8 Best Telehealth Platforms for Therapists: HIPAA-Compliant Options Compared

Telehealth isn’t going away. What started as a pandemic workaround has settled into a permanent part of how therapy gets delivered — and for many clients, the ability to meet virtually is no longer a preference, it’s a requirement.

Which means choosing a reliable, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform is no longer optional infrastructure. It’s a core part of running a private practice.

The options have multiplied considerably in the last few years. Some platforms are built specifically for healthcare. Others are general video tools that can be configured for healthcare use. Some are built into your EHR. Others stand alone. Some are free. Some will cost you more than your EHR subscription.

This guide covers the eight most commonly used telehealth options among therapists in 2026: what they actually offer, what they cost, and who each one makes the most sense for. It also addresses the HIPAA questions that come up most often — including the Zoom and Google Meet situations that trip a lot of therapists up.

Platform features, pricing, and compliance requirements change over time. Always verify current information directly with each vendor before making a decision.

What Therapists Actually Need from a Telehealth Platform

The basic feature — video calls — is table stakes. Most platforms can do that. What separates a platform that works well for a therapy practice from one that just technically functions is everything around the video call.

HIPAA Compliance and a Signed BAA

This is non-negotiable. Any platform you use to conduct therapy sessions or transmit client information must be HIPAA-compliant, and the vendor must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with you. The BAA is a legal contract that establishes the vendor’s responsibility to protect protected health information (PHI).

A platform that won’t sign a BAA is not appropriate for clinical use, period. And a platform that is HIPAA-capable but hasn’t had a BAA signed with you — because you haven’t completed that step — is also not compliant. The BAA matters as much as the technology.

Stable Video Quality

A dropped session or frozen video mid-disclosure is more than a technical inconvenience. For clients discussing difficult material, a disrupted session can feel unsafe. Video reliability should be one of your primary evaluation criteria, especially if you’re seeing clients with unreliable internet connections.

Client Ease of Use — No Downloads Preferred

Every extra step between a client and their session is friction that can lead to late starts, canceled sessions, or clients who simply give up. The best platforms for client-facing telehealth are browser-based, require no app download or account creation, and work reliably on mobile devices. The easier it is for your client to join, the better.

Integration with Your EHR and Scheduling

A telehealth platform that sits entirely separately from your scheduling, documentation, and billing workflow adds administrative work. Platforms that are built into your EHR (like SimplePractice and TherapyNotes) reduce this friction significantly — the session link, the reminder, the note, and the billing all connect. Standalone platforms like doxy.me can work well but require you to manage scheduling and billing separately.

Mobile Compatibility for Both Therapist and Client

Clients increasingly join sessions from their phones. Some therapists conduct sessions from tablets. Make sure the platform works reliably on mobile for both parties, not just on desktop.

Screen Sharing

Screen sharing is more useful in therapy than many therapists expect. Sharing worksheets, psychoeducation slides, mood trackers, or safety plans during a session is a practical clinical tool. Not all platforms include it in their base tier.

My Top Picks for Therapists

Best Overall: SimplePractice
Best for therapists who want telehealth, scheduling, documentation, and billing in one place.

See SimplePractice

Best Free Option: doxy.me
Best for therapists who already have an EHR and simply need standalone telehealth.

Best for Multidisciplinary Practices: Jane
Best for practices that need more flexibility and customization.

Explore Jane

Best if You Already Use Google: Google Workspace
A budget-friendly option if you’re already using Google for email, Calendar, and practice documents.

Explore Google Workspace

Quick Comparison: 2026 Telehealth Platforms for Therapists

Platform	HIPAA BAA	Waiting Room	EHR Integration	Mobile	Starting Price	Best For
SimplePractice	✓	✓	Built in	✓	$69/mo (Essential)	Most private practices
TherapyNotes	✓	✓	Built in	✓	$69/mo (Solo)	Insurance-focused practices
doxy.me	✓	✓	Standalone	✓	Free / $35/mo Pro	Budget solo practices
Jane	✓	✓	Built in	✓	~$79/mo (Practice)	Multi-discipline / private pay
Sessions Health	✓	✓	Built in	✓	$39/mo + $10 telehealth	Budget EHR users
Zoom for Healthcare	✓*	✓	Limited / API only	✓	~$16/mo/user + BAA	Existing Zoom users (carefully)
Google Meet	✓*	Basic	None (standalone)	✓	$7–$14/mo (Workspace)	Budget option (requires setup)
Microsoft Teams Healthcare	✓	✓	Epic / limited	✓	$6–$22/mo (M365)	Agencies / larger orgs

* HIPAA compliance for Zoom and Google Meet requires specific plans, signed BAAs, and proper configuration. See individual sections below. Pricing verified mid-2026 — verify directly with each vendor before purchasing.

Should You Use Standalone Video Software or Your EHR’s Built-In Telehealth?

Before comparing individual platforms, it’s worth answering a more basic question: do you need a standalone video tool at all, or should you just use the telehealth that’s already built into your EHR?

For most therapists, using the video platform built into their EHR is the simplest option. An integrated solution means you can schedule appointments, launch sessions, document notes, bill insurance, and store client information without switching between systems. If you’re already on SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane, or Sessions Health, that’s usually reason enough to start with what’s already included rather than adding another subscription.

Standalone video conferencing (doxy.me, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and a few others covered below) tends to make more sense if:

• You don’t use an EHR with telehealth built in
• Your current EHR’s video quality is poor or unreliable
• You provide consulting or supervision outside your clinical workflow, where an EHR client record doesn’t apply
• You need meeting features your EHR doesn’t offer, like breakout rooms or large-group support

Keep this in mind as you go through the platforms below — the “best” option really depends on which category fits how your practice already runs.

Want the easiest all-in-one option? → SimplePractice
Want an affordable standalone option? → doxy.me
Already use Google Workspace? → Google Meet
Run a multidisciplinary practice? → Jane

Platform Reviews

1. SimplePractice Telehealth

SimplePractice is the most widely used EHR among US-based solo and small group therapy practices, and its telehealth is built directly into the platform rather than offered as a bolted-on add-on. That integration is its biggest advantage.

When a session is scheduled in SimplePractice, the telehealth link is automatically included in the client’s appointment reminder. The client clicks the link, joins from their browser with no download required, and the session begins. When the session ends, the progress note is right there waiting. When billing is ready, the claim connects to the same client record. Everything is in one place.

The video quality is generally reliable and the client experience is consistently praised. Waiting rooms, session chat, and screen sharing are all included. Group sessions are supported, which is useful for practices running group therapy or couples work.

Pros

• Fully integrated with scheduling, documentation, and insurance billing
• Browser-based for clients — no app download or account needed
• Reliable video with waiting room, screen sharing, and group session support
• Appointment reminders include the session link automatically
• HIPAA-compliant with BAA included

Cons

• Telehealth requires the Essential plan at $69/mo — not included in the $29 Starter plan
• No standalone option — you’re paying for the full EHR whether you use all the features or not

Pricing

Telehealth is included in the Essential plan at $69/month. The Starter plan at $29/month does not include telehealth.

Best for

SimplePractice is great for solo and small group therapy practices in the US who want an all-in-one solution. If you’re already on SimplePractice or considering it, using its built-in telehealth is almost always the right call over adding a separate platform.

Ready for an all-in-one therapy platform?

If you want telehealth, scheduling, documentation, and insurance billing in one place, see what SimplePractice offers for private practices.

2. TherapyNotes Telehealth

TherapyNotes is purpose-built for behavioral health and has quietly become one of the most respected EHRs in the mental health space, particularly among insurance-billing practices. Its telehealth is integrated directly into the platform, and the workflow connects naturally to its documentation and billing strengths.

The base telehealth is included in TherapyNotes’ solo plan and supports waiting rooms, browser-based client access, and standard session features. Therapists who want HD video and additional telehealth features can upgrade to the Premium Telehealth add-on for $15/month.

TherapyNotes doesn’t have the same polish as SimplePractice’s interface, but what it offers is solid, reliable performance and a billing workflow that’s genuinely well-suited to high-volume insurance practices. If you’re primarily choosing an EHR for billing and you want telehealth that works without extra setup, TherapyNotes delivers.

Pros

• Built directly into the TherapyNotes platform
• Documentation connects seamlessly to the billing workflow
• Browser-based for clients, no download required
• HIPAA-compliant with BAA included
• Strong customer support — one of the most consistently praised in the space

Cons

• Interface is more functional than polished — not as visually modern as SimplePractice
• HD video requires a $15/month add-on

Pricing

Basic telehealth is included in the Solo plan at $69/month. Premium Telehealth (HD video, additional features) adds $15/month.

Best for

Insurance-focused practices that want reliable, integrated telehealth without a lot of setup, particularly those who prioritize billing workflow over interface aesthetics.

3. doxy.me

doxy.me is one of the most widely used telehealth platforms among solo therapists, and the reason is simple: the free version is genuinely functional and HIPAA-compliant. For a therapist who doesn’t need telehealth built into their EHR, or who uses a basic EHR without telehealth capabilities, doxy.me fills the gap without adding a monthly bill.

The platform is browser-based — clients click your personal room link and join without downloading anything or creating an account. Your doxy.me room URL is permanent, which means you can share it with clients once and use it for every session. The waiting room shows you when a client has arrived, and the HIPAA BAA is included at every plan level including the free tier.

The free plan covers the basics: unlimited video visits, a personalized URL, waiting room, and signed BAA. The Pro plan at $35/month adds HD video, screen sharing, payment collection, file sharing, and real-time alerts when clients check in.

The trade-off is that doxy.me is standalone — it doesn’t connect to scheduling, notes, or billing. You’ll manage those pieces separately. Some therapists also report occasional video quality issues, though the consensus from user reviews is that the free plan holds up for standard individual sessions.

Pros

• Free HIPAA-compliant option — BAA included at every tier
• Browser-based, no download or account creation required for clients
• Permanent room URL — share once, use for all sessions
• Waiting room shows client check-in status
• Simple, low-friction interface

Cons

• Completely standalone — no EHR, scheduling, or billing integration
• Screen sharing requires the Pro plan ($35/month)
• Some users report occasional video quality and connection issues
• Free plan is standard definition video only

Pricing

Free tier available with core features and HIPAA BAA. Pro plan is $35/month (or $29/month billed annually) with HD video, screen sharing, payment collection, and file sharing.

Best for

Solo therapists who want a free or low-cost standalone telehealth solution without committing to a full EHR with built-in video. Also a good option for therapists just starting telehealth who want to test the format before investing in a paid platform.

4. Jane

Jane is a multi-discipline practice management platform built in Canada, and its telehealth is built directly into the platform. The video quality is solid, and it now supports group sessions with screen sharing and waiting rooms — making it a stronger option for clinics running group programming or multi-provider telehealth workflows.

Jane tends to be particularly popular with wellness practices, private-pay therapists, and multidisciplinary clinics where the broader customization capabilities justify the slightly higher learning curve. Its client-facing experience is clean and professional.

For US-based therapists billing insurance, the main consideration is that Jane requires a third-party clearinghouse for insurance claims. The telehealth itself is solid, but it’s part of a broader platform decision rather than a standalone consideration.

Pros

• Built into the Jane EHR — connects to scheduling and documentation
• Strong group session support with screen sharing and waiting rooms
• Good client-facing experience
• HIPAA-compliant with BAA
• Particularly well-suited to multi-discipline clinics and private-pay practices

Cons

• Insurance billing requires a third-party clearinghouse add-on
• No free trial — harder to evaluate before committing
• Steeper learning curve than SimplePractice for new users

Pricing

Jane’s Practice plan is approximately $79/month for a solo practitioner. Telehealth is included in the platform.

Run a multidisciplinary or private-pay practice?

Jane combines practice management and telehealth with flexible workflows designed for different types of healthcare and wellness practices.

Explore Jane

5. Sessions Health

Sessions Health is one of the most affordable EHR options for solo therapists, and its built-in telehealth follows the same value-forward approach. The base platform is $39/month; telehealth is an additional $10/month add-on, bringing the total to $49/month for a fully functional scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth setup.

For what you pay, Sessions Health delivers solid core functionality: browser-based client access, waiting room, HIPAA compliance and BAA, and integration with the rest of the EHR. It’s not the most feature-rich option on this list, and it has fewer third-party integrations than SimplePractice or TherapyNotes. But for a solo therapist who wants a clean, affordable all-in-one platform without paying EHR-plus-telehealth for separate tools, it’s hard to argue with the total cost.

Sessions Health has also been notably stable on pricing in a space where annual increases have become routine. That’s worth factoring in if you’re trying to budget predictably.

Pros

• Very affordable all-in — $49/month for EHR plus telehealth
• Built into the platform — connects to scheduling and documentation
• Browser-based for clients, no download required
• HIPAA-compliant with BAA
• Consistently stable pricing

Cons

• Telehealth is an add-on, not included in the base plan
• Fewer integrations and advanced features than larger platforms
• Smaller user base means fewer community resources and peer reviews to draw from

Pricing

$39/month base plan + $10/month telehealth add-on = $49/month total.

Best for

Budget-conscious solo therapists who want an integrated EHR and telehealth platform without paying SimplePractice or TherapyNotes prices.

6. Zoom for Healthcare

Zoom is the platform most people think of first when they think of video calls — which is exactly why it’s worth being careful here. A lot of therapists use Zoom for telehealth, and a meaningful number of them are doing it wrong.

The Version Problem: Regular Zoom vs. Zoom for Healthcare

Standard Zoom — including the free plan and standard Pro accounts — is not HIPAA compliant and cannot be used for therapy sessions. This includes Zoom Free, Zoom Pro, and standard Zoom Business accounts without a signed BAA.

To use Zoom compliantly for telehealth, you need a Zoom Workplace account (formerly called Zoom for Healthcare) with a signed Business Associate Agreement. Zoom offers BAAs on its Pro, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise plans — but the BAA must be actively signed through the account management portal. Simply paying for a Zoom plan does not automatically make you HIPAA compliant.

In addition to the BAA, HIPAA compliance with Zoom requires proper configuration: waiting rooms enabled by default, meeting passwords required, “join before host” disabled, recordings disabled or stored in a HIPAA-compliant location, and live streaming to external platforms disabled. The signed BAA is the legal foundation. The configuration is what makes your actual usage compliant.

Pros

• Clients already know how to use it — minimal friction for tech-comfortable users
• Reliable video quality and strong uptime track record
• Waiting rooms, screen sharing, breakout rooms, and recording supported
• Works across essentially all devices and operating systems

Cons

• HIPAA compliance requires the correct plan AND a signed BAA AND proper settings — easy to get wrong
• No EHR integration for most therapy platforms — scheduling, notes, and billing are entirely separate
• Adds workflow complexity compared to an integrated solution
• Clients may need to download the Zoom app depending on device and browser

Pricing

Zoom Pro starts at approximately $15.99/month per user. BAA eligibility is available on Pro and above when signed through the account portal. Verify current plan pricing and BAA availability directly with Zoom, as this changes.

Best for

Therapists who already have a properly configured Zoom account with a signed BAA and don’t want to transition to a new platform. Not recommended as a first choice for therapists setting up telehealth from scratch, given the compliance configuration required and the lack of EHR integration.

7. Google Meet (via Google Workspace)

Google Meet is genuinely underused by therapists who are already paying for Google Workspace — because if you’re on a paid Workspace plan and have signed the BAA, Google Meet is already HIPAA-compliant and included at no additional cost.

But this is one of the most misunderstood situations in therapist telehealth, and it’s worth being direct: free Google Meet — accessed through a personal Gmail account — is not HIPAA compliant and cannot be used for therapy sessions.

When Google Meet Is HIPAA Compliant

Google Meet is HIPAA compliant only when all three of the following are true:

• You are on a paid Google Workspace plan (Business Starter and above — any paid tier qualifies)
• You have signed Google’s Business Associate Addendum through the Google Admin Console
• Your Workspace environment is properly configured (access controls, restricted sharing, appropriate meeting link management)

Signing the BAA is done through the Admin Console under Account Settings — Legal and Compliance. It is not automatic when you purchase a Workspace plan. You have to actively find it and accept it. Many Workspace users who think they’re covered haven’t completed this step.

Google Workspace Business Starter starts at approximately $7/month per user — which makes it one of the most affordable HIPAA-compliant telehealth options available if you’re already using Google tools for email, calendar, and documents.

Pros

• Included in Google Workspace at no additional telehealth cost
• Browser-based, clients can join without an account or download
• HIPAA-compliant on paid Workspace plans with signed BAA
• Google Workspace plans start at approximately $7/month

Cons

• Free Google accounts are not eligible for a BAA — cannot be used for PHI
• No EHR integration, waiting room features are basic
• Not designed for healthcare — lacks therapy-specific features
• Configuration requirements are easy to miss, creating compliance risk

Pricing

Google Workspace Business Starter starts at approximately $7/month per user. Google Meet is included at every Workspace tier.

Already using Gmail and Google Calendar for your practice?

You may not need another standalone telehealth subscription. Google Workspace includes Google Meet, along with professional email, Calendar, Drive, and other practice tools.

Explore Google Workspace for Your Practice

8. Microsoft Teams (Healthcare)

Microsoft Teams for Healthcare is a capable platform, but it’s not designed for the solo or small group therapy practice. It’s designed for organizations — group practices, agencies, hospitals, and community mental health centers — where staff coordination, multi-department communication, and EHR integrations (particularly with Epic) are part of the workflow.

Microsoft signs a BAA for Teams under Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise plans, and Teams supports waiting rooms, breakout rooms, screen sharing, and secure messaging. For a larger organization that’s already using Microsoft 365 across the practice, Teams can serve as a functional telehealth solution without adding another platform.

For a solo therapist in private practice, it’s significantly more than you need and adds complexity without much benefit over purpose-built therapy platforms.

Pros

• HIPAA-compliant with signed BAA on Business and Enterprise M365 plans
• Waiting rooms, breakout rooms, screen sharing, and secure messaging included
• Strong fit for multi-provider or multi-department coordination
• Familiar interface for organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365
• Reliable video quality backed by enterprise-grade infrastructure

Cons

• No native integration with the therapy-specific EHRs most solo practices use (SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane)
• Epic integration exists but is limited and geared toward larger health systems, not private practices
• Requires a broader Microsoft 365 rollout — not something you’d set up just for telehealth
• Significant overkill for a solo or small-group practice; adds administrative complexity without a corresponding benefit
• Client-facing experience isn’t built with therapy sessions specifically in mind (no therapy-specific waiting room check-in, intake flow, etc.)

Pricing
Microsoft 365 Business plans with BAA eligibility run approximately $6–$22/month per user, depending on tier. Teams is included at no additional cost within those plans. Verify current BAA eligibility and plan tiers directly with Microsoft, as licensing structures change.

Best for
Group practices, agencies, and health systems already on Microsoft 365 that need integrated communication across staff and departments — not a fit for solo or small private-pay practices.

Other Standalone Video Options Worth Knowing About

The eight platforms above cover the vast majority of therapists. A few additional standalone tools are worth a quick mention if you have a specific setup that calls for them — though none are typically the first choice for a solo or small-group practice.

VSee is built specifically around telemedicine workflows, with clinical-adjacent features like structured intake and provider queues layered on top of standard video. It’s a reasonable fit if you want more clinical-workflow structure than a general-purpose video tool offers, but it has less brand recognition than Zoom or doxy.me, which can add a small learning curve for clients. A BAA is available with a signed agreement.

RingCentral Video is worth considering only if your practice already uses RingCentral as a business phone system — in that case, keeping video on the same platform avoids adding another vendor. Outside of that specific situation, it doesn’t offer enough therapy-specific advantage over doxy.me or Zoom to justify adopting it. A BAA is available on qualifying plans.

Cisco Webex leans enterprise — it’s more common in hospitals and larger behavioral health organizations with dedicated IT support than in solo or small-group practices. Its security controls are strong, but the setup complexity isn’t worth it unless you’re already operating at that scale. A BAA is available on qualifying plans.

Confirm current plan tiers, pricing, and BAA eligibility directly with each vendor before enrolling — these details change more often than the underlying HIPAA requirements do.

HIPAA Questions That Come Up the Most

Can I Use Regular Zoom for Therapy?

No. Standard Zoom accounts — including Free, Pro, and Business plans without a signed BAA — are not HIPAA compliant. Using any of these to conduct therapy sessions or transmit client information is a HIPAA violation.

To use Zoom compliantly, you need: a paid Zoom Workplace plan, a BAA signed through your account portal, and proper security settings configured. All three, not just one or two. If you’re currently using regular Zoom and haven’t completed all three steps, it’s worth addressing that before your next session.

Is Google Meet HIPAA Compliant?

Yes — but only under specific conditions that many therapists don’t have in place. Free Google accounts and personal Gmail cannot be used with PHI under any circumstances. Google Meet is HIPAA compliant only when you’re on a paid Google Workspace plan, you’ve signed the Business Associate Addendum through the Admin Console, and your Workspace environment is properly configured.

If you’re on Google Workspace and haven’t specifically gone into the Admin Console to find and sign the BAA, you haven’t completed the process. The BAA is not automatic.

What Is a BAA and Why Does It Matter?

A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a legal contract between a healthcare provider and a vendor that handles protected health information (PHI) on the provider’s behalf. Under HIPAA, you are required to have a signed BAA with any vendor whose platform you use to transmit or store PHI — including your telehealth platform, your EHR, and your email service if PHI passes through it.

The BAA documents the vendor’s responsibility to safeguard PHI and establishes their liability if a breach occurs. A platform that won’t sign a BAA cannot be used for clinical telehealth. A platform that will sign one but hasn’t had the BAA completed with you is also not compliant.

Free vs. Paid Telehealth Platforms

Free Options

doxy.me’s free tier is the most significant free option in this space, and it’s genuinely functional for solo practices doing standard individual sessions. It includes HIPAA compliance, a waiting room, and browser-based client access. The limitations are standard definition video and no screen sharing unless you upgrade.

Google Meet via Google Workspace can also function as a no-additional-cost telehealth tool if you’re already paying for Workspace — but it requires the BAA setup and configuration steps described above.

Paid Integrated Options

If you’re paying for an EHR anyway — which most insurance-billing therapists are — the question becomes whether the telehealth is included in what you’re already paying. SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane, and Sessions Health all include telehealth within the platform rather than requiring a separate subscription.

The value of integrated telehealth isn’t just the convenience of having fewer logins. It’s the time you save when your session link, reminder, note, and billing all connect automatically instead of living in separate systems.

Can You Build a Custom Telehealth Setup on Top of Your EHR?

Short answer: for most solo therapists, no — and that’s not a knock on your EHR, it’s just how these platforms are built.

If you’re picturing something custom — your own booking flow, your own client experience, wired into your EHR’s data — the honest answer is that almost none of the major therapy EHRs expose the kind of open API access that would let you do this yourself.

SimplePractice and TherapyNotes are both closed systems. Neither offers a public developer API or webhooks for individual practices. There’s no door for a solo therapist to build against, officially or otherwise. (SimplePractice does have an API, but it’s gated to enterprise health-plan partnerships — not something an individual practice can request credentials for.)

Jane is the exception in progress, not in practice yet. Jane has been building an approval-based developer platform with OAuth authentication, but it’s a partner program — you’d be applying to build an integration Jane approves and lists, not wiring up your own private tool in an afternoon.

Zoom is the realistic path if “custom” is really what you want. Zoom’s Video SDK is the standard building block developers use to embed video into their own healthcare apps, and it can be configured for HIPAA use with its own signed BAA. But “realistic” doesn’t mean “easy” — this is a development project, not a settings toggle, and most solo practices don’t have the engineering time or budget to justify it for what a $69/month integrated platform already does out of the box.

The practical takeaway: if you’re asking this question because a specific EHR feels too rigid, the better first move is usually switching to a platform whose built-in telehealth already does what you need — not building a custom layer on top of one that doesn’t.

Digital Check-In for Telehealth Sessions: What It Actually Means for Therapists

If you’ve seen the term “digital check-in platform” and pictured a kiosk in a waiting room — that’s a physical-therapy or medical-clinic concept, and it doesn’t really apply to a therapy practice running sessions remotely.

For telehealth, digital check-in means something simpler: your client completes intake paperwork, consent forms, and insurance information before the session, and you get a real-time signal when they’ve arrived in the virtual waiting room — so you’re not guessing whether they’re logged in and ready.

How this actually works across the platforms in this guide:

• SimplePractice and TherapyNotes handle this through their client portal. Intake forms and consents go out ahead of the appointment, and the therapist gets a notification when the client has entered the waiting room.
• Jane works the same way — front desk or the therapist gets flagged the moment a client has arrived, even in a fully virtual setup.
• doxy.me does this on the Pro plan specifically: real-time check-in alerts are part of what you’re paying the $35/month for, and it’s one of the clearer reasons to upgrade past the free tier if you’re relying on doxy.me as your only system.

Why this matters more than it sounds like it should: a client who’s still filling out a consent form when their session starts is a client who shows up flustered, and a therapist who doesn’t know a client is waiting is a therapist checking their inbox mid-transition instead of starting on time. The fix isn’t hardware — it’s making sure whichever platform you’re on has this turned on and the intake forms actually sent ahead of time, not just available if the client remembers to look for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommendations by Practice Type

Practice Type	Recommended Platform	Why
Best Overall	SimplePractice	Fully integrated, reliable, best client experience for most solo practices
Best for Insurance Billing	TherapyNotes	Telehealth and billing workflow connect seamlessly; strong AR management
Best Free Option	doxy.me	Genuinely functional free tier with HIPAA BAA included
Best Budget All-in-One	Sessions Health	$49/month for integrated EHR + telehealth is hard to beat
Best for Multi-Discipline	Jane	Group session support, customizable workflows, strong for non-insurance practices
Existing Zoom Users	Zoom Workplace + BAA	Only if BAA is signed and settings are configured — don’t assume you’re covered
Already on Google Workspace	Google Meet	Cost-effective if BAA is signed through Admin Console and settings configured
Group Practices / Agencies	Microsoft Teams Healthcare	Best for larger orgs already on Microsoft 365

Still deciding on an EHR?

If you’re looking for an all-in-one system that handles both telehealth and practice management, take a closer look at SimplePractice.

The right platform depends on your practice setup, your EHR, and how much administrative complexity you’re willing to manage. For most solo therapists in the US, starting with SimplePractice or TherapyNotes (if you’re already using one) or doxy.me (if you want a free standalone option) covers the vast majority of use cases without overcomplicating the setup.

Always verify current pricing, features, and BAA availability directly with each vendor before purchasing. HIPAA compliance requires an active BAA and proper configuration — not just the right plan.