Simple Practice or Jane? A VA Team’s Honest Review for Therapists and Wellness Providers
When therapists and wellness providers come to CouchSide Coordinators, they’re often overwhelmed by admin, marketing, and back-end systems that take time away from the work they love: supporting clients.
One of the first systems we review is their practice management software. And one of the first questions we’re asked is: “What EHR do you like?”
As a virtual assistant team that specializes in supporting therapists and wellness professionals, we’ve worked extensively with both Jane and Simple Practice across dozens of practices. While each platform has strengths, we’ve developed clear preferences based on what works best behind the scenes- both for our clients and for us as their support team.
This blog is our honest review: Simple Practice or Jane? Which is better for your practice, your team, and your future growth?
Why the Right Practice Management Software Matters
Whether you’re a solo clinician or running a growing group practice, your EMR/EHR should feel like a support system, and not another stressor. From documentation and scheduling to client communication and billing, your clinic software sets the tone for how smoothly your practice runs.
We’ve seen firsthand how the right platform can reduce burnout, free up clinical time, and even boost client retention. And we’ve also seen what happens when the wrong system causes bottlenecks, confusion, or frustration.
That’s why choosing between Jane and Simple Practice isn’t just about features, it’s about functionality, flexibility, and support.
Getting to Know the Platforms
Simple Practice has long been a popular choice for therapists, especially those just getting started. In fact, our founder, Nikki, used it as her first EHR! It offers an intuitive interface, a library of built-in forms, and strong insurance billing capabilities. It’s widely used in solo and small private practice settings.
Jane, on the other hand, is a lesser-known but rapidly growing EHR designed to support healthcare providers across multiple disciplines. Originally built with wellness and allied health in mind, Jane now supports thousands of mental health professionals, and we’ve seen more and more of our clients successfully switch over.
Where Jane Shines: Flexibility and Growth
One of the biggest differences we’ve seen between the two platforms is how they handle growth.
Simple Practice works well for solo providers, but its workflows tend to become rigid as practices add more clinicians, service types, or locations. It can be difficult to scale without hitting limitations around scheduling, reporting, or user access.
Jane, in contrast, is designed to scale. It offers:
Flexible pricing with no contract lock-ins
Easy onboarding for part-time or rotating clinicians
Built-in location and shift management for multi-site practices
Seamless workflows for multidisciplinary teams
As a VA team, this matters because it means we’re not constantly building workarounds for our clients. Jane is adaptable, and that saves everyone time.
A Word on Support: Human Help vs. Ticket Frustration
Support can make or break your experience with any software. And here’s where Jane consistently earns rave reviews from both our clients and our team.
Jane’s support is fast, human, and thoughtful. Whether we’re calling, chatting, or emailing, their team responds promptly and with actual answers- not just links to help and FAQ docs.
Simple Practice’s support, while available, often relies heavily on automated help centers and longer response times. We’ve found it more difficult to resolve nuanced issues quickly, especially when it involves multi-provider workflows or system bugs.
For our clients, this can mean the difference between getting back to client care faster or sitting in frustration, waiting for a reply.
Day-to-Day Features That Make a Difference
Both Jane and Simple Practice offer standard EHR functions like appointment scheduling, progress notes, client intake forms, and secure messaging. But from our experience working behind the scenes, Jane’s day-to-day tools are more thoughtful and time-saving.
Here’s what we’ve noticed:
Waitlist Management- Jane lets clients add themselves to a waitlist and automatically fills canceled appointments based on client preferences. This is huge for practices trying to reduce gaps without manual follow-ups.
Session Notes & Templates- While both platforms offer note templates, Jane’s customization tools are easier to use. It’s quicker to create templates that match your clinical style, and you can link notes across sessions.
Part-Time Scheduling Support- Simple Practice doesn’t handle part-time providers as well. Jane allows for flexible scheduling and licensing, so you’re only paying for what you need.
Built-in KPI Reporting- One of the biggest advantages we’ve seen with Jane is access to performance metrics. You can easily track:
Client retention
Session frequency
Revenue per clinician
This helps us (as your VA team) give you valuable insight on how your practice is doing, and what could improve.
From the Client’s Perspective
Client experience matters! And while both platforms offer strong booking tools, we’ve found that Jane’s client interface feels more modern and customizable.
Clients can book easily, with text and email reminders
Telehealth links are sent automatically
Reminders and cancellation policies are fully customizable
Clients can keep a card on file, reducing no-shows
Where Simple Practice Still Wins
To keep things balanced, we’ll acknowledge that Simple Practice still shines in a few areas, especially for providers who are:
Insurance-based: SimplePractice offers robust claim filing tools
Looking for built-in forms: Their library of ready-to-go forms is vast
Just starting out: If you’re a solo provider seeing fewer than 10 clients/week, it may offer everything you need to get going
But in our experience, many of the therapists we work with outgrow Simple Practice, and by the time they’re expanding, they’re ready for something more flexible.
The Verdict from the Couchside Team
We’ve had the privilege of working with dozens of therapists, coaches, and other wellness professionals. Across the board, Jane is the platform we recommend most often, especially when:
You’re managing a team
You want flexibility and excellent support
You need robust data without extra cost
You’re tired of tech being the bottleneck
Our honest advice? If you’re just starting and staying solo, Simple Practice can work. But if you’re building a sustainable, scalable practice, Jane is the tool you’ll want behind the scenes.
Want Help Making the Switch?
At CouchSide, we don’t just recommend EHRs, we help you implement them. If you’re ready to move from Simple Practice to Jane (or want to explore whether it’s right for your team), we’d love to support the transition.
From setup and training to custom workflows and admin support, our team makes sure your technology works for you… not the other way around.
As a proud Jane Ambassador, we’ve seen firsthand how much Jane can transform a practice, and we’re excited to share that insight with our clients. If you’re ready to try Jane, you can use our grace code for a free 1-month trial: NIKKI1MO or book a demo to see Jane in action.
We’re here to help you build a practice that supports your clients and you! Let’s make your systems as supportive as the care you provide.
