Best AI Medical Scribe (2026): 10 Tools Compared

Clinicians don't fall behind on notes because they're slow typists. They fall behind because every consultation creates a second shift of admin, and that shift usually happens at the kitchen table once the house is quiet. An AI scribe listens, drafts the note and hands it back for you to check, which is why so many practices are looking at them.

Below are ten scribes and note assistants in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, from tools built for GPs and specialists to ones designed around therapy sessions. Each description comes from the tool's own website, re-checked today. If you run a physio practice, my piece on where AI helps physio clinics covers the wider picture beyond notes.

AI scribes side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes an ongoing free plan or free mode, usually with a monthly allowance, Trial only means a time-limited trial with no ongoing free version, and No means neither is stated.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Carepatron	Practice software with AI scribe	Scheduling, client portal and AI notes together	Yes
Freed	AI scribe for clinicians	Specialty note templates for individual clinicians	Trial only
Heidi	Ambient AI scribe	Free plan with unlimited transcription	Yes
Lyrebird Health	AI scribe for GPs and specialists	Consult notes, dictation and letters	Yes
Mentalyc	AI notes for therapists	Therapy progress notes and treatment plans	Trial only
Scribeberry	Canadian-built AI scribe	Free mode with limited monthly uses	Yes
Sunoh	EHR-connected AI scribe	Syncs notes with many EHRs	Trial only
Tali	AI scribe and dictation	Scribing, dictation and an EMR assistant	Yes
Twofold	AI scribe for clinicians	SOAP and progress notes by voice	Trial only
Upheal	AI notes for therapists	Free basic AI notes and telehealth	Yes

Ten clinical note assistants, A to Z

Carepatron

Best for: Small and allied health practices that want scheduling, a client portal and an AI scribe and note taker in one place, starting on a free plan.

Freed

Best for: Built for individual clinicians who want an AI scribe with specialty-specific templates, on plans sized to a set number of notes each month.

Heidi

Best for: Clinicians who want to start on a free plan with unlimited transcription and standard templates, with a 14-day clinician trial for more.

Lyrebird Health

Best for: Aimed at GPs, specialists and practice owners who want consult notes, dictation and letters, with a free plan carrying a monthly allowance.

Mentalyc

Best for: Designed for therapists who want progress notes and treatment plans drafted by AI, with a 14-day trial that needs no credit card.

Scribeberry

Best for: Clinicians who want a Canadian-built scribe and can test it in a free mode, unlimited for three days and then limited each month.

Sunoh

Best for: Practices in specialties such as cardiology, dermatology and behavioural health that want an AI scribe with EHR sync, starting on a free trial.

Tali

Best for: Clinicians who want an AI scribe plus dictation and an EMR assistant, moving to a free plan with a monthly allowance after a 14-day Pro trial.

Twofold

Best for: Aimed at clinicians who want to speak and get SOAP notes, progress notes and referral letters, with a free trial that needs no credit card.

Upheal

Best for: Built for therapists and group practices who want AI notes, treatment plans and telehealth calling, with a free plan for individual therapy.

What HHS says about encrypted cloud vendors

In the US, HHS guidance on HIPAA and cloud computing makes a point that surprises plenty of practice owners. A cloud provider that creates, receives, maintains or transmits electronic protected health information for a covered entity is itself a business associate, even if it only stores encrypted data and doesn't hold the key. Not having the key doesn't get it off the hook, so the two sides need a HIPAA-compliant business associate agreement.

For you, that means a vendor's encryption page isn't the end of the conversation. Before a single patient visit is recorded, ask the scribe company in writing whether it'll sign a business associate agreement, and keep the signed copy with your compliance records. If you practise outside the US, ask the equivalent question under your own data rules, because a scribe hears everything said in the room.

Questions to put to a scribe vendor

• What happens to the audio? Ask whether recordings are deleted once the note is drafted, and who can see them before that.
• Which note formats come built in? SOAP notes, progress notes, referral letters and therapy notes all read differently.
• Does it connect to your record system? Copying and pasting a note is fine for a week and tiring for a year.
• How quick is the review step? The clinician still signs the note, so checking the draft has to fit between patients.
• What if the internet drops mid-session? Ask now rather than finding out in a full clinic.

Piloting an ambient scribe in your clinic, step by step

1. Get the business associate agreement, or your local equivalent, signed before any real patient is recorded.
2. Pick two or three clinicians and one note type to start with.
3. Tell patients a scribe is in use and record their consent in the way your rules require.
4. Run it for two weeks and read every draft against what was said.
5. Write down the edits you keep making, then adjust the templates.
6. Only roll it out to the whole team once drafts need light edits, not rewrites.

Where note-taking AI trips clinicians up

• Signing notes without reading them. A confident draft can still mishear a name or a dose.
• Choosing on the demo alone. A quiet demo room sounds nothing like a busy clinic with a toddler in it.
• Ignoring specialty fit. A tool shaped for GP consults may write clumsy therapy notes, and the other way round.
• Forgetting the allowance. Free monthly limits can run out quickly in a full clinic week.

The same habits apply to everyday meeting tools, and my look at what AI note takers tend to miss explains why a quick human check still matters.

Do you make AI medical scribes or clinical note tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice for clinicians weighing up a scribe

Start with the paperwork, not the features. If a vendor won't sign the data agreement your practice needs, it doesn't matter how tidy its notes look. Once that's settled, choose a tool shaped for your kind of work: therapists should look at the ones built around therapy notes and treatment plans, and GPs and specialists at those built for consults, dictation and letters.

Then use a free plan or trial with a small group, read every draft, and keep a short list of what you had to fix. That list will tell you more than any comparison page, including this one. And keep the clinician as the final word on every note, because the signature is still yours.

Related: writing for us on iot.

Frequently asked questions

What is an AI medical scribe?

It's software that listens to a consultation, with the patient's consent, and drafts the clinical note for the clinician to review and sign.

Is there a free AI medical scribe?

Yes. Several tools on this list describe a free plan or free mode, usually with a monthly allowance, and others offer a time-limited trial.

Does an AI scribe vendor need a business associate agreement?

In the US, HHS says a cloud provider handling electronic protected health information for a covered entity is a business associate even if the data is encrypted, so a signed agreement is needed.

Are AI scribes any good for therapists?

Some are built for therapy, with progress notes and treatment plans. Check that the note format matches how you write.

Do I still need to check the notes?

Yes. The draft is a starting point, and the clinician stays responsible for what's signed.

Should I tell patients I'm using an AI scribe?

Yes. Explain what's recorded and why, and record consent in the way your professional and legal rules require.