Comparison

Practice Pad vs Bryl

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Practice Pad

This app converts handwritten therapy notes into digital clinical documentation using Apple Pencil. It offers built-in templates, progress tracking with assessments, and secure, HIPAA-compliant data storage. Notes can be exported or synced to cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Handwrite notes with Apple Pencil
  • On-device OCR for text conversion
  • Built-in DAP, SOAP, BIRP templates
  • Progress tracking with assessments
  • Append-only addenda for amendments
  • Biometric and encrypted data security
  • Export notes to PDF or sync to Google Drive
Read full description

Finish the session. Tap Finalize. Done. Practice Pad is the clinical documentation app built by a licensed counselor for therapists who handwrite their notes. Capture them by hand with Apple Pencil and they become finished, signed clinical documentation — no retyping, no double work. WRITE BY HAND, FILE AUTOMATICALLY Handwrite session notes with Apple Pencil on your iPad On-device OCR turns your handwriting into clinical text — nothing leaves your iPad during conversion Built-in DAP, SOAP, BIRP, and Narrative templates organize your writing Browse and install community note templates — including EMDR specialty formats — right into your library (Cloud plan) Review section by section, then sign and lock the note TRACK PROGRESS OVER TIME Administer PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5, ACE, and C-SSRS with automatic scoring Re-administer assessments and see each client's scores charted over time, with severity bands behind the line Progress is ready the moment you open a session — see where a client stands at a glance KEEP YOUR RECORD CLEAN AND DEFENSIBLE Append-only addenda let you add dated, signed amendments to a finalized note without altering the original record — designed to support proper clinical amendment practices under HIPAA Biometric Face ID / Touch ID lock protects your sessions AES-256 encrypted on-device storage YOUR DATA, YOUR ACCOUNT Sync finished notes to your own Google Workspace — Drive, Sheets, and Calendar (Cloud plan) Or copy note text and export PDF into any EHR (every plan) Your templates and your clients live in your account, not ours PRIVATE BY DESIGN We never collect your clinical data or PHI No PHI touches our servers A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is available for your practice BUILT BY A CLINICIAN, NOT A BILLING COMPANY Practice Pad started because its founder — a Licensed Professional Counselor — was tired of paying for software that held his data hostage. It does one thing exceptionally well: turn your handwriting into a clean clinical record, then get out of your way. Plans start at $15/month with a 14-day free trial. Practice Pad is a documentation tool, not an EHR — no scheduling, billing, or client portal, by design.

About

Bryl

This app helps therapists automate note-taking by transcribing and drafting session notes directly on their iPhone. It prioritizes privacy with on-device processing and offers customizable templates for various note types.

Highlights
  • On-device AI transcription and note drafting
  • Supports SOAP, DAP, BIRP, intake, EMDR, and progress notes
  • Offline functionality with Airplane Mode
  • Smart Edit for AI-assisted note revisions
  • Customizable templates
  • Privacy-focused with no cloud processing
  • Export to PDF, RTF, or formatted for EHRs
Features
Read full description

End your evening writing notes. Bryl drafts SOAP, DAP, BIRP, intake, EMDR, and progress notes from your session recording — entirely on your iPhone. No cloud. No third-party servers. No BAA needed because there is no third party. WHY THERAPISTS PICK BRYL Most AI therapy scribes upload your client's audio to a cloud they own and ask you to trust the BAA. Bryl is built differently. Recording, transcription, and note drafting all run on your iPhone's Neural Engine. Turn on Airplane Mode and Bryl keeps working — verifiable from the Privacy Proof screen, which shows a live network monitor that always reads zero for client content. YOUR SESSION, START TO FINISH 1. Tap Start. Pause and resume freely. 2. Drop in-session markers — risk flag, verbatim, homework, theme — without breaking eye contact with your client. 3. After session, tap Transcribe. Speakers auto-labeled (Therapist / Client). Edit any line. 4. Tap Generate Note. Pick a template — SOAP, DAP, BIRP, intake, EMDR, progress — or your own. 5. Review, sign with your name and license, seal with a tamper-detecting hash. 6. Export to PDF, RTF, or copy formatted for SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or TheraNest. SMART EDIT Don't like the assessment? Tap Smart Edit and tell the on-device model what to change — "shorter assessment", "use the client's own words", "CPT-aligned objective". Quick-pick chips for the most common revisions, or write your own. BUILT FOR YOUR PRACTICE - Caseload with treatment goals, mood sparklines, and between-visit check-ins - Sealing a note credits progress to matching treatment goals automatically - Risk markers and sealed-note risk lines surface on the home view - Audio auto-deletes the moment you sign and seal (opt-out for supervision) - Pre-session recap and next-session planning so you walk in prepared - Custom templates for your practice's documentation style PRIVACY BY ARCHITECTURE - Audio encrypted with AES-256-GCM the moment recording stops - iOS Data Protection keeps audio at rest unreadable when the phone is locked - PII automatically redacted before the on-device model sees the transcript, restored in the final note - Sealed notes carry a SHA-256 integrity hash — silent edits are detectable - Face ID lock with configurable auto-lock interval REQUIREMENTS - iPhone 13 or newer, iOS 17+ - About 3 GB free storage for the on-device speech models - About 2.5 to 5 GB for the on-device language model Privacy Policy: https://bryl.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://bryl.app/terms Bryl is a tool for licensed mental health professionals. It is not a medical device and does not provide diagnosis or treatment.

Screenshots

Practice Pad1 screens
Bryl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Practice Pad at 4.5 against Bryl's 2.0. Bryl's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Practice Pad sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month and Bryl sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Practice Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Practice Pad ships an update weekly, Bryl every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Practice Pad versus Bryl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPractice PadBryl
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB21 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPerry EmerickRakesh Roushan

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Practice Pad

Subscriptions2
  • Practice Pad Secure14 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • Practice Pad Cloud14 Days trial$22.001 Month
6 purchases

Bryl

Subscriptions4
  • Solo Monthly$29.001 Month
  • Pro Monthly$49.001 Month
  • Solo Annual$190.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Annual$390.001 Year
One-time2
  • Solo Lifetime$299.00
  • Pro Lifetime$499.00

Questions

Is Practice Pad free?
Practice Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bryl free?
Bryl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Practice Pad or Bryl?
Practice Pad is rated higher. Practice Pad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Bryl averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Practice Pad or Bryl have ads?
Neither Practice Pad nor Bryl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Practice Pad or Bryl?
Practice Pad ships an update weekly, and Bryl every 3 days. Most recently, Practice Pad was updated on October 16, 2026 and Bryl on October 22, 2026.

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