Epic Systems
SimplePractice
| Feature | Epic Systems | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Contact sales | From $29/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | hospitals, health-systems, large-clinics, academic-medical-centers | therapists, counselors, solo-practitioners, wellness-professionals |
| Founded | 1979 | 2012 |
| Electronic Health Records | ✓ | ✗ |
| Patient Portal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Clinical Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Billing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interoperability | ✓ | ✗ |
| Telehealth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insurance Claims | ✗ | ✓ |
| Documentation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Client Portal | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✗ | ✓ |
| Secure Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Epic Systems Pros
- Most widely used EHR in US hospitals
- Comprehensive interoperability with MyChart patient portal
- Highly customizable to specific clinical workflows
- Strong regulatory compliance (HIPAA, HITECH)
✗ Epic Systems Cons
- Extremely expensive implementation costs
- Requires extensive training for staff
- Vendor lock-in with proprietary systems
✓ 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
Epic Systems is built for hospitals and health systems, with a focus on electronic-health-records and patient-portal. SimplePractice targets therapists and counselors and leads with scheduling and telehealth.
Epic Systems uses custom enterprise pricing, while SimplePractice starts at $29/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Feature-wise, SimplePractice offers broader built-in capabilities (8 features vs 7), while Epic Systems takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.