We compared the leading AI scribes for mental health on note formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP), clinical voice, EHR fit, and HIPAA. Twofold ranks first overall for most clinicians — built for mental‑health documentation, with flexible capture and affordable, transparent pricing — while Freed suits narrative‑style notes, Eleos fits larger analytics‑driven teams, and Mentalyc works for post‑session upload workflows. See also our broader AI medical scribe roundup and AI tools for therapy notes.
Disclosure: Twofold Health publishes this comparison and is included in the ranking. Tools were last reviewed in June 2026, and we flag where a competitor is the better fit.
How We Ranked the Best AI Scribes for Mental Health
Mental health documentation is different from generic medical charting. Therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and behavioral health clinicians need tools that can handle progress notes, treatment‑oriented documentation, mental status details, and nuanced session summaries.
For this ranking, the most important criteria were:
- fit for mental health workflows
- flexibility in how notes are captured
- clarity around HIPAA, BAA, and data handling
- ease of editing and exporting into an EHR
- overall value for solo clinicians and growing practices
That matters because the “best” AI scribe for mental health is not always the one with the most features. It is the one that reduces documentation time without creating new workflow friction.
What to Look for in an AI Scribe for Mental Health
The best AI scribe for mental health should do more than generate generic summaries. It should support common therapy and psychiatry note formats, let clinicians choose between ambient recording and post‑session summaries, and make it easy to review and finalize notes safely.
Before choosing a tool, check these five things:
- Does it support the note styles you actually use, such as SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, or psychiatry-focused documentation?
- Does it require full-session recording, or can you dictate or summarize instead?
- Does the company clearly explain its HIPAA and BAA posture?
- How much editing do notes usually need before they are ready to sign?
Can you get the final note into your existing EHR without adding friction?.
1. Twofold Health: Best Overall AI Scribe for Mental Health
A Reddit review:
“Twofold drafts my SOAP in under 30 seconds and nails the MSE sections almost every time.” – u/Behavioral_NP
Changed the way I work (in the best way possible)… highly recommended for anyone who struggles with, and wastes hours on documentation.
Pros
- 20‑ to 30‑second drafts; built‑in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, ADIME & MSE
- Flat $49 / mo (annual) with instant BAA; audio deleted after processing
- Native Mobile Apps
- 24/7 customer support on all tiers
- Highly customizable
- Industry-leading accuracy
2. Freed AI — Best for Narrative-Style Notes
“Freed feels like a human dictation—great paragraphs, minimal tweaking.” – u/HelpingHandsLCSW
More reviews: G2
Pros
- Browser & mobile apps work with any EHR.
- Tiered pricing ($39 Starter / $79 Core / $104 Premier annual or $119 monthly); no per-minute fees.
Cons
- Writing style drifts between encounters; needs proofreading.
- Free tier limits daily minutes.
- No offline capture; steady internet required.
- Peak‑hour slow‑downs reported by some users.
3. Eleos Health — analytics‑driven option for larger teams
Overall, it has helped me and been a positive experience. However, it only saves me a small amount of time. With tweaks, it could be more useful and efficient.
- Allison (Therapist in US)
More reviews in Capterra.
Pros
- Full‑session recorder extracts interventions and risk phrases.
- Supervisor dashboard surfaces engagement metrics.
Cons
- Quote‑only pricing; five‑seat minimum.
- Two‑to‑four‑week onboarding before go‑live.
- Requires continuous recording and client consent.
- Heavier bandwidth usage than memo‑based tools.
4. Athelas Scribe — Best for Coding-Heavy Workflows
"Athelas scribe has helped me with taking lecture notes and allowed me to catch up on sleep as a college student."
Pros
- ICD‑10 / CPT suggestions built into the note.
- Apps available on Chrome, iOS, and Android.
Cons
- $150 +/mo per clinician plus a 12‑month commitment.
- Cloud‑only processing; no offline mode.
- Output quality drops with low‑grade microphones.
- No flexible month‑to‑month plan for small practices.
5. Upheal — Best for Session Analytics
Honestly, overall, my experience with Upheal is GOOD. Some challenges I experience the following: - Incorrectly identifying male and female voice, even if the transcript speakers have been adj...
- Letiesha Dunn
Pros
- Visual affect & keyword timeline accompanies each transcript.
- Multi‑format export (SOAP, GIRP, DAP).
Cons
- 60‑ to 90‑second processing per 50-minute session.
- Requires reliable broadband; large audio uploads.
- Clients must agree to recording every visit.
- Pricing available only via sales demo.
6. Mentalyc — Best for Post-Session Upload Workflows
“Mentalyc helps me create excellent notes in much less time. Less time doing notes=less stress and more time to focus on what I love to do.“
- Laura C, Counselor
Pros
- Audio anonymised and purged immediately after processing.
- Tiered solo plans ($19.99 Mini / $39.99 Basic / $69.99 Pro / $119.99 Super); all include a signed BAA.
Cons
- 10–15 minute turnaround—slowest on the list.
- Fixed templates limit custom fields.
- No live recording; you must upload files after sessions.
- Longer sessions may require splitting audio or incurring extra fees.
7. Apollo Notes — Best for Quick Voice-Memo Recaps
Pros
- Converts a short post‑session voice memo into full notes.
- Free tier (10 notes/month) for testing.
Cons
- English‑only; no multilingual support.
- Founder‑run support can be slow during peak times.
- Average 70‑second processing—longer with poor audio quality.
- No analytics or template customization beyond core formats.
Price & Speed Snapshot (2026)
Tool | Score (/10) | HIPAA plan price | Avg. draft time | Templates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Twofold | 9.4 | $49/mo | 0 : 30 | 50+ |
Freed AI | 8.2 | $99/mo | 0 : 45 | 30+ |
Eleos | 7.9 | Quote | 1 : 30 | 6 + analytics |
Athelas | 7.7 | $150/mo | 0 : 50 | 4 |
Upheal | 7.5 | Quote | 1 : 10 | 10+ |
Mentalyc | 7.4 | $59/mo | 2 : 00 | 10+ |
Apollo | 7.2 | $39/mo | 1 : 10 | 3 |
Scores (out of 10) are a weighted blend of note quality, format coverage, EHR fit, HIPAA compliance, and price — weighted for this comparison's criteria. See each tool's section for the detail behind its score.
Capability matrix: top 5 tools side by side
Capability | Twofold | Freed | Eleos | Upheal | Mentalyc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SOAP / DAP / BIRP / GIRP | All four | SOAP / narrative | Core formats | SOAP/DAP (BIRP add-on) | MH templates |
Ambient session capture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial — upload-first |
Post-session upload / dictation | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes |
Custom templates | 50+ | 30+ | 6+ with analytics | 10+ | 10+ |
Works alongside your EHR | Yes | Yes | Enterprise rollout | Yes | Yes |
Audio stored after the note | No | Verify with vendor | Verify with vendor | Verify with vendor | Verify with vendor |
Capability snapshot verified June 2026 from vendor documentation and our testing — confirm plan details with each vendor.
Final Verdict: What Is the Best AI Scribe for Mental Health?
Twofold Health is the best AI scribe for mental health in 2026.
It is the strongest overall choice because it balances the things that matter most in real clinical practice: mental‑health‑specific documentation, flexible capture options, simple workflow fit, privacy‑conscious positioning, and strong value. Other tools may be better for a narrow use case such as analytics, coding, or EHR‑native workflows. But for most mental health clinicians, Twofold is the most practical and complete choice.
Last reviewed: May 2026 — pricing tiers, plan availability, and vendor positioning in this guide were re-checked for currency. Confirm specifics with each vendor before purchasing.
Does an AI scribe work for teletherapy sessions?
Yes. Most mental‑health scribes capture telehealth sessions either by listening through your device's audio during the video call or by processing a recording afterward. Twofold works independently of your telehealth platform, so you can keep SimplePractice, Zoom, or doxy.me unchanged; Upheal is built around recorded telehealth sessions. Confirm client consent rules for your state, and check that the tool never retains the session audio after the note is drafted.
Do AI scribes support DAP, BIRP, and GIRP notes?
The mental‑health‑focused ones do — and it's the first thing to verify, because payers and agencies often mandate a format. Twofold covers SOAP, DAP, BIRP, and GIRP in the base plan; Upheal covers SOAP and DAP with BIRP as an add‑on; Mentalyc uses its own mental‑health template set. General‑purpose medical scribes usually stop at SOAP or narrative notes, which is why a therapy‑specific tool is worth it if you chart in behavioral‑health formats.
Do I need client consent to use an AI scribe in therapy?
Yes — treat consent as non‑negotiable. Many states require all‑party consent to record a conversation, and even where one‑party consent applies, ethical practice (and most professional boards) expect you to inform clients and document their agreement before any session is captured. Build it into your intake paperwork, offer a no‑recording alternative such as post‑session dictation, and note client consent in the record. We cover the documentation specifics in patient consent and AI notes.
How much does an AI scribe for mental health cost?
Expect roughly $39–$150 per clinician per month. In this comparison, Apollo starts at $39/mo, Twofold's HIPAA plan is $49/mo with a BAA and 50+ templates included, Mentalyc runs $59/mo, Freed $99/mo, and Athelas $150/mo, while Eleos and Upheal quote by practice. At typical caseloads, reclaiming even 15 minutes of documentation per day covers the subscription several times over. For the budget‑focused breakdown, see the most affordable AI scribes.