Best Standalone AI Scribe for Therapists Without an EHR (2026)
By Ilan Sender, Founder & Editor · Last updated Aug 8, 2026
ClinicAI is independently researched and edited. We are not clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice — we compare practice software so you can decide. How we evaluate tools.
This is an independent editorial comparison based on vendor documentation, pricing, and security pages — not on reviews collected on this site. We have not tested note accuracy; trial any shortlist on your own visit types before paying. See our methodology.
| Feature | AutoNotes | Yung Sidekick | Supanote | Upheal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $29–$69/mo | $39.99–$99.99/mo | $29.99–$89.99/mo | Free + up to $69/mo |
| Free Trial | 7 days | 30 days | 14 days | 30 days |
| Rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| HIPAA | Self-reported | Self-reported | Self-reported | Independently audited |
| Top EHRs | None documented | None documented | None documented | None documented |
| Best For | High-volume note writers on a budget — flat plans with unlimited notes on every tier | Price-sensitive solo therapists who want session insights and analytics, not just notes | Multilingual practices and therapists who see couples and want that supported at the entry price | Therapists with lighter caseloads (pay-per-session pricing) or anyone open to replacing their EHR entirely |
| Accuracy | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Setup Ease | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Our Recommendation
For therapists with no EHR who just want notes, AutoNotes is the value pick: unlimited notes on every plan with built-in client records, the widest documented format list (including EMDR), at $29/month (Economy). Yung Sidekick costs more ($39.99/month, no free plan) but adds client-progress analytics. All three standalone tools self-report HIPAA; choose Upheal if you want a SOC 2 Type II–attested all-in-one platform instead. Take the quiz to match your setup.
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Take the 30-second quizNo EHR Yet? You Don't Need One to Get AI Notes
Plenty of therapists — cash-pay practices, early-career clinicians, side caseloads — run without a full EHR. If that's you, "EHR integration" is a non-feature: you want a tool that drafts a clean progress note you can store however you store records today. The good news is that the strongest standalone option in this category does not depend on any EHR at all.
The Standalone Candidates
Three tools in our data are built to produce notes without pushing into an external EHR, plus one that goes the other way and becomes your EHR:
- AutoNotes — unlimited notes on every plan, with its own lightweight built-in client records. SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, group, couples, family, and EMDR formats, plus AI treatment plans. No free plan — $29/month Economy or $69/month First Class (verified 2026-08-07; annual discounts available). Live session recording requires a higher tier; the entry plan is type/dictate/upload only. 7-day trial.
- Yung Sidekick — $39.99/month for up to 130 sessions, with no free plan (trial only). Generates multiple progress-note formats per session, treatment plans, and client-progress analytics. Output is copy-paste "EHR-ready." 30-day trial.
- Supanote — $29.99 up to $89.99/month, with unlimited notes from its $49.99 mid tier. Standout 100+ language auto-detection. Couples supported at the entry Starter plan; group at the top XL tier. 14-day trial.
- Upheal — has no EHR integrations because it ships its own (telehealth, scheduling, client portal, treatment plans). $1/session capped at $69/month, with a free plan for basic note types (SOAP, DAP, Intake). 30-day trial. This is the "I'll just adopt an all-in-one platform instead of bolting tools together" path.
How to Choose Without an EHR
For the most note formats at the lowest flat price, AutoNotes is the value leader. Unlimited notes on every plan, the widest documented format list in this group (it's the only tool in our data that documents an EMDR note format), and built-in client records mean you don't need anything else to start. The catch: live in-session recording is gated to a higher tier, so on the cheapest plan you're typing, dictating, or uploading audio rather than recording the session live.
For session insights beyond the note itself, Yung Sidekick ($39.99/month for up to 130 sessions; no free plan) adds client-progress analytics — a genuine extra if you want to see patterns across sessions, not just documentation.
For multilingual sessions, Supanote is the standout, with 100+ language auto-detection and couples support at its entry price.
One compliance honesty note: all three standalone tools (AutoNotes, Yung Sidekick, Supanote) self-report HIPAA compliance rather than citing a third-party audit, though each offers a BAA. If audited security matters more to you than price, Upheal is the SOC 2 Type II–attested option — but it asks you to adopt its whole platform, which is a bigger commitment than "just notes." We have not tested note accuracy for any of these.
Want a shortlist matched to your budget, session types, and whether you'll add an EHR later? Take the 30-second matcher quiz.