ICANotes vs SimplePractice (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick SimplePractice: it is first in our ranking of therapy and clinic software, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
SimplePractice grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
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
SimplePractice
Practice management and EHR for private-practice therapists
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 SimplePractice if
- Fits if you're a solo US therapist who bills insurance and wants claims in the same account as your notes
- Works for groups of up to five clinicians who want a published price: Plus is $99 plus $74 a clinician
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Starter: reminders, calendar sync, secure messaging and treatment plans start on Essential at $79
- Pricey if you want AI notes, as Note Taker is $35 a month and Care Aide $59 plus $49 per extra clinician
- Watch out: claims are 39¢ each, cards 3.15% + 30¢, and every clinician pays a $20 yearly fee for CPT codes
- Watch out: ePrescribe is $49 a month plus an $89 setup fee, and group sessions and extra clinicians need Plus
- Not for you if your group has six or more clinicians and you want a price up front, as those go through sales
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAICANotesFair | 2.8GPASimplePracticeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CStarter is $49 a month after a first 3 months at half price, between this category's middle ($39) and its dearer quarter ($59). Reminders and calendar sync need Essential at $79, and on top come 39¢ a claim and a $20 yearly CPT fee per clinician. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day trial with no card and no free plan. | CA 30-day trial with no card, and no free plan. The half-price first 3 months only applies if you start paying within 7 days of signing up. |
| Features | BNotes, scheduling, portal, billing, e-prescribing, labs and rating scales across tiers, but claims and text reminders are priced by contacting sales. | BScheduling, paperless intake, progress notes, measurement-based care, telehealth, insurance claims and card payments all come on Starter. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job; the gaps are plan locks and add-ons. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. An EHR means setting up templates and billing first. | ASimplePractice rates 4.7 on the US App Store from 33,999 ratings, which puts it at A on our ease ladder. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web service with no integrations or apps listed. | BWeb, plus a clinician app for iPhone, iPad and Android with the calendar, notes, messages and payments. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations or API. |
| Best for | behavioral health notes with menu-driven charting | solo US therapists who bill insurance |
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 SimplePractice. How we grade
Price against what you get
ICANotes starts at $35 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimplePractice starts at $49 a month and scores 3.3.
SimplePractice scores higher, and starts $14 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other therapy and clinic software on the chart, 7 score higher than ICANotes for less, and none scores higher than SimplePractice 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
- ICANotes also covers templates.
- SimplePractice also covers transcription.
At a glance
| ICANotes | SimplePractice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $35 per month for a part-time clinician ($55 full-time), notes only | $49 per month (Starter), after a first 3 months at $24.50 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ICANotes | SimplePractice, LLC |
| Price read from | icanotes.com | simplepractice.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 24, 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.
SimplePractice
- Insurance claims cost $0.39 each, card payments 3.15% + $0.30, and each clinician pays an annual $20 fee for CPT code access.
- Reminders, calendar sync and client messaging start on Essential; group sessions and extra clinicians need Plus.
- AI notes are extra: Note Taker is $35 a month, Care Aide $59 a month plus $49 per extra clinician. ePrescribe is $49 a month plus an $89 setup fee.
- The 50% discount applies only if a paid account starts within 7 days of the trial; groups of 6 or more clinicians are priced by sales.
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.
SimplePractice
- Client portal and online booking
- Clients request appointments online and complete paperless intake documents through a client portal website. Essential adds email, text and voice reminders and calendar sync.
- Notes and treatment plans
- Progress notes, a template library and measurement-based care come on every plan; customizable treatment plans and Wiley Treatment Planners start on Essential.
- Built-in telehealth
- Video sessions are included on every plan. Plus adds group appointments and group telehealth.
- Insurance claims and payments
- Claims are filed from the account at $0.39 each and clients pay online by card. Insurance Navigator, listed as coming soon, adds claim checks and benefits verification at $1.79 a claim.
- Care Aide and Note Taker
- Paid AI add-ons. Note Taker drafts progress notes from a recorded session or dictation; Care Aide adds live telehealth support, treatment plans in beta and client-ready summaries.
- Clinician mobile app
- An iPhone, iPad and Android app to manage the calendar, write and review session notes, share documents, send secure messages and take payments.
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.
SimplePractice
Starter$49
per month
Unlimited clients, telehealth, progress notes, insurance claims, online payments, intake forms and a client portal. $24.50 a month for the first 3 months.
Essential$79
per month
Adds free email, text and voice reminders, calendar sync, treatment plans, Wiley Treatment Planners and secure messaging. $39.50 for the first 3 months.
Plus$99
per month, plus $74 per additional clinician
Adds group appointments, group telehealth, a premium support line and advanced analytics. $49.50 for the first 3 months; groups of 6+ can get custom pricing.
Ways to pay less
ICANotes
No public discounts listed.
SimplePractice
- Other savings
50% off the first 3 months
Starting a paid account within 7 days of signing up halves the first 3 months: $24.50 for Starter, $39.50 for Essential and $49.50 for Plus, then the regular price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ICANotes or SimplePractice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ICANotes is cheaper to start with: $35 a month, against $49 a month for SimplePractice. ICANotes starts at $35 per month for a part-time clinician ($55 full-time), notes only, and SimplePractice starts at $49 per month (Starter), after a first 3 months at $24.50.
Which has a free plan, ICANotes or SimplePractice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither ICANotes nor SimplePractice has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do ICANotes and SimplePractice run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only SimplePractice 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.