FairTools

Free Private Practice Software for Self-Pay Therapists

An encrypted practice notebook for solo therapists and coaches who don't bill insurance: clients, scheduling, SOAP/DAP/BIRP notes, invoices, payments and superbills. Everything stays on your device, protected by your passphrase.

FreeNo signupData stays on your device

Your encrypted practice notebook

Starting the app… It runs entirely in this browser tab and creates an encrypted notebook on this device.

  • Clients with fees and sliding scale
  • Week calendar and recurring sessions
  • SOAP, DAP, BIRP and free-text notes
  • Sign and lock notes, timestamped addenda
  • Invoices, monthly statements, payments
  • Superbills with CPT and ICD-10 codes
  • Consent, intake and Good Faith Estimate forms
  • Auto-lock and encrypted backups

A private practice tool built for self-pay therapists

Most practice management software is built around insurance claims, eligibility checks and payer rules. If your clients pay you directly, you end up paying for features you never touch. SimplePractice, for example, moved its Starter plan from $29 to $49 a month while adding insurance billing and telehealth. For a cash-pay practice, what you actually need is simpler: a client list, a calendar, progress notes you can sign, invoices, a way to record Zelle or Venmo payments, and a superbill when a client wants out-of-network reimbursement.

Self-Pay Practice does exactly that, for free, and it does it without a server. Your client records never leave your computer. They are encrypted with a key derived from your passphrase (PBKDF2-SHA256, 600,000 iterations, then AES-GCM 256-bit), stored in your browser, and decrypted only in memory while you work. When you step away it locks itself and clears the decrypted data from the page.

How to use it, step by step

  1. Create a passphrase. Pick something long, like four random words. There is no password reset, so write it down.
  2. Fill in Settings. Practice name, your name and credentials (used to sign notes), NPI, license number, tax ID, address and an optional logo. Set your default fee, CPT code, currency and auto-lock time.
  3. Add clients. Contact details, optional date of birth, fee, sliding-scale note, status and ICD-10 codes for superbills.
  4. Schedule sessions. Book single sessions or a weekly / every-two-weeks series. The week view shows everything at a glance; export to your calendar as an .ics file.
  5. Write notes. Choose SOAP, DAP, BIRP or free text. Drafts save automatically. When you sign, the note locks; later corrections go in as dated addenda.
  6. Bill and get paid. Invoice a single session or create monthly statements for everyone in one click. Record payments by cash, card, check, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal or HSA card and see each client's balance.
  7. Back up. Download an encrypted backup file every week and keep it somewhere safe, such as an encrypted USB drive.

Worked example: a monthly statement and a superbill

A client sees you weekly at $160 on a sliding scale. In September they attend four sessions and miss one without notice. On October 1 you open Billing, choose September and click Create statements. The statement lists four sessions at $160 plus the missed-session fee, with your payment link and terms. They pay the statement by Zelle, which you record against it, and their balance drops to zero. When they ask for a superbill, you choose them and the date range: it lists only the four completed sessions with CPT 90834 and their diagnosis codes, because insurers do not reimburse missed-session fees.

Why there is no client portal or online booking

Portals, reminders and online booking all need a server that holds client names, contact details and messages. Once that server exists it must be HIPAA-compliant hosting with a signed Business Associate Agreement, and that is exactly what makes hosted tools cost money every month. Keeping everything local is what makes this tool free and private. Send intake and consent forms as printed or PDF copies, and use your own calendar for reminders.

How it compares with paid practice management software

Hosted platforms such as SimplePractice, TherapyNotes or Jane give you syncing across devices, client portals, reminders, telehealth and insurance claims, and they handle backups for you. Self-Pay Practice gives you the core record keeping and billing for a cash-pay practice at no cost, with no account and no third party holding your data. The trade-offs: one device at a time, no automatic cloud backup, and no passphrase recovery. If you bill insurance or need a portal, a paid platform is the better fit.

Security details

This tool is not legal or clinical advice. Form templates are starting points; have them reviewed for your state and license type.

Frequently asked questions

Is this HIPAA compliant?

HIPAA applies to you as the provider, not to a piece of software. Because this tool has no server, nobody else ever stores or transmits your client data, so there is no vendor that needs a Business Associate Agreement. Data is encrypted at rest with AES-256. You remain responsible for your own safeguards: a device password, full-disk encryption, screen lock, and secure backups.

What happens if I forget my passphrase?

Your data cannot be recovered. The passphrase is never stored or sent anywhere, and there is no reset link, so not even the people who made this tool can decrypt it. Write the passphrase down and keep it somewhere safe, and download encrypted backups regularly.

Can I use it on two computers?

Not with automatic syncing, because syncing would require a server holding your data. You can move your notebook by downloading an encrypted backup on one device and restoring it on another. Treat one device as the main one to avoid working on two diverging copies.

Can I create superbills for out-of-network reimbursement?

Yes. Add your NPI, license and tax ID in Settings and the client’s ICD-10 diagnosis codes on their record. The superbill lists each completed session with date, place of service, CPT code, diagnosis pointer, fee and amount paid, ready to print or save as PDF.

Does it send appointment reminders or have a client portal?

No. Reminders and portals need a server that stores client contact details and messages, which would end the local-only privacy model. You can export your schedule as an .ics file into your own calendar, with client names reduced to initials by default.

Do I need a Good Faith Estimate for self-pay clients?

In the US, the No Surprises Act requires providers to give uninsured and self-pay clients a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges. The Forms section includes a printable Good Faith Estimate template prefilled with the client’s fee. Have any template reviewed for your state and license.

Where exactly is my data stored?

In your browser’s IndexedDB storage on this device, as a single encrypted blob (salt, IV and ciphertext). Clearing site data or uninstalling the browser deletes it, which is why the app reminds you to keep encrypted backups.

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