CouchNotes vs Mentalyc
A Mentalyc alternative that never uploads your sessions.
Mentalyc deserves credit: it's built for therapists, not generic clinicians, and its tiered pricing starts lower than most rivals. But every tier shares the same architecture — session audio is uploaded and processed on Mentalyc's servers, and notes live in their cloud under their retention policy. CouchNotes matches the therapy-specific focus (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, custom templates, consent forms included) while removing the upload entirely: models run on your Mac, audio is deleted when you finalize, and the one-time license costs about five months of Mentalyc's entry tier.
Side by side
| Feature | Mentalyc | CouchNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Built for therapists specifically | Yes | Yes |
| Where session audio is processed | Mentalyc's cloud servers | Your Mac, locally |
| Audio retention | Per Mentalyc's policy | Deleted on finalize, by default |
| Pricing | From $39/mo (tiered) | One-time license |
| Year-one cost | $468+ | $199 |
| Works offline | No | Yes, fully |
| Consent templates included | Yes | Yes |
| Custom note templates | Yes (higher tiers) | Yes, all licenses |
| Platform | Browser, iOS, Android | macOS (Apple Silicon) |
Mentalyc details as listed publicly, June 2026 — verify current terms on their site.
Where Mentalyc is genuinely strong
- Therapy-specific like CouchNotes — formats and language built for behavioral health
- Praised client-consent template resources and onboarding for AI-wary therapists
- Tiered plans (including a cheaper minutes-limited tier) and works on any platform
Choose Mentalyc instead if…
- You practice on Windows, ChromeOS, or mostly from a phone or tablet
- You want treatment-plan generation and practice-analytics features beyond note drafting
- You prefer a low monthly entry price over a one-time purchase
Common questions
Is CouchNotes cheaper than Mentalyc?
After about five months, yes. Mentalyc starts at $39/month as listed publicly in June 2026 ($468+/year); CouchNotes is a one-time license you keep. There is no recurring cost.
Mentalyc is HIPAA compliant — isn't that enough?
HIPAA compliance makes cloud processing legal, not local. De-identified retention and model-improvement uses can be fully compliant and still mean session data exists on someone else's servers. CouchNotes makes the question moot: audio never leaves your Mac.
What does Mentalyc have that CouchNotes doesn't?
Cross-platform access, treatment-plan generation, and practice analytics. If those outweigh on-device privacy and lifetime pricing for you, Mentalyc is the better fit — that's an honest trade.
Keep your sessions on your Mac.
CouchNotes is in development — the waitlist gets early-access pricing and first beta invites.
Comparing more tools? See the full Mac scribe roundup — or grab the free SOAP/DAP/BIRP templates while you decide.