How Harbor compares
Every claim below is sourced from the vendor's own published pricing or documentation. Where a capability is not publicly documented, we say so rather than assume. These are capable, well-established platforms, and for many practices they are the right choice. The distinction is straightforward: they are electronic health records. Harbor is an electronic health record with a front office attached.
| Harbor | TherapyNotes | SimplePractice | Headway | Alma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist (inbound calls) | Built-in (Ellie) — 24/7 | No (3rd-party integration) | No (3rd-party integration) | No | No |
| Front-desk coverage included | Yes — every call answered | No — you, or a separate service | No — you, or a separate service | No | No |
| AI note drafting | Included | $40/mo add-on | $35/mo add-on | Included | Included |
| Patient portal + digital intake | Built-in (intake, forms, secure messaging) | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Crisis detection + 988 escalation | Built-in, on every call | No | No | No | No |
| Patient-level AI opt-out | Yes — every AI surface | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented |
| Golden thread enforced at sign | Yes (gated at note sign) | Treatment-plan linking exists; enforcement not documented | No (user-acknowledged gap) | Documented commitment; in-EHR enforcement not documented | Not publicly documented |
| Insurance billing | Self-managed (built-in clearinghouse) | Self-managed | Self-managed | Payer-paid platform | Payer-paid platform |
| Credentialing service | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Patient referral network | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Telehealth | Built-in | Free basic + $15 Premium | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Native mobile apps | Mobile web today; native apps in progress | iOS + Android | iOS + Android | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented |
| Price (with AI add-on) | $99/mo founding · $449 standard | $109/mo ($69 + $40 AI) | $114/mo ($79 + $35 AI) | $0 (% commission) | $125/mo |
On the price row: Harbor carries a higher subscription cost because it replaces a function the other platforms never covered — the front desk. The like-for-like comparison is not Harbor against an EHR subscription; it is Harbor against an EHR subscription plus the cost of covering your own phone between sessions. Account for that hour and the economics generally reverse. Model it for your practice →
Sources: TherapyNotes pricing page; SimplePractice pricing page; Headway help center; Alma for-providers page. Full citation list available on request.
Choose Harbor if…
- You want your practice to feel like a real practice, not a side gig. The AI receptionist means your phone is answered with warmth at 7am, at 9pm, on Saturday — patients aren't sent to voicemail.
- You want independence from aggregator platforms. YOU are the practice, YOU own the patient relationship, YOU set the rate, YOU keep 100%.
- You want a system you can audit. Every automated decision is logged, every patient can opt out, and every output is reviewable before it enters the record.
- You want it set up for you. We provision your number, build your receptionist, and connect your calendar. You don't configure anything.
Choose TherapyNotes if…
You want a mature, well-tested EHR that's been the solo-BH default for over a decade. Stable feature set. Strong note templates. Predictable pricing. AI is an add-on so you can adopt it on your timeline.
Trade-off vs Harbor: no integrated AI receptionist; AI features are à-la-carte rather than baked in.
Choose SimplePractice if…
You want a polished, designer-feel UX with strong patient portal + telehealth. Massive ecosystem of integrations. Mobile apps that work on a phone.
Trade-off vs Harbor: no integrated AI receptionist; AI notes are an add-on; golden-thread enforcement isn't there yet.
Choose Headway / Alma / Grow Therapy if…
You're early-career or don't want to deal with insurance panels. They credential you in 5–7 days, give you patient referrals, handle the billing, and pay you a per-session rate.
Trade-off: they're the billing entity, take a percentage, and own the patient relationship. A different bet than Harbor's — both valid.
Scope and limitations
Stated plainly, so you can evaluate fit before you evaluate price:
- Native mobile applications. The web application is fully mobile-responsive today; native iOS and Android clients are in development.
- Credentialing. Harbor does not credential providers. You bring your panels.
- Prescribing. No ePrescribe module. Pair with a dedicated vendor.
- Support model. Email and scheduled calls during business hours, with on-call escalation for critical issues. We do not operate a 24/7 support desk.
- Referral network. Harbor does not supply patients. You own your patient relationships.