What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for telehealth platforms (therapists) on 2026-10-19

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-19

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best telehealth platforms for therapists

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. All-in-one mentioned
   All-in-one (EHR + telehealth in one bill)
2. SimplePractice recommended
   SimplePractice - the default recommendation for solo therapists.
3. TherapyNotes mentioned
   TherapyNotes - pick this over SimplePractice if documentation and insurance billing are your pain points;
4. TheraPlatform mentioned
   TheraPlatform - worth a look if you do OT/SLP/PT or play-based work.
5. OT mentioned
   TheraPlatform - worth a look if you do OT/SLP/PT or play-based work.
6. Video-only mentioned
   Video-only (you already have an EHR, or you're cash-pay)
7. Zoom mentioned
   Zoom for Healthcare - more expensive and more setup, but clients already know how to use it and the connection quality is the most reliable of the bunch.
8. Google mentioned
   Google Workspace + Meet - cheapest HIPAA-eligible route at about $6/user/mo if you want email, docs, and video from one vendor under one BAA.
9. Google Workspace mentioned
   Google Workspace + Meet - cheapest HIPAA-eligible route at about $6/user/mo if you want email, docs, and video from one vendor under one BAA.
10. Google Workspace + Meet mentioned
    Google Workspace + Meet - cheapest HIPAA-eligible route at about $6/user/mo if you want email, docs, and video from one vendor under one BAA.
11. Alma mentioned
    Alma (and Headway, same category) is a different animal - it's a membership that handles insurance credentialing, contracted rates, and referrals, with a free bundled EHR (treatment planner, PHQ-9/GAD-7, AI progress notes, risk alerts, intake forms).
12. Headway mentioned
    Alma (and Headway, same category) is a different animal - it's a membership that handles insurance credentialing, contracted rates, and referrals, with a free bundled EHR (treatment planner, PHQ-9/GAD-7, AI progress notes, risk alerts, intake forms).
13. Mentalyc compared
    - SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes (2026) - Mentalyc (https://www.mentalyc.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-therapynotes)
14. Pabau compared
    - SimplePractice vs Alma - Pabau (https://pabau.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-alma/)

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

Here's how I'd actually rank these, depending on what you need. ## All-in-one (EHR + telehealth in one bill) **1. SimplePractice** - the default recommendation for solo therapists. Telehealth is included on every plan with no session-length or session-count limits, plus intake forms, scheduling, client portal, billing, superbills, and note templates. Starter $49/provider/mo, Essential $79, Plus $99. Best choice if you want one tool and don't want to think about it. ([pricing](https://www.costbench.com/software/telehealth/simplepractice/)) **2. TherapyNotes** - pick this over SimplePractice if documentation and insurance billing are your pain points; it's built specifically for behavioral health and clinicians consistently rate its notes and claims workflow higher. Solo plan $69/mo with basic telehealth (SD video, 2 participants, waiting room, chat) included free. Group work or HD/screen share needs Premium Telehealth at +$15/clinician/mo. ([comparison](https://www.mentalyc.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-therapynotes)) **3. TheraPlatform** - worth a look if you do OT/SLP/PT or play-based work. It has the strongest in-session toolkit of the group: whiteboard, screen share, interactive therapy apps, plus AI notes, e-claims, and a client portal. More niche but genuinely better for interactive sessions. ([details](https://www.theraplatform.com/blog/534/best-teletherapy-platforms)) ## Video-only (you already have an EHR, or you're cash-pay) **4. doxy.me** - simplest thing that works. Browser-based, no downloads or accounts for clients, you just send a link. Free tier plus paid from ~$35/mo and a Clinic plan around $50/mo with custom BAA. One flag: sources disagree on whether the *free* tier carries a signed BAA - verify that in writing with doxy.me before using free for patient care. ([pricing](https://www.capterra.com/p/158461/Doxy-me/pricing/)) **5. Zoom for Healthcare** - more expensive and more setup, but clients already know how to use it and the connection quality is the most reliable of the bunch. Important: standard Zoom has no BAA and is not usable for sessions - you need the separate Healthcare product. ([comparison](https://heyberries.com/blog/articles/teletherapy-platforms-for-therapists)) **6. Google Workspace + Meet** - cheapest HIPAA-eligible route at about $6/user/mo if you want email, docs, and video from one vendor under one BAA. Thinnest on clinical features; you must sign Google's BAA and enable it correctly, since Meet is not compliant by default. ## Platforms that also send you clients **Alma** (and **Headway**, same category) is a different animal - it's a membership that handles insurance credentialing, contracted rates, and referrals, with a free bundled EHR (treatment planner, PHQ-9/GAD-7, AI progress notes, risk alerts, intake forms). Choose this if getting on insurance panels and filling your caseload matters more than owning your software stack. Many therapists run Alma for insurance and keep SimplePractice or TherapyNotes as their real chart. ([comparison](https://pabau.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-alma/)) **The one thing to check on any of these:** a signed BAA, access controls, and audit logging. "Encrypted video" alone isn't HIPAA compliance - the BAA is the part where the vendor accepts liability for a breach. Also worth noting: licensure, not software, is usually the real constraint on telehealth. You must generally be licensed where the *client* is sitting, so check PSYPACT or your state board before you build a practice around any of these. Sources: - [Best Teletherapy Platforms - TheraPlatform](https://www.theraplatform.com/blog/534/best-teletherapy-platforms) - [SimplePractice vs TherapyNotes (2026) - Mentalyc](https://www.mentalyc.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-therapynotes) - [SimplePractice Plans & Pricing - Costbench](https://www.costbench.com/software/telehealth/simplepractice/) - [Doxy.me Pricing - Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/158461/Doxy-me/pricing/) - [Teletherapy Platforms for Therapists - Hey Berries](https://heyberries.com/blog/articles/teletherapy-platforms-for-therapists) - [SimplePractice vs Alma - Pabau](https://pabau.com/blog/simplepractice-vs-alma/) - [HIPAA-Compliant Telehealth Platforms - Mentalyc](https://www.mentalyc.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-telehealth-platforms)

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-18, 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-11, 2026-10-08, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-03, 2026-10-01, 2026-09-29, 2026-09-27, 2026-09-25.

telehealth platforms, asked for other audiences: medical clinics (asked 2026-10-19).

Other categories with a recorded answer: childcare management software, church management software, construction management software, dental practice software.

Markdown edition · JSON record · the question page, with every recording · Answer Watch · AEO Watch

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.