MedRecPlus vs SimplePractice: Cost and Feature Comparison
SimplePractice is the default recommendation for therapists in the US — and if you bill American insurance, that default exists for good reasons. But its headline price of $49–$99/month is only the cover charge. This is an honest accounting of what SimplePractice really costs, where it genuinely wins, and when a $20 one-time license is the smarter buy.
What SimplePractice is, and who it is for
SimplePractice is practice management for health and wellness professionals — overwhelmingly therapists, counsellors and behavioral-health practices in the United States. Scheduling, documentation, a client portal, telehealth, and — its crown jewel — an insurance-billing workflow (claims, ERA, eligibility checks) built for the US system.
Solo plans run Starter $49/month, Essential $79/month and Plus $99/month, with a 30-day free trial. Group practices add clinicians from roughly $69–$74/month each on the Plus plan, and practice managers at $39/month each. Prices move often — verify on their pricing page — but the structure below is what matters.
The real price, not the headline price
The subscription is the cover charge. The add-ons are the bill:
- AI Note Taker: $35/month per clinician.
- ePrescribe: $49/month per clinician, plus a $89 one-time setup fee.
- Insurance claims: $0.39 per submitted claim.
- Card processing: 3.15% + $0.30 per transaction on payments taken through the platform.
- AMA/CPT license fee: $20 per clinician per year (mandatory).
- Extra clinicians: ~$69–$74/month each. Practice managers: $39/month each.
A realistic solo setup — Plus at $99 plus the Note Taker at $35 — is $134/month before a single claim, card fee or SMS: $1,608 a year, $8,040 over five years. A small group multiplies from there. None of this is hidden — it is all published — but almost nobody adds it up before signing.
MedRecPlus, for contrast: $20, once, per workspace. No per-clinician seats, no add-on ladder, no percentage of your card takings.
Add the base plan, the add-ons you will actually use, and a year of transaction fees — then multiply by 60. That is the number you are comparing, not the headline monthly price.
Where SimplePractice is genuinely stronger
- US insurance billing. Claims submission, ERA, eligibility checks — this machinery is why most American practices choose it, and no flat-license app replicates it.
- Built-in telehealth and client portal. Video sessions and intake paperwork inside one product, designed around therapy workflows.
- AI documentation. The Note Taker drafts session notes — a real time-saver, provided you have checked your consent and record-keeping obligations first.
- Ecosystem. Wiley treatment planners, templates, and the network effect of being the category default: staff you hire probably already know it.
If you bill US insurance and live in telehealth sessions, SimplePractice's price buys machinery that earns its keep.
Where MedRecPlus wins
- Total cost. $20 once versus roughly $1,600+/year for a realistic solo setup. Over five years the difference funds a lot of clinic.
- No seat math. Therapists, admins, reception — no per-clinician or per-manager fees. A part-time clinician costs the same as a full-time one: nothing extra.
- Europe-first. GDPR-by-design, VAT invoicing, and eight interface languages. SimplePractice is engineered around the US insurance system; outside it, you pay for machinery you never use.
- Real apps plus offline. Native Android and Windows apps with a local database — your records work without internet and are not purely rented from a cloud.
- No cut of your revenue. Card processing at 3.15% + $0.30 applies to every payment through SimplePractice; a flat license never takes a percentage.
The fit question: do you bill insurance?
This is the whole decision in one question. If US insurance billing is your daily workflow, SimplePractice's claims machinery, ERA and telehealth are worth real money — price-shop it against its direct competitors (TherapyNotes, TheraNest), not against us. If you are cash-pay, outside the US, or simply do not need the insurance stack, you are paying a premium for features you will never open — and a one-time license covers scheduling, records and billing for the price of a lunch. Our guide to choosing clinic software has the full checklist for either path.
Run your clinic on MedRecPlus
Offline-first patient records, appointments, and billing for your clinic. One-time $20 payment — no subscription, your data stays yours.
Get MedRecPlus — $20 lifetimeFrequently asked questions
How much does SimplePractice really cost per year for a solo practice?
The headline is $49–$99/month, but a realistic setup (Plus $99 + AI Note Taker $35) is $134/month — $1,608/year — before claims at $0.39 each, card fees at 3.15% + $0.30, SMS reminders and the $20/year AMA fee. For an active solo practice, $2,000+/year all-in is normal.
Does SimplePractice work outside the United States?
It functions as software anywhere, but its standout features — insurance claims, ERA, eligibility checks — are US-system specific. Outside the US you get solid scheduling and notes, but you are paying for an insurance machine you cannot use. Region-built alternatives are usually the better value.
Is SimplePractice worth it for a cash-pay practice?
Usually not at full price. Cash-pay practices do not use the insurance billing stack, which is what the premium pays for. Add up the all-in yearly cost, compare it against a flat-license alternative, and check which features you would actually open every week.
Can I switch from SimplePractice to MedRecPlus?
Export your client records first and verify what the export includes (notes, documents, billing history) — do this before committing to any new system. Then migrate forward-only: new visits in the new system from day one. Our switching guide covers the low-risk way to do it.
Does MedRecPlus handle insurance claims like SimplePractice?
No — MedRecPlus is built around direct invoicing and payments, including VAT for European clinics, not the US electronic-claims workflow (claims submission, ERA, eligibility). If claims are core to your revenue, keep a claims-capable system; if they are not, do not pay for one.
Further reading from primary sources
Disclaimer: this article covers clinic practice management — records, workflows, costs, and data protection — not medical advice. Regulations differ by country; consult qualified legal counsel for compliance decisions specific to your practice.