Yes, AI scribes are ready for everyday use in small practices, and a 2025 JAMA Network Open study linked them to lower burnout. For most solo clinicians and small practices we recommend Freed: it starts at $39 a month, has a 7 day free trial with no card, includes a BAA in its terms, and deletes recordings after the note is done. If you need direct EHR integration across a bigger group, look at Sunoh.
In a JAMA Network Open study of 263 clinicians across six US health systems, burnout fell from 51.9% to 38.8% after 30 days with an ambient AI scribe.- Our pickFreedStarts at $39/month for 40 notes
- Best free optionHeidi HealthFree plan with weekly usage limits; paid prices by quote
- Budget pickTwofoldListed at $69/month, with a discounted first month
- Upgrade pickSunoh.aiStarts at $149/user/month
- Also greatChatGPT for CliniciansFree for verified US clinicians
Freed
Best for most solo clinicians and small practices who want a simple scribe at a low monthly price.
Freed listens to the visit and drafts your note using specialty templates. Its Starter plan is $39 a month for one clinician and up to 40 notes a month, and Core adds unlimited notes and a template builder Freed pricing ↗. Premier adds visit summaries, patient instructions, dictation, ICD-10 and CPT coding, and a push of notes into browser based EHRs Freed pricing ↗. The 7 day trial needs no credit card Freed pricing ↗. Freed says more than 26,000 clinicians use it, and lists family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, psychiatry and nurse practitioners among its specialties Freed ↗.
The BAA is handled well for a small practice. Freed includes its BAA as Schedule A of its platform terms, so you are covered from the moment you create an account, and you can request a signed copy, even during the trial Freed BAA help ↗. Freed says it is HIPAA and HITECH compliant and SOC 2 certified, and that recordings are kept only until the note and quality checks are finished, then deleted automatically Freed pricing ↗.
The catch is the pricing page itself. When we checked, it showed two figures for Core ($59 and $79) and two for Premier ($104 and $119) without clearly saying which applies to monthly or yearly billing Freed pricing ↗. Confirm the price at checkout. EHR push also needs Premier, so on cheaper plans you copy notes into your EHR yourself Freed pricing ↗. Hands on testing is in progress; we will update this guide with results.
Why we like it
- Starts at $39 a month
- 7 day trial, no card needed
- BAA included in the terms, signed copy on request
- Recordings deleted after the note is done
- Broad specialty templates
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Starter caps you at 40 notes a month
- EHR push only on Premier
- Pricing page unclear on monthly vs yearly
Heidi Health
Best for clinicians who want to try ambient scribing at no cost.
Heidi has a free plan with one seat and a smaller weekly usage allowance, plus paid Clinician and Teams plans with a 14 day free trial on Clinician Heidi pricing ↗. Heidi's own pricing page did not show dollar prices when we checked, so ask for a quote before you commit Heidi pricing ↗. A March 2026 review by Commure, which sells a competing scribe, lists the free plan as unlimited basic transcription with 10 Pro Actions a month Commure review of Heidi ↗; treat a competitor's figures with care.
On compliance, Heidi says it makes a BAA available to every covered entity it works with, and that its US data is hosted within the United States Heidi HIPAA ↗. The same Commure review claims a signed BAA requires Heidi's Practice tier or above Commure review of Heidi ↗. Those two statements do not line up, so get written confirmation of your BAA before you record a real patient on the free plan.
Heidi is a good way to learn what an ambient scribe does for your visits. Direct EHR integration is listed as custom on the Teams plan rather than on the free or Clinician plans Heidi pricing ↗.
Why we like it
- Free plan with no time limit stated
- 14 day trial of the paid Clinician plan
- States a BAA is available to every covered entity
- US data hosted in the US
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- No dollar prices on its pricing page
- Conflicting reports on BAA for free users
- EHR integration only on Teams
Twofold
Best for low cost unlimited notes with a signed BAA on every account.
Twofold's Personal plan includes unlimited notes, CPT and ICD coding, telehealth and in person visits, and a signed BAA Twofold pricing ↗. Its pricing page lists the plan as $69 a month, with a promotional first month at $19.49 billed annually, and says annual billing saves 29% Twofold pricing ↗. There is also a 7 day free trial with no card and full access Twofold pricing ↗.
Twofold says every account gets a signed BAA at no extra cost, and that raw audio is not stored and is deleted after processing unless you opt in to keep it Twofold pricing ↗. It supports SOAP, H&P and discharge formats, plus therapy formats such as DAP and BIRP, and covers primary care, pediatrics, psychiatry and allied health among others Twofold pricing ↗.
The trade off is integration. Twofold says it works with any EHR, but by copy and paste into systems like Epic, athenahealth and SimplePractice rather than a direct connection Twofold pricing ↗. Confirm the regular price after the first month before you sign up.
Why we like it
- Unlimited notes
- Signed BAA on every account
- Raw audio deleted by default
- Covers medical and behavioral health formats
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Copy and paste into the EHR
- Regular price after the promo needs confirming
Sunoh.ai
Best for small groups that want notes to flow into a mainstream EHR.
Sunoh.ai is priced per user at $149 a month, which it calls a limited time offer, down from $199 Sunoh pricing ↗. The sign up form lists Allscripts, Amazing Charts, athenahealth, Cerner, eClinicalWorks, Epic, Meditech, ModMed and NextGen, and Sunoh says you can edit notes before importing them into the EHR Sunoh pricing ↗. Ask in the demo exactly how integration works with your system, because the pricing page does not explain it Sunoh pricing ↗.
Sunoh lists a Business Associate Agreement as included and says it runs on Microsoft Azure Sunoh pricing ↗. It captures visits on iPhone, iPad, Android or a web browser, drafts SOAP notes and clinical summaries, and includes 24/7 support and implementation services Sunoh pricing ↗. That support matters more than it sounds when you are rolling a scribe out to several clinicians at once.
Why we like it
- BAA included
- Lists major EHRs including Epic and eClinicalWorks
- Implementation and 24/7 support included
- Works on phone, tablet and web
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- $149 per user a month
- Billing terms and trial length not stated
ChatGPT for Clinicians
Best free option for drafting letters, referrals and patient instructions under a BAA.
ChatGPT for Clinicians is free for verified US clinicians at launch ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗. It currently covers physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists, and requires a valid NPI and a verifiable license ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗. Individual clinicians can review and sign a BAA in Settings, and OpenAI says content shared with it is not used to train its models ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗.
It is not an ambient scribe. It drafts notes, referrals, prior authorization letters and patient instructions for your review, and helps with evidence review ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗. Use it alongside a scribe, not instead of one. Do not confuse it with regular ChatGPT plans: OpenAI does not offer a BAA for ChatGPT Business OpenAI BAA help ↗.
Why we like it
- Free for verified US clinicians
- Individual BAA in settings
- Not used to train models
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Does not record visits
- Limited to certain license types
Compare them
| Tool | Starting price | Free plan or trial | BAA | EHR fit | Audio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreedOur pick | $39/mo (40 notes) | 7 day trial | In terms; signed copy on request | Push to browser EHRs on Premier | Deleted after note | Most small practices |
| Heidi HealthBest free option | Free; paid by quote | Free plan; 14 day trial | Available to covered entities; confirm tier | Custom on Teams | Not stated | Trying a scribe free |
| TwofoldBudget pick | $69/mo listed | 7 day trial | Signed BAA on every account | Copy and paste | Deleted unless you opt in | Unlimited notes on a budget |
| Sunoh.aiUpgrade pick | $149/user/mo | Not stated | Included | Lists Epic, eClinicalWorks, athenahealth and more | Not stated | Small groups on a major EHR |
| ChatGPT for CliniciansAlso great | Free | Free | Individual BAA in settings | None | Does not record visits | Letters and instructions |
Prices and features from each vendor’s site, checked Oct 9, 2026. Prices change often.
Who this is for
This guide is for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians in solo or small group practices, roughly one to twenty clinicians, who finish notes after hours. If your health system has already chosen a scribe for you, you can skip this; large systems buy enterprise products such as Abridge, which says it is trusted by more than 300 health systems Abridge ↗.
Therapists and counselors have different needs, such as therapy note formats and stricter consent rules. See our guide to AI note takers for therapists.
Why you should trust us
We read each vendor's pricing page, compliance page and help articles, checked on October 9, 2026, and used HHS guidance on business associates, peer reviewed research and law firm summaries for the legal points JAMA Netw Open study ↗ HHS business associates ↗ HHS sample BAA ↗ Kilpatrick wiretap laws ↗. Every fact is cited so you can check it.
We have not yet used these tools in real patient visits. Hands on testing is in progress, and we will update this guide with results. Nothing here is legal advice; ask your compliance adviser or malpractice carrier before you roll out a scribe.
How we picked
We looked for scribes a small practice can buy without an enterprise contract, then ranked them on compliance, price and fit with everyday workflows. Tools that only sell to health systems, or publish no way to start, went to the competition section.
- A BAA available to small practices, ideally without a sales call
- Clear audio handling, with deletion after the note is drafted
- Published price, free plan or free trial
- Specialty templates and coding help
- A path into your EHR, by push, integration or copy and paste
- Phone and web capture for in person and telehealth visits
What AI scribes can and can't do today
An ambient scribe records the conversation on a phone or computer, transcribes it, and drafts a structured note in your template. Better tools add patient instructions, visit summaries and suggested ICD-10 and CPT codes Freed pricing ↗ Twofold pricing ↗. The evidence on burnout is encouraging: in a JAMA Network Open study, the share of clinicians reporting burnout fell from 51.9% to 38.8% after 30 days, and participants spent less time documenting after hours JAMA Netw Open study ↗. That study used Abridge in large health systems, so results in a small practice may differ JAMA Netw Open study ↗.
Scribes do not take responsibility for the record. They can miss nuance, mishear drug names or attribute a statement to the wrong person. Review every note before you sign it, and be especially careful with codes the AI suggests, since you are the one billing for them.
They also cannot fix a poor workflow. If your EHR has no integration, plan on copy and paste, and decide who on your team checks drafts.
Before you sign up: HIPAA, BAAs and patient consent
An AI scribe vendor handles protected health information for you, which makes it a business associate. HIPAA requires you to get written assurances, usually a BAA, before sharing that information HHS business associates ↗. HHS says a BAA should limit how the vendor uses the data, require safeguards and breach reporting, and require return or destruction of data when the contract ends HHS sample BAA ↗. Keep a signed copy. Freed, for example, includes its BAA in its terms but will send a signed copy on request Freed BAA help ↗.
Recording law is separate from HIPAA. Federal law allows recording with one party's consent, but 13 states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington, require all parties to consent Kilpatrick wiretap laws ↗. The simple rule: tell every patient you use an AI scribe, ask permission, and stop recording if they say no. Freed offers a sample consent script in its FAQ Freed pricing ↗.
Finally, look at data retention. Most of our picks say audio is deleted after the note is drafted Freed pricing ↗ Twofold pricing ↗, but transcripts and notes may be kept longer. Ask how long, and how to delete them when you leave.
- Get a signed BAA before the first real patient
- Confirm audio deletion and transcript retention in writing
- Tell patients and get verbal or written consent each time
- Check your state's recording law
- Review every note and every suggested code before signing
- Test the EHR workflow during the free trial
What to look forward to
Big vendors are moving down market. Microsoft launched a Dragon Copilot offer for physician practices on February 1, 2026, sold through its Cloud Solution Provider partners ABT on Dragon Copilot ↗. OpenAI now gives verified clinicians a free ChatGPT workspace with a BAA ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗. Expect prices for basic scribing to fall and the competition to shift to EHR integration, coding accuracy and front desk features such as Freed's separate Front Desk product Freed pricing ↗.
We are testing these scribes now and will report how much editing each draft needs, how they handle accents and multiple speakers, and how smooth EHR transfer really is.
The competition
AbridgeNot stated
Abridge is the scribe used in the JAMA Network Open burnout study and says it is trusted by more than 300 health systems Abridge ↗ JAMA Netw Open study ↗. It publishes no pricing and is aimed at health systems rather than small practices Abridge ↗.
Microsoft Dragon CopilotNot stated; sold through Microsoft partners
Microsoft's Dragon Copilot now has a physician practice offer, launched February 1, 2026, but it is sold only through Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider partners, which adds a step for a small practice ABT on Dragon Copilot ↗.
SukiNot stated
Suki lists bidirectional integration with Epic, Cerner, athenahealth and Meditech and says it is HIPAA compliant and SOC 2 certified Suki pricing ↗. Its pricing page shows plan names but no prices, so we could not compare it Suki pricing ↗.
UphealFree; AI Notes $39/month flat
Upheal is built for therapists, with therapy note formats and a flat $39 a month plan for unlimited sessions Upheal pricing ↗. It is our top pick in our AI note taker for therapists guide, but medical practices will be better served by the tools above.
Questions people ask
Are AI medical scribes HIPAA compliant?
A tool can only be used in a HIPAA compliant way if the vendor signs a BAA and protects the data. HIPAA requires written assurances from any business associate that handles protected health information HHS business associates ↗. Freed, Twofold, Sunoh and ChatGPT for Clinicians all describe a BAA Freed BAA help ↗ Twofold pricing ↗ Sunoh pricing ↗ ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗.
Do I need patient consent to use an AI scribe?
Thirteen states require all parties to consent to a recording, including California, Florida and Pennsylvania Kilpatrick wiretap laws ↗. Even in one party consent states, telling patients and asking permission is good practice and builds trust. Freed publishes a sample consent script Freed pricing ↗.
How much does an AI medical scribe cost?
Prices range from free to well over $100 a month per clinician. Freed starts at $39 a month for 40 notes Freed pricing ↗, Twofold lists $69 a month for unlimited notes Twofold pricing ↗, and Sunoh is $149 per user a month Sunoh pricing ↗. Heidi has a free plan Heidi pricing ↗.
Is there a free AI medical scribe?
Heidi offers a free plan with a smaller weekly usage allowance Heidi pricing ↗. Confirm BAA coverage for the free tier in writing first, since reports differ Heidi HIPAA ↗ Commure review of Heidi ↗. ChatGPT for Clinicians is free with a BAA, but it drafts documents rather than recording visits ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗.
Do AI scribes store recordings of patient visits?
Our picks say they do not keep audio long term. Freed deletes recordings after the note and quality checks are done Freed pricing ↗, and Twofold deletes raw audio after processing unless you opt in to keep it Twofold pricing ↗. Ask each vendor about transcript and note retention too.
Can I use regular ChatGPT as a medical scribe?
Not with patient information on regular plans. OpenAI does not offer a BAA for ChatGPT Business, and only sales managed Enterprise or Edu accounts are eligible OpenAI BAA help ↗. Verified clinicians can use ChatGPT for Clinicians, which offers an individual BAA ChatGPT for Clinicians ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views.
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