SimplePractice Comparison: 2026 Guide for EU Practices

Tregovia vs SimplePractice: 2026 Comparison for EU Practices

SimplePractice is the dominant practice management platform for US therapists, counsellors, and allied health practitioners. European CRM platforms can offer a different approach: EUR billing, privacy-aware workflows, and fewer US-specific features. This comparison covers why EU practitioners frequently consider EU-first alternatives when evaluating SimplePractice.

The Core Difference

SimplePractice is a US-native platform optimised for the US healthcare market — insurance billing (CPT codes, ERA), US telehealth compliance, and US-based client communication norms. It is excellent for US practitioners; it is structurally misaligned for EU practice.

European practice management platforms are built for EU service businesses first. They can offer EU hosting, EUR billing, reviewed processor terms, eIDAS-oriented e-signature workflows, and fewer US-specific features that EU practitioners pay for but never use.

Pricing Comparison

	EU CRM Platform	SimplePractice
Starting price	EUR 47/month (flat rate)	USD 29/month (Essential, verify at simplepractice.com)
SOAP clinical notes	EUR 15/month add-on	Included
Online booking	Included	Included
Intake forms	EUR 15/month add-on	Included
Telehealth	EUR 15/month add-on	Included (Plus/Professional)
eSign (AES/eIDAS)	EUR 15/month add-on	Included (basic eSign only)
Pricing model	Flat rate — up to 2 staff (extra users EUR 10/mo per 5 seats)	Per practitioner
Currency	EUR	USD
Privacy controls	Review	No (US)

Full therapy practice setup (comparable to SimplePractice Professional): EUR 47 (base) + EUR 15 (SOAP notes) + EUR 15 (forms) + EUR 15 (telehealth) = EUR 92/month flat rate (includes up to 2 staff; additional users EUR 10/month per 5-seat pack).

SimplePractice Professional at a 3-practitioner clinic would be approximately USD 87–199/month (verify current pricing at simplepractice.com). At EUR/USD near parity and including currency conversion costs, the total cost comparison is close at 1–2 practitioners and favours flat-rate EU platforms at 3+ practitioners.

Feature Comparison

Feature	EU CRM Platform	SimplePractice
Appointment scheduling	Yes	Yes
Recurring appointments	Yes	Yes
SOAP clinical notes	EUR 15/month	Included
Online booking	Included	Included
Intake forms / questionnaires	EUR 15/month	Included
Telehealth (video sessions)	EUR 15/month	Included (Plus+)
Client portal	Yes (included)	Yes
e-Signature	EUR 15/month (AES/eIDAS)	Included (SES only)
Invoice generation	Yes	Yes
Online payment	EUR 15/month	Included (US card processors)
Insurance billing (CPT codes)	No	Yes (US only)
ERA / superbill	No	Yes (US only)
Privacy controls	Review	No (US)
Privacy terms	Review current terms	Verify
EUR billing	Yes	No (USD)
Pricing model	Flat rate	Per practitioner

EU Compliance: The Deciding Factor

SimplePractice stores data in the United States. Therapy session notes, mental health records, and clinical documentation are GDPR Article 9 special category data. Transferring this data to a US platform requires:

1. Standard Contractual Clauses — a specific legal mechanism for EU–US data transfers
2. Transfer Impact Assessment — a documented evaluation of whether US surveillance laws (FISA, EO 12333) create risk for EU data subjects

Most EU solo practitioners (therapists, counsellors, psychologists) operating on SimplePractice have not completed this process. This is a GDPR compliance gap — not a theoretical one.

Confirm the current privacy terms and data-transfer position before onboarding client data.

eIDAS e-Signature: A Meaningful Difference

SimplePractice includes basic electronic signature functionality (Simple Electronic Signature — SES under eIDAS). SES is sufficient for low-risk consent such as a general terms of service acknowledgement.

For therapy consent forms, treatment agreements, and consent for high-risk interventions, Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) provides stronger legal weight and a full audit trail (timestamp, IP, signing sequence). EU CRM platforms offering Contracts eSign modules (EUR 15/month) provide AES-level signatures compliant with eIDAS Regulation 910/2014.

For EU practices where consent documentation may be reviewed in litigation or regulatory proceedings, AES vs. SES is not a trivial distinction.

US-Specific Features EU Practitioners Pay For But Don't Need

SimplePractice includes insurance billing infrastructure (CPT codes, HCFA forms, ERA processing, insurance claim management) that is central to US private practice but entirely irrelevant to EU private practice. EU practices operate primarily on fee-for-service billing, private health insurance reimbursement (which works through client-facing invoices, not direct insurer billing), and national health system referrals — none of which require the US billing infrastructure SimplePractice is built around.

EU practitioners on SimplePractice pay for this infrastructure as part of the platform cost while getting no value from it.

When an EU CRM Is the Better Choice

• Your practice is in the EU and GDPR compliance for therapy records is a genuine requirement
• You have 3+ practitioners and flat-rate pricing saves money vs. per-practitioner models
• You need AES-level eSign for consent forms (not just checkbox SES)
• You want EUR billing and privacy-aware workflows
• You don't need US insurance billing, CPT codes, or ERA processing

When SimplePractice Is the Better Choice

• Your practice is in the US and insurance billing is a daily workflow requirement
• You are a sole practitioner in the US and SimplePractice's Essential plan is within budget
• You want a purpose-built therapy platform with therapy-specific defaults and extensive US practitioner community resources

FAQ

Can a EU therapist use SimplePractice legally?

Yes, with caveats. A EU practitioner can use SimplePractice if they have Standard Contractual Clauses in place with SimplePractice and have completed a Transfer Impact Assessment for the US data transfer. SimplePractice provides SCCs — the TIA is the practitioner's responsibility as data controller. Most EU sole practitioners have not completed this process.

Do EU CRMs include therapy-specific note templates?

Most EU CRM platforms offer Medical Records modules with SOAP-structured session notes and configurable fields. They do not include pre-built therapy-specific assessment tools (PHQ-9 scoring, GAD-7 scoring, Beck inventory). These assessment tools are typically managed through dedicated assessment platforms regardless of practice management system. For note-taking, documentation, and client record management, SOAP modules are functionally equivalent to SimplePractice's notes for EU practice workflows.

How does the client portal compare?

Both platforms include a client portal. SimplePractice's portal covers booking, intake forms, invoicing, and secure messaging — all as part of the base plan. EU CRM platforms typically offer the same capabilities but with some features as optional add-on modules (intake forms: EUR 15/month, secure messaging: EUR 12/month). The portal feature depth is similar; the modular model means you pay only for what you need.

Are EU CRMs suitable for a group therapy or couples practice?

Yes. Most EU CRM platforms support group appointments with multiple client participants linked to a single appointment record. Invoicing can be set per session (one invoice for the group) or per participant. Notes can be recorded at session level or per participant. Couples therapy sessions can be managed with both partners linked to the appointment.

What is the migration process from SimplePractice to an EU CRM?

SimplePractice supports data export (client records, appointment history, notes) in CSV/JSON format. Import client records via CSV to your new platform. Recreate appointment types and availability. Transition notes: SimplePractice note exports can be stored as document attachments in client records for historical reference. Run both systems in parallel for 2–4 weeks before fully switching off SimplePractice.

Do EU CRM platforms offer free trials?

Most do — typically 14 days with no credit card required. For EU therapists evaluating SimplePractice alternatives, the recommended trial scope: create a recurring weekly client appointment, record a SOAP session note, create an intake form, test the client portal from the client's perspective, generate and send an invoice. This covers the full weekly cycle of a European private therapy practice.