Mentalyc vs Emosapien
Mentalyc is an AI scribe for therapy notes. Emosapien is AI co-therapy: a Co-Therapy Agent that participates during the session and an Engagement Agent that runs the week between sessions. Both take therapy seriously. The scope is different. This is the head-to-head.
TL;DR
Two products with different ambitions.
AI scribe for therapy notes
Records the session, transcribes it, and drafts a progress note in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, or PIE format. The AI does not participate during the session and there is no between-session client engagement surface. Mentalyc is built tightly around the post-session note.
AI co-therapy across the session arc
Co-Therapy Agent participates during the session with modality-aligned prompts and live treatment-plan updates. Engagement Agent runs the week between sessions: check-ins, journaling, homework, and outcome measures. Progress notes are a byproduct of the platform, not the only output.
Who should pick which: pick Mentalyc if your only AI need is post-session documentation and the rest of your stack is settled. Pick Emosapien if you want AI to participate across the full week, from pre-session brief to in-session co-therapy to between-session client engagement.
Three workflow stages, side by side
Where the two tools sit across the therapy week.
Therapy work happens in three distinct stages: before the session, during the session, and in the week between sessions. Mentalyc is built for the second stage only, and only after the session ends. Emosapien is built for all three.
Pre-session intake and brief
Engagement Agent runs the week: client check-ins, AI-assisted journaling, homework adherence, and outcome measures. The Intake Agent collects history before the first appointment. The pre-session brief opens the next session in context.
No pre-session surface. Mentalyc is a note-taking tool that starts when you press record. Intake forms and the pre-session prep sit with the clinician between appointments.
In-session co-therapy or passive transcription
Co-Therapy Agent listens in the background and surfaces modality-aligned intervention prompts (CBT reframes, ACT defusion, DBT distress-tolerance moves) tied to the active treatment goal. Treatment plan updates from session content automatically.
Passive transcription only. The session is recorded, transcribed, and a progress note is drafted after the session ends. No live clinical participation, no in-session prompts.
Continuous care across the week
Engagement Agent handles the entire week between sessions: guided check-ins, AI-assisted journaling, modality-aligned homework prompts, and PHQ-9 / GAD-7 / ORS auto-scheduled and scored. The Co-Therapy Agent synthesises the week into the next pre-session brief.
None. Mentalyc is a post-session tool. There is no between-session engagement surface, no client app for journaling or homework, and no continuous outcome scheduling.
Mentalyc vs Emosapien, twenty capabilities.
Both tools are built for therapy practices, not general medicine. The differences are about scope, not whether they take therapy seriously. We have tried to keep this honest.
| Capability | Emosapien | Mentalyc |
|---|---|---|
| Active in-session co-therapy AI participates during the session, not only after | Fully supported | Not available |
| Real-time intervention prompts CBT, ACT, DBT cues surfaced live to the therapist, tied to the active treatment goal | Fully supported | Not available |
| Treatment-plan automation AI drafts a structured treatment plan with SMART objectives and modality-aligned interventions, updated from session notes | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Between-session client engagement Engagement Agent: guided check-ins, AI-assisted journaling, modality-aligned homework | Fully supported | Not available |
| Pre-session brief Auto-summarised changes from the week, surfaced before the next appointment | Fully supported | Not available |
| Outcome measurement workflow PHQ-9, GAD-7, ORS auto-scheduled and plotted against treatment-plan objectives as a structured workflow | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Progress note formats: SOAP / DAP / BIRP / GIRP / PIE All five formats switchable per client per session | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| Therapy SOAP framing (not medical SOAP) Subjective and Objective written for psychotherapy, not chief-complaint and vitals | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| Modality-aware Assessment language CBT / ACT / DBT / IFS / EMDR vocabulary in the note, not transcript paraphrase | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Group therapy session support Multi-client session capture and group-format note generation | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Supervision mode Shareable notes, redaction controls, and supervisor sign-off workflow | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Audio backfill (upload past sessions, draft notes) Process a recording of a session that already happened | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| EHR integrations SimplePractice live; TherapyNotes and Jane in beta; HL7/FHIR available | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| HIPAA-aligned encryption and infrastructure Encrypted in transit and at rest, BAA available on paid tiers | Fully supported | Fully supported |
| SOC 2 Type II audit Independent security audit covering controls and operating effectiveness | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Forever-free tier (not a trial) Ongoing free usage cap, no countdown, no credit card | Fully supported | Not available |
| Sub-$30 entry pricing Lowest paid tier for solo practitioners | Fully supported | Not available |
| Public, transparent pricing All plan prices visible on the website without a sales call | Fully supported | Partially supported |
| Mobile client app Client-facing iOS and Android app for journaling, check-ins, and measures | Fully supported | Not available |
| Language support beyond English Session capture and note drafting in non-English languages | Partially supported | Partially supported |
Pricing posture
What you pay, and what you see before you pay.
Mentalyc updates pricing periodically and historically offers a trial rather than a permanent free tier. Plan tiers are visible on their site at any given moment, though specific dollar figures move. Most teams evaluating Mentalyc go through a sales conversation for higher tiers.
Verify the current published price directly on the Mentalyc website before committing.
- Free: 10 sessions per month, no credit card required, permanent tier
- Starter: $29 / seat / month (annual): unlimited notes, basic engagement
- Professional: $79 / seat / month (annual): Co-Therapy Agent, full Engagement Agent, AI treatment plan, BAA
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for SSO, custom EHR integrations, API access
All prices published on the pricing page. No sales call required to see a number.
The structural difference is the free tier itself. Mentalyc historically runs trial-only; Emosapien is permanently free at the entry usage tier so teams can evaluate on real sessions before any procurement conversation.
Best fit by practice profile
Which tool fits which practice.
Pick Emosapien if
- →You want AI to participate clinically during the session with modality-aligned prompts tied to the active treatment goal, not just transcribe what was said.
- →You want treatment-plan automation that updates from session notes, not a static plan you redraft every quarter.
- →You need a between-session Engagement Agent for clients: guided check-ins, AI-assisted journaling, modality-aligned homework, and outcome measures.
- →You want a forever-free tier so you (or your team) can evaluate the tool on real sessions without procurement friction.
- →You want transparent pricing visible on the website without a sales call.
Pick Mentalyc if
- →Your only need is a post-session progress note from transcription, and pre-session intake plus between-session engagement live elsewhere in your stack.
- →You are already happy with how you write treatment plans by hand and do not want AI to draft or maintain them.
- →Your client engagement workflow is handled by your EHR or a separate tool you do not want to consolidate.
Frequently asked questions
Depends on what you need. Mentalyc is a competent post-session AI scribe that produces clean progress notes in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, and PIE. If your entire AI workflow is documentation after the session, Mentalyc covers that. Emosapien is the broader pick if you also want active in-session co-therapy with modality-aligned prompts, treatment-plan automation that updates from session notes, a between-session Engagement Agent for clients, structured measurement-based care, or a forever-free tier. For most practices buying for more than just notes, Emosapien is the broader pick.
Scope. Mentalyc is positioned as an AI scribe, meaning a tool that drafts the progress note after the session. Emosapien is positioned as AI co-therapy: a Co-Therapy Agent that participates during the session (real-time conceptualisation and intervention prompts, treatment-plan updates) and an Engagement Agent that runs the week between sessions (check-ins, journaling, homework, outcome measures). If your need is a faster way to write the chart, Mentalyc is a fair pick. If your need is AI that participates across the session arc, Emosapien is built for that.
No. Mentalyc records the session and writes the note afterward; the AI never participates clinically while you are with the client. Emosapien is built differently: the Co-Therapy Agent listens during the session and surfaces modality-aligned cues (CBT reframes, ACT values prompts, DBT distress-tolerance moves) tied to the active treatment goal. The progress note is then drafted from that clinical context rather than from a raw transcript, which is why the Assessment section needs less editing at sign-off.
Emosapien is publicly priced: Free (10 sessions per month, no credit card), Starter ($29/seat/month annual), Professional ($79/seat/month annual, includes the Co-Therapy and Engagement Agents), and Enterprise (custom). Mentalyc updates pricing periodically; verify their current published plans directly before committing. The structural difference is the free tier itself: Mentalyc historically runs trial-only, Emosapien is permanently free at the entry usage tier. See Emosapien pricing for full plan limits.
Yes for notes. Export from the Mentalyc dashboard as PDF or plain text and upload through the Emosapien bulk-import flow at setup. Imported notes become the historical record. Treatment plans and client metadata are recreated in Emosapien at intake (which usually takes a session anyway), or imported once via CSV with support for larger practices. The Scribe Agent can reformat imported notes into your preferred Emosapien template so the chart looks consistent.
Related reading
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