The honest take
Mentalyc and Upheal are the two strongest AI documentation platforms built specifically for therapists. After in-depth research across their note format support, EHR integrations, compliance documentation, and real user reports — the verdict is not that one is categorically better. They solve different problems.
Mentalyc is a documentation specialist. It does one thing: generate accurate, format-correct clinical notes across more therapy modalities and note formats than any competitor. If your caseload requires SOAP for one insurance panel, DAP for supervision, and BIRP for trauma-focused clients — all in the same week — Mentalyc handles it without friction. The Alliance Genie therapeutic alliance scoring is a genuine clinical feature, not a marketing gimmick. The EHR integrations with SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Jane App push notes into existing records in seconds.
Upheal is a practice platform that includes AI documentation. Its core differentiator is consolidation: telehealth video calling, scheduling, client intake, payment processing, superbills, and AI notes in one subscription. The free tier is unlimited with no time cap — a solo therapist building a practice can use Upheal for months before spending a dollar. The $1/session pricing model is the most honest in the category for practitioners who see variable monthly volumes.
The trade-off is direct: Mentalyc gives you deeper documentation in exchange for needing a separate telehealth and scheduling stack. Upheal gives you a complete practice platform in exchange for less note format variety.
Neither tool is a universal winner. The right choice depends on your session volume, your existing tools, and which clinical features you actually use.
Side-by-side specs
 Mentalyc |  Upheal | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $19.99 / mo (tiered) | From $1 / mo (usage-based) |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 14-day trial | 30-day trial |
| HIPAA compliant | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | Yes | Yes |
| FERPA compliant | — | — |
| Trains on data | No | No |
| Pricing model | tiered | usage based |
| Integrations | SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane App | Google Calendar, Zoom, Stripe |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
When to pick Mentalyc
Pick Mentalyc when…
- Your caseload spans multiple note formats (SOAP for one insurer, DAP for supervision, BIRP for trauma)
- You run group, couples, family, or child therapy sessions regularly
- You want Alliance Genie therapeutic alliance scoring without adding questionnaires
- You already have an EHR and want documentation automation layered on top
- You see 35+ sessions per month and want a note cap that fits a full caseload
The scenario where Mentalyc wins most clearly is a solo therapist with a diverse caseload: individual adult sessions in SOAP for one insurer, couples sessions in DAP, and a supervisee caseload generating supervision notes weekly. Upheal handles the individual sessions competently but the specialty modality coverage — couples, supervisee, EMDR, play therapy — is narrower. Mentalyc handles all of them as first-class note types.
The Alliance Genie feature is the other scenario-specific differentiator. If you want session-level therapeutic alliance data across your caseload — a consistent signal for catching relationship deterioration before rupture — Mentalyc is the only tool in the category that provides it. Upheal's Golden Thread tracks goal progress longitudinally but does not surface a session-by-session relationship quality score.
For practices using SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or Jane App, the native integrations are meaningfully smoother in Mentalyc. Notes push into the EHR automatically; the workflow gap Upheal has here is real.
When to pick Upheal
Pick Upheal when…
- You see fewer than 69 sessions per month and want to pay only for what you use
- You want telehealth, scheduling, notes, and billing without paying for multiple tools
- You are starting a new practice and want a no-cost entry point with real clinical functionality
- You are migrating from SimplePractice or TherapyNotes and want migration tooling included
- You want a permanent free tier to evaluate the tool on real sessions before spending anything
The scenario where Upheal wins most clearly is a therapist starting a private practice who needs a working clinical stack immediately and cannot justify $70/month before building a caseload. The free tier is unlimited: unlimited notes, unlimited telehealth sessions, a client portal, and basic scheduling — no credit card, no time limit. A therapist can open a practice, see their first clients, and generate compliant notes without spending anything.
For established solo therapists seeing a standard adult individual caseload, the $1/session model is materially cheaper than Mentalyc below 40 sessions per month. At 35 sessions, Upheal costs $35 — less than Mentalyc's Basic plan ($39.99/month, 100 notes) and substantially less than the Pro plan ($69.99/month, 160 notes). The savings compound over a year.
Consolidation is the third scenario. A therapist currently paying for Zoom ($16/month), a separate scheduling tool ($20–$40/month), and a documentation add-on is spending $100–$120/month on three tools. Upheal's paid plan at $69/month cap replaces all three under a single subscription with native integration between them.
Alternatives
If neither fits, Heidi Health is worth evaluating — it offers a permanent free tier with high transcript accuracy and is particularly strong for therapists who prioritise verbatim session records over structured note format output.
For deeper profiles on each tool, read the Mentalyc review and the Upheal review. For the full category guide covering all tested AI scribes with compliance guidance and a buyer's checklist, see our best AI tools for therapists page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Is Mentalyc or Upheal better for HIPAA compliance?
- Both are HIPAA compliant with signed BAAs available on all plans. Mentalyc is additionally SOC 2 Type II and PHIPA certified. Upheal is SOC 2, GDPR, and PHIPA certified. Both process and immediately delete session audio after note generation — neither stores recordings. For compliance purposes, they are effectively equivalent; Mentalyc's SOC 2 Type II certification is marginally stronger than Upheal's SOC 2 certification but both pass a standard BAA review.
- Which is cheaper for a solo therapist seeing 30 sessions per month?
- Upheal at $1/session comes to $30/month for 30 sessions. Mentalyc's cheapest plan covering 30 sessions is the Basic plan at $39.99/month (100 notes). Upheal wins on price at this volume. The crossover point is around 20 sessions per month — below that, Mentalyc's Mini plan ($19.99/month, 40 notes) is cheaper than Upheal's $1/session model.
- Can I use both tools on a free trial before deciding?
- Yes. Mentalyc offers a 14-day free trial with full Pro plan access (160 note credits) and no credit card required. Upheal has a permanent free tier with unlimited notes and HIPAA-compliant telehealth — no trial period needed, no time limit. You can use Upheal's free tier indefinitely to evaluate the note quality before committing to the paid plan.
- Which tool integrates with SimplePractice?
- Mentalyc has a native SimplePractice integration that pushes completed notes directly into client records. Upheal supports migration from SimplePractice (importing existing records) but does not have a live native integration that pushes notes into SimplePractice on an ongoing basis. If your workflow depends on notes flowing automatically into SimplePractice, Mentalyc is the better choice.
- Does either tool work for group therapy sessions?
- Mentalyc supports group therapy note generation on the Super plan ($119.99/month) and higher — it is a tier-gated feature. Upheal supports group sessions with its AI notes across paid plans. If group therapy is a regular part of your caseload, factor in Mentalyc's Super plan pricing rather than the base Pro plan when comparing costs.