Cliniko alternative for UK therapists: an honest comparison
Cliniko is a well-built practice system made for physios and allied health. Here is how it compares with NoteSono for a UK talking therapist, including the things Cliniko does better.
By the NoteSono team · Last reviewed · 9 sources checked
The short answer
Choose Cliniko if you want a mature diary with SMS reminders, deposits at booking, video calls and UK data hosting, and you are happy to write notes yourself or pay for a separate AI scribe. It costs US$45 a month for one practitioner, billed in dollars.
Choose NoteSono if notes are the part of the job that costs you evenings. It writes therapy notes in 20 formats from a short spoken or typed summary, tracks CORE-10, PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and is priced in pounds, with a free plan and paid plans from £14.99 a month.
Cliniko and NoteSono at a glance
We checked Cliniko's own pricing, feature and help pages on 16 October 2026. Where Cliniko does not say whether it has a feature, we say "not stated" rather than guess.
| Cliniko | NoteSono | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one practitioner | US$45 a month, every feature included | Free plan; Essentials £14.99, Pro £24.99 a month |
| Currency | US dollars only | Pounds sterling |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | Free plan with no time limit, plus an optional 7-day trial of Pro |
| AI note writing | Not built in. Cliniko points to connected apps such as Heidi | Built in on every plan, from a voice or typed summary or a photo of handwritten notes |
| Therapy note formats | Build your own templates | 20 ready-made formats including SOAP, DAP, BIRP, CBT, EMDR, psychodynamic and person-centred |
| Outcome measures | Not stated | CORE-10, PHQ-9 and GAD-7, scored and charted |
| Online booking | Yes, with deposits and payment at booking | Yes, on Pro, by private link or a public enquiry page |
| SMS reminders | Yes, US$0.10 per message | No. Email reminders only |
| Video calls | Built in (needs a card on file) | No |
| Client portal | Not found | No |
| Invoices and card payments | Yes, with Stripe, gift vouchers and Xero | Yes, on Pro, with Stripe. No Xero |
| Data hosting for UK accounts | UK | EU |
Where Cliniko is better
Cliniko has been refining its diary and billing for over a decade, and it shows. If these matter most to you, Cliniko is the stronger choice today.
- SMS reminders and bulk messages. Cliniko sends text reminders and group emails and texts. NoteSono only sends email reminders.
- Payment at booking. Cliniko can take a deposit or full payment when a client books, through Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Video calls. Telehealth is included, so you do not need a separate Zoom account.
- UK data hosting. Cliniko keeps UK accounts' data in the UK. NoteSono stores data in the EU, which is covered by UK adequacy regulations but is not the UK.
- Team features. Unlimited admin users, locations, roles and a whole-practice diary on every plan.
- Locked notes. A note saved as final cannot be edited by anyone, including admins.
- Free data migration from your current system.
Where NoteSono is better for talking therapists
Cliniko is general-purpose allied-health software. Its templates, body charts and treatment-note design come from physiotherapy. NoteSono was built for counselling and psychotherapy notes from the start.
Notes that write themselves, in therapy formats
After a session you speak or type a few sentences about what happened. NoteSono turns it into a structured note in the format you choose, which you review and sign. Cliniko has no AI of its own. Its September 2024 statement on AI points users to third-party apps, which means a second subscription and a second place your clinical data goes.
Measures and plans built for therapy
CORE-10, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are scored and charted on the client record, and on Pro you can send them to clients by link before a session. Treatment plans hold goals, interventions and review dates. Cliniko does not document named outcome measures.
Pounds, not dollars
Cliniko prices in US dollars, so your monthly cost moves with the exchange rate, and SMS credits are bought in dollars too. NoteSono is priced and billed in pounds.
A free plan rather than a deadline
You can use NoteSono's free plan for as long as you like: 5 notes a month for 2 clients. Cliniko's 30-day trial is generous, but it ends.
What each costs a solo therapist
| Cliniko | NoteSono Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | US$45, so the sterling cost moves with the exchange rate | £24.99 |
| AI notes | Third-party app, priced separately | Included |
| Text reminders | US$0.10 each | Not available |
| Annual billing | One month free | £249.99 a year |
If you would use Cliniko with a separate AI scribe, add that scribe's price. Heidi, which Cliniko mentions, lists its Clinician plan at US$110 a month billed annually.
Prices change
Which one should you choose?
Cliniko suits you if
- you run a multi-room or multi-practitioner clinic
- clients book and pay online and you want deposits taken up front
- SMS reminders are essential to keep your no-show rate down
- you are a physio, osteopath or sports therapist as well as, or instead of, a talking therapist
NoteSono suits you if
- you are a solo counsellor, psychotherapist or psychologist
- writing notes is the admin you most want to cut
- you want therapy formats and outcome measures without building templates yourself
- you would rather pay in pounds and start free
Switching from Cliniko
Cliniko lets account owners export their data. Two things are worth knowing before you cancel:
- Only an admin can run the export, and Cliniko's export files expire after about two weeks. Download them as soon as they are ready (Cliniko's export guide).
- Export before you cancel, not after. Keep the files somewhere encrypted for as long as your retention policy requires.
NoteSono does not yet import other systems' files automatically. You add clients directly, and you can photograph paper notes to turn them into text. If you are moving a large caseload, email support@notesono.co.uk and we will talk it through with you.
Common questions
Does Cliniko have AI note writing?
Not built in, as of October 2026. Cliniko published a statement in September 2024 pointing users to connected third-party apps such as Heidi for AI notes. NoteSono includes AI note writing on every plan.
Is Cliniko priced in pounds?
No. Cliniko shows its prices in US dollars, at US$45 a month for one practitioner, and SMS credits are also bought in dollars. NoteSono is priced in pounds.
Where does Cliniko store UK data?
Cliniko says data for UK accounts stays in the UK, on Amazon Web Services. NoteSono stores data in the EU.
Can I use NoteSono alongside Cliniko?
Yes. Some therapists keep their diary and billing in one system and use NoteSono only for notes. NoteSono can export each note as a PDF to attach to the client record elsewhere.
Does NoteSono have a client portal or SMS reminders?
No. NoteSono sends email reminders on the Pro plan and does not yet have a client portal or text messages. If those are essential, Cliniko is the better fit today.
Sources
Checked on 19 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on a figure.
- Cliniko pricing — US$45 single practitioner, 30-day trial, SMS credits, free migration
- Cliniko appointments features
- Cliniko health records features
- Cliniko security — UK data stays in the UK; Data Processing Addendum
- Cliniko: our current stance on AI (September 2024)
- Cliniko help: write a treatment note — final notes cannot be edited
- Cliniko help: connect to Google Calendar — one-way sync
- Cliniko help: export your data
- Heidi Health UK pricing
NoteSono is a competitor of Cliniko. We have tried to be fair and to link to Cliniko's own pages for every claim about it. If anything here is out of date, tell us at support@notesono.co.uk and we will correct it.