ICANotes vs Sunwave (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ICANotes grades higher than Sunwave: 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 Sunwave if
- Fits if you run a substance use or eating disorder treatment center
- Works for multi-site operators that combine admissions, clinical and billing work
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a solo therapist, as it is built for treatment organizations
- Skip it if you want a price list, since the site only offers a contact form
- Watch out: Lightning Step and Sunwave Health combined in 2025, so product names may shift
- Watch out: figures like 40% less administrative time are vendor-reported customer results
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAICANotesFair | 1.6GPASunwaveWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 points to a Let's Connect form, 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 and referral CRM, behavioral health EMR, AI documentation, revenue cycle, telehealth and alumni management. Customer figures are the vendor's own. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. An EHR means setting up templates and billing first. | CNo store rating on record, and a clinic 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 CRM for behavioral health programs |
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 Sunwave. How we grade
Where they differ
- ICANotes also covers templates and appointment booking.
- Sunwave also covers case management.
In commonWebAI featuresClinical notesInsurance billingTelehealth
At a glance
| ICANotes | Sunwave | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Sunwave 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.
Sunwave
- No prices are published; the site directs visitors to a Let's Connect contact form.
- Built for treatment organizations and clinics, not solo therapists.
- The site says Lightning Step and Sunwave Health combined in 2025, so product names and packaging may shift.
- Figures such as 40% less administrative 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.
Sunwave
- Admissions and referral CRM
- Inquiry and referral source tracking, field visit logging, an available bed board, marketing analytics and a Salesforce integration.
- Behavioral health EMR
- Records follow a patient across programs, levels of care and sites, with medication management, scheduling and telehealth.
- SIA AI documentation
- SIA generates progress notes and session summaries; the vendor says it is certified to the ISO 42001 standard for AI management.
- Revenue cycle management
- Eligibility checks and verification of benefits, insurance claims, ACH payments and bulk actions, with error checks before submission.
- Telehealth and patient engagement
- Telehealth and patient engagement tools are listed as a separate product beside the EMR.
- Alumni management
- A product line for staying in touch with former patients after treatment.
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.
Sunwave
Pricing could not be confirmed. See sunwavehealth.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ICANotes or Sunwave?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ICANotes starts at $35 per month for a part-time clinician ($55 full-time), notes only, and Sunwave has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ICANotes or Sunwave?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither ICANotes nor Sunwave 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.