Carepatron Reviews: Is This Budget EHR Worth It for Your Practice?

Carepatron has been making waves in the practice management software space, especially among mental health professionals and healthcare practitioners looking for a cheaper alternative to SimplePractice or TherapyNotes. But is it actually good, or just cheap?

I've dug through hundreds of verified reviews across G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and Software Advice to give you the real picture. Here's what practitioners are actually saying about Carepatron—the good, the bad, and everything in between.

What is Carepatron?

Carepatron is a cloud-based EHR (Electronic Health Record) and practice management platform designed for healthcare practitioners. It's particularly popular with mental health professionals—about 35% of users work in mental health, and 57% use it specifically for mental health practice management.

The platform combines scheduling, telehealth, client documentation, billing, and secure messaging into one system. Think of it as an all-in-one workspace that handles your clinical notes, appointment booking, invoicing, and video sessions.

The big draw? Carepatron offers a genuinely usable free plan—something most competitors don't. That's made it attractive for solo practitioners and small practices watching their budgets.

Carepatron Pricing Breakdown

Let's talk numbers. Carepatron has three main pricing tiers:

• Starter (Free): $0/month - Includes 1GB storage, unlimited clients, basic telehealth, HIPAA compliance, and access to their template library
• Essential: $14/month per user (billed annually) - Everything in Starter plus additional storage and features
• Plus: $19/month per user (billed annually) - Advanced features including custom branding and priority support
• Organization: $29/month per user - Full feature access for larger practices

If you need insurance claim processing, that's priced per claim: $0.25 per claim for your first 199 claims, scaling down to $0.19 per claim once you hit 1,000+ claims.

Payment processing takes a 2.5% cut, which is pretty standard for integrated payment systems.

Is Carepatron's Free Plan Actually Usable?

Here's the thing: the free plan is genuinely functional. You get unlimited clients, telehealth (even on the free tier—rare for this category), HIPAA compliance, and access to thousands of templates. For a solo practitioner just starting out, it's a legitimate option.

But there's a catch. That 1GB storage limit fills up fast—some users report it gets maxed out within 3-4 months of normal use. And there's no clear way to see what's eating your storage. Multiple users complained about this lack of transparency on where their storage was being consumed.

What Users Actually Like About Carepatron

Pricing and Value

The most common praise in reviews? Affordability. Users repeatedly mention that Carepatron offers "significant value for money" with cost-effective pricing plans that work well for small or new practices. One therapist who switched from SimplePractice said it plainly: "It was getting so expensive to stay w/ Simple Practice because everything I needed ended up being an added feature I needed to pay for."

Ease of Use

The interface gets solid marks. Users describe it as "intuitive," "straightforward," and easy to navigate even for those who typically struggle with EHR systems. The platform works well on both desktop and iPad.

One G2 reviewer noted: "I was able to quickly implement the program without any additional support, but support was offered continually throughout the process."

All-in-One Functionality

Practitioners appreciate having scheduling, billing, telehealth, and documentation in one place. The workflow of clicking on a scheduled client, marking attendance, and generating both notes and invoices from the same screen is a time-saver.

Template Library

Carepatron offers thousands of pre-built templates for clinical documentation. Users can also create custom templates, upload their own, or share templates with the community. This flexibility is particularly valuable for mental health practitioners who need specific assessment forms.

Telehealth Included Free

Getting HIPAA-compliant video calls on the free plan is unusual. The telehealth feature integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and recent updates added the ability to fill in notes directly during video calls.

Customer Support

Multiple reviewers praised the support team. They offer chat support with promised one-hour response times, one-on-one coaching calls, and group training sessions. One user mentioned "unbelievable service and support" with the owner being "accommodating and understanding."

What Users Don't Like About Carepatron

No software is perfect. Here are the legitimate complaints that came up repeatedly:

No Electronic Insurance Billing (Until Recently)

This was the biggest gripe. For years, Carepatron didn't support electronic insurance claim submission—a dealbreaker for practices that bill insurance. As of mid-2025, they've added this feature, but it came late to the game. One user said bluntly: "If they release electronic insurance billing, it will rival more established EHRs like Therapy Notes and Simple Practice." Well, they finally did.

Storage Limitations and Transparency Issues

The 1GB free storage fills up quickly, and users can't see what's consuming it. One frustrated reviewer wrote: "The free version grants you 1 GB of space, but that gets filled within 3 or 4 months of usage... There's nowhere for you to check where that space is used."

Pricing Changes Without Notice

Some users got burned by subscription model changes. One Capterra reviewer complained about being offered a "free upgrade for one year" after pricing changes, only to face higher costs at renewal. Another mentioned being "locked out" and asked to pay $529 to renew after hitting storage limits.

Bugs and Glitches

The saving feature has issues. Multiple users reported that "the saving feature does not work correctly and at times when you are trying to save your note it does not capture what you have completed correctly." That's a serious problem when you're documenting clinical sessions.

Mobile Experience

While the desktop version works well, the mobile experience gets mixed reviews. Users mention that "navigating through menus and inputting data may not be as seamless as on desktop or larger tablet devices."

Not Ideal for Pediatric Practices

Carepatron "is not geared toward therapists who serve pediatric clients." If your practice focuses on kids and families, this could be a limitation.

Limited Reporting and Analytics

The platform lacks robust reporting and analytics functionality. You can't track acquisition channels or generate detailed business reports. For practices wanting data-driven insights, this is a gap.

Template Customization Issues

While templates are plentiful, customizing them or uploading existing PDF intake forms can be frustrating. Several users mentioned that "client forms should be easier to import and transform into a fillable form."

Carepatron vs SimplePractice

This is the comparison most users are making. Here's how they stack up:

SimplePractice has more reviews (5,000+ vs ~1,000) and a slightly higher overall satisfaction rating. It also has more established insurance billing features and therapist-specific tools like Wiley Treatment Planners and speech-to-text.

Carepatron wins on price and the free tier. If you're just starting out or don't need insurance billing, it's hard to justify paying 3-4x more for SimplePractice.

Who Should Use Carepatron?

Based on the reviews, Carepatron is a good fit for:

• Solo practitioners just starting their practice
• Cash-pay practices that don't need complex insurance billing
• Mental health therapists who want an affordable all-in-one solution
• Small healthcare teams (2-5 practitioners) needing basic practice management
• Budget-conscious practitioners switching from expensive platforms

Carepatron is probably NOT the right choice for:

• Large group practices needing enterprise features
• Practices heavily reliant on insurance billing (though this is improving)
• Pediatric-focused practices
• Practitioners who need detailed business analytics
• Anyone needing rock-solid mobile access

The Bottom Line on Carepatron

Carepatron delivers solid value at an aggressive price point. For solo practitioners and small practices, especially those who are private-pay, it's one of the better budget options in the EHR space.

The free plan is genuinely usable—not just a trial. That alone sets it apart. You get telehealth, HIPAA compliance, unlimited clients, and a decent template library without paying a dime.

But it's not without issues. Storage limitations on the free plan, occasional bugs (especially with saving notes), and the lack of robust analytics hold it back from competing with the premium players. The pricing change complaints are also concerning—nobody wants surprise cost increases.

If you're currently paying $50-100/month for SimplePractice or another EHR and mostly doing the basics—scheduling, notes, telehealth, invoicing—Carepatron could save you significant money. Try the free plan first. You'll know within a few weeks whether it handles your workflow.

For practices that need heavy insurance billing, detailed reporting, or pediatric-specific features, you might be better served by a more established platform despite the higher cost.

Looking for Other Practice Management Tools?

If you're evaluating practice management software, you might also want to check out our other reviews:

• Gusto Reviews - For handling payroll if you have staff
• Monday.com Reviews - For project management and team coordination
• Best CRM Software - If you need more robust client relationship management

Need help managing your team's payroll and benefits? Check out Gusto—it's what many small healthcare practices use for their back-office HR needs.