Clinicians have more AI‑scribe choices than ever. Autonotes and Freed sit at very different ends of the spectrum—one purpose‑built for behavioral‑health workflows, the other positioned as an all‑specialty medical scribe that scales from solo providers to enterprise groups. Below is a deep, research‑driven breakdown to help you decide which (if either) is the better fit for your practice. See also our Freed vs Twofold comparison.
Autonotes Overview
Focus | Mental‑health and allied‑therapy notes (SOAP, DAP, CBT, EMDR, etc.) |
|---|---|
Typical users | Solo therapists & small counseling groups |
Key features | • Dictation & session recording • Smart treatment‑plan generator • Goal/progress tracker • 20+ note templates • Chrome copy‑to‑EHR shortcut |
Pricing (monthly) | Economy $14/mo (unlimited progress notes), First Class $34/mo (adds recording + custom templates), Enterprise custom — 2026 plan refresh removed the old 125/300-session caps |
Compliance stance | HIPAA-aligned program; signs a BAA with every customer who uses PHI; PHI is permitted in the app (Trust Center, May 2026 — older "no PHI / no BAA" framing is obsolete) |
Social proof | ~10 public G2 reviews (avg. 4.4/5) as of 2025 |
Autonotes Pros
- Lowest entry price in the category at $14/mo (Economy, unlimited progress notes after the 2026 plan refresh).
- Rich library of mental‑health‑specific templates out of the box.
- Built‑in treatment‑plan and goal‑tracking modules reduce the need for external tools.
Autonotes Cons & Limitations
- Browser-only (no native mobile app on the public site as of May 2026); the older session caps and overage upgrade pressure were removed in the 2026 plan refresh.
- EHR back-and-forth automation is limited to copy/paste (Chrome insert bar) — Autonotes doesn't ship native APIs or FHIR write-back. The older "PHI uploads disallowed" framing is obsolete: Autonotes now signs BAAs and permits PHI per its Trust Center (May 2026).
- HIPAA posture is now explicit: Autonotes signs a BAA with every customer who uses PHI in the app, and the Trust Center frames PHI as a permitted, supported data type — clearing up the earlier mismatch between marketing and legal pages.
Freed Overview
Focus | General medical scribing across 25+ specialties (family medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, etc.) |
|---|---|
Typical users | Individual PCPs up to multi‑site health systems (20 k+ clinicians; 650+ organizations) |
Key features | • Unlimited real‑time transcription & note generation • “Learn my format” adaptive style engine • Visit‑prep summaries • Magic Edit & instant patient instructions • Native iOS/Android, Zoom‑app & Chrome extension • Tiered EHR integrations (copy‑paste → one‑click push) |
Pricing (monthly) | Starter $39/mo (40-note cap); Core $79/mo (unlimited, monthly only); Premier $104/mo annual or $119/mo monthly (adds EHR push + ICD-10); Groups custom — 2026 restructure replaced the old $99 solo / $84 small-group tiers |
Compliance stance | HIPAA, HITECH & SOC 2 Type II certified; end‑to‑end encrypted; no audio stored |
Social proof | 20 k+ active users; extensive clinician testimonials and media coverage |
Freed Pros
- Truly unlimited usage—no token or session caps.
- Robust security stack (HIPAA BAAs, SOC 2, FIPS‑level crypto).
- Flexible integration ladder: free Chrome extension for any web‑based EHR or paid direct‑push API.
- Multi‑specialty templates and multi‑language support broaden applicability.
Freed Cons & Limitations
- Entry price (Core $79/mo unlimited, Premier $104/mo annual) is 2–5× Autonotes Economy ($14/mo) after both vendors' 2026 plan refreshes.
- An adaptive-style engine may require manual tweaking during the first few encounters.
- Direct EHR push is now bundled into Freed's Premier tier ($104/mo annual or $119/mo monthly) — the older $49/clinician add-on no longer exists in the 2026 pricing.
Autonotes vs Freed Comparison: Key Differences
Aspect | Autonotes | Freed |
|---|---|---|
Note limits | Unlimited progress notes on every paid tier (Economy $14/mo and up); old 125/300-session caps removed in 2026 plan refresh | Unlimited on Core ($79/mo) and Premier ($104/mo annual); Starter ($39/mo) is capped at 40 notes/month |
Specialty breadth | Primarily mental‑health | 25 + specialties incl. psychiatry, family, peds |
Template depth | SOAP, DAP, CBT, EMDR & more | SOAP/clinic‑specific; “Learn my format” personalization |
EHR workflow | Copy/paste via Chrome bar | Chrome copy/paste on every tier; native EHR push bundled into Premier (no separate add-on as of 2026) |
Compliance | HIPAA-aligned + signed BAA with every PHI customer (Trust Center, May 2026) | HIPAA BAAs, SOC 2 Type II, HITECH, end‑to‑end encryption |
Mobile | Web only | Native iOS & Android apps |
Pricing model | Flat-rate monthly: Economy $14/mo (unlimited), First Class $34/mo, Enterprise custom | Tiered monthly: Starter $39 (capped), Core $79 (unlimited monthly), Premier $104 annual or $119 monthly |
Offline/ mobile access | Web only | Native iOS and Android apps |
Draft speed | ~30–45 s | ~30 per note |
Collaboration | Solo only | Multi-clinician sharing with shared templates |
Last verified May 2026
Autonotes vs Freed: Pricing Breakdown
- Autonotes: Economy $14/mo with unlimited progress notes; First Class $34/mo (adds recording, custom templates, note-to-note continuity); Enterprise custom. The 2026 plan refresh removed the older $25/$49/$99 session-capped tiers.
- Freed: Starter $39/mo (capped at 40 notes/mo); Core $79/mo (unlimited, monthly only); Premier $104/mo annual or $119/mo monthly (adds EHR push + ICD-10); Groups custom. 7-day free trial on every tier; 50% student discount on monthly individual plans.
Reality check (May 2026): Autonotes Economy now ships unlimited progress notes — session ceilings are gone. The choice between Autonotes and Freed is now driven by features (Freed's mobile apps, EHR push on Premier) and compliance attestation depth (Freed has SOC 2 Type II; Autonotes is SOC-2-aligned without a published attestation).
Autonotes vs Freed: Security & Compliance
Autonotes | Freed | |
|---|---|---|
HIPAA BAA | ✅ signs a BAA with every customer who uses PHI (Trust Center, May 2026) | ✅ available; all staff HIPAA‑certified |
SOC 2 | Not listed | Type II certified |
PHI handling | PHI permitted; HIPAA-aligned program governs data lifecycle; audio transcription via Deepgram subprocessor (First Class+) | End‑to‑end encrypted PHI, no audio retained |
Integrations & Workflow
- Autonotes – Copy/paste notes into any EHR; Chrome helper speeds transfers, but still manual. No direct API or FHIR push.
- Freed – Free universal Chrome extension on every tier; Premier ($104/mo annual or $119/mo monthly) bundles native EHR push into the same plan price — the standalone $49/clinician direct-push add-on was retired in the 2026 restructure.
User Feedback & Market Traction
Autonotes | Freed | |
|---|---|---|
Public reviews | 10 G2 reviews (avg. 4.4/5) | 20 k+ clinician accounts; hundreds of testimonials |
Community buzz | Limited third‑party write‑ups; some niche blog comparisons | Widely referenced in Reddit, physician forums, Business Insider, Notta’s “Best AI Scribe 2025” list |
Autonotes vs Freed: Which One To Choose?
If you... | Better fit |
|---|---|
Run a low‑volume therapy caseload and value ultra‑low cost | Autonotes |
Need SOC‑2 / HIPAA BAAs for enterprise compliance | Freed (SOC 2 Type II) or Autonotes (HIPAA-aligned + signed BAA, no formal SOC 2 attestation) |
Require notes for >15 patients/day or multi‑specialty clinic | Freed |
Want built‑in treatment‑plan & CBT/EMDR‑style templates | Autonotes |
Prefer mobile dictation & Zoom visit capture | Freed |
Need multi-clinician collaboration | Freed |
Prefer a low-friction trial before committing to paid plans | Autonotes |
Want to track session analytics | Freed |
Last verified May 2026
Why Twofold Might Be the Smarter Alternative
If neither product ticks every box, Twofold Health combines the best of both worlds:
- Purpose‑built mental‑health workflows and multi‑specialty support.
- HIPAA compliance with full PHI handling and signed BAAs.
- Unlimited notes at $49/month (annual)—nearly half of Freed yet without Autonotes‑style session caps.
- Native mobile apps, real‑time Zoom capture, and one‑click EHR push are included at no extra fee.
In short, Twofold delivers Freed‑level compliance and unlimited usage while preserving the therapist‑friendly nuance that puts Autonotes on the map—at a price closer to Autonotes Premium.
Conclusion
Choosing the right AI scribe hinges on matching your clinical volume, compliance obligations, and workflow preferences. Autonotes shines when ultra‑low pricing and mental‑health‑specific templates top the list, but its session caps and ambiguous HIPAA posture can limit growth. Freed offers enterprise‑grade security, unlimited usage, and broad‑specialty flexibility, yet commands a noticeably higher monthly fee and add‑on costs for direct EHR push. If you need Autonotes’ therapist‑centric finesse and Freed’s rock‑solid compliance—without the trade‑offs—Twofold Health provides a balanced, cost‑effective alternative worth serious consideration.
Note: The information provided in this article is based on data available as of May 2026. Features and pricing are subject to change. Please consult the respective company websites for the most current information.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Always consult professional guidelines and regulatory bodies for specific compliance requirements.