Best Website Builders for Therapists
Comparison of the best website builders for therapists with features, pricing, tradeoffs, and decision checklists to help clinicians and private
Overview
The following comparison looks at the best website builders for therapists, weighing general-purpose site builders against therapy-focused platforms that include intake, booking, and HIPAA-aware features. I compare tools on clinical and business needs: ease of setup, design flexibility, SEO, client booking and intake, HIPAA or privacy considerations, integrations with telehealth and practice management, ongoing cost, and technical overhead.
Who you are and what you need matters. General website builders like Squarespace, Wix, Duda, and self-hosted WordPress give control over design, SEO, and cost, and they integrate with calendar and telehealth tools. Therapy-specific builders like BrighterVision and TheraPlatform bundle templates, secure forms, and marketing content tailored to clinicians, sometimes including practice management integrations.
Quick summary of who each option is best for:
- BrighterVision: therapists who want a therapy-tailored site and templates with minimal setup.
- TheraPlatform: clinicians who need integrated telehealth and HIPAA-aware features.
- Squarespace: solo therapists wanting polished design and simple ecommerce/booking.
- Wix: clinicians who want an easy drag-and-drop editor and app marketplace.
- WordPress (self-hosted): practices needing full control, custom integrations, and scalability.
- Duda: small multi-provider practices and agencies that want white-label and team features.
Decision criteria used: privacy and HIPAA considerations, appointment/telehealth support, SEO, client experience, cost, design/time to launch, and technical control.
Best Website Builders for Therapists
Brightervision
Overview and Positioning
BrighterVision is a niche website builder focused on therapists, counselors, and small mental health practices. It provides therapist-specific templates, patient-focused content blocks, and optional add-ons like intake forms and blogging tools. The platform is marketed to clinicians who want a quick, professional site without hiring a developer.
Key Features and Strengths
- Therapy-focused templates and copy prompts tailored to clinician practices.
- Built-in forms and contact pages designed for client intake.
- Hosting and SSL included; managed updates handled by BrighterVision.
- Integration options for booking systems (Calendly, Acuity), telehealth links, and analytics.
- Customer support oriented to therapists, with setup assistance and migration help.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- Less design flexibility than general-purpose builders like Webflow or WordPress.
- May not be HIPAA-compliant out of the box; you must confirm plan-level features and sign a BA (business associate) if required.
- Fewer plugin/integration options than WordPress or Wix app marketplace.
- Ongoing vendor lock-in if you like the templates but later want full control.
Pricing and Value
- Typical starting price: about $29 per month for a basic site (approximate, billed monthly).
- Additional features (SEO coaching, premium templates, BA agreement) can add $10 to $50 per month.
- Setup packages or migration help can be a one-time fee around $100 to $300 depending on scope.
Prices vary; verify current rates with BrighterVision before purchase. For a therapist who values ease and a practice-specific approach, the monthly cost often includes enough value to justify the fee.
Best For
- Solo clinicians and small practices that want a therapist-oriented site quickly without a steep learning curve.
- Therapists who prefer template copy and industry-focused guidance for pages and SEO.
Theraplatform
Overview and Positioning
TheraPlatform is a practice management and telehealth platform that includes website and client-facing features. It is positioned for clinicians who want integrated scheduling, secure video, documentation, and a public website or client portal from a single vendor.
Key Features and Strengths
- Integrated telehealth with secure video and session notes.
- Client portal for secure messaging and document exchange.
- Scheduling, billing, and clinical tools integrated into one platform.
- Templates and basic website builder features for clinician sites.
- HIPAA-aware infrastructure; BAAs available for covered entities.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- Website design capabilities are basic compared with Squarespace or WordPress.
- Pricing tends to be higher because you are paying for practice management and telehealth features.
- Less control over SEO customization and advanced design tweaks.
Pricing and Value
- Typical plans that include telehealth and practice management start around $40 to $75 per clinician per month depending on features and billing cycles.
- Website-only or simplified tiers may be lower but check feature inclusions.
- The combined value is strong for practices that would otherwise pay separately for telehealth, scheduling, and a site.
Best For
- Therapists and small clinics that want an all-in-one HIPAA-aware solution and prefer to keep telehealth, scheduling, and the public site under one vendor.
- Solo clinicians who want simpler vendor management and integrated workflows.
Squarespace
Overview and Positioning
Squarespace is a widely used general-purpose website builder known for polished, design-forward templates and straightforward content management. It is popular with creative professionals and solo practitioners who want a clean, professional web presence with low maintenance.
Key Features and Strengths
- High-quality templates optimized for mobile and desktop.
- Easy drag-and-drop page sections and integrated blogging.
- Built-in analytics, simple SEO settings, and basic ecommerce.
- Scheduling integrations via Acuity Scheduling (Squarespace owns Acuity) and other booking apps.
- Reliable hosting, automatic SSL, and domain management.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- Limited deep customization unless you use developer mode or custom code.
- Out-of-the-box HIPAA compliance is not provided; third-party telehealth integrations must be HIPAA-aware and contracts/BAAs must be arranged separately.
- App/integration ecosystem smaller than WordPress or Wix.
Pricing and Value
- Personal plan: starts at $16 per month (billed annually) or about $23 month-to-month.
- Business plan: about $23 per month (billed annually) with commerce and marketing features.
- If you need booking through Acuity: Acuity has separate plans from about $14 to $45+ per month.
- Total monthly cost for a therapist using Squarespace plus scheduling may be $30 to $70 per month.
Best For
- Solo therapists focused on branding and a simple booking flow who want great-looking templates and minimal maintenance.
- Clinicians who will combine Squarespace with a HIPAA-aware telehealth provider or secure booking solution.
Wix
Overview and Positioning
Wix is a flexible, drag-and-drop website builder with an extensive app marketplace. It caters to users who want control without coding, with many templates and add-ons for scheduling, payments, and SEO.
Key Features and Strengths
- True drag-and-drop editor with large template library.
- Wix Bookings for appointments and payments; many third-party booking apps supported.
- App Market for expanding capabilities: forms, live chat, telehealth links, and marketing tools.
- Wix SEO Wiz and tools for content optimization.
- Managed hosting and SSL included.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- The visual editor can lead to inconsistent mobile layouts if not tuned carefully.
- HIPAA compliance is not provided by default; you must confirm third-party integrations and BAA options.
- Some features and apps require paid subscriptions; costs can add up with add-ons.
Pricing and Value
- Website plans start around $16 per month (Combo) to $27 per month (Unlimited) for standalone sites, billed annually.
- Business and ecommerce plans (needed for accepting payments or some bookings) start around $27 per month.
- Wix Bookings or premium app subscriptions may add $10 to $30 per month.
Best For
- Therapists who want an easy editor and lots of ready-made apps for booking, payments, and marketing.
- Practices that want to prototype pages fast and iterate without code.
Wordpress (Self-Hosted)
Overview and Positioning
org) is the most flexible option for therapists who need full control over design, SEO, functionality, and privacy. It requires more technical setup but supports powerful plugins for booking, forms, SEO, and HIPAA-aware hosting options.
Key Features and Strengths
- Unlimited customization with themes and plugins (e.g., Bookly, Amelia, Gravity Forms, WPForms).
- Strong SEO capabilities with plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math.
- Ability to host on HIPAA-compliant providers and configure BAAs for specific services.
- Scales from a single-page site to a multi-provider practice portal.
- Large community and developer support.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- Requires hosting, theme and plugin management, security, and backups.
- Ongoing maintenance and updates can be technical or require paid maintenance.
- Costs can be deceptive: hosting, premium plugins, and developer time add up.
Pricing and Value
- Hosting ranges from shared hosting at $3 to $12 per month to managed WordPress hosting at $20 to $50+ per month.
- Premium themes and plugins: $50 to $200 per year per plugin on average.
- If using a HIPAA-compliant managed host, expect $30 to $150+ per month depending on traffic and provider.
- Total first-year cost for a secure, feature-rich therapist site: roughly $200 to $1,500 depending on choices.
Best For
- Practices that need custom workflows, HIPAA-compliant hosting, or advanced SEO and marketing control.
- Therapists comfortable managing technical details or willing to hire a developer.
Duda
Overview and Positioning
Duda is a website builder geared toward agencies, designers, and small teams building client websites. It offers collaborative tools, multi-language support, and white-labeling, which makes it attractive for practices with multi-provider sites or therapists working with a marketing partner.
Key Features and Strengths
- Team collaboration and client management tools.
- Advanced widgets and team workflows.
- White-label options for agencies and multi-site management.
- Responsive design controls and good performance.
- Integrations for booking systems and custom forms.
Limitations and Tradeoffs
- Not as therapy-specific in templates or copy as BrighterVision.
- Pricing can be higher for team and agency features.
- HIPAA compliance must be managed through third-party integrations and host choices.
Pricing and Value
- Basic plans start around $14 to $19 per month for a single site when billed annually.
- Team and agency plans that include white-label and client management can range from $22 to $50+ per month per seat.
- If you hire designers or agencies, Duda can reduce management overhead for multi-provider practices.
Best For
- Small practices or group practices that need multi-provider pages and want clean templates plus team collaboration.
- Therapists working with an agency or building multiple sites.
How to Choose
Start with a short checklist and decision flow to match your priorities to a platform.
Checklist (4-5 points):
- Privacy and HIPAA needs: Do you need a BAA or HIPAA-compliant telehealth? If yes, favor TheraPlatform, a HIPAA-aware host for WordPress, or verified BAAs through practice platforms.
- Design priority: Want quick, polished templates? Choose Squarespace or BrighterVision. Need full control? Choose self-hosted WordPress.
- Booking and telehealth integration: Want integrated telehealth/scheduling? Consider TheraPlatform or platforms that integrate well with Acuity, Calendly, or specialized booking plugins.
- Budget and technical comfort: Low tech with predictable pricing -> Squarespace, BrighterVision, or Wix. Comfortable with maintenance and want scalability -> WordPress.
- Team or multi-provider practice: Need multi-site management and white-label? Duda or WordPress with multisite may be better.
Decision flow in brief:
- Need HIPAA and integrated telehealth now -> TheraPlatform or a HIPAA-hosted WordPress setup.
- Want therapist-specific templates and faster launch -> BrighterVision.
- Prioritize design and easy blogging with moderate cost -> Squarespace.
- Want app ecosystem and drag-and-drop freedom -> Wix.
- Need full control, SEO, scalability -> Self-hosted WordPress.
- Multi-provider or agency workflow -> Duda.
Quick Comparison
Feature | BrighterVision | TheraPlatform | Squarespace | Wix | WordPress (self-hosted) | Duda — | —: | —: | —: | —: | —: | —: Starting price (typical) | $29/mo | $40 to $75/mo per clinician | $16/mo | $16/mo | Hosting $3 to $50+/mo | $14 to $22+/mo Design quality | Good templates | Basic site templates | Excellent templates | Flexible templates | Unlimited (depends on theme) | Good templates, agency options Booking/telehealth | Integrations | Built-in telehealth | Integrates with Acuity | Wix Bookings | Plugins and integrations | Integrations HIPAA options | Check plan | BAA available | No (third-party) | No (third-party) | Possible with right host | No (third-party) Ease of setup | Very easy | Moderate | Easy | Easy | Moderate to advanced | Moderate
Pricing breakdown examples
- Minimal monthly cost (site + basic booking):
- BrighterVision: $29 + $0 to $15 booking = ~$29-44/mo
- Squarespace: $16 + Acuity $14 = ~$30/mo
- Wix: $16 + Wix Bookings free to $20 = ~$16-36/mo
- WordPress: Hosting $10 + premium plugin $7-20 = ~$17-30/mo
- TheraPlatform: $40-75/mo for integrated services
- Duda: $14-22/mo for single site; agency plans higher
FAQ
Do Therapist Websites Need to be HIPAA-Compliant?
Not all parts of a public-facing website fall under HIPAA, but any section that collects protected health information (PHI) such as intake forms, secure messaging, or telehealth sessions may require HIPAA safeguards and a signed BAA from your vendor. Check each vendor for BAA availability and consider HIPAA-compliant hosting and secure forms if you will collect PHI.
Can I Use Scheduling Tools Like Calendly or Acuity with These Builders?
Yes. Most builders support integrations with scheduling tools. Squarespace owns Acuity, so integration is smooth.
Wix and WordPress have plugins and apps for Calendly, Acuity, and other booking systems. If you need HIPAA compliance, confirm that the scheduler offers a BAA or that the workflow avoids storing PHI on third-party systems.
Is Self-Hosted Wordpress Worth the Extra Complexity?
If you need full control, advanced SEO, custom integrations, or HIPAA-compliant hosting, self-hosted WordPress is worth it. It offers unmatched flexibility but requires maintenance, hosting choices, and occasional developer help. For lower-tech clinicians, Squarespace, BrighterVision, or TheraPlatform reduce the maintenance burden.
How Much Should I Budget for a Therapist Website?
For a simple, attractive site with booking: $20 to $70 per month. If you add telehealth, HIPAA-compliant hosting, or hire a developer, expect $50 to $300+ per month or $500 to $5,000 as a one-time build cost depending on customization. WordPress with managed HIPAA hosting will be on the higher end.
Can I Switch Platforms Later If I Need More Features?
Yes, but migration effort varies. Moving content from Squarespace or Wix to WordPress often requires manual work or a migration service. Therapy-specific platforms may not export templates or certain proprietary features easily, so plan for potential migration costs if you anticipate scaling.
Which Option is Best for Group Practices with Several Therapists?
Duda or WordPress with multisite capabilities are good choices for multi-provider practices because they support multi-site management, role-based access, and white-labeling. TheraPlatform can also work if you want centralized practice management and integrated telehealth.
Further Reading
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