How to Downgrade Your SimplePractice Plan:
Step-by-Step Guide
SimplePractice raised prices in 2025. If you are reconsidering your plan, this guide walks you through the exact steps to downgrade, what features you will lose, and when the change takes effect.
Important: Downgrade Takes Effect at Your NEXT Billing Cycle
When you request a downgrade, you keep all current plan features until the end of your current billing period. The lower plan activates on your next renewal date. There is no prorated refund for the remaining days. Check Settings > Practice > Plan info to see your next billing date.
Step-by-Step: How to Downgrade Your Plan
Log in to SimplePractice
Go to simplepractice.com and log in with your account credentials.
Open Settings
Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top navigation bar.
Go to Practice
In the Settings menu, click Practice in the left sidebar.
Click Plan info
Under Practice settings, find and click Plan info. You will see your current plan and billing details.
Click Change plan
Click the Change plan button. This opens the plan selection screen.
Select your new plan
Choose the lower plan you want to downgrade to (e.g., Essential if you are on Plus, or Starter if you are on Essential).
Confirm the downgrade
Review what you will lose and confirm. You will see a message stating that the change takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle. Screenshot or note your current billing date.
What You Lose: Plus to Essential
These features are removed when downgrading from Plus ($99/mo) to Essential ($79/mo):
✗ Client portal
Clients lose access to their self-service portal
✗ Professional website
Your SimplePractice-hosted website will go offline
✗ Group appointments
Group therapy scheduling is disabled
✗ Group telehealth
Multi-client video sessions are disabled
✗ Ability to add clinicians
Additional clinicians must be removed from the practice
✗ Out-of-office scheduling
Coverage scheduling is removed
✗ Client announcements
Broadcast messaging feature is removed
✗ Premium phone support
Reverts to standard support access
You keep: individual telehealth, insurance billing, secure messaging, treatment plans, analytics, and all Essential features.
What You Lose: Essential to Starter
These features are removed when downgrading from Essential ($79/mo) to Starter ($49/mo):
✗ Telehealth
All scheduled video sessions will be cancelled. Clients need to be notified.
✗ Insurance billing
You cannot file insurance claims from Starter. Existing submissions are not affected.
✗ Secure messaging
In-platform client messaging is disabled
✗ Treatment plans
Cannot create new treatment plans (existing ones remain viewable)
✗ Custom appointment reminders
Reverts to basic email reminders only
✗ Analytics dashboard
Practice performance reports are removed
Warning: if you are currently using telehealth or insurance billing, do NOT downgrade to Starter without a plan to replace these capabilities.
Should I Downgrade? Decision Guide
Answer a few questions to get a recommendation:
Which plan are you currently on?
Do you use group appointments or group telehealth?
Alternatives to Downgrading
Use Office Ally for insurance claims instead of built-in clearinghouse
Eliminates $0.25/claim fee. Free setup, more manual process.
Encourage clients to pay by ACH bank transfer instead of card
Reduces processing from 2.95% + $0.30 to 1% per transaction. Saves $3-4 per session.
Switch to TherapyNotes entirely if cost is the primary driver
$30/mo vs Essential. Solid EHR at $49/mo for solo therapists.
Check if SimplePractice offers annual billing discount
Annual prepay may offer savings if available. Check Settings > Plan info for current options.
After Downgrading: What Stays and What Goes
- ✓ Your historical session notes, client records, and invoices remain accessible
- ✓ Existing client profiles and contact information are preserved
- ✓ Insurance claim history remains viewable
- ✗ If downgrading from Essential: existing telehealth sessions are marked cancelled. Contact affected clients before the billing cycle ends.
- ✗ If downgrading from Plus: client portal access ends for all clients. Notify them in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a SimplePractice downgrade take effect?
At the start of your NEXT billing cycle, not immediately. You keep all current plan features until the current billing period ends. No prorated refund is issued. Check Settings > Practice > Plan info to see your next billing date before requesting a downgrade.
How do I downgrade my SimplePractice plan?
Settings > Practice > Plan info > Change plan > Select lower plan > Confirm. The downgrade takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle. You will see confirmation of the effective date.
Can I downgrade SimplePractice mid-month?
No. SimplePractice only processes downgrades at the start of a new billing cycle. There is no mid-cycle downgrade or prorated refund. When you confirm the downgrade, your current plan stays active until the next renewal date.
What do I lose when I downgrade from Essential to Starter?
Telehealth (video sessions cancelled), insurance billing (cannot file claims), secure messaging, treatment plans, custom reminders, and the analytics dashboard. If you use telehealth or insurance billing, do not downgrade to Starter without a replacement plan.
What do I lose when I downgrade from Plus to Essential?
Client portal, professional website, group appointments, group telehealth, ability to add clinicians (clinicians must be removed first), out-of-office scheduling, client announcements, and premium phone support. Individual telehealth and insurance billing remain on Essential.