Comparison
Gale vs Freed: Bundled Scribe vs Scribe-Only
Freed is a capable standalone AI scribe at $39–$119/mo depending on features and note volume. Gale bundles an equivalent ambient scribe at no additional cost inside a full practice OS that also handles EHR, billing, credentialing tracking, and telehealth — with no monthly subscription fee at all. The right choice depends on whether you already have infrastructure you trust.
By Gale Editorial · Updated 2026-06-15. Every figure cited to a dated source. How we write.
Freed pricing as cited: $39–$119/mo per clinician as of June 2026 [1][2]
| Gale | Freed | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Software free; Gale earns billing cost + 15% on paid claims only — no subscription, no setup fee | $39–$119/mo subscription; billing handled separately by your existing billing company |
| AI scribe cost | Jefferson bundled at $0/mo; no per-note cap; on-device iOS option | $39/mo (40-note cap), $79/mo (unlimited), or $119/mo (unlimited + EHR push) [1] |
| EHR integration | Native — notes push directly into the Gale EHR; same platform | Premier only ($119/mo): Chrome extension push to select web-based EHRs; copy-paste for Epic/Cerner/eClinicalWorks [2] |
| Audio retention | Deleted after transcription; iOS transcription is on-device | Freed does not retain audio after note generation (per their privacy documentation) |
| Billing / RCM | Bundled: claims submission, denial follow-up, ERA, Stripe Connect payouts | Not included — arrange separately with a billing company at est. 5–8% of collections [5] |
| Credentialing tracking | End-to-end tracking built in; provider signs attestations — Gale does not auto-attest | Not included |
| Telehealth | WebRTC peer-to-peer telehealth built in | Not included — requires a separate platform |
| Specialty depth | Early-stage; primary focus on primary care and behavioral health in current demonstration | Strongest in primary care and general medicine; reviewers note variable quality in psychiatry, therapy, dermatology, OB-GYN [2] |
| Production readiness | Pre-commercial; running synthetic demonstration data only — no real patient encounters live yet [4] | Production — live since 2023 with thousands of clinician users and documented reviews |
| Free trial | Early-access program — contact Gale | 7-day free trial, no credit card required [1] |
Where Freed may be the better fit
- —A clinician who wants a proven, production-ready scribe today and does not need to change EHR or billing platforms: Freed is live, reviewed, and works
- —Practices with an EHR they already trust (Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth): Freed slots in as an add-on without platform migration
- —Primary care and internal medicine note quality based on current independent reviews: Freed has a multi-year track record; Jefferson has none yet
- —Low-risk evaluation: Freed's 7-day free trial requires no commitment and no platform change; Gale requires early-access onboarding
What each product actually is
Freed is a dedicated ambient AI medical scribe. It listens to a clinical encounter via your phone, generates a SOAP note in roughly 60–90 seconds, and lets you edit before copying the note into your EHR or — on the Premier plan only — pushing it via a browser extension 1Ref 1Freed AI (2026).Freed Pricing — Starter, Core, Premier, Groups.Freed plan names, per-tier monthly prices ($39/$79/$104 annual/$119 monthly), note cap on Starter, EHR push restricted to Premier, 7-day free trial. It does one thing well and integrates into your existing stack.
Gale is a practice operating system in pre-commercial demonstration: EHR, scheduling, billing (with revenue cycle management), credentialing tracking, telehealth, and an AI scribe called Jefferson bundled at no additional charge 4Ref 4Gale Editorial (2026).Gale — Practice OS: Jefferson scribe, EHR, billing, credentialing.Gale product description: software free, billing-cost+15% model, Jefferson scribe bundled at $0, audio deleted post-transcription, Stripe Connect settlement, pre-commercial synthetic-data status. The software itself is free; Gale earns only a billing-cost markup of 15% applied to claims that actually collect — it takes no cut of gross charges and charges no subscription.
The comparison matters because a clinician evaluating Freed is often really asking a larger question: should I pay for a point scribe solution, or does a platform exist that makes that subscription unnecessary?
Freed pricing and what each tier actually includes
As of June 2026, Freed offers four published tiers 1Ref 1Freed AI (2026).Freed Pricing — Starter, Core, Premier, Groups.Freed plan names, per-tier monthly prices ($39/$79/$104 annual/$119 monthly), note cap on Starter, EHR push restricted to Premier, 7-day free trial2Ref 2Vero Editorial (2026).Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say.40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing:
- Starter — $39/mo: ambient scribe, specialty templates, live support. Cap: 40 notes per month. A full-time clinician seeing 15–20 patients per day will exceed this within two to three weeks.
- Core — $79/mo: unlimited notes, AI editing assistant, template builder. No EHR integration at this tier.
- Premier — $119/mo (or ~$104/mo billed annually): everything in Core plus EHR push via Chrome extension, ICD-10 coding, visit summaries, referral letters, patient instructions.
- Groups — custom pricing with SSO, admin dashboards, and dedicated onboarding.
A note on the $39 entry price: the Starter tier's 40-note monthly cap makes it unsuitable for most full-time practices. A clinician running a typical panel will need Core at $79/mo or Premier at $119/mo to avoid disruptions mid-month 2Ref 2Vero Editorial (2026).Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say.40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing.
EHR integration is only available on Premier. It operates via a Chrome browser extension that pushes notes to compatible web-based EHRs including Athenahealth, Practice Fusion, SimplePractice, Elation, and Tebra. There is no native API-level integration with Epic, Cerner, or eClinicalWorks; the workflow for those systems remains copy-paste 2Ref 2Vero Editorial (2026).Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say.40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing3Ref 3Commure Editorial (2026).AI Medical Scribe Pricing: What Practices Pay in 2026.Freed tier pricing confirmed at $39/$79/$119; independent practice AI scribe market range $39–$120/provider/month; human scribe cost comparison $32,000–$42,000/year; publication date April 24, 2026.
Gale's scribe: Jefferson
Gale's Jefferson scribe records the clinical encounter, transcribes on-device (iOS) or via a Modal Whisper deployment (web), generates a SOAP note, and routes audio to the provider for review. Audio is deleted after transcription — it is not stored or retained 4Ref 4Gale Editorial (2026).Gale — Practice OS: Jefferson scribe, EHR, billing, credentialing.Gale product description: software free, billing-cost+15% model, Jefferson scribe bundled at $0, audio deleted post-transcription, Stripe Connect settlement, pre-commercial synthetic-data status. A HIPAA Business Associate Agreement is included.
Jefferson is bundled into Gale at $0/mo additional cost. There is no per-note cap. Because Jefferson is part of the same platform as the EHR, notes push directly into the chart rather than through a browser extension layer. The provider reviews and signs the note; Gale does not auto-attest anything.
Gale is pre-commercial and running on synthetic demonstration data today — no real patient encounters are live yet 4Ref 4Gale Editorial (2026).Gale — Practice OS: Jefferson scribe, EHR, billing, credentialing.Gale product description: software free, billing-cost+15% model, Jefferson scribe bundled at $0, audio deleted post-transcription, Stripe Connect settlement, pre-commercial synthetic-data status. A clinician evaluating Gale should treat it as an early-access platform, not a production tool with a multi-year track record.
The billing model comparison
This is where the total-cost picture differs most from a scribe-only analysis.
Freed: subscription cost only. Billing is not part of the product; you pay your existing billing service separately. Independent practices typically pay 5–8% of net collections to a billing company 5Ref 5Neolytix Editorial (2026).What Is the Going Rate for Medical Billing Services?.Medical billing percentage-of-collections rates for independent practices: 4–10% range, 5–8% typical for solo primary care and small groups; updated May 29, 2026, which is the largest single operating cost in a private practice. A solo clinician collecting $400,000/year pays ~$20,000–$32,000 in billing fees, entirely separate from any scribe subscription.
Gale: no subscription fee. Gale charges only the cost of billing (which it earns by handling your RCM) plus 15% on top of that billing cost — applied only to claims that actually pay. This is a percentage-of-billing-cost model, not a percentage-of-collections rake. It is structurally different from the 20–30% gross-revenue participation models used by some platforms. Gale never takes a percentage of gross charges, never fronts cash, and settles collected funds provider-direct via Stripe Connect.
For a practice already paying a billing company 6% of collections plus $79–$119/mo for a scribe, Gale's model may represent meaningful simplification — though the honest estimate of comparative cost depends on your collections volume and your current billing rate. No number here is a committed savings figure; run the comparison against your own collections.
Where Freed is genuinely better
The comparison section below shows Freed's advantages directly. In plain language:
If you already have an EHR you trust and a billing workflow that works, Freed is a mature, proven point tool with real clinician reviews and a track record. Adding a $79–$119/mo subscription to a functioning practice to get a better scribe is a reasonable and low-risk decision.
If you primarily do therapy notes (DAP, BIRP, psychodynamic), specialty-specific review notes suggest Freed's output quality falls outside primary care 2Ref 2Vero Editorial (2026).Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say.40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing; purpose-built therapy scribes may serve you better regardless of cost.
If you are not ready to change platforms, Freed integrates into your existing stack without touching your EHR, billing, or credentialing workflow. Gale requires platform adoption — not a scribe subscription.
User satisfaction for Freed is consistently noted in independent reviews as high for primary care and general medicine 1Ref 1Freed AI (2026).Freed Pricing — Starter, Core, Premier, Groups.Freed plan names, per-tier monthly prices ($39/$79/$104 annual/$119 monthly), note cap on Starter, EHR push restricted to Premier, 7-day free trial2Ref 2Vero Editorial (2026).Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say.40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing3Ref 3Commure Editorial (2026).AI Medical Scribe Pricing: What Practices Pay in 2026.Freed tier pricing confirmed at $39/$79/$119; independent practice AI scribe market range $39–$120/provider/month; human scribe cost comparison $32,000–$42,000/year; publication date April 24, 2026. That feedback is real and should not be discounted.
Documentation burden: why the scribe question matters
The underlying problem both products address is real. AMA survey data (published August 2025) found that the average physician workweek totals ~57.8 hours, with 13 hours weekly on indirect patient care — orders, documentation, test interpretation 6Ref 6American Medical Association (2025).Doctors Work Fewer Hours, but the EHR Still Follows Them Home.Physician workweek 57.8 hours average; 13 hours/week indirect patient care including documentation; 22.5% of physicians spending 8+ hours/week on EHR outside normal hours; documentation cited as top burnout contributor; published August 2025. More than 22% of physicians spent over eight hours per week on EHR tasks outside normal work hours. Documentation and charting ranks as the leading contributor to burnout, cited by 16% of providers 6Ref 6American Medical Association (2025).Doctors Work Fewer Hours, but the EHR Still Follows Them Home.Physician workweek 57.8 hours average; 13 hours/week indirect patient care including documentation; 22.5% of physicians spending 8+ hours/week on EHR outside normal hours; documentation cited as top burnout contributor; published August 2025.
An ambient AI scribe that reduces charting time by 30–60 minutes per clinical day addresses a genuine, measurable problem. The question is not whether to use a scribe — it is whether to pay for one as a standalone subscription or as a bundled component of a broader platform change.
Common questions
Can Freed push notes directly into my EHR?
EHR push is available only on Freed's Premier plan ($119/mo or ~$104/mo annually) via a Chrome browser extension. It is confirmed to work with Athenahealth, Practice Fusion, SimplePractice, Elation, and Tebra. For Epic, Cerner, and eClinicalWorks the standard workflow is copy-paste. Gale's Jefferson scribe pushes notes natively into the Gale EHR because they are part of the same platform.
Is Freed's $39/mo plan enough for a full-time practice?
Probably not. The Starter plan caps at 40 notes per month. A clinician seeing 10 patients per day, four days per week, will reach that limit in the second week of the month. Most full-time clinicians will need the Core ($79/mo, unlimited) or Premier ($119/mo) tier.
Does Gale charge anything for the Jefferson scribe?
No. Jefferson is bundled into Gale at no additional monthly charge. Gale's only revenue comes from a markup on the billing cost it earns by handling your RCM — applied only to paid claims.
Who does Freed serve best?
Independent clinicians in primary care, family medicine, and internal medicine who have a functioning EHR and billing workflow they want to keep, and who want to add an AI scribe without platform change. Independent reviews consistently rate Freed's note quality highest for these specialties. For psychiatry, therapy, OB-GYN, or surgical specialties, reviewers note more variable performance.
Is Gale available to use today?
Gale is in pre-commercial demonstration using synthetic data. It is not yet accepting live patients or processing real insurance claims. A clinician evaluating Gale should treat it as early access, not a production platform with a billing track record.
Does Gale store audio from recorded encounters?
No. Jefferson deletes audio after transcription. On iOS, transcription runs on-device. On the web, audio is processed via a Modal Whisper deployment and then deleted. No raw audio or transcripts are stored in Firestore.
What is Gale's billing model exactly?
Gale earns the cost of billing your claims plus 15% of that billing cost — charged only on claims that actually pay. This is a billing-cost markup model, not a gross-revenue rake. Gale never takes 20–30% of your collections, never charges a subscription, and settles funds provider-direct via Stripe Connect. The platform software itself is free.
Keep reading
AI Medical Scribe, Included — No Monthly Fee · Free EHR: What "Free" Really Means (and the Catch to Watch For) · EHR for Independent Practices: Charting That Stays Out of the Way · Medical Billing & Claims: Pay Only When You Get Paid · Revenue Cycle Management for Solo and Small Practices · Insurance Credentialing, Tracked End-to-End (Never Auto-Attested) · EHR for Primary Care and Family Medicine · EHR + AI Scribe for Therapists and Counselors · EHR + AI Scribe for Psychiatry and Psychiatric NPs · How to Start a Private Practice: The 2026 Checklist · Gale vs SimplePractice: An Honest Comparison · Gale vs athenahealth: An Honest Comparison · Gale vs Headway: Keep Your Rate, Keep Your Contracts · Gale vs. Alma: The Real Cost of Membership and the Insurance Spread
Run your practice on Gale
The software is free. Gale earns the cost of billing plus 15% — only on claims that actually pay. No subscription, no setup fee, no network cut.
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- 1.Freed AI (2026). Freed Pricing — Starter, Core, Premier, Groups. getfreed.ai. link ✓Freed plan names, per-tier monthly prices ($39/$79/$104 annual/$119 monthly), note cap on Starter, EHR push restricted to Premier, 7-day free trial
- 2.Vero Editorial (2026). Freed AI Scribe Review 2026: Pricing, Accuracy, and What Doctors Say. veroscribe.com. link ✓40-note Starter cap inadequacy for full-time clinicians; EHR push via Chrome extension only on Premier; specialty performance outside primary care; $39 entry price framing
- 3.Commure Editorial (2026). AI Medical Scribe Pricing: What Practices Pay in 2026. commure.com. link ✓Freed tier pricing confirmed at $39/$79/$119; independent practice AI scribe market range $39–$120/provider/month; human scribe cost comparison $32,000–$42,000/year; publication date April 24, 2026
- 4.Gale Editorial (2026). Gale — Practice OS: Jefferson scribe, EHR, billing, credentialing. gale.care. link ✓Gale product description: software free, billing-cost+15% model, Jefferson scribe bundled at $0, audio deleted post-transcription, Stripe Connect settlement, pre-commercial synthetic-data status
- 5.Neolytix Editorial (2026). What Is the Going Rate for Medical Billing Services?. neolytix.com. link ✓Medical billing percentage-of-collections rates for independent practices: 4–10% range, 5–8% typical for solo primary care and small groups; updated May 29, 2026
- 6.American Medical Association (2025). Doctors Work Fewer Hours, but the EHR Still Follows Them Home. ama-assn.org. link ✓Physician workweek 57.8 hours average; 13 hours/week indirect patient care including documentation; 22.5% of physicians spending 8+ hours/week on EHR outside normal hours; documentation cited as top burnout contributor; published August 2025
https://www.gale.care/for-providers/compare/freed · 6 sources. Competitor details are cited to dated public sources and maintained as they change; figures are estimates, not commitments. Synthetic demonstration.