Carepatron vs Zanda (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Carepatron: it is second in our ranking of therapy and clinic software (Zanda is third), and they share a 2.6 GPA.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Carepatron grades higher on the free plan. Zanda grades higher on value for money. 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
Zanda
Browser-based practice software for allied health and therapy clinics
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 Zanda if
- Fits if you're a solo practitioner who wants unlimited clients for $19 a month
- Works for allied health and mental health clinics juggling several practitioners and rooms
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as Zanda runs only in the browser
- Tight if you stay on Starter: one practitioner, one location and 1,000 appointments; more needs Growth at $49
- Watch out: texts need a dedicated number at $4.99 a month with 35 credits, then 9¢ an SMS
- Pricey if you scribe every session: 4 AI Scribe sessions a month are free, then AI Pro is $19 a user, Telehealth Pro $9
- Watch out: claims carry a $50 enrollment fee, 15¢ a claim and 10¢ an ERA, and Stripe takes 2.9% + 30¢ plus 50¢
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACarepatronGood | 2.6GPAZandaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BStarter is $19 a month for one practitioner with unlimited clients and 1,000 appointments, inside this category's cheaper quarter ($25). Five practitioners on Growth come to $125, or $25 each. Texts, AI Pro and Telehealth Pro are extra. |
| 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 14-day trial with no card needed, and no free plan, so you're paying from week three. |
| 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. | BScheduling with waitlists and rooms, a booking portal, note templates, body charts, scored forms, invoicing, US claims through a clearing house, telehealth and BizzyAI writing. AI scribing stops at 4 sessions a month without AI Pro. |
| 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. Rooms, locations, note templates, forms and the clearing house enrollment all need setting up first. |
| 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. | BIt runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones, with Stripe, Zoom, Xero, Mailchimp, Google Calendar and Outlook. There are no native apps for any device. |
| Best for | solo practitioners who want to start free | allied health and therapy clinics in the browser |
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 Zanda. 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. Zanda starts at $19 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Zanda starts $12 a month lower. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, none scores higher than Carepatron for less, and none scores higher than Zanda 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
At a glance
| Carepatron | Zanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly) | $19 per month (Starter, one 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 | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Carepatron Limited | Zanda Health Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | carepatron.com | zandahealth.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.
Zanda
- Starter covers one practitioner and 1,000 appointments, with one physical location; unlimited appointments and more locations need Growth.
- Text messages need a dedicated number at $4.99 a month, which includes 35 credits; each further SMS costs $0.09.
- Card payments go through Stripe at 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards, plus a 50¢ Stripe Connect fee listed on the pricing page.
- There are no native mobile apps; Zanda runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones.
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.
Zanda
- Scheduling and client portal
- A calendar with waitlists, rooms and recurring appointments, and a portal where clients book, pay, fill in forms, share files and join telehealth calls.
- Notes, forms and body charts
- Session note templates and body charts, plus online forms for intake, consent and scored assessments. Note templates can be customized on Growth.
- BizzyAI
- Every plan includes unlimited AI writing, 4 AI Scribe appointments a month and insights across a client's last 3 sessions. AI Pro, $19 per user a month, removes the scribe cap.
- Telehealth
- Built-in HIPAA-compliant video with a free option, Telehealth Pro with unlimited calls at $9 per practitioner a month, or your own Zoom account.
- US insurance claims
- An integrated clearing house with a $50 enrollment fee, $0.15 per claim and $0.10 per ERA. Preparing claims, CMS-1500 forms and eligibility requests are free.
- Practice operations manual
- 100+ policy and procedure templates for writing down how the practice runs, with AI tools for the manual on Growth.
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.
Zanda
Starter$19
per month for 1 practitioner and 1,000 appointments
Unlimited clients, 1 free admin user, 100 GB storage, reminders, intake forms, progress notes, billing and the booking portal. $9.50 for the first 6 months.
Growth$49
per month, plus $19 per additional practitioner
Unlimited appointments, admin users and storage, multiple locations, rooms, advanced waitlist, custom note templates, team messaging and full reports.
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.
Zanda
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months for October starts
Practices that start in October pay half for 6 months: Starter $9.50 a month, and Growth $24.50 plus $9.50 per extra practitioner, then the regular price.
- Other savings
No subscription fees until November
An end-of-summer offer on the US pricing page waives subscription fees until November and adds 500 free SMS credits.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Carepatron or Zanda?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Carepatron starts at $31 per user / month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly), and Zanda starts at $19 per month (Starter, one 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 Zanda?
As of Oct 24, 2026, only Carepatron has a free plan. Zanda does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Carepatron and Zanda 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.