Key differences
- Who can buy: anyone can buy Freed; Abridge is enterprise-only.
- Price: Freed $39 to $119/mo published; Abridge not publicly disclosed (ask vendor).
- EHR: Freed pushes to browser-based EHRs; Abridge is embedded in Epic.
- Retention: Freed users control deletion; Abridge retention is set by the organization.
- Verification: Freed provides a full transcript; Abridge links each sentence to evidence.
Company background
Freed
Freed was co-founded in January 2023 in San Francisco by Erez Druk and Andrey Bannikov, both former Meta engineers; Druk has said the idea came from watching his physician wife finish notes at night. In March 2025 Freed announced a $30 million Series A led by Sequoia Capital, bringing total funding to about $34 million, and reported more than 17,000 paying clinicians across 96 specialties at the time, with a team of roughly 50 people (CNBC). Freed's own company story page now says 26,000+ clinicians across 1,700+ clinics use the product. Freed sells directly to individual clinicians and small groups with self-serve checkout, and offers a Groups plan for clinics. It has also expanded beyond the scribe into coding, clinical evidence answers, visit prep, and a separate front desk product.
Abridge
Abridge was founded in Pittsburgh in 2018 by cardiologist Dr. Shiv Rao. It raised $250 million in February 2025 and a $300 million Series E in June 2025 led by Andreessen Horowitz with Khosla Ventures, at a reported $5.3 billion valuation (Reuters, WSJ). Abridge's site now says it is trusted by 300+ health systems and powers 100M+ conversations a year; named customers include Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Duke Health, Yale New Haven Health, Geisinger, and Sutter Health. It is ranked Best in KLAS for ambient AI in 2025 and 2026 (vendor-cited). Abridge sells only to organizations; there is no individual plan.
Side-by-side comparison
Prices in USD unless noted. "Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor)" means the vendor does not publish it. Each cell carries an evidence label; see how we label evidence. No hands-on clinical testing has been done yet.
| Feature | Freed | Abridge |
|---|---|---|
| Note quality and accuracy | Not yet independently tested by ClinicalAIWeekly Not yet independently tested | Not yet independently tested by ClinicalAIWeekly Not yet independently tested |
| Pricing tiers (exact, as published) | Starter $39/mo (up to 40 notes/mo); Core $79/mo (unlimited notes); Premier $119/mo monthly or $104/mo billed annually; Groups: custom quote Documentation reviewed | Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor). Enterprise contracts only; no self-serve plan or published price Not verified |
| Free tier / trial | No permanent free plan. 7-day free trial, no credit card. Pricing page offers Core free to residents, students, and trainees. Documentation reviewed | No free plan or self-serve trial; pilots are arranged through sales Documentation reviewed |
| EHR integrations | EHR push to browser-based EHRs on Premier ("send notes straight into any browser-based EHR with one click"); copy and paste on other plans Vendor-reported | Deep Epic integration (Abridge Inside: Haiku, Hyperspace, Hyperdrive) plus other enterprise EHRs; full list: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported |
| Specialties and templates | Specialty-specific templates for 20+ specialties, including psychiatry and mental and behavioral health; personal templates; instant template builder (Core and up) Vendor-reported | 50+ specialties including behavioral health (vendor support docs as reported) Vendor-reported |
| Languages | Captures visits in multiple languages and writes the note in English (Spanish, Mandarin, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, French, Korean, Thai, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Indonesian listed) Vendor-reported | 28 languages with automatic detection; note written in English Vendor-reported |
| Platforms | Web on any desktop, tablet, or smartphone browser; Zoom app for telehealth. Native app details: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Documentation reviewed | Epic Haiku and Rover mobile, Hyperspace desktop, Abridge web portal; standalone apps vary by deployment Documentation reviewed |
| In-person, telehealth, offline | In-person and telehealth both supported (Zoom app available). Offline recording: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported | In-person, inpatient, ED, and telehealth workflows per deployment; offline recording: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported |
| Note styles (SOAP/DAP/BIRP) | SOAP shown by default; specialty headers and custom formats. Named DAP/BIRP templates: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported | Specialty note settings chosen per encounter; named DAP/BIRP: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported |
| Editing and customization | Edit notes, "learn my format" from an edited note, dictation and saved phrases (Premier), custom templates Vendor-reported | Linked Evidence maps each note line to transcript and audio for verification; customization through organization settings Vendor-reported |
| Coding and billing help | Coding Assistant with ICD-10, E/M, and CPT suggestions on Premier Vendor-reported | Revenue cycle product with coding and billable documentation support Vendor-reported |
| Patient instructions and letters | Patient instructions, referral letters, and exception notes on Premier Vendor-reported | Patient-facing summaries and orders (Abridge Inside for orders); letters: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported |
| Data retention and deletion | Audio deleted after the note is processed (recoverable up to 48 hours; troubleshooting copies up to 14 days). Notes deletable anytime or auto-deleted after 30 days (backups up to 7 more days). Custom retention on Groups. Documentation reviewed | Audio, transcripts, and drafts retained per the organization's configured policy, then audio permanently deleted; early deletion of single encounters not supported Documentation reviewed |
| HIPAA BAA (and which plan) | Yes. BAA is Schedule A of the Platform Terms and applies from sign-up on every plan; signed copy on request; organization-wide BAA on Groups Documentation reviewed | Yes. Published Business Associate Agreement terms; signed as part of the enterprise contract Documentation reviewed |
| SOC 2 / ISO / HITRUST | SOC 2 Type 2 (vendor states). ISO 27001 / HITRUST: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported | SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, TX-RAMP, CCPA listed on Trust Center. ISO 27001 / HITRUST for Abridge itself: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Vendor-reported |
| Where data is stored | United States (Microsoft Azure) Documentation reviewed | HIPAA-secure, US-based data centers (Google Cloud per a VA privacy assessment) Documentation reviewed |
| Data used for model training? | Vendor says PHI is never used for training and models are trained only on de-identified notes; Terms also allow training on your data with consent given in Platform settings Vendor-reported | Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Not verified |
| Consent features | Sample patient consent script published in FAQ and Help Center; in-app consent capture: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Documentation reviewed | Epic workflows prompt clinicians to obtain consent from everyone recorded; consent language can be added to templates Documentation reviewed |
| Support | Live support from a Clinician Success team; dedicated account manager on Groups Vendor-reported | Enterprise implementation and support via contract Vendor-reported |
| Contract terms | Monthly or annual self-serve; Groups by contract. Minimum term: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Documentation reviewed | Annual or multi-year enterprise contracts; specifics: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor) Documentation reviewed |
Workflow walkthrough
Freed
A typical Freed visit starts in the browser or on a phone: start a recording, see the patient, stop, and a draft note appears in about a minute. You review it against the transcript (available at the bottom of each note), edit, and either copy it into your EHR or, on Premier, push it into a browser-based EHR. Telehealth visits can be captured with the Zoom app. The workflow is deliberately simple and self-serve; there is little IT setup, which is the main reason solo clinicians adopt it quickly.
Abridge
In an Abridge deployment the clinician opens the patient in Epic Haiku or Hyperspace, confirms consent, records, and a draft note appears inside the chart. Each sentence links back to the transcript and audio (Linked Evidence), which is the main tool for verification. Orders, coding support, and nursing documentation are separate product lines layered on the same capture. Setup is done by the health system's IT and informatics teams.
Psychiatry and behavioral health fit
Two federal rules matter for behavioral health. HIPAA treats psychotherapy notes (kept separate from the medical record) as a special category, so check that a scribe's default note does not blend process notes into the chart. Federally assisted substance use disorder programs are also covered by 42 CFR Part 2; the 2024 final rule aligned Part 2 more closely with HIPAA, with a compliance date of February 16, 2026 (HHS). None of the vendors here publicly describe Part 2 specific controls, The rule states that segregating Part 2 records is not required, and it creates a new category of SUD counseling notes that need separate patient consent, much like HIPAA psychotherapy notes. Part 2 programs should get written answers on how each tool handles consent, counseling-note content, and redisclosure before use.
Freed
Freed lists psychiatry and mental and behavioral health among its specialty templates, and its blog and Help Center publish behavioral health note guidance. For therapy-heavy practices, check whether the default structure separates the progress note from anything you would treat as HIPAA psychotherapy notes, and confirm you can suppress sensitive details (trauma narratives, substance use, third-party information) before notes leave the tool. The 30-day auto-delete option and default audio deletion help minimize retained sensitive content. Freed does not publicly describe 42 CFR Part 2 specific controls: Not publicly disclosed (ask vendor).
Abridge
Abridge lists behavioral health among supported specialties, and its enterprise retention model means the health system, not the clinician, controls how long audio and transcripts exist. That is good for governance but means an individual psychiatrist cannot delete a single sensitive encounter early. Health systems running SUD programs should map Abridge data flows against 42 CFR Part 2 consent and redisclosure rules; Part 2 specific controls are not publicly disclosed (ask vendor).
Strengths and weaknesses
Freed
Strengths
- Lowest published entry price in this group ($39/mo Starter)
- Transparent public pricing and self-serve signup
- BAA included in Terms on every plan, including the trial
- Psychiatry and behavioral health templates listed
- Default audio deletion plus optional 30-day note auto-delete
Weaknesses
- No permanent free plan (7-day trial only)
- EHR push, coding, and letters require Premier ($104 to $119/mo)
- Starter caps at 40 notes a month
- Note-level integrations are browser-based; deep Epic workflows are not its focus
- ISO 27001 or HITRUST not publicly listed
Abridge
Strengths
- Deepest Epic-native workflow in this group
- Linked Evidence for line-by-line verification
- Large health system track record and KLAS recognition
- Coding and revenue cycle products
- Organization-controlled retention and published BAA
Weaknesses
- No individual or small-practice plan
- No public pricing or free trial
- Less seamless outside Epic (reviewer reports)
- Single encounters cannot be deleted early
- ISO 27001 / HITRUST not listed on Trust Center
Who should pick which
| Practice type | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Solo or small private practice | Freed |
| Employed clinician in an Epic system | Abridge, if your system offers it |
| Psychiatrist needing per-encounter deletion control | Freed |
| System needing coding and revenue cycle tools | Abridge |
| Clinician with no IT support | Freed |
Verdict
If you control your own tools, Freed is the practical choice. If you work in a large Epic system that licenses Abridge, it will usually beat a bolt-on tool for in-chart workflow.
Whichever you choose, sign the BAA before any real patient audio is recorded, set retention to the shortest period that fits your workflow, and test with your own templates during the trial or pilot.
Related reading: Freed review, Abridge review and the psychiatry AI scribe guide.
FAQ
Can I buy Abridge myself?
No. Abridge sells to organizations only.
Which is better for psychiatry?
Both list behavioral health support. Freed gives you personal control over retention; Abridge is governed by your organization.
Does either sign a BAA?
Yes. Freed's BAA is in its Terms; Abridge publishes BAA terms that apply under enterprise contracts.
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?
Each fact comes from the vendor's official pricing, security, trust, or help pages, checked on 2026-10-12. Where a vendor does not publish something, we say so rather than estimate it.
Sources and last checked
All links checked 2026-10-12 (2026-10). Vendors change prices and terms often; re-verify before buying.
- Freed pricing (checked 2026-10-12)
- Freed security (checked 2026-10-12)
- Freed BAA help article (checked 2026-10-12)
- Freed privacy and audio retention (checked 2026-10-12)
- Freed Platform Terms of Use (checked 2026-10-12)
- Freed Series A press release (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge Trust Center (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge BAA terms (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge data security support article (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge retention (support article) (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge languages (support article) (checked 2026-10-12)
- Abridge Series E (checked 2026-10-12)
- HHS, 42 CFR Part 2 final rule fact sheet (checked 2026-10-12)