Alma vs Upheal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Upheal grades higher than Alma: 2.8 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Upheal grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Alma
Membership for therapists: insurance, EHR tools and referrals
Upheal
AI therapy notes, with an optional full practice EHR
Which one is for you
Pick Alma if
- Fits if you are a fully licensed therapist who wants to take insurance without doing the credentialing yourself
- Makes sense if you want billing and notes in the same membership as the insurance program
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you hold a limited license, as it is open only to fully licensed clinicians
- Skip it if you only take cash-pay clients, since every new member must join the insurance program
- Pricey if you are starting out: $1,140 billed per year, and no monthly price was readable
- Watch out: you must be credentialed with Aetna, Cigna or Optum under Alma's tax ID, and joining goes through an application and a call
Pick Upheal if
- Fits if you see individual clients and want free basic notes
- Works for a solo therapist who may later move to the EHR
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: individual therapy only, with a capped AI assistant
- Watch out: EHR fees are $0.30 per claim, $0.15 per eligibility check and 2.9% + $0.30 per payment
- Pricey if you use the AI Assistant a lot, as it is capped monthly unless you add Assistant Pro
- Skip it if you run a group practice and want a price, as the page gives no figures
How we grade them
| 1.4GPAAlmaWeak | 2.8GPAUphealGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$95 a month billed at $1,140 a year, against a therapy-clinics middle of $39 and a dearest tenth starting at $79. | CAI notes are $39 a month flat, the middle of the therapy-clinics range. The EHR is $1 a session or $99 flat. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. The listing shows no way to try it before applying. | BA free plan with basic notes for individual therapy and a capped AI assistant, plus a card-free trial on paid plans. |
| Features | CInsurance program, billing, EHR and clinical tools, treatment planning and courses. All new members must join the insurance program and be credentialed with Aetna, Cigna or Optum. | BNotes, treatment plans, telehealth, and an EHR with billing and portal. Group practices are not priced. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You apply, go through a call and get credentialed before you start. | CNo store rating on record. You set up templates and connect Zoom or Google Calendar. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web service tied to Aetna, Cigna and Optum, with no apps or API listed. | AWeb, Mac, iPhone and Android with Zoom and Google Calendar. |
| Best for | therapists who want insurance credentialing bundled in | AI therapy notes with an optional EHR |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Alma and Upheal. How we grade
Price against what you get
Alma starts at $95 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Upheal starts at $39 a month and scores 3.0.
Upheal scores higher and starts $56 a month lower. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, 23 score higher than Alma for less, and none scores higher than Upheal for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Upheal also covers transcription, telehealth and appointment booking.
At a glance
| Alma | Upheal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95 per month, billed annually at $1,140 | $39 per month for AI notes |
| Free plan | None | Basic AI notes from text, dictation or uploads for individual therapy only, plus telehealth calls without AI. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial on paid plans, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Alma | Upheal |
| Price read from | helloalma.com | upheal.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Alma
- Alma is open only to fully licensed clinicians, not those with limited licenses.
- All new members must join its insurance program and be credentialed with at least one of Aetna, Cigna or Optum under Alma's Tax ID.
- Joining goes through an application and a call; the monthly billing price was not readable, only the $1,140 annual figure.
- Alma says it takes no cut of cash-pay sessions.
Upheal
- The free plan covers individual therapy only and has a limited AI note feature set.
- The EHR plans charge $0.30 per insurance claim, $0.15 per eligibility check and 2.9% + $0.30 per online payment.
- Group practices are priced per seat for notes or per session for the EHR; the page gives no figures for them.
- The AI Assistant is capped each month unless you pay for Assistant Pro.
Key features
Alma
- Insurance program
- Credentialing in 45 days or less, multi-state credentialing, automated eligibility checks, claims and weekly or bi-weekly payouts. Alma says it negotiates rates.
- Billing tools
- Claims, invoices and superbills, stored client payment methods with auto-pay, a client cost estimator and reimbursement tracking.
- EHR and clinical tools
- Over 1,000 pre-written interventions, goals and objectives, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 assessments, high-risk symptom alerts and AI-assisted progress notes.
- Treatment planning
- A library of Wiley treatment planner goals, objectives and interventions built to meet insurance requirements.
- Continuing education
- Live and on-demand courses for CE credit and monthly workshops, at no extra cost to members.
- Community and support
- An operations team for claims, a customer support team, clinical advisors and a members-only community of about 30,000 peers and referrers.
Upheal
- AI notes from many inputs
- Notes come from live video, audio, dictation, typed summaries or uploads, in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, EMDR and other templates.
- Treatment plans with Golden Thread
- Generates treatment plans and tracks client progress from one session to the next. Included on the paid AI notes plan and the EHR plans.
- Built-in telehealth
- Its own video platform, with automated notes afterward. Zoom sessions and other calling tools can also be captured.
- EHR with billing
- Invoices, superbills, online payments, insurance claims and eligibility checks, plus a client portal with scheduling, messaging and forms.
- AI Assistant
- A chat assistant with a monthly usage limit on every plan. AI Assistant Pro is a $39 a month add-on that removes the limit and adds session prep.
- Migration help
- Upheal says it can move clients and files over from another EHR, and runs a weekly live webinar on migrating.
Plans
Alma
Membership$95
per month, billed annually at $1,140
One membership with insurance program, EHR tools, CE courses and community; a monthly billing option exists but its price was not shown.
Upheal
Free$0
Basic notes via text, dictation and uploads, individual therapy only, with a monthly cap on the AI Assistant.
AI notes$39
per month, flat fee
Unlimited AI notes from video, audio, dictation and uploads, treatment plans and built-in telehealth.
EHR$1
per session, pay as you go
Full EHR with AI notes, invoicing, superbills, insurance billing, client portal and scheduling.
EHR Pro$99
per month, flat fee
The EHR with an unlimited AI Assistant included; the page says it saves money past 14 sessions a week.
Ways to pay less
Alma
No public discounts listed.
Upheal
- Education
Student and non-profit discount
The pricing page lists a student and non-profit discount alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee; it does not state the amount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Alma or Upheal?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Upheal is cheaper to start with: $39 a month, against $95 a month for Alma. Alma starts at $95 per month, billed annually at $1,140, and Upheal starts at $39 per month for AI notes.
Which has a free plan, Alma or Upheal?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Upheal has a free plan. Alma does not.
Which platforms do Alma and Upheal run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Upheal lists macOS, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.