MyTCM vs Practice Better for TCM and acupuncture clinics in Canada
2026 pricing and feature comparison. By Oscar Poon, founder of MyTCM.
The short answer
Practice Better is a general wellness practitioner EHR with tiers by client count, from $35 to $99 a month for one practitioner and $155 for teams of two or more. It is not built for acupuncture, and its insurance billing page describes US practitioners. MyTCM is built for TCM and covers up to 5 users at a location for $56 a month.
What each one really costs
Practice Better limits clients on its lower tiers and moves to a team plan once you have a second practitioner. Its pricing page shows $ amounts without naming the currency.
| MyTCM | Practice Better | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans for one practitioner | Single License, $56 CAD a month | Starter $35 (10 clients), Professional $69 (300 clients), Plus $99 (unlimited clients) |
| More than one practitioner | Up to 5 users at 1 location for one flat price, no per-practitioner fee | Team, $155 a month, plus $50 a month for each extra practitioner |
| Appointments and clients | Unlimited appointments | Client caps on Starter and Professional |
| Text messages | Unlimited email and SMS reminders included | 5 cents a text, Plus includes 750 a month |
| Insurance billing | ICBC available today (email on every license, web portal on Site License). More insurers and MSP are being added | Describes US practitioners billing insurance through Claim.MD. Canadian payers are not named |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days, 30 days on Team |
Practice Better prices are from its pricing page. It states HIPAA, PIPEDA and GDPR compliance and a free Sprout plan for students.
Anyone can build an EMR with AI. Solving day-to-day clinic problems requires real clinic management experience.
A chart, a calendar and an invoice are the easy part of clinic software. What makes practitioners choose MyTCM is that it was designed around the specific problems of a TCM clinic, so each one takes a fraction of the time and effort.
Oscar Poon, MyTCM's founder, is in the process of becoming certified as a CIPP/C, the Canadian privacy professional designation. He has not passed the exam yet. He also spent 10 years managing 3 acupuncture clinics, and that experience shaped how every part of MyTCM works.
Problems MyTCM is built to solve
Where a Practice Better cell says "not described", the pages we read did not mention it. Ask Practice Better before you decide.
| Problem | How MyTCM solves it | Practice Better |
|---|---|---|
| Charting in Chinese when records and insurers need English | Mandarin and English voice dictation, a Chinese to English SOAP report, and a trilingual interface (English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese) | Not described on the pages we read |
| Building presets before the software saves you time | Pairs an ICD code and a TCM pattern with suggested acupoints and herbs without presets, built from more than 10 Canadian and Chinese textbooks and 20 years of clinical documentation from three Vancouver clinics | Not described on the pages we read |
| Paying more every time you add a practitioner | One flat price covers up to 5 users at a location | Team plan $155 a month, plus $50 for each extra practitioner |
| Splitting revenue and paying practitioners | One-click payment, payroll and revenue-split reports | Not described on the pages we read |
| Getting help fast when something breaks | Direct tech support on WhatsApp, 6 AM to 9 PM Pacific | Not described on the pages we read |
| Owning and keeping your patient data | You own the database, set up on accounts in your name, stored in Montreal. MyTCM accesses it only as the Data Processing Agreement you sign before set up allows | States HIPAA, PIPEDA and GDPR compliance. Data location not stated |
Where Practice Better is strong
- Suits nutrition, coaching and wellness practices with built-in AI session prep and writing help.
- A free plan for students and new graduates.
- Multi-currency payments.
Where MyTCM is strong
- Charting built around TCM: ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, TCM patterns, 361 acupuncture points and Pinyin plus Latin herb names.
- Auto diagnosis and treatment pairing that suggests acupoints and herbs from the ICD code and pattern, without presets.
- Mandarin and English voice dictation and a Chinese to English SOAP report.
- Unlimited appointments and one flat price for up to 5 users at a location, so adding practitioners costs nothing extra.
- Direct tech support on WhatsApp, 6 AM to 9 PM Pacific.
- You own the database. Your data is stored in Montreal, Canada.
- ICBC billing available today, with more insurers being added.
Choose Practice Better if
- You run a wellness or nutrition practice that includes some TCM.
- You want a free student plan to start.
Choose MyTCM if
- Your practice is TCM or acupuncture.
- You want unlimited clients and appointments, and Canadian storage.
- You have several practitioners and want a flat price.
Ask any vendor before you sign
These questions apply to us too.
- Which Canadian payers can I bill directly today, and which are still planned?
- What is the total monthly price for my number of practitioners and staff?
- Where is my patient data stored, and can I export it if I leave?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Practice Better cost?
Starter is $35 a month, Professional $69, Plus $99 and Team $155, with annual billing lower. The page does not label the currency.
Is Practice Better built for acupuncture?
No. It is a general wellness practitioner EHR, and its insurance billing page describes US practitioners.
Sources
MyTCM is not affiliated with Practice Better. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm current pricing on their site.