Behavioral & mental health EHR: major products and players

The market for mental health EHR software has been notoriously difficult to model by virtue of the fact it exists in two distinct worlds.

1. On one side are established general practice EHR vendors whose products have been modified to fit the mental health market.
2. On the other, a developing core of vendors provides EHRs specifically designed for mental and behavioral health care practices.

Given its duality, this market’s future depends largely on how mental health EHR point solutions can stack up against the more established generalized EHR products. 

Below, we review some of the top behavioral health EHR systems, focusing on specialized needs, feature integration, and cost, to help practitioners, from solo therapists to growing group practices, make an informed decision.

In a nutshell/Quick jump to:

1. SimplePractice: The benchmark for ease of use
2. TherapyNotes: Commendable standardized workflows
3. Carepatron: Competitive value with a feature-rich free tier
5. Valant: Enterprise-grade workflows and outcome measurement
6. Ensora Mental Health (formerly TheraNest): Advanced customization and treatment planning

The market shift: Why general EHRs fail behavioral health

The behavioral health sector is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Market projections demonstrate this rapid acceleration: the behavioral health EHR software sector is expected to grow from $3.56 billion in 2024 to an impressive $14.22 billion by 2034, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.85%.

North America currently dominates this market, holding approximately 45% of the revenue share in 2024, driven by the rapid expansion of telehealth and remote care.

Specialization is now mandatory, not optional.

General medical EHRs often fail to address the specific needs of therapists and psychologists. Behavioral health requires specialized clinical documentation, unique billing codes (e.g., for different types of psychotherapy or group sessions), and a heightened focus on privacy compliance regarding sensitive mental health data, which specialized systems are built to handle.

Selecting a specialized platform ensures that the system works efficiently with existing therapy workflows, rather than forcing the practitioner to conform to workflows designed for physical health settings.

SimplePractice: The benchmark for ease of use

SimplePractice specializes in automating routine administrative tasks. The system handles client intake forms, e-signatures, automated appointment reminders, and streamlines basic insurance claim submissions.

This comprehensive automation addresses the largest drain on a solo practitioner's time (the non-clinical administrative overhead), allowing the therapist to devote more hours to client care.

SimplePractice consistently receives acclaim from solo therapist practices, primarily because of its intuitive, user-friendly interface that requires minimal training. It functions as a highly effective, ready-to-use "plug-and-play" solution.

Find the right software for your practice with our behavioral health EHR buyers' guide

TherapyNotes: Commendable standardized workflows

TherapyNotes' highly streamlined, predictable experience makes it an excellent EHR for psychologists and counselors who value standardization and clarity. The system utilizes straightforward workflows that simplify daily operations and documentation

Like ClinicSource, it employs a simple, transparent, per-clinician pricing model, making future scaling predictable. This transparent model is valuable for practitioners planning modest, predictable growth without worrying about steep, unexpected jumps in subscription fees.

The platform also provides a comprehensive library of forms and documentation systems, ensuring high standards for note-taking compliance.

Carepatron: Competitive value with a feature-rich free tier

Carepatron offers one of the most cost-effective entry points in the behavioral health EHR market, positioning itself as one of the cheapest EHRs for therapists starting out.

Carepatron provides a feature-rich $0 Free Plan, which includes core necessities such as telehealth, secure messaging, documentation, billing, and basic scheduling tools in addition to its AI medical scribe.

Crucially, all plans offered by Carepatron allow for unlimited clients, ensuring that costs only scale when the practice adds providers or premium features.

ICANotes: A clinically robust documentation system 

Purpose-built as the "most clinically robust Behavioral Health EHR,"  ICANotes is a strong choice for high-volume documentation professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists.

The system is designed to accelerate compliant note-taking through an intuitive, chart-centric workflow.

A key differentiator for ICANotes is its comprehensive support commitment. Every customer receives unlimited one-on-one web-based training sessions and has 24x7 priority access to certified support experts via live chat, phone, or email at no additional charge.

This intensive training and support structure is critical for practitioners navigating the learning curve associated with a deeply integrated, highly specialized clinical system.

Valant: Enterprise-grade workflows and outcome measurement

Valant is built for behavioral-health practices that plan to grow or that already run complex programs (outpatient, IOP/PHP).

Its scalable clinical workflows, measurable outcomes, and practice-level reporting make it a strong fit for psychiatry clinics, multi-provider practices, and program-based care. The platform’s AI notes assist, structured clinical documentation, and integrated outcome measures are designed to reduce documentation time while keeping notes reportable and audit-ready.

There's also a dedicated behavioral-health support team and ongoing product resources (webinars, case studies, release notes) to help practices adopt templates, reporting, and compliance practices.

For clinics that need reporting, outcome tracking, and managed growth, Valant’s combination of documentation aids and program-level tools is a compelling option.

Ensora Mental Health (formerly TheraNest): Advanced customization and treatment planning

Ensora Mental Health is recognized for offering greater customization and advanced reporting capabilities when compared to competing streamlined solutions.

Ensora is positioned as a more capable practice management system because it allows therapists and staff to be added at no additional cost. Its ability to integrate with the highly recognized Wiley Treatment and progress note planners provides users with streamlined workflows for developing clinically sophisticated treatment documentation.

Strategic evaluation and vendor vetting

Practitioners must determine if they plan to add group services, integrate e-prescribing, or expand into integrated medical care. A system that cannot scale or integrate future features will require a costly and disruptive migration later.

Prospective users must utilize free trials and vendor demos to test the responsiveness and quality of the support team. The stability and availability of support directly correlate to practice revenue; a substandard service department, even within a feature-rich platform, can entirely halt operations.

Future-proofing your practice: AI and interoperability

Practitioners should look for systems that actively incorporate AI tools for administrative relief, such as automated clinical transcription, coding suggestions, and streamlined billing, maximizing efficiency and minimizing time spent on non-clinical tasks.