Upheal Review: Pricing, Features & Comparison (2026)
Is Upheal the right AI note-taking tool for your therapy practice? We break down pricing, session analytics, and who it's NOT for.
Quick Verdict
What is Upheal?
Upheal is an AI-powered documentation platform specifically designed for mental health professionals. Founded in 2021 in the Czech Republic by Juraj Chrappa and Martin Horvath, Upheal has raised $14.35 million in funding (including a $10M Series A in November 2024) and serves over 36,000 mental health professionals.
What sets Upheal apart is its session analytics - beyond just generating notes, it analyzes your therapy sessions to show talking ratios, sentiment trends, speech patterns, and silence detection. This data can help therapists track client progress and improve their practice.
Upheal is designed exclusively for mental health professionals (therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, coaches). If you're a PT, OT, SLP, nurse, or other healthcare clinician, Upheal's templates won't work for your documentation needs. SOAP Note Buddy works with any healthcare discipline.
Upheal Pricing
Upheal uses a tiered pricing model with note count limits - a key difference from unlimited alternatives. Here's the breakdown:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per mo) | Notes/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Unlimited (dictation only, no live capture) |
| Starter | $29 | $19 | 15 notes |
| Premium | $99 | $69 | 40 notes |
| Unlimited | Custom | Custom | 140 notes |
Trial: 14-day free trial of Premium tier, then rolls to Free plan
Money-back: 30-day guarantee on Premium
At $99/month for 40 notes, that's $2.48 per note. If you see 8+ clients per week, you'll hit the limit by mid-month. The Starter plan ($29/mo for 15 notes) only covers about 3-4 clients per week.
Upheal Features
Session Analytics (Unique)
Talking ratio analysis, sentiment tracking, speech cadence patterns, and silence detection - insights no other AI scribe provides.
Mental Health Note Types
SOAP, DAP, GIRP, BIRP, EMDR, PIRP, SIRP, PIE formats plus intake notes and Mental Status Exam (MSE). 170+ clinically-approved sections.
Multiple Capture Methods
In-person recording, virtual session capture (Zoom, Google Meet), manual upload, or text/dictation without live capture.
Golden Thread
Links notes to treatment goals for insurance compliance - ensures documentation consistency across sessions.
HIPAA/SOC2 Compliant
HIPAA, SOC2, GDPR, PHIPA/PIPEDA compliant. Audio recordings deleted by default, per-user encryption keys.
Treatment Plans
Auto-generated treatment plans with SMART goals from session data (Premium tier only).
Upheal Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unique session analytics - talking ratio, sentiment, speech patterns
- Strong mental health focus with specialized templates
- Golden Thread for insurance documentation compliance
- Free tier available (limited to dictation)
- 14-day Premium trial
- 8 languages supported
- SOC2 and HIPAA compliant
Cons
- Mental health ONLY - no PT, OT, SLP, nursing support
- Note count limits - 15-40 notes/month on paid tiers
- Requires session recording - must capture audio
- Family/couples therapy struggles - voice recognition issues
- No live customer support - week-long response times reported
- Setup complexity for custom note templates
- No Android native app - requires laptop browser
Upheal vs SOAP Note Buddy
Both tools aim to reduce documentation time, but they serve different audiences. Here's how they compare:
| Feature | Upheal | SOAP Note Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $29-99/month | $49/month |
| Notes Per Month | 15-40 (paid tiers) | Unlimited |
| Disciplines Supported | Mental health only | All healthcare (PT, OT, SLP, nursing, etc.) |
| Requires Recording | Yes - session recording required | No - works from EHR context |
| Session Analytics | Yes - unique feature | No |
| How It Works | Records therapy sessions | Chrome extension fills EHR fields |
| EHR Compatibility | Copy/paste workflow | Auto-fills any browser-based EHR |
| Free Trial | 14 days (Premium) | 3 days |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes (SOC2, HIPAA) | Yes (BAA available) |
| Best For | Therapists wanting session insights | Any clinician wanting fast documentation |
The Key Difference
Upheal's unique value is session analytics - you get insights into talking ratios and sentiment that can improve your therapy practice. But it ONLY works for mental health. SOAP Note Buddy works for any healthcare discipline and doesn't require recording sessions.
Choose Upheal if: You're a mental health professional who specifically wants session analytics to track client progress and improve your therapeutic technique. You see fewer than 40 clients/month and don't mind recording every session.
Choose SOAP Note Buddy if: You're a PT, OT, SLP, nurse, or any non-mental-health clinician. Or you're a therapist who wants unlimited notes without recording sessions. Or you want to auto-fill your EHR directly rather than copy/paste.
Who is Upheal Best For?
Upheal is a good fit for:
- Individual therapists and counselors wanting session insights
- Private practice mental health professionals who want to track client progress
- Psychiatrists who need Mental Status Exam (MSE) support
- Coaches and life counselors looking for AI documentation
- Telehealth-focused practices (Premium tier has virtual session capture)
Upheal is NOT a good fit for:
- Physical therapists, occupational therapists, SLPs, nurses - templates are mental-health-only
- Family/couples therapists - multi-speaker recognition struggles per user reviews
- High-volume practices - note limits (40/month max on Premium) won't cover busy schedules
- Clinicians who don't want to record - Upheal requires session capture
- Phone session practitioners - iPhone recording limitations reported
- Android users doing in-person - no native app, requires laptop browser
Our Verdict
Upheal has carved out a unique niche with its session analytics - no other AI scribe shows you talking ratios, sentiment trends, and speech patterns. For mental health professionals who want to improve their therapeutic technique, this data is genuinely valuable.
However, the limitations are significant:
- Mental health only - PTs, OTs, SLPs, and nurses are completely excluded
- Note count caps - even at $99/month, you're limited to 40 notes
- Recording required - every session must be captured
- Family therapy gaps - voice recognition struggles with multiple speakers
The 3.5/5 rating reflects that Upheal is excellent for its narrow use case (individual therapists wanting analytics) but too limited for general healthcare documentation needs.
If you're a mental health therapist who wants session analytics and sees fewer than 40 clients/month, try Upheal's 14-day Premium trial. For everyone else - especially non-mental-health clinicians - SOAP Note Buddy at $49/month (unlimited notes, any discipline) is the better choice.
Not a Mental Health Professional?
SOAP Note Buddy works with any healthcare discipline - PT, OT, SLP, nursing, and more. No recording required. Unlimited notes.
Start Your Free TrialUpheal FAQ
How much does Upheal cost?
Upheal offers a Free tier (dictation only), Starter at $29/month (15 notes), Premium at $99/month (40 notes), and custom Unlimited pricing. Annual billing saves about 30%.
Is Upheal HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Upheal is HIPAA compliant, SOC2 certified, and GDPR compliant. They offer per-user encryption and auto-delete recordings by default.
Does Upheal work for physical therapists?
No. Upheal is designed exclusively for mental health professionals. PTs, OTs, SLPs, and nurses should look at alternatives like SOAP Note Buddy that support all healthcare disciplines.
Does Upheal require recording sessions?
For full note generation, yes - Upheal requires session recording (in-person, telehealth, or uploaded audio). The free tier offers dictation/text input without live capture, but with limited functionality.
What makes Upheal unique?
Session analytics. Upheal shows talking ratio (therapist vs client speaking time), sentiment analysis, speech patterns, and silence detection - insights no other AI scribe provides.
Does Upheal work with my EHR?
Upheal uses a Chrome extension and copy/paste workflow to work with any browser-based EHR like SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or Epic. There's no direct API integration.
Is there a Upheal alternative for non-mental-health clinicians?
Yes, SOAP Note Buddy works with any healthcare discipline including PT, OT, SLP, nursing, and more. It costs $49/month with unlimited notes and doesn't require recording sessions.