Summary
The best patient portal software gives each person their records, their results and a direct way to reach their care team, and it does so on the same record the clinic works from. Most practice systems include a portal, so the deciding factor is usually the system around it. Tebra includes a patient portal on its clinical plans, Dentally lists Dentally Portal on its Essentials and Pro plans, and SimplePractice offers a client portal for therapists. In 2024, 65% of US individuals were offered and accessed an online medical record or portal, so patients increasingly expect one. Wai goes further with the patient Profile, which holds records, results, wearables and letters in 1 place with a direct line to the care team. A patient can also choose to share readings from Apple Health. Test any portal on a phone, as a patient would, and open a real result, a letter and a message thread before you decide.
Each rival detail comes from that company's own page, read 9 November 2026. 123
See it in your clinicYou can be running this week. No procurement, no minimum term. A 7-day trial, then one published price.
Request a demo| Product | Portal | Audience | Published price, read 9 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tebra | Patient portal on EHR and billing plans | US independent practices | Personalised quote |
| Dentally | Dentally Portal on Essentials and Pro | UK dental practices | Essentials from £238 a month, excluding VAT, rising with surgeries |
| SimplePractice | Client portal listed in its product | Therapists | $49, $79 or $99 a month by plan |
| Wai | Patient Profile with records, results, wearables, letters and a direct line | Private clinics and their patients | See the Wai pricing page |
What patients expect
Access is now an ordinary part of care. ONC reports that 65% of individuals nationally were offered and accessed their online record or portal in 2024.4 The patient portal entry defines the term.
Under HIPAA a patient may inspect and obtain a copy of their information held in the designated record set, and the practice acts within 30 days, with 1 written extension of up to 30 more.5 A strong portal meets much of that demand at the moment it arises.
The test on a phone
Sign in as a patient would. Find a recent result and see whether it is explained in plain language, then send a message and check who receives it and how fast it reaches a person.
A personal health record and a portal differ in who the record travels with, which is worth settling early. Clinicians still decide what each result means for the person.
The Wai patient Profile
Wai's Profile holds records, results, wearables and letters, with readings a patient chooses to share from Apple Health and a direct line to the care team.6 The consultation, the front desk and the Profile read the same record, so everyone works from the same facts.
Result explanations are drafted for the clinician to read and sign.7 Lab results explained to patients shows the method.
See what your patient sees, on a phone, from a real result to a reply.
Request a demoFrequently asked questions
What should a patient portal include?
Records, results explained in plain language, letters and a direct message route to the care team.
How many patients use portals?
ONC reports that 65% of US individuals were offered and accessed an online record or portal in 2024.4
How fast must a practice give patients their records?
Under HIPAA, within 30 days of the request, with 1 written extension of up to 30 more.5
Can patients add their own health data?
On Wai, a patient can choose to share readings from Apple Health into their Profile.6
Who reviews results before a patient sees an explanation?
On Wai, the clinician reads and signs the result explanation.7
Is a patient portal the same as a personal health record?
A portal belongs to 1 provider, and a personal health record travels with the person. Wai's Profile brings records and results together for the patient.6
Sources
- Pricing and plan comparison, read 9 November 2026
- Pricing, read 9 November 2026
- Features, read 9 November 2026
- Individuals' Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2024, Data Brief 77, read 9 November 2026
- 45 CFR 164.524, access of individuals to protected health information, read 9 November 2026
- The clinic platform, read 9 November 2026
- Wai for clinicians, read 9 November 2026
Give every patient a direct line to their care
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