Free AI Therapy Note Tools (2026): What 'Free' Actually Gets You
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 | Upheal | Yung Sidekick | Supanote | AutoNotes | Mentalyc | Scribeberry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free + up to $69/mo | $39.99–$99.99/mo | $29.99–$89.99/mo | $29–$69/mo | $19.99–$119.99/mo | Free + up to $99/mo |
| Free Trial | 30 days | 30 days | 14 days | 7 days | 14 days | 3 days |
| Rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| HIPAA | Independently audited | Self-reported | Self-reported | Self-reported | Independently audited | Self-reported |
| Top EHRs | None documented | None documented | None documented | None documented | SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane | Epic, Jane, Cerner/Oracle Health |
| Best For | Therapists with lighter caseloads (pay-per-session pricing) or anyone open to replacing their EHR entirely | 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 | High-volume note writers on a budget — flat plans with unlimited notes on every tier | Therapists on SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane, or TheraNest who want notes pushed into their EHR instead of copy-paste | Multilingual, Canadian, or cross-border practices that want a standing free tier (20 uses/month) before paying |
| Accuracy | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Setup Ease | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Our Recommendation
Two tools here are genuinely free beyond a trial. Upheal offers a standing free plan (SOAP/DAP/Intake) and is the standout because it's SOC 2 Type II attested — audited compliance at no cost. Scribeberry's free tier (20 uses/month) stands too, though it's a general scribe with no therapy-specific formats. AutoNotes discontinued its free tier (7-day trial only now). Yung Sidekick (30-day), Supanote and Mentalyc (14-day) offer free trials, not standing free plans. Execute the BAA before recording PHI even on a free plan. Take the quiz to match your needs.
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Take the 30-second quiz"Free" Comes in Three Flavors — Know Which You're Getting
When a therapy AI tool says "free," it can mean a standing free plan you can use indefinitely, a limited free tier with usage caps, or just a time-limited trial. The difference matters a lot for a therapist trying to start at zero cost. Here's exactly what "free" means for each dedicated therapy tool we track — plus Scribeberry, a general scribe with a standing free tier that therapy practices sometimes shortlist — as verified June–July 2026.
The Genuinely-Free Options
Upheal — standing free plan (basic note types). Upheal offers a free plan covering basic note types: SOAP, DAP, and Intake. Premium features (full template set, treatment plans, compliance checker) require the paid tier ($1/session, capped at $69/month). This is the strongest "free" here on compliance: Upheal is HIPAA independently audited (SOC 2 Type II) with a BAA at signup, so you're not trading away audited security to use the free plan. 30-day trial on paid features.
AutoNotes — free tier discontinued (now trial-only). AutoNotes discontinued its standing free tier (re-verified 2026-08-07): the $0 path is now a 7-day trial (no credit card), with paid plans from $29/month (Economy). The compliance fine print: HIPAA self-reported ("HIPAA-aligned", no SOC 2), BAA with every customer.
Scribeberry — standing free tier (20 uses/month). After a 3-day unlimited trial, Scribeberry's free plan continues at 20 uses/month indefinitely. The big caveat for this list: it's a general multi-specialty scribe that documents no therapy-specific note formats, so it belongs on your shortlist only if a general scribe fits your documentation needs. Compliance fine print: HIPAA self-reported; it cites SOC 2 Type 2 (report available by request, no auditor named publicly); a BAA is advertised.
The Free Trials (not standing free plans)
These tools let you start free for a window, then require payment:
- Supanote — 14-day free trial; then $29.99/month and up. Self-reported HIPAA.
- Yung Sidekick — 30-day free trial; then $39.99/month for up to 130 sessions (no free plan). Self-reported HIPAA, with progress analytics.
- Mentalyc — 14-day free trial; then $19.99/month and up. HIPAA independently audited (SOC 2 Type II), real EHR push. Worth trialing even though it has no standing free plan, because among dedicated therapy-notes tools it is the only one that pushes notes into SimplePractice/TherapyNotes/Jane/TheraNest.
The Honest Recommendation
If you want a standing free plan with audited compliance, Upheal is the standout — its free plan covers SOAP/DAP/Intake and it's SOC 2 Type II attested, a combination no other tool here matches. If Upheal's free note types don't fit and you can accept self-reported HIPAA, Scribeberry's 20-uses/month free tier is the other standing $0 option — AutoNotes' former free tier is gone (7-day trial only now).
For everyone else, "free" means a trial: Yung Sidekick (30 days), Supanote and Mentalyc (14 days). Use the trial to test note quality on your real sessions — that's the only test that matters — but don't mistake a trial for a permanent free plan when you budget.
One thing "free" never removes: the BAA and your usage obligations. Even on a free plan, execute the BAA before recording PHI.
Want the best free option for your compliance bar and session types? Take the 30-second matcher quiz.