Klarify vs Upheal (2026): An Honest Comparison

The short answer: choose Klarify for full HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR compliance, data stored in Canada, custom templates on every plan, deeper client insights and clinician reflection, flat pricing at a full caseload, and French support (Klarify also publishes French clinical guides on its Blogue). Upheal fits therapists who mainly want its free tier or are shopping for an EHR. Upheal claims HIPAA, PHIPA, and PIPEDA compliance on its site.

Upheal facts come from its public pages: upheal.io, upheal.io/pricing, upheal.io/en-ca/pricing, and the Upheal changelog, all fetched on 18 August 2026. Prices change often, so re-check both pricing pages before you commit.

Prices verified 18 August 2026.

Klarify vs Upheal at a Glance

The two tools solve the same core problem, AI-drafted progress notes from recorded sessions, but they’re placing different bets. Klarify is digging deeper into the clinical work itself, with more note formats, custom templates on every plan, insight tools that go beyond the note, a bilingual product, and data that never leaves Canada. Upheal is building outward into a practice platform. The head-to-head below puts security and compliance first, with the Canada-specific rows grouped at the bottom.

✓ = verified in the product or stated on the vendor’s site · ✕ = not offered/not published

What Is Upheal?

Upheal is an AI progress-notes platform for mental health clinicians that positions itself as an eventual EHR replacement. Its homepage frames the product as notes “plus everything you need to replace your EHR, when you’re ready.” Notes are the wedge; the platform is the product.

The platform covers a lot of ground: AI treatment plans, a compliance checker, AI chart migration, an AI Assistant (beta), two-way Google Calendar sync, client self-scheduling, a client portal with messaging, practice forms, HIPAA-compliant telehealth, invoicing and payments, and newly launched insurance billing. It captures sessions by video, audio, text, or upload, integrates with Zoom and Google Meet, and connects to SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, IntakeQ, and Healthie. The public changelog shows four releases in the past month, including AI session-prep summaries (5 August 2026) and live insurance billing (29 July), and PHQ-9/GAD-7 score insights landed 17 July.

For Canadian readers, Upheal maintains a dedicated /en-ca/ site with C$ pricing and PHIPA-localized copy. We dig deeper in our full Upheal review.

Best for: clinicians who want notes and practice management converging into one platform, or a free plan for a light caseload.

What Is Klarify?

Klarify is an AI assistant for therapists, built and secured in Canada, with the product interface in English and French. It captures sessions six ways: in-person audio, virtual meeting audio, session dictation, handwritten notes, uploaded transcripts (up to 300,000 characters), and uploaded audio files (up to 5 GB). In-browser recordings run up to 3 hours. From any of those inputs, it drafts your note in one of 21 built-in formats or a custom template generated from your own writing.

Around the note, Klarify adds Klara, a chat assistant that drafts and edits notes, preps you before sessions, writes client emails, and fills referral letters, return-to-work reports, and treatment plans by modality. Each session also produces structured context, an interactive mindmap of themes and patterns, and client reflection questions. Sessions can be transcribed and documented in English, Français (Canada), Spanish, or Italian on plans that include multi-language support. Note depth is adjustable from brief to very detailed. Custom templates come with every plan; audio upload and multi-language sessions are plan-gated, so check the plan details in-app before you buy. The site also lists insurance claim filing among its features, and every account includes a free public profile page hosted on klarify.ca, a Psychology Today-style listing with built-in marketing features for attracting clients. Klarify is fully HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR compliant, all data is stored in Canada, and the training policy is blunt: “We never train on it, never sell it, never share it. Full stop.”

Best for: clinicians who want the deepest documentation and insight layer, clear compliance and residency answers, and predictable flat pricing alongside whatever practice-management system they already use. Bilingual and francophone Canadian practices get a product that works in French, and every therapist gets a free profile page that markets the practice.

How Do Security and Compliance Compare?

Klarify is fully HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR compliant, and every piece of Klarify data is stored in Canada. Upheal claims HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, and GDPR compliance on its site, publishes a SOC 2 Type II certification, and describes its security as “continuously externally tested.” Klarify does not currently publish an equivalent third-party report. On residency, the positions reverse. Klarify’s answer is Canada, always. Upheal says nothing about where your data is hosted. We cover the Canadian frameworks in more detail further down.

Whichever you choose, your record-keeping obligations stay yours. In the US, retention and documentation requirements vary by state and licensing board; an AI note tool does not change them.

What Happens to Your Session Recordings?

Both vendors delete session audio, and both say they won’t train models on your clients, though one wording difference is worth noticing. Recording a therapy session creates the most sensitive file in your practice, so the deletion mechanics deserve more scrutiny than the feature lists.

Klarify deletes session audio from storage within 14 days of the session, no exceptions. You can tighten that, too. Auto-delete can run immediately after processing or on a shorter schedule, and you choose the scope: audio only, audio plus transcript, or the entire session. While the audio exists, it sits in Canada, like all Klarify data. Upheal states “All recordings deleted by default” and offers an “Opt-out from AI model training.” Klarify’s position is stronger on the training question, since “We never train on it, never sell it, never share it” is a default rather than an opt-out. Upheal’s page doesn’t publish a deletion timeline or say where recordings are hosted; ask, and put the answer in your privacy documentation. The record stays with you either way, and so does the duty to safeguard it, under HIPAA in the US and under PHIPA and PIPEDA in Canada.

How Much Do Klarify and Upheal Cost?

Klarify sells flat monthly plans; Upheal meters per session and caps the meter. Klarify’s displayed pricing runs from a free plan to $71 USD/month for unlimited sessions. Upheal charges $1 per session capped at $69/month (C$1 and C$69 on its Canadian page, a straight numeral swap that works out to a real-terms discount for Canadians). All figures below verified 18 August 2026.

Upheal doesn’t publish an exact free-versus-paid feature matrix; the basic-versus-full split above is how its pricing page presents its note types.

What that means at real caseloads:

From a steady part-time caseload through about 130 sessions a month, Klarify’s flat plans cost a fraction of Upheal’s cap. Most working therapists sit in that band, and that band belongs to Klarify. Below roughly 16 sessions a month, Upheal’s meter (or its free plan, if basic formats cover you) costs less. At truly unlimited volume, Upheal’s C$69 cap undercuts Forest.

On currency: Klarify’s pricing page includes an in-page toggle that shows plan prices in CAD as well as USD, so Canadians can compare against Upheal’s C$ page directly. One caveat on Upheal’s side: it adds usage fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction, and $0.30 per insurance claim plus $0.15 per eligibility check (waived until the end of September 2026). Students and associates get 50% off Upheal for their first 12 months; Klarify does not publish an equivalent discount. Group practices comparing seat costs can start with our clinic pricing calculator.

How Do Note Formats and Templates Compare?

Klarify ships 21 built-in note formats plus AI-generated custom templates; Upheal names 13 note types, with SOAP, DAP, and Intake listed as its basic set. If your documentation lives in one or two standard formats, both tools cover you. The gap opens with modality-specific and relational work.

Klarify covers more of the work therapists actually do: breadth across therapy modalities (an IFS session, an EFT couples session, and a Gottman assessment each get a format built for that work), dedicated relational formats, and custom templates on every plan. Hand Klarify a note you’ve already written and it builds a reusable template from it. Upheal lists some formats Klarify doesn’t: PIRP and SIRP for problem- and solution-focused documentation, a Psychiatry format, Medical notes, and Headway-compliant SOAP for clinicians billing through Headway in the US.

For Canadian Practices: French, PHIPA, and C$ Pricing

Klarify holds most of the ground here. A Canadian company, all data stored in Canada, Quebec Loi 25 compliance on the record, CAD pricing through an in-page currency toggle, and a product that works in French. Upheal maintains a dedicated /en-ca/ page with C$ pricing and PHIPA copy, but localization is where it stops.

The French gap is the widest one. Upheal’s homepage, its US and Canadian pricing pages, and its changelog contain no mention of French at all. Nothing is localized beyond currency and compliance copy: no French notes, no French interface. Klarify ships a fully bilingual interface and generates notes from French-language sessions in Français (Canada). If you practice in Quebec, in a bilingual Ontario or New Brunswick practice, or with francophone clients anywhere, that is the difference between a tool that works in your language and one that doesn’t mention it.

On certification, Upheal publishes SOC 2 Type II and describes its security as “continuously externally tested,” while Klarify does not currently publish a third-party report. On residency and Loi 25, the two are not symmetric. Klarify stores all data in Canada and is Loi 25 compliant. Upheal publishes neither a residency statement nor a Loi 25 statement, so Quebec clinicians should put both questions to Upheal in writing. Whichever you choose, your college’s record-keeping standard still applies. CRPO, OPQ, and the other provincial colleges set their own retention and documentation rules, and no AI tool changes that.

Where Upheal Wins

The facts, from its public pages:

• The free plan. Unlimited notes plus telehealth at $0, limited to its basic note types (SOAP, DAP, Intake).

• The platform scope. Telehealth, calendar sync, self-scheduling, client portal, invoicing, payments, live insurance billing. Klarify stays a documentation and insight layer beside your existing system.

• It publishes a security certification Klarify doesn’t: SOC 2 Type II, with continuous external testing.

• Integrations. Zoom, Google Meet, SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, IntakeQ, and Healthie, plus AI chart migration to pull your history in. Klarify lists none.

• Its public changelog shows multiple releases in August 2026.

• Trial terms. A 30-day full trial with no credit card, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and 50% off for students and associates for the first 12 months.

Where Klarify Wins

• Compliance you can put in writing. Fully HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR compliant.

• Every byte stored in Canada. Upheal publishes no residency statement at all.

• Documentation depth. 21 built-in formats spanning modalities (IFS, ACT, EFT, Gottman, EMDR, SFT, narrative) and relational work (couple, family, group), plus custom templates on every plan, built from your own notes.

• Six ways to capture a session. In-person audio, virtual meeting audio, dictation, handwritten notes, uploaded transcripts, and uploaded audio.

• Flat pricing at working caseloads, in CAD or USD. $16 USD covers 70 sessions a month and $32 covers 130. On Upheal’s meter, both caseloads bill the full C$69 cap. A currency toggle on the pricing page shows Canadian prices.

• Retention you control. A hard 14-day ceiling on stored audio, with auto-delete configurable down to immediately and scoped to audio, transcript, or the whole session.

• Not training on your data is the default, not an opt-out setting: “We never train on it, never sell it, never share it.”

• Session intelligence. Structured session context, mindmaps of themes across sessions, and client reflection questions, alongside Klara for session prep, letters, and treatment plans.

• A free public profile that works for you. Every therapist gets a Psychology Today-style page hosted on klarify.ca, with built-in marketing features for attracting clients. Upheal offers nothing comparable.

• French, end to end. A bilingual English/French interface, plus session transcription and notes in Français (Canada). Upheal’s site doesn’t mention French once.

• It’s a Canadian company. Built and secured in Canada, with a product shaped for Canadian practice rather than a localized pricing page.

The Verdict: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Klarify if:

• You need compliance you can state to a college, a client, or counsel: HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR, with all data stored in Canada

• You carry a working caseload of 20-130 sessions a month and want flat, predictable pricing well under a $69 cap, in CAD or USD

• Your documentation spans modalities and formats (couples, family, group, IFS, EFT, EMDR) or you want custom templates built from your own notes, included on every plan

• You want each session to give you more than a note: structured context, a visual mindmap of client themes, and reflection prompts that help you think about the work

• You capture sessions more than one way: in person, virtually, by dictation, from handwritten notes, or from uploaded transcripts and audio

• You want the shortest possible retention window on session audio, configurable to immediate deletion

• You’d rather add an AI documentation layer to the practice-management system you already trust than migrate platforms

• You want new clients to find you: every account includes a free Psychology Today-style profile on klarify.ca with built-in marketing features

• You practice in French, bilingually, or with francophone clients. This one isn’t close

Choose Upheal if:

• You want one platform for notes, telehealth, scheduling, billing, and a client portal, or you plan to get there within a year

• Your caseload is light (under ~15 sessions/month) and Upheal’s basic note types, SOAP, DAP, and Intake, cover you at $0

• You bill insurance through the platform, use Headway, or need Psychiatry/Medical note types

• A published SOC 2 Type II report is a hard requirement from your clinic or counsel

For most working caseloads, and for nearly any practice in Canada, Klarify is the stronger choice. If you’re weighing more than two tools, start with our roundup of the best therapy note-taking tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Upheal available in French?

Klarify’s interface ships in English and French, and it can transcribe sessions and generate notes in Français (Canada) on plans that include multi-language support. Upheal’s public site does not mention French anywhere we could find: not on its homepage, its US or Canadian pricing pages, or its changelog (checked 18 August 2026). If French matters to your practice, confirm directly with Upheal before committing.

Which is cheaper, Klarify or Upheal?

It depends on your caseload. Between about 20 and 130 sessions a month, Klarify’s flat plans ($16-$32 USD as displayed) run well below Upheal’s $69 monthly cap, and Klarify’s pricing page shows both CAD and USD through an in-page currency toggle. Below roughly 16 sessions a month, Upheal’s per-session meter (C$1 per session on its Canadian page) costs less than Klarify’s first paid plan, and Upheal’s free plan lists unlimited notes on its basic note types. Prices verified 18 August 2026.

Are Klarify and Upheal HIPAA and PHIPA compliant?

Yes, with a difference in certainty. Klarify is fully HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, Quebec Loi 25, and GDPR compliant, and all Klarify data is stored in Canada. Upheal claims HIPAA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, and GDPR compliance on its site and advertises SOC 2 Type II certification, which Klarify does not currently publish. Upheal publishes no Quebec Loi 25 statement and no data-residency statement, so Quebec clinicians should put both questions to Upheal directly.

Does Klarify replace my EHR the way Upheal can?

No, by design. Klarify is a documentation and AI-assistant layer that sits alongside whatever you already use for scheduling and billing, and it goes beyond the note with structured session context, visual mindmaps of client themes, and reflection prompts for the clinician. Upheal takes the opposite approach: notes first, with telehealth, a calendar, a client portal, invoicing, and insurance billing built in, and it positions itself as an eventual EHR replacement. Neither tool lists an integration with Jane App or Owl Practice.

What happens to my session recordings in each tool?

Klarify deletes session audio from storage within 14 days at most, and you can set auto-deletion to run immediately after processing. You choose the scope: audio only, audio plus transcript, or the entire session. Upheal says all recordings are deleted by default and offers an opt-out from AI model training. Klarify never trains on your session data, and everything it stores lives in Canada.

Klarify drafts your notes in 21 formats while you stay with the client instead of the keyboard. Notes come in English or, on plans with multi-language support, in Français (Canada). The Seed plan is free at 10 sessions a month, with no platform migration required.

Try Klarify free

Sources: upheal.io, upheal.io/pricing, upheal.io/en-ca/pricing, and feedback.upheal.io/changelog, all fetched 18 August 2026. Klarify product facts verified against the product the same day. Pricing verified 18 August 2026 and re-checked quarterly. Upheal’s insurance-claim-fee waiver was advertised as running until the end of September 2026.