DrChrono
SimplePractice
| Feature | DrChrono | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $199/mo | From $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 3.9 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | small-practices, solo-practitioners, specialty-clinics, mobile-doctors | therapists, counselors, solo-practitioners, wellness-professionals |
| Founded | 2009 | 2012 |
| Ehr | ✓ | ✗ |
| Practice Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Medical Billing | ✓ | ✗ |
| E Prescribing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Telehealth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Patient Portal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Billing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Insurance Claims | ✗ | ✓ |
| Documentation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Client Portal | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✗ | ✓ |
| Secure Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ DrChrono Pros
- iPad-first design
- Good medical billing tools
- Customizable templates
- Telehealth built in
✗ DrChrono Cons
- Customer support inconsistent
- Frequent updates cause bugs
- Learning curve for full features
✓ SimplePractice Pros
- Purpose-built for mental health and wellness professionals
- HIPAA-compliant telehealth included
- Integrated insurance billing and claims
- Client portal for intake forms and scheduling
- Beautiful mobile app for practitioners
✗ SimplePractice Cons
- No free plan available
- Limited to solo and small group practices
- Additional fees for some claim submissions
The Verdict
DrChrono is built for small practices and solo practitioners, with a focus on ehr and practice-management. SimplePractice targets therapists and counselors and leads with scheduling and telehealth.
On pricing, SimplePractice is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $29/mo compared to $199/mo for DrChrono. That $170/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
SimplePractice edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 3.9). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, SimplePractice offers broader built-in capabilities (8 features vs 6), while DrChrono takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for solo practitioners — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: SimplePractice has a slight overall edge — but if ipad-first design matters most to you, DrChrono may still be the right call.