EHR Comparison

SimplePractice vs TheraNest for Mental Health Providers 2024

SimplePractice and TheraNest are the two most popular EHR platforms for mental health and behavioral health providers, each with distinct strengths in practice size and billing complexity. We compared both on telehealth quality, insurance billing support, and clinical note workflow.

By MedTech Review EditorialUpdated: July 30, 20248 min read✓ Medically Verified

SimplePractice and TheraNest are purpose-built for mental health, marriage and family therapy, and social work practices — both include telehealth, HIPAA-compliant messaging, and behavioral health billing out of the box. We compared both platforms across solo therapists, group practices, and community mental health centers on note completion workflows, telehealth video quality, insurance claim management, and pricing for multi-clinician practices.

Product Comparison

Product	Rating	Price	Best For
SimplePractice	★ 4.7	$29–$99/mo per clinician	Solo therapists & small groups	View →
TheraNest	★ 4.4	$39–$91/mo (by client count)	Mid-size group practices	View →
TherapyNotes	★ 4.3	$49/mo solo, $59/mo per clinician	Note-writing efficiency	View →
Counsol.com	★ 4.1	$49.95/mo per clinician	Client self-scheduling focus	View →
Luminare Health (formerly Valant)	★ 4.2	From $85/mo per clinician	Psychiatric practices with prescribers	View →

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

Both platforms include integrated HIPAA-compliant telehealth — no separate Zoom subscription required
Automated insurance billing with ERA posting handles most major behavioral health payers (BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, Medicaid)
Client portal enables online intake forms, consent documents, and credit card storage before the first session
PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5, and other validated rating scales are included with automatic scoring in both platforms

✗ Cons

Neither platform supports DEA-compliant EPCS (electronic controlled substance prescribing) — prescribers need a supplemental tool
Group therapy billing with multi-client modifiers (H0004, 90853) requires manual configuration in both platforms
TheraNest's pricing by active client count penalizes practices with large but low-frequency caseloads

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is less expensive for a solo therapist — SimplePractice or TheraNest?▾

For a solo therapist with under 30 active clients, TheraNest's base plan starts at $39/month vs SimplePractice's $29/month Starter plan. However, SimplePractice's Starter plan lacks insurance billing — the Essential plan ($69/month) includes billing and is the fair comparison. For insurance-billing solo practitioners, both platforms cost $69–91/month at typical caseload sizes.

Is SimplePractice or TheraNest better for a group practice with 5–10 therapists?▾

TheraNest is generally considered stronger for group practices because its pricing scales by active clients rather than by clinician count, which can be more cost-effective for groups where each clinician maintains 20–30 active clients. SimplePractice's group pricing ($59/mo per additional clinician on the Plus plan) is comparable but adds predictably with headcount.

How does telehealth video quality compare between SimplePractice and TheraNest?▾

Both platforms use WebRTC-based video that works in any browser without app download. SimplePractice's video infrastructure (built on Twilio) performs slightly better in independent quality tests across varying internet speeds. Both platforms are HIPAA-compliant with BAAs included. Video quality is comparable for standard therapy sessions; differences are most noticeable on low-bandwidth connections under 5 Mbps.

Can SimplePractice or TheraNest handle Medicaid billing for behavioral health?▾

Both platforms support Medicaid billing for behavioral health, but payer-specific EDI setup varies by state Medicaid plan. Practices billing multiple state Medicaid plans should verify their specific plan is active on each platform's clearinghouse network before signing up. TheraNest's customer support team has more documented experience with complex state Medicaid behavioral health billing nuances.

Our Top Pick

SimplePractice — Best EHR for Solo Mental Health Practitioners

Trusted by 185,000+ clinicians, SimplePractice is the most intuitive behavioral health EHR with integrated telehealth, billing, scheduling, and a 4.8-star client portal app. Start free for 30 days.

Try SimplePractice Free for 30 Days →

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