SimplePractice vs TheraNest (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick TheraNest if

• Fits if you're an insurance-based therapist who wants claims bundled into the plan
• Works for therapists who need help getting in-network, with one or two payer enrollments included

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay on Essentials: online booking, secure messaging, custom forms and bundled claims start on Advanced
• Watch out: Advanced covers 50 claims, checks and reminders a month, then 23¢ a claim, 25¢ a check and 10¢ a reminder
• Pricey if you add the Session Assistant at $35 a month, eRx at $45 plus $135 setup, or Wiley below Premier at $25
• Watch out: each therapist pays a $19.50 yearly CPT fee, cards cost 2.99% + 30¢, and Premier's unlimited has a fair usage policy
• Skip it if you might downgrade soon, as the change only takes effect when your contract ends

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.

TheraNest

• Advanced includes 50 claims, eligibility checks and reminders a month per practice; then claims cost $0.23, checks $0.25 and reminders $0.10 each.
• Add-ons: Ensai Session Assistant $35 a month per provider, Wiley Treatment Planner $25 a month below Premier, eRx $45 a month per therapist plus a $135 setup fee.
• Each therapist pays an AMA CPT license fee of $19.50 a year, billed in December; card payments cost 2.99% + $0.30.
• Premier's unlimited claims and reminders fall under a fair usage policy, and a downgrade takes effect only when the current contract ends.

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.

TheraNest

Scheduling and client portal

Calendar management with personal calendar sync and staff availability, and a portal where clients see documents and appointments and pay online. Online booking starts on Advanced.

Notes and case management

Custom client, case and progress notes, built-in clinical case management with ICD-10 tools, and Wiley treatment planning, which is included on Premier.

Insurance claims and eligibility

Primary and secondary claims sent singly or in batches through clearinghouse partners, real-time eligibility checks, and billing automation on Premier.

Telehealth

HIPAA-compliant video for individual and group sessions, unlimited on Advanced and Premier and a $12-a-month add-on per therapist on Essentials.

Ensai AI

Ensai polishes progress notes on every plan. The Ensai Session Assistant, $35 a month per provider, scribes telehealth and office sessions into notes and writes case summaries.

Credentialing

A specialist team prepares and follows up payer enrollments with no commission: one or two payers per therapist by plan, and one more on annual billing.

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.

TheraNest

• Essentials$27

  per therapist / month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)

  Scheduling, client portal, calendar sync, basic intake forms and notes, Ensai note polishing and card payments. Telehealth is a $12 add-on.

• Advanced$54

  per therapist / month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)

  Adds online booking, secure messaging, custom forms and notes, unlimited individual and group telehealth, and 50 free claims and eligibility checks a month.

• Premier$82

  per therapist / month, billed yearly ($89 billed monthly)

  Adds insurance billing automation, Wiley Practice Planner, and unlimited claims, eligibility checks and text and phone reminders under a fair usage policy.

• GroupCustom

  Custom pricing for group mental health practices, quoted on request.

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.

TheraNest

• Annual discount

  One month free with yearly billing

  TheraNest's pricing page gives one month free on annual plans: Essentials is $319 a year instead of $348, Advanced $649 instead of $708 and Premier $979 instead of $1,068.