NuBloom vs SimplePractice
SimplePractice gates features by tier. NuBloom includes everything at one price. Here's what that looks like.
SimplePractice is one of the biggest practice management platforms in healthcare. They have a dedicated lactation consultant landing page and a large user base. It's a solid, well-supported tool.
The catch for IBCLCs is the tier structure. SimplePractice's Starter plan ($49/month) doesn't include secure messaging, appointment reminders, custom note templates, or analytics. You need the Essential plan at $79/month for those. Multi-provider teams need the Plus plan at $99/month, with extra clinicians at $69-74 each.
NuBloom includes every feature at $59/month. Messaging, reminders, charting, billing, offline mode, growth charts, team management. There's no tier to unlock. The tradeoff: SimplePractice has a larger ecosystem, more integrations, a mobile app, and direct electronic claim submission.
Pricing
NuBloom
$59/month or $49/month annual
Additional providers: $39/month ($33 annual)
Every feature included. One plan.
14-day free trial, no credit card.
SimplePractice
$49/month Starter (limited features)
$79/month Essential (messaging, reminders)
$99/month Plus (teams, calendar sync)
Additional clinicians: $69-74/month (Plus only)
To get messaging, reminders, and analytics on SimplePractice, you need the Essential plan ($79/month). NuBloom includes all of these at $59/month. For teams, SimplePractice's Plus plan starts at $99 + $69-74/seat vs NuBloom's $59 + $39/seat.
Feature Comparison
Charting
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Lactation-specific charting | Purpose-built (scoring, growth, billing codes) | Lactation templates in general EHR |
| Pre-built breast exam, infant assessment, latch scoring | ||
| Auto-save during charting | ||
| Immutable signed notes with version history | ||
| Charting snippets | ||
| Custom note templates | Essential+ ($79/month) |
Scheduling & Booking
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Day / week / month calendar | ||
| Online patient booking | ||
| Home-visit service area gating (ZIP / radius) | ZIP list or radius | |
| Appointment reminders | All plans | Essential+ ($79/month) |
| Calendar sync | iCal feed (Google, Outlook, Apple) | Essential+ ($79/month) |
| Waitlist management | ||
| Forms before appointment confirmation | Signed during booking | Intake screening before confirmation |
Billing & Payments
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-loaded lactation billing codes | ||
| Superbill generation | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online patient payments | ||
| Prepaid packages / visit bundles | Portal + public booking purchase, balances, auto-apply | Products/services, not a dedicated package-balance workflow |
| Electronic claim submission | $0.50/claim (Starter), 10 free/month (Essential), 35 free/month (Plus) |
Communication
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| HIPAA-compliant messaging | All plans | Essential+ ($79/month) |
| Patient portal | ||
| WHO growth charts in portal | ||
| Lactation-specific forms ready by default | ||
| Self-service intake forms | ||
| Urgent message flagging | ||
| Telehealth | Managed 1:1 video visits | Built-in (1:1 all plans, group on Plus) |
Offline & Mobile
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Offline charting (no WiFi needed) | Full offline-first with selective sync | |
| Mobile app | Coming soon | |
| On-device encryption |
Practice Management
| Feature | NuBloom | SimplePractice |
|---|---|---|
| Unified work queue | ||
| Reports and analytics | All plans | Essential+ ($79/month) |
| Multi-provider teams | $39/seat, all features | $69-74/seat, Plus only ($99/month) |
| Treatment plans | Essential+ ($79/month) |
The Honest Take
Choose NuBloom if:
- You want lactation-specific charting without building your own templates
- You need messaging, reminders, and analytics without paying $79+/month
- You do home visits and need offline charting
- You want WHO growth charts parents can track in the portal
- You have a team and want lower per-seat pricing with full features
Choose SimplePractice if:
- You want SimplePractice's mobile app and broad integration ecosystem
- You need electronic claim submission to clearinghouses
- You prefer a larger ecosystem with more third-party integrations
- You're already on SimplePractice and it's working for your practice
Thinking about switching?
Switching tools is the part everyone dreads. We'll help you move your patient list over and get you set up. Book a free call with the founder to walk through it, and there's no commitment to sign up.
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