ICANotes vs Kipu (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ICANotes grades higher than Kipu: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ICANotes grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ICANotes
Behavioral health EHR with menu-driven notes
Free trial · from $35/mo
Which one is for you
Pick ICANotes if
- Fits if you are a behavioral health clinician who wants menu-driven notes
- Works for prescribers who want e-prescribing in the same chart
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you prescribe: $213 a month full-time plus a $99 activation fee
- Watch out: telehealth is $20 per user a month and the AI scribe $49 per user a month on top
- Tight if you are part-time: 60 notes a month on the first two tiers and 100 on Prescribing
- Watch out: text reminders, claims and patient statements are priced by contacting sales
Pick Kipu if
- Fits if you run a substance abuse or eating disorder treatment center
- Works for multi-site behavioral health groups that want admissions, notes and billing together
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a solo therapist in private practice, as it targets facilities
- Skip it if you want a price, because none is published
- Too light for a trial: none is listed
- Watch out: figures like 60% less documentation time are vendor-reported customer results
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAICANotesFair | 1.6GPAKipuWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNotes Only is $55 full-time, Non-Prescribing $75 and Prescribing $213, against a middle of $39 and a dearest tenth from $79. | CNo price is published; the site offers a consultation booking and a sales phone number, so it can't be set against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day trial with no card and no free plan. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, only a demo through the sales team. |
| Features | BNotes, scheduling, portal, billing, e-prescribing, labs and rating scales across tiers, but claims and text reminders are priced by contacting sales. | CAdmissions CRM, behavioral health EMR, revenue cycle, compliance, an AI layer and an API. The reported outcome figures are the vendor's own results. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. An EHR means setting up templates and billing first. | CNo store rating on record, and a treatment center needs a rollout with the vendor. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web service with no integrations or apps listed. | CWeb only on the listing, with no desktop or phone app named. |
| Best for | behavioral health notes with menu-driven charting | an EMR and admissions system for treatment centers |
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: ICANotes and Kipu. How we grade
Where they differ
- ICANotes also covers templates and appointment booking.
- Kipu also covers case management.
In commonWebAI featuresClinical notesInsurance billingTelehealth
At a glance
| ICANotes | Kipu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $35 per month for a part-time clinician ($55 full-time), notes only | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | ICANotes | Kipu Health |
| Price read from | icanotes.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ICANotes
- Telehealth is a $20 per user per month add-on; the AI scribe is $49 per user per month.
- Text reminders, claims and patient statements are priced by contacting sales.
- Part-time plans cap notes: 60 a month on the first two tiers and 100 on Prescribing.
- The pricing page also points to a separate ICANotes (Classic) price list that is not covered here.
Kipu
- No prices are published; the site offers a consultation booking and a sales phone number.
- Aimed at treatment centers and facilities, not solo therapists in private practice.
- The vendor lists no free plan or trial.
- Outcome figures on the site, such as 60% less documentation time, are vendor-reported customer results.
Key features
ICANotes
- Menu-driven notes
- Template-driven progress notes, assessments and treatment plans, including BIRP and DAP formats, that you can customize.
- AI scribe option
- AI Clinical Notes are an optional $49 per user per month add-on on top of the base plan.
- Scheduling and client portal
- Online forms, self-scheduling, automated reminders, secure messaging and a portal for clients come with the Non-Prescribing plan and above.
- Billing
- Verifies insurance, submits claims electronically and posts payments. Claims pricing is quoted by sales.
- E-prescribing and labs
- The Prescribing plan adds e-prescribing with medication management, plus lab ordering and results.
- Rating scales and treatment plans
- Over 100 clinical rating scales live inside the chart, and treatment plans track goals and interventions over time.
Kipu
- Admissions CRM
- Tracks leads, referrals, outreach, admissions workflows and alumni relationships, with segmented marketing campaigns.
- Behavioral health EMR
- Quick templates, medication management, labs, telehealth, a patient portal and secure messaging, with AI help for drafting notes.
- Revenue cycle management
- Real-time benefits verification, claim creation aimed at cleaner first submissions, and revenue visibility from intake to collections.
- Compliance management
- A hub for survey readiness covering state, TJC and CARF requirements, plus staff training, certifications and competencies.
- Kipu Intelligence
- AI documentation for individual and group notes and AI agents for workflows; the first agent named on the site handles utilization review.
- Integrations and API
- The site lists certified partners, integrations, an API and HL7 connections.
Plans
ICANotes
Notes Only$55
per full-time clinician / month
Unlimited notes, templates and cloud storage for non-prescribers. Part-time: $35 a month for 60 notes.
Non-Prescribing$75
per full-time clinician / month
Adds scheduling with reminders, a client portal, messaging, billing tools and reporting. Part-time: $45, 60 notes.
Prescribing$213
per full-time clinician / month
Adds e-prescribing, medication management and lab ordering. Part-time: $138, 100 notes. $99 activation fee.
Kipu
Pricing could not be confirmed. See kipuhealth.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ICANotes or Kipu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ICANotes starts at $35 per month for a part-time clinician ($55 full-time), notes only, and Kipu has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ICANotes or Kipu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ICANotes nor Kipu has a free plan. ICANotes has a free trial.
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.