Acuity Scheduling vs SimplePractice: A Quick Comparison
Acuity Scheduling vs SimplePractice: what each platform actually does The acuity...
June 25, 2026
Key Takeaways
Software covered: 1. Pabau, 2. SimplePractice, 3. Doxy.me, 4. Zoom for Healthcare, 5. Upheal, 6. Healthie, 7. VSee
No ‘HIPAA certification’ exists – platforms support compliance through BAAs, encryption, and access controls, not a government stamp
Standalone video tools (Doxy.me, Zoom for Healthcare) require separate EHR and billing systems; all-in-one platforms handle the full workflow
Pabau combines telehealth with scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, and digital forms – built for multi-specialty and aesthetics clinics
Choosing HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms is more complicated than checking a compliance checkbox. Every platform on this list claims HIPAA compliance, but the differences in how they handle your workflow, your billing, and your patient data vary enormously. A solo therapist’s needs look nothing like a multi-provider aesthetics clinic’s needs, and picking the wrong tool means either paying for features you don’t use or stitching together three separate systems to cover one appointment.
This guide evaluates seven platforms across security standards, BAA availability, feature depth, pricing, and real-world use-case fit. Whether you run a behavioral health practice, a medical spa, or a multi-specialty clinic, you’ll find a clear recommendation for each scenario.
Best HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms: Quick comparison
Here’s how the seven platforms stack up at a glance, ordered by editorial ranking.
1. Pabau – Best HIPAA compliant telehealth platform for multi-specialty clinics
Most telehealth platforms make you choose: video tool or practice management system. Pabau removes that choice entirely. It combines telehealth software with scheduling, clinical documentation, digital forms, billing, and CRM in one platform, built for multi-specialty clinics, aesthetics practices, wellness centers, and any provider who needs more than a video window.
The compliance architecture covers what HIPAA compliance requirements demand: encrypted data in transit and at rest, audit logging, role-based access controls, and BAA execution. Unlike standalone video tools, Pabau also handles the workflows that surround the appointment, pre-care instructions, digital consent forms sent before the session, automated reminders, post-care follow-ups, and invoicing, all within the same HIPAA-compliant environment.
Key features
- Native telehealth sessions: Launch video consultations directly from the calendar with no external login or separate application.
- HIPAA-compliant digital forms: Send intake questionnaires, consent forms, and pre-care instructions to patients before the session, fully encrypted.
- Automated appointment reminders: SMS and email reminders reduce no-shows for virtual appointments, identical to in-clinic scheduling.
- Integrated billing and invoicing: Issue invoices, process payments, and manage treatment finance from within the same session workflow.
- Clinical notes and EHR: Document consultation outcomes, attach before-and-after media, and update patient records without leaving the platform.
- Multi-provider and multi-location support: Role-based access controls let front-desk staff, clinicians, and administrators see exactly what they need.
- Audit logs and access controls: Every data access event is logged, meeting HIPAA Security Rule requirements for accountability.
Pricing
Where Pabau shines
- No third-party video tool required: Telehealth is native, not bolted on via integration, so there’s no separate BAA to manage with a video vendor.
- Complete pre- and post-session workflow: Digital consent, session delivery, clinical notes, and invoicing happen in one unbroken workflow without switching applications.
- Built for clinic teams, not just solo practitioners: Front-desk staff, clinicians, and administrators each have role-appropriate views, making Pabau practical for multi-provider practices.
- Strong fit for aesthetics and medical spas: Features like injection plotting, before-and-after photos, and prescription management are available alongside telehealth in the same platform.
Where Pabau falls short
- Learning curve for new users: The breadth of features means onboarding takes time; some reviewers note an initial adjustment period.
- Not optimized for pure behavioral health solo practices: Providers who need only teletherapy and progress notes may find the feature set broader than their workflow requires.
Customer reviews
According to Capterra reviewers, Pabau earns 4.7 out of 5 from over 600 verified reviews. Reviewers highlight the all-in-one nature of the platform, strong telehealth and EHR integration, and automated workflow capabilities as primary strengths. The most common constructive note is an initial learning curve when teams first onboard.
Who Pabau is best for
- Aesthetics clinics and medical spa software users who need telehealth as part of a complete practice management stack.
- Multi-specialty or multi-provider clinics managing several disciplines under one roof.
- Wellness, longevity, and functional medicine practices where digital forms, consent, and clinical documentation are as important as the video session itself.
- Growing practices that need predictable subscription pricing without per-feature add-on costs.
2. SimplePractice – Best for solo mental health telehealth
SimplePractice is the dominant platform in the behavioral health solo-practitioner market. According to SimplePractice’s own blog, over 225,000 private practice clinicians use the platform. Its telehealth is deeply embedded in the EHR: therapists launch video sessions directly from the calendar, automated reminders go out before each appointment, and progress notes are ready to fill in the moment the session ends.
Key features
- Native HIPAA-compliant teletherapy: Video sessions support up to 15 clients per session, with screen sharing, secure chat, and a digital whiteboard.
- Integrated billing: Automated superbills, insurance claim filing, and payment processing built into the same EHR.
- Client portal: Patients book appointments, complete intake forms, and access session links through a dedicated portal.
- Automated reminders: SMS and email reminders reduce no-shows without manual follow-up.
- HIPAA BAA: SimplePractice executes a BAA as part of the subscription agreement.
Pricing
Pricing sourced from SimplePractice’s website as of 2025; verify current rates at simplepractice.com.
Where SimplePractice shines
- Purpose-built for behavioral health: The platform’s entire workflow is optimized for therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
- Frictionless session launch: Providers and clients join directly from an emailed link with no downloads required.
- Strong insurance billing integration: Filing claims and tracking reimbursements is built into the same interface as clinical notes.
Where SimplePractice falls short
- Limited beyond mental health specialties: Providers outside therapy and counseling will find the feature set too narrow for clinical documentation or aesthetics workflows.
- Pricing climbs for group practices: Capterra reviewers flag the cost as high for solo practitioners on lower tiers, and group pricing scales quickly.
- Customer support response times: Some users report slower response times than expected for a subscription-tier product.
Customer reviews
According to Capterra reviewers, SimplePractice scores 4.6 out of 5 from over 2,800 verified reviews. On G2, it holds a 4.4 out of 5 from 150 reviews. Reviewers consistently praise ease of use for solo therapists and the integrated billing functionality.
Who SimplePractice is best for
- Solo therapists, psychologists, and licensed counselors in private practice.
- Small group behavioral health practices with insurance billing requirements.
- Mental health providers who want telehealth, notes, and billing in one tool without broader clinic operations features.
3. Doxy.me – Best free option among HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms
Doxy.me’s pitch is simplicity: a free, browser-based video tool with a HIPAA-compliant waiting room, built exclusively for healthcare providers. According to the Doxy.me website, over 1 million providers have used the platform. Patients click a link, enter a virtual waiting room, and the provider admits them when ready. No account creation, no download, no friction.
Key features
- Free HIPAA-compliant video: The free tier supports basic video consultations with a BAA included.
- Patient waiting room: Patients check in online and wait in a virtual queue until the provider is ready.
- No download required: Patients access sessions entirely through their browser on desktop or mobile.
- Clinic-tier features: Paid plans add multi-provider management, custom branding, and group video sessions.
Pricing
Verify current Doxy.me pricing at doxy.me as rates may have changed.
Where Doxy.me shines
- Zero cost for basic compliance: The free tier provides a HIPAA-compliant video solution that costs nothing, making it accessible for providers testing telehealth delivery.
- Lowest patient friction: No downloads or account setup means even less tech-savvy patients can join a session in seconds.
- Healthcare-only focus: The platform isn’t a repurposed consumer video tool; every feature is designed for clinical settings.
Where Doxy.me falls short
- No built-in billing or EHR: Providers must pair Doxy.me with separate scheduling, documentation, and billing systems, creating compliance gaps if those systems aren’t also HIPAA-compliant.
- Limited features beyond video: Clinic-level functionality requires paid upgrades, and even then the platform remains video-focused rather than a full practice management solution.
- Integration dependency: Full workflow automation requires connecting third-party tools, each adding its own BAA management and potential compliance surface.
Customer reviews
According to Capterra reviewers, Doxy.me earns 4.6 out of 5 from over 500 verified reviews. The free waiting room and no-download patient experience are the most praised features. Reviewers on G2 (4.4/5 from 120 reviews) frequently note the absence of built-in billing as the main limitation.
Who Doxy.me is best for
- Individual providers who already have a separate EHR and billing system and need a free, HIPAA-compliant video layer.
- Practices testing telehealth delivery before committing to a fully integrated platform.
- Providers with patients who have limited technical ability and need the simplest possible session experience.
4. Zoom for Healthcare – Best video infrastructure for large health systems
Zoom for Healthcare is the enterprise arm of a platform most providers already know. The core product is the same familiar interface, but the Healthcare plan adds a BAA, enhanced access controls, and administrative settings designed for covered entities. As confirmed on Zoom’s official healthcare product page, the platform supports HIPAA compliance by executing a Business Associate Agreement and offering enterprise-grade encryption and administrative controls.
Key features
- BAA-backed video infrastructure: Zoom for Healthcare executes a BAA covering the video communication layer.
- Enterprise-grade security: End-to-end encryption options, waiting rooms, per-meeting passcodes, and admin lock controls.
- Familiar interface: Providers and patients already know Zoom, reducing friction during session setup.
- Scalability: Supports large health systems running concurrent sessions across multiple departments and locations.
- Integration with existing EHRs: Connects with major EHR systems via API for providers who need video embedded within existing clinical workflows.
Pricing
Zoom for Healthcare pricing requires a custom quote. The Healthcare plan is not available on Zoom’s standard consumer pricing tiers. Contact Zoom’s sales team for enterprise healthcare pricing, as rates vary by organization size and feature requirements.
Where Zoom for Healthcare shines
- Zero learning curve for providers and patients: Virtually everyone has used Zoom before, making it the lowest-friction adoption option for large provider networks.
- Enterprise scalability: Built to handle health-system-scale concurrent video traffic with reliability and administrative controls.
- Strong payer and integration ecosystem: Connects with major EHR vendors for organizations that need video embedded in existing clinical workflows.
Where Zoom for Healthcare falls short
- Not a standalone telehealth solution: Zoom provides video infrastructure; it doesn’t include scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, or intake forms. Every surrounding workflow requires a separate system.
- Healthcare features require the correct plan: The standard Zoom account does not include a BAA. Providers must specifically purchase the Healthcare plan to access compliance features.
- Overkill for small and solo practices: The complexity and cost of the Healthcare plan makes it impractical for independent or small-group providers.
Customer reviews
On G2, Zoom holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating from over 55,000 reviews (across all Zoom products). Capterra reviewers of Zoom for Healthcare note the familiar interface and enterprise security as primary strengths, with the absence of built-in clinical tools cited as the main limitation for smaller practices.
Who Zoom for Healthcare is best for
- Large health systems and hospital networks that already use Zoom internally and want to extend it to patient care.
- Organizations with existing EHR infrastructure that need a video layer, not a full practice management replacement.
- Enterprise teams with dedicated IT staff to manage BAA documentation and compliance configuration.
See how Pabau connects telehealth with your full clinic workflow
Pabau handles video sessions, patient intake, clinical notes, and invoicing in one HIPAA-compliant platform. No third-party video tool. No separate billing system. Book a demo to see how it works for your clinic.
5. Upheal – Best mental health EHR with free HIPAA compliant telehealth
Upheal’s positioning is precise: free telehealth built into a mental health EHR, with AI-generated progress notes from session recordings. According to their product page, Upheal is SOC 2 Type II certified and signs a BAA with every account. When a session ends, the platform automatically drafts structured progress notes, updates the treatment plan, and logs the client record, without the therapist writing a single line manually.
Key features
- Free HIPAA-compliant telehealth in a full EHR: Telehealth, clinical documentation, scheduling, and billing in one platform at no base cost.
- AI-generated progress notes: Session recordings are processed to produce structured, compliant clinical notes automatically.
- SOC 2 Type II certification: Security independently audited and certified (verify current status with Upheal before purchasing).
- BAA included for every account: No separate negotiation required for compliance documentation.
- Treatment plan integration: AI note generation links automatically to treatment plan updates and client records.
Pricing
According to their product page, Upheal offers a free tier that includes telehealth and AI note generation. Paid plans add additional session volume, advanced reporting, and team management features. Verify current pricing at upheal.io as the platform’s free tier structure may evolve.
Where Upheal shines
- AI documentation reduces clinical admin load: For therapists spending excessive time on progress notes, Upheal’s AI note generation directly addresses the biggest non-clinical time drain in behavioral health practice.
- Free tier is genuinely full-featured: Unlike Doxy.me’s free tier (video only), Upheal’s free tier includes telehealth within a complete mental health EHR.
- High compliance bar from the start: SOC 2 Type II plus BAA-for-all-accounts sets a stronger baseline than platforms where compliance features are an upgrade.
Where Upheal falls short
- Mental health only: Upheal is designed exclusively for behavioral and mental health providers. It has no features relevant to medical, aesthetic, or physical health specialties.
- AI accuracy requires review: Auto-generated clinical notes need practitioner review before signing, adding a verification step that offsets some of the time saved.
- Newer platform: Compared to SimplePractice or Doxy.me, Upheal has fewer published reviews and less established community support.
Customer reviews
Upheal does not yet have sufficient published review volume on major platforms to provide a verified aggregate rating. Reviewers on their own platform and in practitioner communities highlight AI-generated notes and the free telehealth feature as the strongest differentiators. Verify current ratings at upheal.io before making a purchasing decision.
Who Upheal is best for
- Behavioral health therapists who want free telehealth with automated clinical documentation.
- Solo or small-group mental health practices looking to reduce documentation time without paying for a premium platform.
- Providers already familiar with AI-assisted note-taking tools who want it built into their video session workflow.
6. Healthie – Best HIPAA compliant telehealth for nutrition and wellness coaches
Healthie targets a specific and underserved segment: registered dietitians, nutrition coaches, wellness practitioners, and health coaching programs that need telehealth integrated with client management tools oriented around non-clinical health goals. The platform includes white-label options useful for enterprise wellness programs and corporate health initiatives.
Key features
- Integrated telehealth and client management: Video sessions connect to client goal tracking, food logging, and progress monitoring in one system.
- White-label customization: Enterprise wellness programs can brand the platform for their client-facing experience.
- Group sessions: Supports group coaching calls alongside individual telehealth sessions.
- HIPAA-compliant environment: BAA available; platform architecture designed for PHI handling.
- Client programs and packages: Set up ongoing coaching relationships with multiple touch points across a program period.
Pricing
Healthie’s pricing scales with client volume and the features required. Contact Healthie directly for current pricing, as plans vary significantly between solo practitioners and enterprise wellness programs. Capterra reviewers note that pricing increases steeply as client volume grows.
Where Healthie shines
- Niche-specific workflows: Goal tracking, nutrition logging, and wellness program management are native features, not afterthoughts.
- White-label capability: Few competitors in this segment offer full white-label branding for enterprise deployments.
- Group coaching support: Group telehealth sessions with program-based client management serve wellness practitioners running cohort programs.
Where Healthie falls short
- Not suited for medical or clinical specialties: Providers outside nutrition and wellness coaching will find the clinical documentation and billing features insufficient for their needs.
- Limited insurance billing: Practices with significant insurance reimbursement workflows will need to supplement with external billing tools.
- Pricing scales steeply: High client volumes make Healthie expensive relative to alternatives with flat-rate pricing.
Customer reviews
According to Capterra reviewers, Healthie earns 4.4 out of 5. Reviewers in the nutrition and wellness coaching space consistently name the niche-specific features and client management tools as the platform’s strongest points. Limited clinical billing and the steep pricing curve at higher client volumes are the recurring criticisms.
Who Healthie is best for
- Registered dietitians and nutrition coaches running individual and group telehealth programs.
- Enterprise wellness programs needing white-label client-facing tools with HIPAA-compliant video.
- Health coaches managing ongoing client relationships across multi-session programs.
7. VSee – Best for low-bandwidth and rural HIPAA compliant telehealth
VSee’s technical differentiation is its low-bandwidth video codec, built specifically for unreliable internet connections. Where other platforms struggle with rural broadband constraints, VSee maintains stable video at a fraction of the bandwidth competitors require. A free tier covers individual providers; paid clinic plans add waiting rooms, multi-provider management, and custom workflows.
Key features
- Low-bandwidth video: Optimized codec maintains video quality in rural or underserved areas with limited connectivity.
- Free individual provider tier: Individual providers can use VSee at no cost with a BAA included.
- HIPAA-compliant with BAA: Compliance documentation available across all plan tiers.
- Waiting room and intake forms: Paid clinic plans include patient check-in workflows and intake form collection.
Pricing
Verify current VSee pricing at vsee.com as rates may have changed.
Where VSee shines
- Reliable in poor connectivity environments: The low-bandwidth codec is a genuine technical advantage that no other platform on this list matches.
- Free individual tier with compliance: A BAA is included on the free plan, which not all competitors offer without a paid upgrade.
Where VSee falls short
- Dated interface: Capterra reviewers consistently note the UI feels older than competing platforms, which may affect patient experience.
- Limited EHR integrations: VSee does not connect natively with many mainstream EHR systems, requiring manual workflow bridges for clinical documentation.
- Clinic management requires upgrade: Scheduling, billing, and multi-provider management are all behind paid tiers, similar to Doxy.me’s limitations.
Customer reviews
According to Capterra reviewers, VSee holds a 4.3 out of 5 rating. The low-bandwidth performance and free-tier compliance coverage are the most cited strengths. The dated interface and limited EHR connectivity are the recurring criticisms from clinic-level users.
Who VSee is best for
- Providers serving rural or underserved communities where internet connectivity is unreliable.
- Individual practitioners who need a free HIPAA-compliant video tool and already have separate EHR and billing systems.
- Organizations running mobile health programs or remote monitoring where low-bandwidth performance is a clinical requirement.
Pro Tip
Before finalizing any telehealth platform, confirm the BAA is signed and stored in your compliance documentation. A verbal assurance isn’t enough. Under the HIPAA Security Rule, covered entities must have written BAAs with every business associate that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on their behalf. If your video vendor, EHR, and billing system are separate platforms, you need three separate signed BAAs.
How to choose the right HIPAA compliant telehealth platform
The compliance baseline is the same across every platform on this list: BAA, encrypted transmission, audit logs, and access controls. What separates them is workflow fit. Use these five criteria to match a platform to your practice model.
- Standalone video vs. all-in-one practice management. If you already have an EHR and billing system you’re happy with, a standalone video tool like Doxy.me or VSee adds telehealth without disrupting existing workflows. If you’re building or rebuilding your practice tech stack, an all-in-one platform like Pabau eliminates the need to manage multiple BAAs and data silos.
- Specialty fit. Behavioral health providers get the deepest workflow integration from SimplePractice or Upheal. Nutrition and wellness coaches fit Healthie’s feature set well. Multi-specialty clinics, aesthetics practices, and medical spas are best served by a platform built for clinical team operations, like Pabau. Understand what HIPAA compliance means for clinic software in your specific specialty before committing.
- Team size and multi-provider support. Solo practitioners can use any platform on this list effectively. Multi-provider clinics need role-based access controls, front-desk workflows, and the ability to manage concurrent sessions across multiple clinicians. Not all platforms scale beyond a solo practitioner without significant feature upgrades.
- Billing integration depth. If telehealth sessions generate insurance claims or direct-pay invoices, billing integration matters. SimplePractice handles insurance billing for mental health. Pabau handles invoicing, direct pay, and treatment finance for medical and aesthetics workflows. Doxy.me, VSee, and Zoom for Healthcare require external billing systems entirely.
- Free vs. paid tier trade-offs. The free tiers from Doxy.me, VSee, and Upheal are genuinely HIPAA-compliant, but they’re video-only or mental-health-specific. For practices that need integrated scheduling, documentation, and billing, paid all-in-one platforms represent a better total-cost calculation once you factor in the time spent bridging separate systems. Consider whether your practice needs HIPAA-compliant telehealth across all touchpoints, not just the video session itself.
Conclusion
Every platform on this list handles the core HIPAA video requirement. The real decision is about workflow. Standalone tools like Doxy.me and VSee work well when paired with an existing EHR; Zoom for Healthcare serves large health systems with existing infrastructure; Upheal and SimplePractice serve mental health specialists well. But for clinics that need the complete picture, including intake forms, clinical notes, billing, and telehealth in one HIPAA-compliant environment, Pabau is the only option on this list that delivers all of it without patching together separate systems.
Pabau’s telehealth software is built into the same platform as scheduling, digital forms, EHR, and invoicing, so every touchpoint in a virtual appointment stays inside a single compliant environment. Book a demo to see how Pabau handles the full telehealth workflow for your clinic type.
Continue your research
Looking for a deeper look at Pabau’s security standards? Pabau’s HIPAA compliance page outlines the technical and administrative safeguards built into the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a telehealth platform HIPAA compliant?
A HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform is one that signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with covered entities and implements the technical safeguards required by the HIPAA Security Rule: encrypted data transmission, encrypted data storage, audit logs, access controls, and breach notification procedures. No official “HIPAA certification” exists; the platform’s compliance is determined by its contractual obligations and security architecture, not a government stamp. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides authoritative guidance on what covered entities must require from their technology vendors.
Do I need a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for telehealth?
Yes. Any technology vendor that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits protected health information (PHI) on behalf of a covered entity must sign a BAA before PHI is shared with them. As telehealth.hhs.gov confirms, covered healthcare providers and health plans must use telehealth vendors that enter into HIPAA business associate agreements. This applies to video platforms, scheduling tools, and any system that touches patient data. If you use separate tools for video, EHR, and billing, each requires its own signed BAA.
Is Zoom HIPAA compliant for telehealth?
Zoom’s standard consumer and business plans are not HIPAA compliant. Zoom for Healthcare is a separate plan that includes a BAA and the administrative and security controls required for covered entities. Providers must specifically purchase and configure the Zoom for Healthcare plan; using a standard Zoom account for patient sessions is a HIPAA violation. Even with the Healthcare plan, Zoom provides only the video layer; a separate EHR and billing system with their own BAAs are still required.
What is the best free HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform?
Doxy.me offers the most accessible free HIPAA-compliant video option for providers who need only video sessions, with a BAA included at no cost and no download required for patients. Upheal offers a free tier that includes telehealth within a full mental health EHR, making it the better free option for behavioral health providers who also need clinical documentation. VSee’s free individual tier is a strong choice for providers in low-bandwidth or rural environments. All three free tiers lack built-in billing and require separate systems to complete the full patient workflow.
How do I choose the right HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform for my practice?
Match the platform to your workflow, not just your compliance checklist. Solo mental health practitioners fit SimplePractice or Upheal. Providers needing only video can use Doxy.me or VSee free tiers. Multi-specialty clinics, aesthetics practices, and medical spas need a platform that connects telehealth with scheduling, clinical documentation, and billing – Pabau is built specifically for that workflow. Confirm each platform signs a BAA, verify their encryption standards match HIPAA Security Rule requirements, and evaluate whether their free or paid tier pricing makes sense once you account for any additional tools you’d need to complete your workflow.
