SimplePractice vs Jane App for Online Booking (2026 Comparison)

Pick SimplePractice if you are a solo therapist who wants to approve every new client before they land on your calendar, with free text reminders on the $79 Essential plan. Pick Jane if you run a group, want clients to book real-time slots, and want part-time clinicians to cost half a seat.

Both are full practice management systems, not just booking widgets. This comparison focuses on the part your website visitors see: how a client gets from "Book a session" to a confirmed appointment, and what it costs you.

SimplePractice is the safer choice for solo therapists who screen new clients; Jane is the better value for groups that want instant booking.

At a glance

Prices checked on vendor pricing pages on 2 November 2026. SimplePractice prices are the standard monthly rates after any new-customer promotion.

Booking experience: requests vs real-time slots

This is the biggest difference, and it should drive your choice.

SimplePractice uses online appointment requests. A client picks a time in the portal, and you accept, decline or reschedule it from a Requests page, per the SimplePractice help center. A new client's request also creates a prospective client profile, so you can screen fit before saying yes.

Jane's online booking page describes real-time booking that keeps schedules accurate, a booking link you share on your website, and intake forms sent automatically after booking. It can also collect a card at booking for prepayment, late cancellation fees or no-show protection.

For a therapist, request-based booking is often a feature, not a flaw. You may want a phone consult before a first session. If so, SimplePractice's model fits. If your intake process is already clear and you want fewer back-and-forth emails, Jane's real-time model saves time. Our post on whether therapists should use online booking walks through that decision.

Getting booking onto your website

SimplePractice's plan comparison page lists online appointment requests on every plan, but the "appointment request widget" that integrates requests on your own website only on Plus. On Starter and Essential, you link your "Book a session" button to the client portal instead. Every plan also includes a basic professional website.

Jane's pricing page lists "Online Booking for clients through custom-branded site" on every plan. In practice, you link your website's booking button to that Jane booking site.

Either approach works. What matters more is where the button sits and what the page says around it. Our guide to website features that turn visitors into booked appointments covers placement and wording.

Reminders and no-shows

SimplePractice's pricing page FAQ says appointment reminders by email, text and voice are free on Essential and Plus. Its comparison page shows no appointment reminders on Starter, which is the main reason Starter is a false economy for most practices. Essential and Plus also add confirm or cancel by text and a client waitlist.

Jane includes email reminders in its core features on every plan. SMS reminders are free on Practice and Thrive, "where available in your region." The Balance card does not mention SMS. Thrive adds an automated waitlist, return visit reminders and self check-in.

Bottom line: on the plans most therapists actually use (SimplePractice Essential, Jane Practice), text reminders cost nothing extra on either.

BAA and HIPAA terms

SimplePractice publishes its business associate agreement. It says the BAA is entered into when your account is created and forms part of the Terms of Service, so it applies on every plan.

Jane's terms of use say Jane will, upon request, enter into its standard Business Associate Agreement with subscribers subject to HIPAA. Request it before you import client records. A BAA alone does not make your practice compliant, and this is not legal advice. Our guide to HIPAA-compliant forms and scheduling covers what else to check, such as what your reminder texts say.

Pricing for solo therapists and groups

For a solo therapist, both main plans cost $79 a month. SimplePractice Essential gives you request-based booking and reminders. Jane Practice gives you real-time booking, SMS reminders and one full-time practitioner. Jane's Balance plan ($59) caps you at 20 appointments a month, so it only suits a very small caseload.

Groups are where the gap opens. SimplePractice only lets you add clinicians on Plus. Its pricing page lists group Plus at $99 for the first practitioner and $74 for each additional one, and groups of 6+ get custom pricing. Jane's Practice plan adds $35 per full-time and $17.50 per part-time practitioner. Jane counts anyone booking fewer than 24 hours a week as part-time, and admin staff with no bookings are free.

Monthly list prices as of November 2026, before payment processing and optional add-ons. SimplePractice also charges a $20 annual AMA CPT fee per clinician.

Our therapy booking software pricing guide runs the same math for five more tools, including text reminder fees.

Other differences worth knowing

• Trial: SimplePractice offers a 30-day free trial. Jane says it does not have a free trial, and offers demos instead.
• Payments: Jane lists Jane Payments at 2.85% + $0.25 for online payments on its pricing page.
• Telehealth: both include one-to-one telehealth. Jane's Group Telehealth is $15 a month per opted-in practitioner. SimplePractice includes group telehealth on Plus.
• Insurance: Jane's Insurance Billing add-on is $20 a month plus $5 per additional full-time practitioner. SimplePractice includes claim tools on all plans with per-claim fees.

A website checklist for either tool

Whichever system you pick, the booking flow starts on your website. These checks apply to both:

• One booking path. Use the same link in your header button, contact page and service pages, so you only update one place if you switch.
• Say what happens next. If you use SimplePractice requests, tell visitors you will confirm within a set time. If you use Jane's real-time booking, say whether new clients should book a consult first.
• Keep clinical questions off your site forms. Collect symptoms and history inside the booking or intake system covered by your BAA, not in a website contact form.
• Match services to your site. The session types clients see in the booking tool should use the same names and prices as your website, or people stall.
• Test on a phone. Most therapy clients search on mobile. Book a test appointment from your own phone before you go live.
• Track the click. Measure clicks on the booking button so you can tell whether your site, not just your directory profile, is producing clients.

Which should you choose

• Choose SimplePractice Essential if you are solo, want to approve every new client, and want reminders and a waitlist for $79.
• Choose SimplePractice Plus if you want the request widget on your own site or you have a small group that values its insurance tools.
• Choose Jane Practice if you want real-time booking and deposits at booking.
• Choose Jane Practice or Thrive for groups with part-time clinicians, because seats cost far less.
• Skip SimplePractice Starter and Jane Balance unless your caseload is tiny; the missing reminders and the 20-appointment cap cost more than they save.

If you are comparing more than these two, see our best online booking software for therapists list. And when you are ready to wire booking into your site, our therapy practice website team can help.

Frequently asked questions