Who this comparison is for
Upheal, Mentalyc and SimplePractice Note Taker are capable products that many clinicians use every day. This article is for the reader who has used one, or read their terms, and wants to know how a different arrangement would differ. It is not an argument that the others are unsafe.
Prices checked on 2026-10-16 from each vendor's own pages, listed under sources. Prices and terms change, so check the vendor's page before you decide. Figures are in US dollars.
What the three tools have in common
All three process the session on the vendor's systems. You record or dictate, it is transcribed there, and a draft note is returned for you to edit and sign. Each says recordings are deleted once the transcript or note exists. What differs is what happens to the transcript, how much you can generate, and what you pay.
Price and limits as published
| Upheal | Mentalyc | SimplePractice Note Taker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | Free plan; AI Notes $39 a month; EHR plan $1 per session; EHR Pro $99 a month | Solo plans $19.99 to $119.99 a month, or $14.99 to $99.99 a month billed annually, by tier | $35 a month add-on (shown discounted to $17.50 a month on 2026-10-16) |
| Monthly note limit | Listed as unlimited on all plans; the free plan is limited to text-to-note, dictation and uploads | Solo tiers: 40, 100, 160 or 330 notes. Team plan: unlimited, subject to fair usage | Not stated on the pages checked |
| Requires | Nothing else | Nothing else | A SimplePractice plan; solo plans list at $49, $79 and $99 a month |
| Trial or refund | Free trial (length not stated); 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans | 14 days of Pro access with 15 notes, no card required | Free for 30 days |
| Business associate agreement | Not stated on the pricing page | Consent forms and BAA listed on every plan | Not confirmed on the pages checked; ask SimplePractice |
The entry price is not always the usable price. A therapist seeing 25 clients a week can exceed a 40-note tier within the first weeks of a month. SimplePractice's add-on is only an option if you already pay for its platform. Mentalyc's page says that after a subscription ends, past records are no longer accessible, so export what you need.
What each keeps
Retention is where the tools differ most, and the settings are worth reading rather than assuming.
- Upheal says recordings are deleted by default after notes are generated, though you can choose to save them. Its page says you can opt out of de-identified data being used for AI model training.
- Mentalyc says audio is deleted once a note is ready and that notes or transcripts can be deleted at any time. Automatic transcript deletion and an opt-out from data use for product enhancements are listed only for its Super and Team plans. Its privacy policy says user-generated data, including transcripts, is collected to provide and improve the service.
- SimplePractice Note Taker deletes the recording once the transcript is created and keeps the full transcript for up to 7 days or until the note is signed and locked. From 17 June 2026 it may retain a de-identified, de-coupled transcript to improve its AI tools. Clinicians who enabled Note Taker before that date are opted out by default; those who enable it on or after it are opted in by default and can opt out at clinician, client or session level.
None of this means the tools are careless. It means the answer to "who holds my client's words afterward?" depends on a setting and a plan.
What changes with an offline app
Astralcyte Notes runs on your own computer. The recording, the transcript and the draft note are produced there, with no online service involved in the session. The temporary audio is destroyed once the transcript is saved. The transcript and notes are stored in an encrypted vault on that machine.
That changes three things:
- There is no vendor copy of the transcript to configure, opt out of, or be asked for. Your own device and backups are the places to protect.
- Pricing is per device and has no note limit: $20 CAD or $15 USD a month, or a one-device perpetual licence at $600 CAD or $435 USD that includes updates published in its first year.
- Normal sessions work without an internet connection once the models are installed. Network access is limited to licence activation and an occasional licence-status check.
What you give up
Be clear about this before switching.
- No EHR integration. You copy the approved note into your record yourself.
- No billing, scheduling, treatment-plan or outcome-tracking features. Astralcyte drafts notes.
- It needs a reasonably capable computer. Live text on screen is best effort and may lag on modest hardware.
- No signed vendor paperwork covering the session, because no vendor receives it. This does not replace your regulator's rules on consent, retention and record-keeping. Astralcyte Notes is built to be used under Canadian privacy law and college AI guidance: session content stays on your computer, consent is prompted, and every draft waits for your review. See Can I use this in my practice? for your province and profession.
- Drafts need review. This is true of every tool here.
Who is a good fit
An offline app suits a clinician who writes notes alone, wants no third party in the session, or sees enough clients that a note cap matters. A cloud tool suits a clinician who values EHR integration, treatment plans or built-in practice management, or who cannot run local models on their computer.
Testing it without committing
Start with dictation. After a session, speak a summary of what you want in the record, let the app draft the note in your format, and see how much you edit. That tests the drafting without recording any client conversation. If the edits are small, consider recording a session with the client's consent. The trial lasts seven days and asks for a card up front; cancelling during it prevents the first charge.