Soap Notes vs SimplePractice
Soap Notes vs SimplePractice: pricing & features compared
Both run a private practice end to end. SimplePractice is built for insurance-billing clinicians; Soap Notes is a simpler, lower-cost all-in-one for coaches and cash-pay practices, with a genuinely free plan.
The short version
Choose SimplePractice if you bill insurance or need telehealth and clinical templates. Choose Soap Notes if you want an affordable, all-in-one practice tool, with a free plan, for coaching or cash-pay work.
SimplePractice is one of the most established practice-management platforms for licensed health and wellness clinicians, with deep insurance billing and telehealth built in. Soap Notes covers the same day-to-day essentials, notes, scheduling, invoicing, and a client portal, in one simpler tool that's friendlier to coaches and cash-pay practices, starts free, and costs less as you grow. Which is right for you comes down to whether you bill insurance and need clinical depth, or want an affordable, all-in-one workspace without the overhead.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Soap Notes | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Free planSimplePractice offers a 30-day free trial but no free tier. | ||
| Starting paid price | $36/mo (Standard, billed annually) | $49/mo (Starter, per clinician) |
| SOAP / structured session notes | ||
| Reusable note templates | ||
| Scheduling with reminders | ||
| Secure client portal | ||
| Invoicing & card payments | Via Stripe | |
| Insurance billing & claimsSimplePractice handles claim filing, ERAs, and superbills, Soap Notes is built for cash-pay. | ||
| Built-in telehealth / video | ||
| Designed for non-clinical coaches | Clinically focused | |
| Data encryption & role-based access | ||
| Pricing model | Flat plans, incl. free | Per clinician / month |
Who each one is best for
Soap Notes is best for
- Coaches (life, health, business) and cash-pay practitioners
- Solo and small practices that don't bill insurance
- Anyone who wants to start free and keep costs predictable
- People who want one simple tool, not a clinical suite to configure
SimplePractice is best for
- Licensed clinicians who bill insurance and file claims
- Practices that need built-in telehealth / video sessions
- Therapists who want clinical templates (e.g. Wiley planners)
- Teams already standardized on an established EHR
Pricing compared
Soap Notes
Flat plans, including a free tier
Starter
Up to 5 active clients
Free
Standard
$36/mo billed annually · unlimited clients
$45/mo
Teams
$65/mo billed annually · team features
$81/mo
SimplePractice
Per clinician, per month
Starter
Per clinician
$49/mo
Essential
Per clinician · most solos land here
$79/mo
Plus
Per clinician
$99/mo
SimplePractice pricing shown as of June 2026 (per clinician, billed monthly) and may have changed, check simplepractice.com for current pricing. Soap Notes prices reflect our current plans.
When Soap Notes is the better choice
If you don't bill insurance, most coaches, and many cash-pay therapists and nutritionists, SimplePractice's clinical and claims machinery is overhead you pay for but don't use. Soap Notes gives you the parts you actually need every day (notes, scheduling, invoicing, and a client portal) in one place, starts free, and stays cheaper as you grow. It's also quicker to set up: there's no insurance configuration to wade through before you can see your first client.
When SimplePractice is the better choice
If you bill insurance, file claims, or need built-in telehealth and clinical documentation tools like Wiley Treatment Planners, SimplePractice is purpose-built for that and does it well. For an insurance-based therapy practice that needs those workflows, its depth is worth the higher per-clinician cost. We'd rather tell you that honestly than oversell, if insurance billing is core to your practice, SimplePractice is likely the better fit.
Already using SimplePractice?
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Frequently asked questions
Try Soap Notes free
Notes, scheduling, invoicing, and a client portal in one place, free to start, no credit card required.