We just re-tested both BetterHelp and Brightside Health to see what’s changed for 2026, and get a fresh take on their pros and cons, as well as which is better for online therapy. For most people, Brightside is the winner, thanks to its broader insurance acceptance and full range of services, including medication management. Plus, even its cash-pay prices can be lower than BetterHelp’s. BetterHelp, on the other hand, works well for those without insurance or those paying out-of-pocket for therapy.
Additional differences I noted in using both platforms: Brightside Health only offers 30-minute therapy and psychiatry sessions, while BetterHelp offers 45-minute therapy appointments. Plus, BetterHelp’s algorithm got me a pretty great therapist match on the first go, while on Brightside Health, I had to look through profiles and choose providers on my own based on availability and the information in their bios.
Editor’s Notes
Brightside offers both online therapy and medication management whereas BetterHelp only offers therapy.
Brightside accepts most major insurance plans, while BetterHelp’s insurance coverage is incredibly limited, though it has plans to expand in 2026.
Brightside offers multiple subscription tiers, while BetterHelp just has one plan option.
Brightside & BetterHelp’s cash-pay costs for a therapy subscription are similar, but BetterHelp offers financial aid for lower income individuals, students, and veterans.
BetterHelp offers more “extras,” like group sessions and journaling, built into your subscription.
Compare Brightside Vs. BetterHelp
| Services | Therapy, Medication, Crisis Management, Intensive Outpatient Programs | Therapy |
| Cost | $95 – $349 monthly | $260 - $360 monthly |
| Geographic Availability | All 50 US States | US & International |
| Insurance Accepted? |  |  |
| Offers Financial Assistance? | | |
| Session Options | Video Sessions Only | Video, Phone, Live Messaging |
| Offers Medication? | | |
| Services | |
| Therapy, Medication, Crisis Management, Intensive Outpatient Programs | Therapy |
| Cost | |
| $95 – $349 monthly | $260 - $360 monthly |
| Geographic Availability | |
| All 50 US States | US & International |
| Insurance Accepted? | |
| | |
| Offers Financial Assistance? | |
| | |
| Session Options | |
| Video Sessions Only | Video, Phone, Live Messaging |
| Offers Medication? | |
| | |
Brightside Health Vs. BetterHelp: Key Factors & Differences
Price: $95–$349 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Yes
Medication Management: Yes
Age Limitations: 13+
Brightside is an online mental health platform that offers therapy, medication management, and online intensive outpatient programs for higher-acuity mental health concerns, as well as for substance use disorders in a few select states. With its wide array of care options and acceptance of many insurance plans, it could be a great option for many people seeking online mental healthcare.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Accepts many insurance plans, including some Medicaid & Medicare
- Offers therapy and medication management
- Provides care for people as young as 13
Cons - Fewer therapist options could lead to less-ideal matches
- Only offers 30-minute sessions
- Extensive intake forms could deter some people
- Fewer “extras” compared to BetterHelp
Cost
Brightside Health costs range from $95–$349 monthly, depending on the services you choose. Brightside Health also accepts many insurance plans.
Brightside Health offers three subscriptions for cash-pay members:
- Psychiatry ($95 monthly): Initial consultation with a psychiatrist and ongoing monthly care.
- Psychiatry maintenance plan ($45 monthly): After at least 90 days of being on the regular Psychiatry plan, if your provider deems it appropriate, they could switch you to this maintenance plan where you can get ongoing prescriptions but not have monthly video visits.
- Therapy ($299 monthly): Weekly therapy sessions via live video
- Psychiatry + Therapy ($349 monthly): Both plans combined
Compared to BetterHelp, Brightside often comes out more affordable, even for cash-pay. BetterHelp’s price varies within a range of $260–$400 monthly for weekly therapy sessions, and Brightside’s most expensive plan comes in below the high side of that range. If your local price at BetterHelp is over $300, you can probably get more value out of Brightside.
BetterHelp has just started accepting a very limited number of insurance plans in select states, so there’s a slight chance you could get therapy through BetterHelp covered by your insurance—but Brightside Health accepts a large number of plans in all 50 states.
Overview
Brightside Health is an online mental healthcare company that offers virtual therapy, psychiatry, and intensive outpatient treatment to adults and teens aged 13+ nationwide. Brightside costs $95–$349 monthly, depending on the care you need, and accepts many insurance plans.
I just reviewed Brightside Health for 2026, and the biggest thing that stood out to me was its range of offerings—from basic therapy and medication to solutions for high-acuity needs, like its intensive outpatient programs and its suicide prevention program. Compared to other providers of its kind, Brightside Health offers a good value for the money, and having the ability to bundle therapy and psychiatry into one plan is a huge benefit.
To see if Brightside is right for you, visit our full Brightside Health review.
My Recent Experience With Brightside Health
I just signed up for Brightside Health and tested out both its therapy and psychiatry offerings for 2026. The intake forms were quite a doozy compared to other online therapy platforms—filling everything out took me about 40 minutes before I could schedule my appointments. However, there were multiple same-day and next-day sessions available, and I was able to see a medication prescriber less than 24 hours after signing up.
The biggest drawback I found in using Brightside Health is that it only offers 30-minute sessions for both therapy and medication. While this was fine for my medication appointments, since I already had a diagnosis and knew what had worked and didn’t work in the past, for someone new to medication or needing more comprehensive care, this could be a deterrent. For therapy, I felt like I was just getting settled in by the time my 30-minute appointment was over, and really wished I’d had the option of a longer session.
I think Brightside Health could be a really good fit for someone needing medication management and therapy, whether you’re using insurance or not, as its cash-pay prices for the bundled Therapy + Medication plan are on the lower end for online platforms.
Price: $260–$400 monthly
Insurance Accepted: Extremely limited
Medication Management: No
Age Limitations: 18+
BetterHelp makes accessing online therapy simple and stress-free. With a network of over 30,000 therapists and an affordable pricing system, it’s a top choice for anyone seeking fast, convenient, cash-pay therapy.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Longer session times compared to Brightside Health
- Live messaging and phone session options
- Offers financial aid to help cut costs
- Extras like journaling and group therapy sessions
Cons - Extremely limited insurance coverage
- Doesn’t offer medication management
Cost
BetterHelp costs between $260 and $400 monthly (advertised as $65 to $100 weekly), depending on your location and the availability of therapists nearby. This price includes weekly therapy sessions, access to BetterHelp’s extra resources like journaling and goal-setting, and an optional weekly group session.
BetterHelp just started offering very limited insurance coverage in select states, with plans to continue expanding these offerings greatly in 2026. For now, expect to pay out-of-pocket, but there’s a chance you could get services through BetterHelp covered by insurance, either now or in the near future.
If BetterHelp’s prices in your area are on the lower end or you qualify for its financial assistance program, it may be the more affordable choice for therapy. However, if you’re planning to use insurance, Brightside Health could cost as little as a $0 copay—so it’s worth checking if Brightside Health is in-network for you.
Overview
BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that offers virtual therapy sessions to anyone age 18+ across the US and several countries internationally. BetterHelp also offers teen and couples therapy through its subsidiaries, TeenCounseling and ReGain. BetterHelp costs range from $260–$400 monthly, and while it currently only accepts very limited insurance, BetterHelp does have a financial aid program to help cut costs by 10%–40% for those paying out-of-pocket. Plus, students and veterans can get automatic discounts on their weekly or monthly rates.
After re-testing BetterHelp for 2026, the biggest standouts to me were the effectiveness of the therapist matching algorithm (at least for me, I got matched with a great therapist on my first try) and all of the extras that come along with the subscription, including optional group sessions, goal-setting, journaling, and more.
Learn more in our full BetterHelp review.
My Recent Experience Using BetterHelp
I just signed up for BetterHelp to see what has changed for 2026, and I was honestly pretty impressed by my experience. The intake forms still took some time (though it was about 15 minutes, not the 40+ I put into my Brightside forms), but that set me up for a really great therapist match who met all of the criteria I requested. My appointment was 45 minutes long, which I also preferred to Brightside Health’s 30-minute sessions.
I also appreciated the extras that BetterHelp offers, and I got a lot out of the group session I attended that came free with my membership. I had dozens of groups to choose from at all different times of day, and the one I attended gave me a chance to share about my experience and hear from others in similar situations. To me, this is one of the major bonuses to BetterHelp, plus the other built-in tools like journaling and goal-setting.
I think BetterHelp is best suited for people seeking an easy option for therapy on a cash-pay basis. However, if you need medication management or have other options through insurance, Brightside Health will likely be the better choice.
Other Alternatives to Consider
Brightside and BetterHelp are both top options to consider for online therapy. However, those seeking comprehensive psychiatric care or specialty services, such as ADHD care or substance abuse recovery, may want to seek other options. Plus, while both have decent cash-pay prices, they could still be limiting for those with lower incomes.
Alternatives for Affordable Therapy
For those within a certain income bracket and who don’t have health insurance, Open Path Collective offers discounted therapy sessions between $30–$70 after paying a one-time membership fee.
Alternatives for Psychiatric Care
While Brightside Health handles medication management, other services like Talkiatry offer more in-depth psychiatric care. Talkiatry creates individualized plans and can prescribe controlled medications, but it only works with in-network insurance and doesn’t accept cash-pay.
Visit our full Talkiatry review for more details. See more options in our list of the best online psychiatry services.
Alternatives for ADHD Care
BetterHelp and Brightside Health don’t diagnose ADHD or prescribe controlled medications like Adderall, making them the less effective platforms for well-rounded ADHD treatment. For specialized ADHD care, look to Klarity, Talkiatry, or Circle Medical instead. Find more options on our list of the best online ADHD treatments.
Alternatives for OCD Treatment
BetterHelp and Brightside can both work for treating OCD, but there’s one service that’s specifically designed for it. NOCD stands out as the top choice for treating OCD and its variants.
Get In-Person Therapy With These Alternatives
Neither BetterHelp nor Brightside Health offer in-person therapy. Grow Therapy is a directory full of therapists and medication providers who offer both online and in-person services. Thriveworks is a great alternative that offers in-person treatment in select cities.
Alternatives for Substance Abuse Treatment
BetterHelp and Brightside aren’t ideal for treating alcoholism or substance use disorder (SUD). For specialized care, try WorkIt Health or Sunnyside. If you’re looking for lighter support, check out some of the best mindful drinking apps.
Final Verdict: Which Is Better, BetterHelp or Brightside Health?
“Based on my recent experiences with both options, I’d say Brightside Health is the better choice for those who care about getting both medication and therapy on the same platform and who have insurance, while BetterHelp could be a better choice for those new to therapy.
I had a slightly better experience with my BetterHelp therapist (and I preferred the 45-minute time slot that BetterHelp offered, unlike Brightside’s 30-minute session times), but either platform makes it super easy to switch providers until you find someone you’re comfortable with.
While Brightside Health offers “video lessons” that accompany your therapy journey, BetterHelp’s extras were more enticing to me, and included guided journaling, goal-setting, and optional but meaningful weekly group sessions at no extra cost.
Cash-pay costs are probably going to be similar for therapy depending on where you live, but those with insurance are more likely to get coverage from Brightside Health at this time, so that’s definitely worth noting. ”
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Rueger, Abigail. (December 2025). Brightside Health Review: Pros & Cons, Cost, & My Experience. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/brightside-health-review/
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Rueger, Abigail. (December 2025). BetterHelp Review 2026: Cost, Pros & Cons, & My Experience. ChoosingTherapy.com. Retrieved from:
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/betterhelp-review/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Abigail Rueger, MA (New author)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Completely rewrote; Updated BetterHelp’s cost throughout (from $260–$360 to $260–$400); Added recent user experience for both platforms.
Author: Matthew Church, MS
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD
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