If you are a counsellor looking for software to manage your practice, the options can be overwhelming. We have compared the most popular tools available to UK counsellors - with a focus on what matters most: privacy, ease of use, and value for money.
| Tool | Price | Best for | UK-based |
|---|---|---|---|
| WriteUpp | £19.95/mo+ | General healthcare | No (UK-founded, now Canadian-owned) |
| Cliniko | ~£35/mo (AUD) | Allied health | No (Australia) |
| Kiku | ~£16-17/mo | Therapists | Yes |
| Semble | £119/mo+ | Medical practices | Yes |
| Jane App | ~£54/mo (CAD) | Broad healthcare | No (Canada) |
| Zanda | ~£15/mo (USD) | Allied health | No (Australia) |
| Konfidens | £19-29/mo | Therapists | No (Norway) |
| SimplePractice | ~£40/mo (USD) | US therapists | No (USA) |
| bacpac | ~£18/mo | Counsellors | Yes |
| PracticePal | £25/mo+ | Allied health | Yes |
| Bloom | £29/mo | Therapists & counsellors | Yes |
bacpac was developed with BACP and has strong roots in the UK counselling community. It covers the basics of client records and scheduling. It lacks encrypted notes, payment tracking, e-signatures, and a modern interface - but it is affordable and familiar to many counsellors.
Read our full bacpac vs Bloom comparisonKiku is built by therapists, for therapists - and it shows. It is affordable (from around £16/month) and covers the essentials well. Where it falls short for counsellors is in note encryption, e-signatures, and scheduling depth. A solid choice if you want something simple and affordable.
Read our full Kiku vs Bloom comparisonWriteUpp has been a popular choice for UK healthcare practitioners for years. It covers the basics - scheduling, client records, and appointment reminders. Pricing starts at £19.95/month. The interface is starting to show its age, and there is no note encryption or built-in counselling agreement signing. Under new ownership, its focus has shifted toward the Canadian market.
Read our full WriteUpp vs Bloom comparisonCliniko is a well-built tool from Australia, widely used by physios and allied health practitioners. It is powerful, but it is designed for clinical settings rather than counselling. Pricing is in AUD (around £35/month), and support hours are Australian timezone.
Read our full Cliniko vs Bloom comparisonSemble is an enterprise-grade platform designed for multi-site medical practices. It is feature-rich but starts at £119/month - overkill for most solo counsellors or small practices. If you do not need lab integrations, prescribing tools, or CQC compliance, you are paying for features you will never touch.
Read our full Semble vs Bloom comparisonJane App is beautifully designed and popular in Canada. For UK counsellors, the main issues are CAD pricing (around £54/month after conversion), North American support hours, and features built around clinical rather than counselling workflows.
Read our full Jane App vs Bloom comparisonZanda (formerly Power Diary) has been around for 15 years. It is feature-rich but complex, and its roots in Australian allied health mean the workflows are not tailored to UK counselling. SMS reminders cost extra on top of subscription fees.
Read our full Zanda vs Bloom comparisonKonfidens is a thoughtful tool originally from Norway, with strong video call integration and a counsellor directory. The Solo plan (£19/month) limits you to 20 clients. The Pro plan (£29/month) removes that limit but still lacks e-signatures and automated onboarding.
Read our full Konfidens vs Bloom comparisonSimplePractice is the market leader in the US. But it is built around American healthcare - insurance billing, HIPAA compliance, CPT codes. For UK counsellors, you are paying USD prices for features designed for a different system entirely.
Read our full SimplePractice vs Bloom comparisonPracticePal has been serving UK practitioners since 2006. The base price is reasonable but add-ons for booking, notes, and marketing push the real cost higher. The interface feels dated, and there are no encrypted notes or automated onboarding.
Read our full PracticePal vs Bloom comparisonBloom is practice management software built specifically for UK therapists and counsellors. It includes scheduling, encrypted session notes, automated client onboarding with e-signatures, payment tracking, and a public booking page - all for £29/month. No add-on fees, no contracts, no features you will never use.