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Veterinary · head to head

Shepherd vs SimplePractice

Shepherd logo

Shepherd

Veterinary

Cloud veterinary practice management built by a practising vet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SimplePractice logo

SimplePractice

Healthcare

Practice management and EHR for mental health and therapy

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Shepherd quote-only pricing with no published rates; SimplePractice no API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
  • They diverge on capability: Shepherd covers Consultation-first records, SimplePractice covers Scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shepherd and SimplePractice actually diverge.

Attributes where Shepherd and SimplePractice differ
AttributeShepherdSimplePractice
Starting priceOn request$49/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryVeterinaryHealthcare
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Shepherd

  • Consultation-first records
  • Charges from treatment
  • Inventory
  • Cloud-based

Only in SimplePractice

  • Scheduling
  • Client Portal
  • Notes
  • Billing
  • Telehealth
  • Documents
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Shepherd

  • Practices losing revenue to treatment delivered but never billednot SimplePractice
  • Clinics replacing on-premise legacy systemsnot SimplePractice
  • Independent practices wanting something designed around clinical work rather than administrationnot SimplePractice

SimplePractice

  • Patient Carenot Shepherd
  • Medical Recordsnot Shepherd
  • Practice Managementnot Shepherd
  • Telehealthnot Shepherd

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Shepherd

  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • A smaller vendor than the established systems, with a correspondingly shorter track record
  • Cloud-only, so consultations depend on clinic connectivity

SimplePractice

  • No API or webhook support for integrations, preventing connections to Zapier or custom automation tools
  • Lacks AI clinical documentation in base plan, requiring manual note typing which takes 15-30 minutes per session
  • Reporting and customization features are limited compared to competitors, with weak insurance workflow support
  • Hidden costs beyond base pricing, with real cost often 3x higher after add-ons and annual increases
  • Telehealth component reported as unstable and frequently unreliable by some users

Pricing, plan by plan

Shepherd

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Shepherd review.

SimplePractice

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • Scheduling
    • Documentation
    • Client portal
  • Essential$79/month
    • Billing and payments
    • Insurance claim filing
    • Telehealth
  • Plus$99/month
    • Website builder
    • Advanced reporting
    • ePrescribe integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Shepherd if

  • You need consultation-first records.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want charges from treatment.
Shepherd review

Choose SimplePractice if

  • You need scheduling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want client portal.
SimplePractice review

Questions people ask

Is Shepherd or SimplePractice better?
Neither clearly leads. Shepherd starts at On request and SimplePractice at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shepherd or SimplePractice?
Shepherd starts at On request and SimplePractice at $49/month.
Does Shepherd or SimplePractice run on more platforms?
Shepherd runs on Web, Cloud. SimplePractice runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Shepherd best used for?
Shepherd is most often used for practices losing revenue to treatment delivered but never billed, clinics replacing on-premise legacy systems, independent practices wanting something designed around clinical work rather than administration. Of those, practices losing revenue to treatment delivered but never billed and clinics replacing on-premise legacy systems are not what SimplePractice is typically brought in for.
What can Shepherd do that SimplePractice cannot?
Shepherd covers Consultation-first records, Charges from treatment, Inventory, Cloud-based. SimplePractice covers Scheduling, Client Portal, Notes, Billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shepherd: What does Shepherd cost?

Pricing is quoted per practice and not published.

SimplePractice: What does SimplePractice pricing include?

SimplePractice tiers start at $49 (Starter), $79 (Essential), and $99 (Plus) per clinician per month. Add-ons cost extra, including AI Note Taker at $35/month and ePrescribe at $49/month plus $89 setup.

Source
Shepherd: What makes it different from other veterinary systems?

It was designed by a practising vet around the consultation workflow, so charges accrue from recorded treatment rather than being entered as a separate billing step.

SimplePractice: Does SimplePractice include telehealth?

Yes, all SimplePractice tiers include HIPAA-compliant integrated telehealth, allowing therapists to conduct secure video sessions directly from the platform.

Source
Shepherd: Is it cloud-only?

Yes, which removes server maintenance and makes connectivity a dependency.

SimplePractice: Is AI documentation included in SimplePractice?

No, AI clinical notes are not included in base pricing. SimplePractice offers an optional AI Note Taker add-on for $35/month that provides basic transcription, though it lacks advanced note generation features of competitors.

Source
SimplePractice: Does SimplePractice support international or non-US workflows?

No, SimplePractice is designed for US practices only and does not support non-US workflows, insurance structures, or currencies, limiting its use for international practitioners.

Source
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