Clinician review remains essential to refine diagnostic language, ensure clinical nuance, and adjust phrasing for medical necessity – particularly in complex presentations or long-term care.
Editing & customization
Clinicians maintain full control over all documentation. Notes can be edited, customized, signed, or locked within the chart, with SimplePractice positioning AI strictly as a drafting aid rather than a source of clinical interpretation, reflection, or insight.
Speed & usability
Transcripts and draft notes are generally available within 10 minutes after a session, making the tool less competitive in reducing time spent on routine documentation when compared to other solutions.
Recording & Transcription Workflow — SimplePractice Transcription Review
Session capture options
SimplePractice AI supports several ways to capture session content, including:
- Live telehealth sessions
- Uploaded session audio files
- Dictated session summaries
Recording storage & privacy
SimplePractice states that audio recordings are deleted after transcription, while transcripts may be retained depending on account settings.
Because retention behavior varies by configuration, clinicians should review these controls carefully and ensure that informed consent language accurately reflects how session data is handled.
Analytics & Insights
Practice-level reporting
SimplePractice provides dashboards covering appointments, revenue, claims, and documentation status. These reports are designed primarily for operational oversight and administrative tracking, rather than for analyzing clinical change or therapeutic effectiveness.
Alliance insights
The AI Note Taker is focused on transcription and note drafting. It does not assess therapeutic alliance, session dynamics, or relational shifts that may influence outcomes over time.
Progress tracking
Treatment plans and goal fields can be referenced within notes, but automated analysis of symptom trends or outcomes is limited. Monitoring progress typically requires manual review across multiple notes, which can make longitudinal change harder to see at a glance.
Security, Privacy & Compliance
SimplePractice is HIPAA compliant and provides a BAA, meaning the platform meets required security standards at a system level.
However, clinicians should be aware that compliance does not remove individual responsibility when using AI features.
Session audio used for AI note-taking is stated to be deleted after transcription, but written transcripts may be retained depending on account settings.
This creates a practical risk area: even when recordings are removed, AI-generated session content can persist in the clinical record. As a result, clinicians must be especially careful to understand retention settings, clearly explain AI use to clients, and document informed consent accurately—since accountability for how session data is captured, stored, and reviewed ultimately rests with the clinician, not the platform.
SimplePractice AI Pricing (2026) — At a Glance
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| EHR plans | ~$49–$99/month |
| AI Note Taker | ~$35/month per clinician (add-on) |
| Free trial | 30 days |
Value-for-Money — Quick Judgment
✅ Reasonable entry point for solo practices:
For therapists running a solo practice with a steady caseload, the Starter or Essential tiers cover core scheduling, documentation, and billing needs at a predictable monthly cost.
✅ Convenient “all-in-one” pricing model:
For clinicians who prefer a single platform for scheduling, telehealth, notes, and billing, SimplePractice can feel cost-efficient at first—particularly for small teams that want everything housed in one system.
⚠️ Costs add up as usage grows:
Pricing scales by plan, clinician count, and add-ons. As practices expand or rely more heavily on AI documentation, monthly costs can increase quickly, and some commonly needed features are only available on higher tiers.
⚠️ Paying for more than you may use:
Because AI note-taking is layered on top of a full EHR subscription, clinicians who only want documentation support—or who already use other tools—may end up paying for administrative features they don’t actively need.
SimplePractice AI Pros and Cons
Pros
- Integrated EHR workflow
- AI-assisted note drafting
- Standard clinical templates
Cons
- Add-on costs increase total spend
- Limited advanced clinical analytics
- Feature limitations for larger practices
- Recording and retention settings require oversight
- Occasional stability and UX complaints
- Less automation beyond drafting
- Takes longer to generate notes compared to other solutions
Compared with tools like Mentalyc, the SimplePractice AI focuses on note drafting rather than note accuracy and deeper clinical insight.
Final Verdict: Is SimplePractice AI Worth It for Therapists in 2026?
For many therapists, particularly solo clinicians and small practices that want an all-in-one EHR, SimplePractice AI remains a workable option in 2026. It combines scheduling, billing, telehealth, client records, and AI-assisted note drafting in a single system, which can reduce administrative fragmentation for practices that prefer everything under one roof.
The main trade-offs emerge as clinical needs evolve. Costs tend to increase as more features and clinicians are added, and the AI functionality remains focused on documentation support rather than deeper clinical insight. Progress visibility, outcome tracking, and session-level understanding are largely left to manual review within the chart.
Therapists who want therapy-first automation, clearer visibility into client progress, or insight into how sessions and alliances change over time may find that EHR-native AI tools eventually reach their limits and begin exploring more specialized solutions.
Best SimplePractice AI Alternatives for Therapists
If SimplePractice AI doesn’t fully meet your needs, particularly around clinical insights, privacy-first design, or therapy-specific automation, the following alternatives are worth considering.
Mentalyc as the Best SimplePractice Alternative — Why It Stands Out
Built for therapy workflow
Mentalyc is a therapy-first AI platform designed around real clinical work (intake, progress notes, treatment planning, and alliance insights) rather than a simple AI note-taking add-on inside an EHR.
More accurate notes with actionable treatment planning
One of the main reasons clinicians move beyond EHR-based AI note tools is note quality. Mentalyc drafts clear, insurance-ready therapy notes and builds SMART treatment plans directly from sessions. Keeping notes, goals, and progress aligned in a consistent “golden thread” over time.
Clear progress & alliance insights
Beyond documentation, Mentalyc helps clinicians see change as it happens. Session-based progress tracking shows how symptoms and goals evolve, while Alliance Genie™ adds supervision-style insights into engagement, collaboration, and session flow.
Privacy-first by design
Built exclusively for mental health, Mentalyc is HIPAA + BAA & SOC 2 Type II compliant. Session audio is used briefly to generate anonymized transcripts and is not stored.
Scales without a full EHR
Mentalyc integrates with existing EHRs via a 1-click note transfer plugin, enabling better documentation and clinical insight without an EHR switch.
SimplePractice AI vs Mentalyc Comparison – Which Is the Better Fit for Therapists?
| What Matters Most | SimplePractice AI | Mentalyc |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Practice management (EHR, scheduling, billing) with limited AI note drafting as an add-on | Therapy-first AI platform focused on automated compliant notes, treatment planning, and clinical insight |
| Note accuracy & quality | Produces structured drafts that often need editing for clinical nuance and insurance language | Generates clinically accurate, insurance-ready notes using mental-health–specific language and structure |
| Treatment planning | Basic treatment plan fields within the EHR; largely manual to maintain over time | AI Treatment Planner suggests SMART goals based on session content and keeps plans aligned as therapy evolves with one-click creation |
| Progress visibility | Progress tracked mainly through manual review of notes and plan fields | Session-based progress tracking derives progress directly from session notes, keeping goals and symptoms aligned with no manual input |
| Therapeutic alliance insights | Not available | Alliance Genie™ provides supervision-like feedback on alliance, engagement, and session quality |
| Automation depth | Drafts notes only; clinicians do most of the clinical structuring | Drafts notes and treatment plans, supporting continuity across sessions |
| Audio & privacy handling | Audio transcribed within the EHR; retention depends on account settings | Audio deleted after processing; transcripts anonymized and stored securely |
| Compliance posture | HIPAA-compliant with BAA | HIPAA + BAA & SOC 2 Type II compliant; built specifically for mental health workflows |
| Pricing approach | Full EHR subscription plus per-clinician AI add-on | Standalone subscription focused on documentation and insights; team plans available |
| Best for | Clinicians who want one system for admin plus basic AI notes | Therapists who want seamless EHR usage with more accurate notes, stronger treatment plans, and clearer clinical insight |
To learn more, check out this detailed SimplePractice vs Mentalyc comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): SimplePractice AI Review & Best Alternatives
1. Is SimplePractice HIPAA compliant?
Yes. SimplePractice states it is HIPAA-compliant, maintains a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for customers, and publishes security controls (encryption, access controls, audit logs) to protect PHI. For AI features, they additionally reference SOC/HITRUST level controls.
2. Does SimplePractice store therapy recordings?
SimplePractice’s Note Taker transcribes session audio and makes the transcript available within minutes; the vendor says the original session recording is deleted once the transcript is created, and transcripts are retained according to account settings and retention policies. Clinicians should confirm retention/opt-out settings and obtain client consent before recording.
3. Are AI tools safe for clinical documentation?
AI can safely assist documentation when used with appropriate controls: always obtain informed client consent, review and edit AI drafts, and use vendors that provide HIPAA/BAA protections and strong encryption. SimplePractice’s guidance emphasizes clinician oversight (you must review and finalize drafts) and highlights SOC 2 / HITRUST security practices for Note Taker. AI is a tool, not a replacement for clinical judgement.
4. What note types does SimplePractice support?
SimplePractice supports common therapy formats and templates including SOAP notes, DAP notes, BIRP notes, and customizable templates for progress and psychotherapy notes; Note Taker maps transcripts into your selected template so drafts align with these formats.
5. How accurate is SimplePractice AI note-taking?
Accuracy is reasonable for drafting structured progress notes and transcripts quickly, but SimplePractice explicitly requires clinician review: drafts may lack diagnostic nuance or payer-specific language and should be edited for clinical accuracy and medical-necessity before signing. Real-world accuracy varies by audio quality and clinician editing.
6. What are the best alternatives to SimplePractice?
Alternatives depend on priorities. If you want an all-in-one EHR, SimplePractice is strong; if your priority is therapy-first automation, privacy-first design, and built-in clinical insights, consider Mentalyc (privacy-first, fully automated notes, progress tracking, golden thread, alliance/insight features). Other options include Upheal and niche AI note tools depending on your workflow.
Try Mentalyc for Faster, Higher-Quality Clinical Documentation
If you’re looking for a therapy-first, privacy-first alternative that fully automates your notes, Mentalyc is designed to support your clinical judgment—not replace it. It generates high-quality, audit-ready progress notes and treatment plans while preserving your therapeutic voice and the golden thread.
Try Mentalyc for FREE today and see how much time you can save on documentation while staying fully aligned with your clinical and ethical standards.
Why other mental health professionals love Mentalyc
“Do yourself a favor, make your life easier. Use the tools that are readily available … I found Mentalyc to be one of the best tools that I’ve ever used.”
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
“For those who have hesitations … It is a lifesaver. It will change your life and you have more time to be present with your patients.”
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
“It immediately changed my quality of life, personally and professionally. I went from 3–4 hours a week of notes to 1 hour at most … that alone is invaluable personally and professionally.”
Owner/Independently Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (IMFT)
“If I were recommending this software to a colleague, I would tell them that it is the best thing that they could do for their practice.”
Licensed Professional Counselor
