SimplePractice Pricing 2026 — Plans, Credit Card Fees & Real Monthly Cost
SimplePractice has three plans: Starter ($29/month), Essential ($69/month), and Plus ($99/month). The difference between them is significant — the wrong plan can mean missing telehealth, no insurance billing, or no multi-clinician access. Here is an honest breakdown of what you get at each tier, what each plan is missing, and which one makes sense for your practice.
Quick Answer
90% of solo therapists should choose Essential at $69/month — it includes telehealth, insurance billing, and SMS reminders. The Starter plan ($29) is too limited for most practices (no telehealth, no billing). The Plus plan ($99) is only necessary once you add a second clinician or need role-based access controls.
SimplePractice Credit Card Fees 2026
2.95%
per transaction
$0.30
flat fee
You can avoid this fee by using an external payment processor (Square, PayPal) and recording payments manually — but you lose SimplePractice's automated billing workflow.
Starter
Therapists just starting out who need the basics
INCLUDED
- ✓1 clinician
- ✓Unlimited clients
- ✓Scheduling & calendar
- ✓Basic notes
- ✓Client portal
- ✓BAA included
- ✓HIPAA-compliant
NOT INCLUDED
- ✗No telehealth
- ✗No insurance billing
- ✗No secure messaging
- ✗No online appointment requests
Verdict: Too limited for most practices. Missing telehealth and billing makes it only useful for cash-pay therapists who already have a separate video platform.
Essential
Most solo therapists — covers everything you need
INCLUDED
- ✓1 clinician
- ✓Everything in Starter
- ✓Built-in HIPAA telehealth
- ✓Insurance billing clearinghouse
- ✓Secure client messaging
- ✓Online appointment requests
- ✓Customizable note templates
- ✓Appointment reminders (email + text)
NOT INCLUDED
- ✗No multiple clinicians
- ✗No advanced reporting
Verdict: The right plan for 90% of solo therapists. Telehealth, billing, and messaging are all included — no add-ons needed.
Plus
Group practices or therapists who need advanced features
INCLUDED
- ✓Up to 10 clinicians (+ $39/additional)
- ✓Everything in Essential
- ✓Advanced reporting
- ✓Multiple practice locations
- ✓Team supervision tools
- ✓Priority support
Verdict: Worth it once you have 2+ clinicians or need detailed reporting. Solo therapists rarely need it.
SimplePractice Free Trial + Summer Offer 2026
SimplePractice offers a 7-day free trial on the Essential plan — the most popular tier. During the trial you get full access to telehealth, billing, messaging, and client portal. No credit card required to start.
☀️ Summer 2026: Two separate offers available
50% off first 4 months
Sign up through an affiliate link and get 50% off your first 4 months — on top of the 7-day free trial. On the Essential plan, that means paying $34.50/mo instead of $69/mo for the first 4 months.
Free credentialing (up to 2 insurance payers)
Sign up and get paneled with up to 2 insurance payers of your choice at no cost. Insurance credentialing typically costs $150–$300 per payer — this offer saves $300–$600 in onboarding costs.
⚠️ These two offers are separate and cannot be combined. Choose the one that fits your situation.
Hidden Costs to Know About
Credit card processing
SimplePractice charges 2.95% + $0.30 per transaction if you use their built-in payment processing. You can use an external processor instead.
Additional clinicians (Plus plan)
$39/month per clinician beyond the first. A 3-person group practice on Plus would pay $99 + $39 + $39 = $177/month.
Wiley Treatment Planners
Not included in any SimplePractice plan. If you need Wiley content, TherapyNotes includes it. SimplePractice does not.
SimplePractice Transaction Fees — Full Breakdown
SimplePractice processes payments through Stripe. Understanding the transaction fees before you sign up prevents surprises on your monthly bill.
Credit card processing (SimplePractice's built-in payments)
2.95% + $0.30 per transactionApplied to every client payment — session fees, copays, and outstanding balances. On a $150 session, this is $4.73 per transaction. For a practice billing $6,000/month, that is $177–$207/month in processing fees on top of the subscription cost.
Stripe Fees (if using SimplePractice's payment system)
Included in the 2.95% aboveSimplePractice uses Stripe as its payment processor behind the scenes. You are not charged Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 separately — the 2.95% rate already incorporates the Stripe fee. You do not need a separate Stripe account.
ACH / bank transfer payments
Not supportedSimplePractice does not currently support ACH (bank transfer) payments from clients. All card payments go through the 2.95% + $0.30 rate.
Using an external payment processor instead
0% to SimplePracticeYou can use a separate payment processor (Square, PayPal, etc.) and record payments manually in SimplePractice. This avoids the 2.95% fee but loses the automated billing and payment reminders. Most therapists with high client volume calculate whether the processing fee or the manual billing time costs more.
Real cost calculation for a solo practice
If you bill $5,000/month through SimplePractice: Essential plan ($69) + processing fees (~$148 at 2.95%) = ~$217/month total. Compare this to TherapyNotes at $69/month with similar processing rates — the subscription cost is the same, but the processing fee is the variable that adds up.
SimplePractice Plus Plan — Is It Worth It?
The SimplePractice Plus plan costs $99/month for the first clinician, plus $39/month for each additional clinician. It is designed for group practices and therapists who need advanced features that Essential does not include.
Multiple clinicians
Up to 10 clinicians on one account, each with their own login, calendar, and note access. Essential is limited to 1 clinician.
Role-based permissions
Control which staff members see which client records. Essential has no permission levels — every user sees everything.
Advanced reporting
Revenue reports, appointment volume, billing summaries by clinician. Useful for group practices tracking per-clinician productivity.
Multiple practice locations
Manage multiple office locations under one account. Essential supports only one location.
Supervision tools
For practices with supervised clinicians (interns, associates) — supervisors can review and co-sign notes.
Bottom line on Plus
If you are a solo therapist, you do not need Plus — Essential covers everything. Plus becomes worth it once you add a second clinician or need separate role permissions for admin staff. A 2-person group practice on Plus pays $99 + $39 = $138/month, compared to two separate Essential accounts at $69 × 2 = $138/month — identical cost, but Plus gives you shared reporting and supervision tools.
Trusted by 225,000+ Therapists
50% Off Your First 4 Months of SimplePractice
SimplePractice is the #1 HIPAA-compliant practice management platform for therapists. Includes a signed BAA, encrypted messaging, telehealth, and full insurance billing.
Limited-time summer offer · No credit card required for trial
Need HIPAA-compliant email only? See Hushmail for Healthcare →
Which SimplePractice Plan Is Right for Your Practice?
The most common SimplePractice mistake is starting on the wrong plan and having to upgrade or migrate later. Use this decision guide before committing to a plan.
You are a new solo therapist, cash-pay only, no telehealth yet
→ Start on Essential ($69/mo)
The Starter plan lacks telehealth — and most therapists add it within 6 months. Starting on Essential avoids the migration hassle and costs only $40/month more than Starter.
You are a solo therapist accepting insurance
→ Essential ($69/mo)
Insurance billing is only available on Essential and Plus. Starter cannot process insurance claims or generate ERA reports.
You run a group practice with 2–4 clinicians
→ Plus ($99/mo + $39/additional clinician)
Plus is the only plan that supports multiple clinicians with separate logins, role-based access controls, and the practice-wide reporting that group practices need for HIPAA compliance.
You need Wiley Treatment Planners for documentation
→ TherapyNotes instead of SimplePractice
SimplePractice does not include Wiley content on any plan. TherapyNotes includes Wiley Planners and Goals. If Wiley documentation is a clinical requirement for your practice, TherapyNotes is the stronger choice.
You primarily need telehealth with minimal billing
→ Essential ($69/mo) or try Doxy.me free first
SimplePractice's Essential plan is comprehensive — if you only need telehealth and basic notes, Doxy.me's free plan plus a separate simple EHR may cost less. But if you want everything in one place, Essential is the standard choice.
SimplePractice vs. TherapyNotes vs. Sessions Health — Pricing Comparison
Before choosing SimplePractice, it is worth comparing it against the two most common alternatives at the same price point. The right answer depends on your specific needs — particularly around Wiley Treatment Planners and group practice support.
| Feature | SimplePractice | TherapyNotes | Sessions Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (per clinician) | $69/mo | $69/mo | Free (1 clinician) |
| HIPAA BAA included | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans |
| Built-in telehealth | ✓ Essential+ | ✓ All plans | ✓ Free plan |
| Insurance billing | ✓ Essential+ | ✓ All plans | ✓ Free plan |
| Wiley Treatment Planners | ✗ Not included | ✓ Included | ✗ Not included |
| Client portal | ✓ All plans | ✓ All plans | ✓ Free plan |
| Secure messaging | ✓ Essential+ | ✓ All plans | ✓ Free plan |
| Free trial | 7 days (+ 50% off 4 mo) | 21 days | Unlimited (free tier) |
Prices as of 2026. Sessions Health offers a free plan for solo therapists with all core features. TherapyNotes' advantage is Wiley Treatment Planners. SimplePractice's advantage is polish, client experience, and the largest therapist community.
The True Cost of Using a Non-HIPAA EHR
Some therapists use free or non-healthcare scheduling tools (Google Calendar, Calendly, standard Acuity) to avoid EHR costs. This creates a significant hidden liability. Every platform that stores or transmits client health information requires a signed HIPAA Business Associate Agreement — and consumer scheduling tools will not sign one.
SimplePractice's $69/month Essential plan includes a signed BAA — which alone eliminates the most common HIPAA violation for therapists who use free scheduling tools.
SimplePractice Monthly Cost — Quick Reference
Here is the total monthly cost for each practice type, including transaction fees at typical billing volumes:
New solo therapist, 10 clients/week, cash-pay
$69–$99/moEssential plan + ~$30–60/mo in processing fees at $150/session
Solo therapist, insurance-based, 20 clients/week
$69 + ~$148/moEssential plan + processing fees on $5,000/month billing
Group practice, 3 clinicians
$177/moPlus plan ($99) + 2 additional clinicians ($39 × 2)
SimplePractice Pricing Changes 2026 — What Changed and What Stayed the Same
SimplePractice has adjusted its pricing and plan structure several times over the past two years. Here is a clear summary of what changed heading into 2026 and what stayed the same — so you are not caught off guard after signing up.
Plan prices — no change in 2026
Starter ($29/mo), Essential ($69/mo), and Plus ($99/mo) are unchanged from 2025. No price increase was announced for 2026.
Annual billing option added
SimplePractice now offers a discounted rate if you pay annually instead of monthly. The annual option saves approximately 10–15% compared to month-to-month. It requires a 12-month commitment with no mid-year cancellation refund.
Transaction fees — unchanged
The 2.95% + $0.30 per card transaction fee has remained consistent. No new fees were added to the billing flow in 2026.
Starter plan limitations — unchanged
The Starter plan still excludes telehealth, insurance billing, and secure messaging. This has been a consistent limitation since the plan restructuring. Starter is only suitable for cash-pay therapists who handle telehealth separately.
SimplePractice pricing changes to watch
SimplePractice has historically raised prices with relatively short notice to existing users. Setting a calendar reminder to review your plan annually ensures you catch any changes before they appear on your credit card statement.
FAQ — SimplePractice Pricing
Which SimplePractice plan do most therapists use?
The Essential plan at $69/month is by far the most common choice for solo therapists. It includes telehealth, billing, and messaging — the three features most practices actually use daily.
Does SimplePractice include a HIPAA BAA on all plans?
Yes. A signed Business Associate Agreement is included with all paid SimplePractice plans, including the Starter plan. This is one of the core reasons SimplePractice is considered HIPAA-compliant for therapy practices.
Can I cancel SimplePractice anytime?
Yes. SimplePractice is month-to-month with no long-term contracts. You can cancel at any time. Your data remains accessible for 90 days after cancellation to allow for record export.
Is SimplePractice worth the price compared to free options?
For most solo therapists, yes — especially with the current 50% off first 4 months offer (Essential drops to $34.50/mo for the first 4 months). Sessions Health offers a free solo plan, but SimplePractice's polish, telehealth reliability, and billing features justify $69/month for most active practices. If you are seeing 10+ clients/week, the time savings alone make it worth it.
What are SimplePractice's transaction fees?
SimplePractice charges 2.95% + $0.30 per transaction for credit card payments processed through their built-in system (powered by Stripe). This is on top of your monthly subscription fee. On a $150 session, you pay $4.73 in processing fees. You can avoid this by using an external payment processor and recording payments manually in SimplePractice, though you lose the automated billing workflow.
How much does SimplePractice cost per month total?
The base monthly cost is $29 (Starter), $69 (Essential), or $99 (Plus) per month. Most solo therapists on the Essential plan pay $69/month in subscription fees plus processing fees of 2.95% + $0.30 per card transaction. For a practice billing $5,000/month to clients, the real monthly cost is closer to $217 — $69 subscription plus roughly $148 in transaction fees. There are no setup fees and no long-term contracts.
What does the SimplePractice Plus plan include?
The Plus plan ($99/month) includes everything in Essential plus: support for up to 10 clinicians with separate logins, role-based access permissions, advanced revenue and productivity reporting, multiple practice location management, and supervision tools for co-signing intern or associate notes. Solo therapists rarely need Plus — it becomes valuable once you add a second clinician or admin staff who need different access levels.
Does SimplePractice have no long-term contracts?
Correct — SimplePractice is month-to-month with no long-term contracts or annual commitment required. You can cancel at any time. After cancellation, your data remains accessible for 90 days so you can export client records. SimplePractice does offer a discount if you pay annually, but it is not required.