Carepatron vs PracticeQ (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Carepatron: it is second in our ranking of therapy and clinic software, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carepatron grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Carepatron
Practice management with a free plan, AI scribe and telehealth
PracticeQ
Intake forms, booking, billing and charting for small practices
Which one is for you
Pick Carepatron if
- Fits if you're a solo practitioner who wants to start on a free plan with unlimited clients
- Works for mixed practices of therapists, allied health and wellness staff under one account
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free: 100 appointments a month, 1 GB of storage, and no reminders or calendar sync
- Watch out: claims start at 25¢ each and insurance checks cost 15¢, and neither is on the free plan
- Pricey if you grow, as every practitioner is a paid seat and ePrescribing through DoseSpot is $39 a month per user
- Not for you if you need roles and permissions, white labeling or the API, which are only on Advanced at $39 a user
- Watch out: Plus includes 150 texts a month per user, and each one past that costs 5¢
Pick PracticeQ if
- Fits if your biggest chore is collecting intake forms and consents before the first visit
- Works for mixed clinics such as behavioral health, chiropractic and med spas that share one system
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're on Starter: 25 appointments, 25 form submissions and 50 texts per practitioner a month
- Pricey if you need e-prescribing at $65 a month or the Engage messaging add-on from $99.90 a month
- Watch out: card rates for PracticeQ Payments aren't published, faxing is 10¢ a page, and Zapier isn't under the HIPAA agreement
- Not for you if you only want forms: IntakeQ Forms is a separate product at $54.90 a month plus $20 a practitioner
- Skip it if you want a phone app, since none is on record and it runs in the browser
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACarepatronGood | 2.2GPAPracticeQFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPlus is $31 a user a month on yearly billing, $39 monthly, between this category's cheaper quarter ($25) and its middle ($39). Every practitioner is a paid seat, and claims, extra texts and ePrescribing cost more on top. | DStarter is $59.90 a month, where this category's dearest tenth begins, and holds 25 appointments per practitioner. Pro is $84.90 for 500, more than double the category's middle of $39. Extra practitioners are $25 or $30 each. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plan keeps unlimited clients, telehealth, the client portal, online payments and the AI scribe, so one person could run a small practice on it. It stops at 100 appointments a month and 1 GB of storage, with no reminders or calendar sync. | CA 2-week trial with no card, and no free plan. Half off the first 2 months exists, but you have to claim it on a call with sales. |
| Features | BOnline booking, an AI scribe, note templates, treatment plans, telehealth, invoicing, claims with ERA posting, a client portal and custom workflows. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job; the limits are which plan you're on. | BBranded forms with conditional logic and e-signatures, online booking, reminders, SOAP notes, a client portal, telehealth on its own video, Zoom or Meet, invoicing and claims through Trizetto or Office Ally. AI notes come through Heidi. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. Booking pages, intake forms, note templates and workflows all need setting up, and the onboarding manager is only on Advanced. | CNo App Store rating on record. The forms are the heart of it and you build them, along with booking pages, note templates and a clearinghouse link. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with DoseSpot and Google Analytics, and an API on Advanced. No desktop app, and the integration list is short. | BWeb, with an open API and links to Heidi, Office Ally, Trizetto, Zoom, Google Meet, Fullscript, Rupa Health and Zapier. No mobile or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | solo practitioners who want to start free | practices whose main chore is intake forms |
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: Carepatron and PracticeQ. How we grade
Price against what you get
Carepatron starts at $31 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PracticeQ starts at $59.90 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Carepatron starts $28.90 a month lower. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, none scores higher than Carepatron for less, and 1 scores higher than PracticeQ 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
- Carepatron also covers transcription.
- PracticeQ also covers forms.
At a glance
| Carepatron | PracticeQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly) | $59.90 per month (Starter, 25 appointments per practitioner) |
| Free plan | Unlimited clients, telehealth, client portal, online payments and the AI scribe, with up to 100 appointments, 1 GB of storage and 100 emails a month per user. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid features, no credit card required | 2-week free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Carepatron Limited | IntakeQ |
| Price read from | carepatron.com | practiceq.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Carepatron
- The free plan has no appointment reminders or calendar sync and stops at 100 appointments and 1 GB of storage.
- Paid plans are charged per user. Texts beyond the monthly allowance cost $0.05 each, and ePrescribing through DoseSpot is $39 a month per user.
- Electronic claims start at $0.25 each and manual insurance checks cost $0.15 each; neither is on the free plan.
- Roles and permissions, white labeling and API access are only on Advanced.
PracticeQ
- Starter allows only 25 appointments and 25 form submissions per practitioner a month; busier practices need Pro.
- E-prescribing is $65 a month, the Engage patient-messaging add-on starts at $99.90 a month, and faxing is $0.10 a page.
- PracticeQ Payments rates are not published, and Zapier is not covered by the HIPAA business associate agreement.
- A forms-only product, IntakeQ Forms, is sold separately at $54.90 a month plus $20 per extra practitioner.
Key features
Carepatron
- Online booking and reminders
- Clients book from an online page or an embed on your site. Paid plans add calendar sync, email and SMS reminders, group appointments and booking approval rules.
- AI scribe and clinical notes
- An AI medical scribe drafts notes from sessions, alongside a template library, customizable notes, signatures and locking, and treatment plans. Group notes need Plus.
- Telehealth video
- One-on-one video sessions on every plan, including the free one; group telehealth and in-call chat start on Plus.
- Invoicing and insurance
- Online card payments and automated invoicing on all plans. Paid plans add superbills, CMS-1500 forms, electronic claims from $0.25 each and ERA posting.
- Client portal and messaging
- Clients sign intake forms, message the practice securely and pay through a portal. Plus adds a HIPAA-encrypted email integration, bulk sending and a shared inbox.
- Workflows and API
- Custom workflows run 2,000 times a month per user on Plus and without limit on Advanced, which also opens the Carepatron API.
PracticeQ
- Custom intake forms
- Unlimited branded forms with conditional logic, e-signatures, attachments and form reminders, sent by text or email and filed to the client record.
- Booking and reminders
- An online booking site or widget, appointment reminders, recurring appointment packages, and automated patient intake and onboarding.
- Charting and client portal
- Built-in SOAP and EHR note templates, secure file sharing and a client portal. Notes and forms can be copied to Google Drive as they are saved.
- Billing and claims
- Invoices, recurring payments, superbills and electronic claims through the Trizetto or Office Ally clearinghouses; PracticeQ Payments handles cards and ACH in the US.
- Telehealth
- Sessions run on PracticeQ's own video, on Zoom or on Google Meet, on every plan.
- Integrations and API
- An open API plus included links to Heidi for AI scribe notes, Fullscript, Rupa Health labs, Google and Outlook calendars, SRFax and Zapier.
Plans
Carepatron
Free$0
Unlimited clients, telehealth, client portal, online payments and the AI scribe; 100 appointments, 1 GB of storage, no reminders or calendar sync.
Plus$31
per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly)
Unlimited appointments and storage, calendar sync, reminders, group telehealth and notes, shared inbox, custom branding and 150 texts a month per user.
Advanced$39
per user / month, billed yearly ($49 billed monthly)
Adds roles and permissions, white labeling, API access, Google Analytics, 90-day deleted-data retention, an onboarding manager and premium support.
PracticeQ
Starter$59.90
per month for 25 appointments, plus $25 per extra practitioner
Each month per practitioner: 25 appointments, 50 text messages and 25 form submissions. Includes one practitioner or admin and up to 10 assistant accounts.
Pro$84.90
per month for 500 appointments, plus $30 per extra practitioner
Each month per practitioner: 500 appointments, 300 text messages and 500 form submissions, with the same core features as Starter.
Ways to pay less
Carepatron
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Carepatron's pricing page lists 20% off for paying yearly: Plus is $31 per user a month instead of $39, and Advanced $39 instead of $49.
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months
A limited offer on the pricing page halves paid plans for the first 6 months, for example Plus at $15.50 per user a month on yearly billing; no end date is given.
- Other savings
October offer: $1 a month for 3 months
A banner offers $1 a month for the first 3 months, or 50% off the first year, ending 30 October 2026.
PracticeQ
- Other savings
50% off the first 2 months through sales
The pricing page offers half off the subscription for the first 2 months to customers who claim it by speaking with a PracticeQ sales representative.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for nonprofits
PracticeQ's about page says it offers discounts for non-profit organizations and special low-volume rates; the amounts are not published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carepatron or PracticeQ?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Carepatron starts at $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly), and PracticeQ starts at $59.90 per month (Starter, 25 appointments per practitioner). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Carepatron or PracticeQ?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Carepatron has a free plan. PracticeQ does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Carepatron and PracticeQ run on?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Carepatron lists 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.