Freed vs Heidi: Which $99/mo AI Scribe is Better? (2026)
Side-by-side comparison of two popular AI medical scribes. Both cost $99/month - so which one deserves your money? Plus: an affordable alternative at half the price.
Quick Verdict
Freed vs Heidi Feature Comparison
| Feature | Freed AI | Heidi AI |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $99/month | $99/month |
| Annual Price | $1,188/year | $1,188/year |
| Type | Ambient AI Scribe | Ambient AI Scribe |
| Free Trial | Yes - limited free tier | Yes - free tier available |
| Recording Required | Yes - ambient audio | Yes - ambient audio |
| EHR Integration | Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, 50+ | Limited integrations, copy-paste focus |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Best For | US-based physicians, primary care | International users, telehealth |
| Mobile App | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Template Customization | Good - learns your style | Good - specialty templates |
| User Base | 25,000+ clinicians | 15,000+ clinicians |
| Founded | 2023 (San Francisco) | 2021 (Australia) |
| Funding | $13M Series A | $10M+ raised |
Pricing: Freed vs Heidi
Both Freed and Heidi charge exactly $99/month for their full-featured plans. This makes choosing between them entirely about features and fit rather than budget.
Free Tier Comparison
Both Freed and Heidi offer free tiers, though with significant limitations:
- Freed's free tier: Limited to 10 visits/month - good for trying the product but not practical for daily use
- Heidi's free tier: Limited features and visits - enough to test but requires upgrade for real work
The Real Question: Is $99/Month Worth It?
At $1,188/year, both Freed and Heidi represent a significant investment. The question isn't which $99 option to choose - it's whether $99/month is the right price point for you.
- High-volume physicians seeing 20+ patients/day may find $99/month pays for itself quickly
- Part-time clinicians or those with lighter schedules may find it expensive per note
- Therapists and allied health professionals may prefer alternatives designed for their documentation needs
Freed AI Overview
Freed AI is one of the fastest-growing AI medical scribes on the market. Founded in 2023 in San Francisco, Freed has quickly grown to serve 25,000+ clinicians and raised $13 million in Series A funding.
Freed's core value proposition is simple: record your patient encounters, and AI generates the clinical documentation. The system learns your documentation style over time, creating notes that sound like you wrote them.
Key strengths include deep EHR integrations with Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, and 50+ other systems. This allows notes to flow directly into your EHR rather than requiring copy-paste workflows.
Freed AI Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extensive EHR integrations (50+ systems)
- Large and growing user base (25,000+ clinicians)
- Learns your documentation style over time
- Strong mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Free tier to try before committing
Cons
- $99/month is expensive for lighter schedules
- Requires recording patient encounters
- Some users report accuracy issues with accents
- Limited customization for non-physician specialties
Heidi AI Overview
Heidi AI is an Australian-founded AI medical scribe that has expanded globally. Founded in 2021, Heidi has grown to serve 15,000+ clinicians across Australia, the US, UK, and other markets.
Heidi's approach focuses on simplicity and speed. The system records consultations and generates structured clinical notes within seconds. While it has fewer EHR integrations than Freed, it excels at producing clean notes that are easy to copy-paste into any system.
Heidi has particular strength in telehealth documentation and offers good support for international users due to its Australian roots and global expansion focus.
Heidi AI Pros & Cons
Pros
- Clean, simple interface
- Good specialty-specific templates
- Strong telehealth support
- International availability (Australia, UK, US)
- Free tier available
Cons
- Fewer EHR integrations than Freed
- Smaller user base (15,000 vs 25,000)
- $99/month same price as competitors
- Requires ambient recording
Key Differences Between Freed and Heidi
1. EHR Integration Depth
The biggest practical difference is EHR connectivity. Freed integrates with 50+ EHR systems including Epic, athenahealth, and eClinicalWorks with direct note insertion. Heidi has fewer integrations and relies more heavily on copy-paste workflows. If seamless EHR integration matters to you, Freed has the edge.
2. Market Focus and User Base
Freed is US-focused with 25,000+ clinicians, primarily physicians in primary care and specialty practices. Heidi started in Australia and has expanded globally with 15,000+ users. If you're in Australia, UK, or prefer a company with international roots, Heidi may be more familiar with your needs.
3. Company Stage and Funding
Freed raised $13M Series A in 2024 and is aggressively growing in the US market. Heidi has raised $10M+ and is more established (founded 2021 vs 2023). Both are well-funded startups, but Freed is in faster growth mode while Heidi is more mature.
4. Documentation Style
Both learn your preferences, but they approach customization differently. Freed emphasizes learning your personal style over time - the more you use it, the more it sounds like you. Heidi offers more explicit template customization with specialty-specific options upfront.
Freed and Heidi are more similar than different. Both are solid $99/month ambient AI scribes. Choose Freed for EHR integrations and US-focus. Choose Heidi for international support and template customization. Or consider whether $99/month is the right price point at all.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Freed AI If...
- You need direct EHR integration (Epic, athena, eClinicalWorks, etc.)
- You're a US-based physician in primary care or specialty practice
- You want the fastest-growing option with momentum
- You prefer AI that learns your style over time
- You see a high volume of patients daily
Choose Heidi AI If...
- You're outside the US (Australia, UK, etc.)
- You do a lot of telehealth consultations
- You prefer explicit template customization upfront
- You don't mind copy-paste workflows into your EHR
- You want a slightly more established company (founded 2021 vs 2023)
Choose Neither If...
- $99/month feels expensive for your documentation needs
- You're a therapist (PT, OT, SLP) - neither is optimized for therapy documentation
- You don't want to record patient encounters
- You work in home health or other settings where ambient recording is awkward
- You need to fill fields directly in your EHR rather than generating separate notes
- You prefer typing daily summaries over ambient recording
A Third Option: SOAP Note Buddy at Half the Price
If you're comparing Freed and Heidi primarily because they're at the same price point, here's a question worth asking: do you need to spend $99/month on AI documentation?
SOAP Note Buddy offers AI-powered clinical documentation at $49/month - exactly half the price of Freed or Heidi. And it works differently: instead of ambient recording, it integrates directly with your browser-based EHR to fill fields automatically.
| Feature | Freed AI | Heidi AI | SOAP Note Buddy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $99/month | $99/month | $49/month |
| Annual Cost | $1,188/year | $1,188/year | $588/year |
| Savings vs Others | - | - | $600/year saved |
| Recording Required | Yes - ambient audio | Yes - ambient audio | No (voice option available) |
| Free Trial | Limited free tier | Limited free tier | 3-day free trial |
| EHR Compatibility | 50+ integrations | Limited integrations | Any browser-based EHR |
| Auto-fills EHR Fields | Via integration | Copy-paste mostly | Yes - automatic detection |
| Setup Time | Minutes-hours | Minutes-hours | 30 seconds |
| Best For | US physicians, high volume | International, telehealth | Therapists, nurses, all clinicians |
| Contracts | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual | Cancel anytime |
At $49/month, you save $600/year compared to Freed or Heidi. SOAP Note Buddy works as a Chrome extension that detects and fills fields in ANY browser-based EHR - Kinnser, WebPT, HCHB, PointClickCare, Tebra, and more. No recording required (though voice input is available). Perfect for therapists (PT, OT, SLP), nurses, and home health clinicians who need affordable AI documentation.
Save $600/Year vs Freed or Heidi
SOAP Note Buddy: $49/month, no recording required, works with any EHR. 3-day free trial.
Start Your Free TrialFreed vs Heidi FAQ
Is Freed or Heidi better?
Both are solid $99/month AI medical scribes. Freed is better if you need deep EHR integrations and are US-based. Heidi is better for international users (Australia, UK) and those who prefer explicit template customization. The core functionality - ambient recording to generate notes - is similar in both.
Which is cheaper, Freed or Heidi?
Neither - both cost exactly $99/month ($1,188/year). They compete directly at the same price point. If price is your primary concern, consider SOAP Note Buddy at $49/month - half the cost of either option.
Do Freed and Heidi have free trials?
Yes, both offer limited free tiers. Freed offers ~10 visits/month free. Heidi also has a free tier with limitations. These are good for testing but not practical for daily clinical use.
Do Freed and Heidi require recording patient visits?
Yes. Both Freed and Heidi are "ambient AI scribes" that record audio during patient encounters to generate documentation. If you don't want to record, alternatives like SOAP Note Buddy offer AI documentation without ambient recording.
Which has better EHR integration, Freed or Heidi?
Freed has better EHR integration with direct connections to 50+ systems including Epic, athenahealth, and eClinicalWorks. Heidi has fewer integrations and relies more on copy-paste workflows.
Are Freed and Heidi HIPAA compliant?
Yes, both Freed and Heidi are HIPAA compliant and designed for US healthcare use. They implement appropriate security measures for protected health information.
What's a cheaper alternative to Freed and Heidi?
SOAP Note Buddy costs $49/month - exactly half the price of Freed or Heidi. It works differently (Chrome extension that fills EHR fields directly rather than ambient recording) but provides similar time savings on clinical documentation. Saves $600/year compared to $99/month options.