SimplePractice Alternative for Therapists on Google Workspace: An Honest Comparison

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SimplePractice is the most well-known practice management platform in the mental health field, and for good reason. It handles scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, client communication, and telehealth — all in one place.

But "all in one place" can be a feature or a bug, depending on your situation.

This post is for therapists who are already running their practice on Google Workspace — Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive — and wondering whether they actually need SimplePractice, or whether what they're missing is something smaller and more specific: a better way to write and organize session notes.

What SimplePractice Does (And What It Costs)

SimplePractice is a full-stack EHR (Electronic Health Record) system. Its core capabilities include client management, scheduling and online booking, clinical documentation (progress notes, treatment plans, assessments), insurance billing and superbills, online payments, and built-in telehealth video.

As of 2026, SimplePractice pricing starts at $49/month for the Starter plan and runs to $114+/month with the AI add-on and full features. For a solo practitioner who takes insurance, this is often justified — the billing automation alone can save hours per week.

But here's the question worth asking: if you're a private-pay therapist who handles scheduling via Google Calendar, collects payments through a simple processor, and already uses Google Workspace for email and file storage — what exactly are you paying SimplePractice for?

For many therapists in this situation, the honest answer is: mostly the clinical documentation.

The Google Workspace Therapist's Dilemma

If you're already running on Google, you have a HIPAA-compliant infrastructure (with a signed BAA), a calendar your clients can book into, and a file storage system that works. What you're missing is a structured, clinician-specific way to write, store, and organize session notes.

Google Docs can do this — technically. But a blank Google Doc with a SOAP note template you copied from somewhere is not the same as a system designed for clinical use. You end up spending mental energy on formatting and file naming instead of on the clinical content of the note.

When You Should Use SimplePractice (or a Full EHR)

SimplePractice is the right choice if:

• You bill insurance. SimplePractice's billing and claims management is genuinely excellent. If you're submitting to insurance regularly, the automation is worth the cost.
• You need a client portal. SimplePractice's portal for intake forms, secure messaging, and telehealth is well-designed. If you want clients to interact with a branded portal, a full EHR is the right tool.
• You're in a group practice. Multi-provider practices benefit from the coordination features of a full EHR.
• You want everything in one place. If you value a single vendor handling everything, SimplePractice delivers.

When You Might Not Need SimplePractice

SimplePractice is probably overkill if:

• You're private-pay. No insurance billing means no need for claims management — which eliminates SimplePractice's biggest selling point.
• You already use Google Calendar. You don't need SimplePractice's scheduling if your clients can book via Calendly or Google Calendar directly.
• You have a HIPAA-compliant Google Workspace setup. If you've signed a BAA with Google, your Drive is already a valid place to store session notes.
• You want to own your data. Notes in SimplePractice live in SimplePractice's system. Notes in Google Drive live in your account — accessible regardless of your subscription status.

How the Costs Compare

*Practice Pad Cloud $22/mo + Google Workspace Business Starter $7/mo. SimplePractice pricing as of April 2026.

What Practice Pad Is Building

Practice Pad is not a SimplePractice replacement. It doesn't do scheduling, billing, insurance, or client portals. What it does is fill the documentation gap for therapists who are already on Google Workspace:

• Handwrite session notes on iPad with Apple Pencil
• Notes converted on-device — no PHI sent to Practice Pad servers during processing
• Finished notes sync directly to your Google Drive in your HIPAA-compliant account
• Session metadata logs automatically to Google Sheets
• Google Calendar integration auto-fills client name, date, and session duration

For a private-pay therapist already running on Google Workspace, Practice Pad covers the documentation workflow at a fraction of the cost of a full EHR — and keeps your notes in your own Google account, not a vendor's database.

The Honest Bottom Line

If you're weighing SimplePractice against other options, the question to ask is: What specific problems am I trying to solve?

If the answer includes insurance billing, a client portal, or group practice coordination — SimplePractice is probably the right tool. It's genuinely good at all of those things.

If the answer is "I need a better way to write and organize my session notes, and I already use Google for everything else" — a lightweight, Google-native documentation tool is a better fit than a full EHR you'll only use for 20% of its features.

Also worth reading: Can Therapists Use Google Drive for Session Notes? (A HIPAA-Honest Answer)

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