Key differences
- Free option: Doximity Scribe is free for verified physicians and NPs, including live visit recording (source). Upheal has a permanent free plan limited to text, dictation and uploads; Mentalyc is paid, with a 14-day trial.
- Price after free: Mentalyc Mini $19.99/mo (40 notes); Upheal AI Notes $39/mo; Doximity Scribe stays $0 for eligible clinicians (Enterprise: contact sales).
- Psychiatry templates: Mentalyc and Upheal name psychiatry templates on paid plans; Doximity names none and expects custom templates (setup guide).
- EHR: Doximity is copy and paste (source); Mentalyc uses a Chrome extension into your EHR; Upheal is its own EHR.
- Data: Doximity deletes audio and auto-deletes notes after 29 days, but publishes no no-training policy; Mentalyc says session data never trains AI; Upheal uses de-identified data unless you opt out.
Side-by-side comparison
Prices in USD. "Ask vendor" means the vendor does not publish it. Each cell carries an evidence label; see how we label evidence. Scores are research-based, from public vendor documentation; see the scorecard.
| Feature | Doximity Scribe | Mentalyc | Upheal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research score | Doximity Scribe (60/100, #7) | Mentalyc (75/100, #5) | Upheal (71/100, #6) |
| Pricing and access | |||
| Entry price | Free for eligible verified clinicians; Pro $24/user/mo adds Dialer features; Enterprise contact sales Documentation reviewed | Mini $19.99/mo (40 notes), or $14.99/mo billed annually Documentation reviewed | Free plan; AI Notes $39/mo Documentation reviewed |
| Free access | Permanent free tier for physicians, NPs, PAs and CRNAs, including live visit recording Documentation reviewed | 14-day trial of Pro, 15 notes, no card Documentation reviewed | Permanent Free plan limited to text-to-note, dictation and uploads (individual therapy) Documentation reviewed |
| PMHNP eligible for free access | Yes, as nurse practitioners; PMHNP not named separately Documentation reviewed | Trial only Documentation reviewed | Free plan (limited) Documentation reviewed |
| Psychiatry fit | |||
| Built for | General medicine, customizable Documentation reviewed | Therapists Documentation reviewed | Therapists (all-in-one EHR) Documentation reviewed |
| Psychiatry templates | No named psychiatry template; custom templates and prompts Documentation reviewed | Psychiatry and psychiatric nurse templates (Pro and up) Documentation reviewed | Psychiatry note type (paid plans) Documentation reviewed |
| Therapy formats (DAP, BIRP) | Not disclosed Ask vendor | Yes Documentation reviewed | Yes Documentation reviewed |
| E-prescribing | Platform beta via Photon (third-party report); not part of Scribe Third-party sourced | None documented Ask vendor | None documented Ask vendor |
| Privacy | |||
| HIPAA BAA | Yes, signed with each user at registration Documentation reviewed | Yes, created at sign-up Documentation reviewed | Yes, agreed at sign-up Documentation reviewed |
| Audio | Not stored; discarded once the note is generated Vendor-reported | Deleted once the note is ready Documentation reviewed | Deleted by default after notes Documentation reviewed |
| Note retention | Auto-deleted after 29 days; manual delete anytime Documentation reviewed | Kept until you delete Documentation reviewed | Kept until you delete Documentation reviewed |
| Model training | Not disclosed as a policy; BAA permits de-identified use for product development Ask vendor | Session data never used to train AI Vendor-reported | De-identified data used unless you opt out Vendor-reported |
| Workflow | |||
| EHR transfer | Copy and paste Documentation reviewed | Chrome extension into named EHRs Vendor-reported | Notes live in Upheal's own EHR Documentation reviewed |
| Telehealth capture | Doximity Dialer Documentation reviewed | Browser capture Documentation reviewed | Built-in telehealth, Chrome extension, Zoom Documentation reviewed |
| Coding help | Add Billing Codes quick edit Documentation reviewed | Automatic CPT (Pro and up) Documentation reviewed | Not disclosed Ask vendor |
Psychiatry and behavioral health fit
For PMHNPs and psychiatrists, the deciding question is whether a free general scribe is enough. Doximity Scribe is a general medical scribe you can adapt: its setup guide gives a psychiatry custom-prompt example that prioritizes mental status, risk language and treatment plan specificity (source), but no psychiatric evaluation, medication management or MSE template is named. Mentalyc and Upheal are built around therapy, with therapy note formats and a named psychiatry template on paid plans.
Doximity is the weakest of the three on documented behavioral health templates and has the least specific training policy. Its 29-day auto-delete means you must copy notes out promptly, but it also means less data sits with the vendor.
None of the three publicly describes 42 CFR Part 2 specific controls. Substance use disorder programs should get written answers on consent, counseling-note content, and redisclosure before use (Ask vendor).
Who should pick which
| Practice type | Better fit |
|---|---|
| PMHNP or psychiatrist who wants to start free with live visit recording | Doximity Scribe |
| Prescriber who wants a ready-made psychiatry template | Mentalyc (Pro and up) or Upheal (paid plans) |
| Clinician who wants no AI training without opting out | Mentalyc |
| Practice that wants notes, telehealth and billing in one system | Upheal EHR |
| Clinician already doing telehealth in Doximity Dialer | Doximity Scribe |
| Psychologist, LCSW, LPC or LMFT | Mentalyc or Upheal (Doximity free eligibility does not list these licenses) |
Verdict
Start with Doximity Scribe if you are a verified physician or NP who wants a free scribe that records live visits, and you are fine pasting notes into your EHR and building your own psychiatric templates. Choose Mentalyc if you want psychiatry and psychiatric nurse templates, a no-training policy and a Chrome extension into your current EHR, and can pay from $19.99/mo after a trial. Choose Upheal if you want an all-in-one EHR or flat $39/mo AI Notes with a psychiatry note type; its free plan covers text, dictation and uploads only.
Whichever you choose, confirm the BAA before any real patient audio is recorded, and get the vendor's model training terms in writing.
Related reading: Doximity Scribe review, Mentalyc review, Upheal review, Mentalyc vs Upheal, Best AI scribes for psychiatric prescribers, Best free AI scribe, and the full scorecard.
FAQ
Is Doximity Scribe really free?
Yes for verified U.S. physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs and listed students, including live visit recording, as of 2026-10-16. Psychologists, social workers and counselors are not on the published free-access list.
Can PMHNPs use Doximity Scribe for free?
Doximity lists nurse practitioners and NP students as eligible. It does not name PMHNPs separately, but the list covers NPs in general.
Is Upheal free?
Upheal has a permanent free plan limited to text, dictation, and uploads for individual therapy. AI Notes is $39/mo.
Which has psychiatry templates?
Mentalyc lists psychiatry and psychiatric nurse templates on Pro and up, and Upheal has a psychiatry note type on paid plans. Doximity names no psychiatry template; you build your own.
Do all three sign a BAA?
Yes. Doximity signs one with each user at registration; Mentalyc and Upheal put one in place at sign-up.
Does any of them train AI on my sessions?
Mentalyc says session data never trains AI. Upheal uses de-identified data unless you opt out. Doximity publishes no no-training policy, and its BAA permits de-identified use for product development: ask the vendor.
Is this medical or legal advice?
No. This is general information. Confirm BAA terms, data use, and consent requirements with each vendor and your compliance advisor before using patient data.
How were facts checked?
Doximity facts come from its official help center, product, BAA, Terms and security pages, checked on 2026-10-16. Mentalyc and Upheal facts come from our reviews of their official pages. Where a vendor does not publish something, we say Ask vendor rather than estimate it.
Sources and last checked
Doximity links checked 2026-10-16; Mentalyc and Upheal facts from our reviews of their official pages (checked 2026-10-13 and 2026-10-14). Vendors change prices and terms often; re-verify before buying.
- Doximity Help Center: How To Use Doximity Scribe
- Doximity Scribe product page
- Doximity Blog: Meet Doximity Scribe
- Doximity Business Associate Agreement
- Doximity Terms of Service
- Doximity security
- Doximity Enterprise Solutions and plans
- Doximity Academy: setting up Scribe for your specialty
- Doximity Academy: getting Scribe notes into your EHR
- Doximity Academy: Scribe in Dialer calls
- Doximity Help Center: smart edits for Scribe notes
- Fierce Healthcare: Doximity partnerships with Aledade and Photon (third-party)
- Mentalyc pricing
- Mentalyc security
- Upheal pricing
- Upheal privacy and BAA
- Upheal data handling