Alma vs. Headway: Clinician Platform Comparison

Both Alma and Headway simplify insurance credentialing, negotiate for higher rates with payers, and manage claims and billing, but there are key differences between these two platforms. Alma, for example, offers faster credentialing, more frequent payouts, a secure telehealth solution, and bigger focus on integrated continuing education, professional development, and peer support. Alma also makes it easier for your ideal clients to find you via a guided search function.

Headway is a more budget-friendly option that offers a basic but useful suite of tools and features and a simple way for clients to search for providers who accept their insurance.

Trying to decide which platform is right for you? Below is a detailed comparison of Alma and Headway for clinicians.

Working with Insurance

When you accept insurance, you're making mental health care accessible to people who couldn't otherwise afford it while connecting with the populations you're most passionate about helping. It's also practical—most therapy-seekers simply can't sustain private-pay sessions long-term, so insurance helps you build and maintain a steady caseload.

Unfortunately, navigating insurance is notoriously difficult. From negotiating rates to submitting claims, and dealing with adjustments and denials, it increases your administrative burden exponentially.

Working with Insurance: How do Alma & Headway compare?

If you’ve yet to start working with insurance, Alma helps providers get credentialed in about 45 days. Licensed to practice in more than one state? Alma also makes multi-state credentialing with insurance plans faster and easier.

In terms of client eligibility, Alma automatically checks — and regularly re-checks — each of your client’s coverage. Clients can also use a cost-estimator tool to plan for session costs. After sessions, Alma has a dedicated team that submits and manages your claims, going above and beyond to advocate for full reimbursement for the services you provide.

Headway also manages insurance credentialing (which can take about a month), claims management on the provider side, and eligibility checks on the client side.

Payouts

For clinicians who accept one or more insurance plans, managing claims can become a part-time job. Delays, denied claims, and back-and-forth with payers are all too common. And resulting unpredictable income is stressful when running a small private practice.

Payouts: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Two major benefits of joining Alma are generally higher reimbursement rates and regular payouts that you can rely on. Clinicians are typically paid within two weeks of a session. Alma also supports hybrid practices, allowing providers to manage and bill both insured and cash-pay clients on a single platform.

Another key way that Alma helps providers is by supporting them in creating compliant progress notes to successfully navigate insurance audits. From our support team to office hours with clinical leaders and compliance experts, you’ll have an experienced team on your side.

Headway also handles rate negotiation, insurance billing, and reimbursement for their providers. Providers are paid twice per month based on completed sessions, and you also have the option to see cash-pay clients.

Client intake process

The client intake process sets the tone for a strong therapeutic relationship. A streamlined and thorough intake helps clinicians gather essential background information and begin treatment with confidence.

Client intake process: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma provides secure, client-friendly intake tools like consent forms, clinical assessments (like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7), and an intake questionnaire. These tools make it simple to send and collect necessary forms, helping you (and your clients) spend less time on admin and more time on care.

Headway also facilitates the intake process by verifying clients’ insurance and sending clinical assessments when a new match is made.

Treatment plans

Creating effective treatment plans is a core part of clinical care, but writing them from scratch can be time-consuming. Using structured, comprehensive templates can help reduce repetitive work and free up more time for providers.

Treatment plans: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma helps providers create treatment plans with built-in access to Wiley Treatment Planners. These customizable templates make it easy to create comprehensive, diagnosis-based treatment plans that meet agency and insurers’ expectations. Treatment planning is also integrated with Alma’s intake forms and progress notes, giving clinicians a centralized, efficient workflow for documentation.

Headway offers documentation templates, but does not use Wiley Treatment Planners at this time.

Clinical assessments

Clinical assessments give therapists valuable insight into a client’s symptoms, helping guide diagnosis and track progress over time. Regular reassessments can also support more responsive, personalized treatment. But in a busy practice, it’s easy for these check-ins to fall through the cracks.

Clinical assessments: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma helps clinicians stay on top of client progress by offering built-in assessments (like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7), which can be securely sent to clients. Providers can set a schedule for automated reassessments. Alma will automatically send reminders and notify clinicians if results indicate elevated symptoms. A simple visual dashboard also helps track symptom changes over time, making it easier to measure clinical outcomes.

Headway also allows you to send clients clinical assessments and track progress over time.

Support to grow your private practice

Joining an online therapy platform can help you attract more clients, but building a caseload that aligns with your skills and goals takes more than volume alone.

Support: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma promotes detailed clinician profiles through its provider directory. Prospective clients can search by specialty, treatment approach, cultural identity, and more. Because Alma’s clinician profiles are so detailed, there’s a better chance that referrals will be the right fit for your practice. Alma’s marketing team also works to attract new clients through insurance directories, social media, and partnerships. Alma allows clients to directly book a consultation with you, so you can quickly decide if it’s a good fit. Alma’s community platform also allows clinicians to share referrals with each other.

Headway supports practice growth by helping clients narrow their search to clinicians who are in-network with their insurance, though they have fewer criteria for filtering compared with Alma.

Continuing education

Continuing education is critical for staying current and expanding your clinical expertise, but finding high-quality, affordable CE opportunities can be a challenge.

Continuing education: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma’s Education Center is accredited by the American Psychological Association, the Association of Social Work Boards, the National Board for Certified Counselors, and the New York State Education Board, and offers free continuing education opportunities to over 90% of our members. Over 100 on-demand and live courses cover a wide range of clinical issues, modalities, and populations.

Headway is not an accredited CE provider but it does partner with PESI and Violet to offer a limited number of on-demand courses.

Clinician community

Private practice can be isolating, and having access to a professional peer network can make a meaningful difference.

Clinician community: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma members benefit from an active clinician community that includes peer-led forums, interest-based groups (e.g., ACT, culturally responsive care), referral-sharing, and workshops. These spaces help reduce isolation and offer meaningful professional support.

Alma also offers paid and volunteer leadership opportunities through our Alma Changemaker initiative, with roles like course instructor, guest speaker, and content contributor. These opportunities allow members to share their expertise, elevate their voices, and actively shape the future of Alma and mental health care.

Headway does not offer a formal peer support network for its providers at this time.

Security

Protecting client data and documentation is non-negotiable. HIPAA-compliant platforms and secure EHRs are essential for maintaining trust and meeting legal standards.

Security: How do Alma & Headway compare?

Alma offers a HIPAA-compliant video platform and a secure, integrated EHR for documentation, billing, and clinical tools. All client records are protected, and exporting documentation is straightforward if a provider ever chooses to leave Alma.

Headway does not offer providers a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. They instead direct providers to use either Doxy, Zoom or Google Workspace. Exporting documentation requires more steps at Headway.

Alma vs. Headway as a platform for therapists: The bottom line

Both Alma and Headway simplify the operational side of private practice, particularly for therapists who accept insurance. They securely handle credentialing, billing, and client onboarding, helping reduce administrative burden.

Alma’s platform offers a more comprehensive and clinician-centered solution by supporting practice growth, client fit, continuing education, and community engagement. For providers looking for a platform that goes beyond logistics and supports the whole arc of private practice, Alma stands out.