Practice Management vs. Scheduling Software: Which One Do You Need?

TL;DR

• EHR (SimplePractice/Jane): Essential if you bill insurance directly. Costly ($70+/mo).
• Scheduler (OnlyCaly): Best for cash-pay/private-pay solo therapists. Affordable ($15/mo).
• Hybrid: Use OnlyCaly for the sleek booking experience + a simple secure notes app.
• Rule: Don't pay for billing features you don't use.

When starting a private practice, you face a tech choice: Do you buy the "All-in-One" heavy hitter (Electronic Health Record / EHR)? Or do you adhere to the "Best-of-Breed" stack with specialized tools?

Here is the breakdown of Practice Management (PM) vs. Scheduling Software.

1. Practice Management / EHR (e.g., SimplePractice, Jane)

What they do:

• Scheduling + Billing + Insurance Claims + Clinical Notes + Telehealth.
• Designed to be the operating system for your entire clinic.

The Pros:

• Everything in one login.
• Essential if you bill insurance directly (CMS-1500 forms).

The Cons:

• Expensive: Often $70-120/month per therapist.
• Clunky UX: Because they do everything, the "Client Booking Experience" is often rigid and ugly.
• Overkill: If you are a cash-pay solo practitioner, you are paying for billing features you never use.

2. Dedicated Scheduling Software (e.g., OnlyCaly, Calendly)

What they do:

• Client Booking + Reminders + Payments (Stripe) + Intake Forms.
• Focus heavily on the "Front Door" experience (conversion, ease of use).

The Pros:

• Beautiful Booking Pages: Higher conversion from website visitors.
• Cheaper: Usually $15-30/month.
• Flexible: Syncs with your personal Google Calendar seamlessly.

The Cons:

• No Insurance Billing.
• You need a separate place for clinical notes (like a secure Google Doc or pen/paper).

Common Selection Mistakes

1. Over-Buying: "I might take insurance someday" -> paying $100/mo for 2 years for nothing.
2. Client Experience Blindness: Choosing a clunky EHR that makes it hard for anxious clients to book.
3. Fear: Thinking you "aren't real" without big software. You are real. Your clinical work matters more than your CRM.

The Verdict: Who needs what?

Choose an EHR (Practice Management) If:

• You take insurance and need to file claims electronically.
• You have a large group practice with complex payroll needs.

Choose Specialized Scheduling (OnlyCaly) If:

• You are Private Pay (Cash/Card): You don't need a bloatware claims engine.
• You are just starting: Keep overhead low ($15 vs $100).
• You value Design: You want your booking page to look modern and inviting, not clinical and cold.

The Hybrid Approach: Many successful therapists use OnlyCaly for the booking/intake (because it converts better) and then manually enter the client into a lightweight notes system. It gives the best "frontend" experience for the client while keeping the "backend" simple.

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Keep it Simple If you don't file insurance claims, don't pay for software that does. OnlyCaly gives you the robust scheduling and payments you need, without the bloat.