NoteDesigner vs Upheal
Two of the AI therapy scribes we track, compared on the dimensions that actually determine fit: clinical note quality, compliance, EHR integration and pricing.
Key takeaways
- NoteDesigner starts at From $14.95/mo or one-time $199 license; Upheal starts at Free up to 10 sessions/mo; from $59/mo.
- HIPAA: NoteDesigner — Yes; Upheal — Yes.
- Note formats: NoteDesigner — SOAP, DAP, BIRP, Narrative, Custom; Upheal — SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, Narrative, Custom.
- Regions: NoteDesigner — US, CA, UK, EU; Upheal — US, UK, EU, CA, ANZ.
Side-by-side
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 6.8 / 10 | 8.7 / 10 |
| Status | Provisional | Hands-on tested |
| Starting price | From $14.95/mo or one-time $199 license | Free up to 10 sessions/mo; from $59/mo |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
| HIPAA + BAA | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 | — | Yes |
| GDPR | Partial | Yes |
| 42 CFR Part 2 | — | — |
| Note formats | SOAP, DAP, BIRP, Narrative, Custom | SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, Narrative, Custom |
| Languages | 2 | 4 |
| Regions | US, CA, UK, EU | US, UK, EU, CA, ANZ |
| EHR integrations | 0 | 3 |
| Founded | 2014 | 2022 |
| HQ | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Prague, Czech Republic · New York, USA |
NoteDesigner
Long-running therapy documentation tool (founded by a Canadian clinical psychologist) that is structurally different from ambient scribes: you select therapy interventions, themes and goals from menus, and NoteDesigner composes a note. No live audio capture. Useful as a complement to an ambient tool, or for clinicians uncomfortable with recording sessions. One-time license available.
Read the full NoteDesigner review →Upheal
Built for therapy from day one rather than retrofitted from a generic medical scribe. SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP and a handful of therapy-specific templates ship out of the box, treatment-plan drafting is genuinely useful, and telehealth capture works inside the same browser session as the call. HIPAA-aligned with a BAA, audio is not retained by default once the note is generated, and the company states it does not train models on customer session data. Pricing is published and starts with a real free tier rather than a 7-day trial. The main trade-off is depth of EHR integration: writing back into SimplePractice / TherapyNotes is mostly copy-paste today.
Read the full Upheal review →Bottom line
Pick NoteDesigner if you need therapists who want a deterministic, prompt-based note builder rather than ambient recording. Pick Upheal if you need private-practice therapists who want progress notes in their preferred format with minimal cleanup. Verify on a live session before committing — both publish trials or free tiers worth using.
FAQ
Which is better, NoteDesigner or Upheal?
On our editorial rubric, Upheal scores higher (8.7 vs 6.8). Best fit depends on your country, EHR, and budget — see the side-by-side table above.
Is NoteDesigner cheaper than Upheal?
NoteDesigner starts at From $14.95/mo or one-time $199 license; Upheal starts at Free up to 10 sessions/mo; from $59/mo.
Are both NoteDesigner and Upheal HIPAA-compliant?
NoteDesigner's HIPAA stance is "yes"; Upheal's is "yes" as of our last verification.
Which note formats do NoteDesigner and Upheal support?
NoteDesigner: SOAP, DAP, BIRP, Narrative, Custom. Upheal: SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, Narrative, Custom.
Do NoteDesigner or Upheal integrate with SimplePractice or TherapyNotes?
NoteDesigner has 0 published EHR integration(s); Upheal has 3. Most therapy scribes today use copy-paste rather than native write-back.