Cerebral and BetterHelp are both online therapy platforms, with Cerebral also offering medication management to help manage certain mental health conditions. To learn more about how exactly Cerebral and BetterHelp compare to each other, we’ll take an in-depth look at what each platform offers, their costs and subscription options, as well as any extra features available.
Cerebral Vs. BetterHelp: How They Compare
Cerebral is a subscription-based therapy and psychiatry platform for individuals 18+ across the US that earned 4 out of 5 stars overall during our independent review. BetterHelp is a subscription-based online therapy platform for individuals 18+ across the US and internationally that earned 4 out of 5 stars overall during our independent review. Both of these 4-star platforms may feel very similar at first, so we will break them down for you.
What is Cerebral?
Cerebral is a subscription-based online mental health platform that offers therapy and psychiatry to individuals 18 years and older throughout the United States. All therapy sessions are 45 minutes long and initial psychiatry appointments are 30 minutes long. You can choose to attend your appointments either via video or phone call. With Cerebral, you will be able to choose from several subscription plans as well as select your own provider after you sign up. Depending on which plan you select, costs range from $99 – $325 monthly.
Cerebral’s three subscription plans are:
- Medication + Care Management Plan: For $99 monthly, you will receive a 30-minute initial evaluation, a diagnosis, and a prescription (if needed) by a medical prescriber. Medication will be mailed to you on a monthly basis. You will also have access to in-app self-care tools.
- Therapy Plan: For $259 monthly, you will attend weekly 45-minute video or phone sessions with a licensed therapist of your choice. You will also have access to the care team for questions and as well as progress-tracking tools and self-care tools.
- Medication + Therapy Plan: For $325 monthly, you will have access to everything from the medication plan and the therapy plan.
Cerebral prescribes medications for a range of mental health conditions, including medication for depression (including postpartum and menopausal depression), and medication for anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Depending on location, Cerebral also provides treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, alcohol and opioid use disorders, and obesity. Cerebral will only prescribe non-controlled medication for ADHD, which means it does not offer prescriptions for stimulant medications. They are also expanding to treat schizophrenia and pediatric conditions in the near future.
What is BetterHelp?
BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that quickly connects you with a licensed counselor or therapist. BetterHelp has one subscription option, which includes a weekly, 30 or 45-minute video, phone, or live texting session. A BetterHelp subscription also includes the ability to message your therapist anytime between sessions, with therapists typically responding within 24 hours. A BetterHelp subscription also provides access to their journaling tool and group webinars. Currently, BetterHelp does not prescribe medication, and they do not accept insurance.
BetterHelp’s therapy subscription includes:
- One live, 30 or 45-minute weekly video, phone, or text session.
- Ability to text with your therapist at any time (responses can be expected at least once daily).
- An in-app journal that you can keep discreet or share with your therapist.
- Group webinars to attend on topics like anxiety, stress, depression, and more.
Cerebral Vs. BetterHelp Comparison Table
| Cerebral | BetterHelp | |
| Services Offered | Online Therapy & Online Medication Management | Online Therapy |
| Therapist Selection | Choose your own provider | Initially matched with a therapist |
| Cost | $99 – $325 monthly, depending on which subscription you choose | $240 – $360 monthly, depending on your location and therapist availability |
| Insurance | Yes, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield, Cigna, Magellan Health, & United Healthcare / Optum | No |
| Communication Options | Video Phone Messaging between sessions | Video Phone Live Texting Messaging between sessions |
| Medications Prescribed | SSRI’s & SNRI’s No controlled medications | None |
Pros & Cons of Cerebral
Cerebral provides online therapy and medication management to all US states. They also accept several major insurance plans and offer three subscriptions to choose from. However, they are unavailable outside the US and cannot prescribe controlled medications.
Pros & Cons of BetterHelp
BetterHelp provides online therapy to all US states and internationally. They also have fair out-of-pocket costs when compared to in-person care. However, they do not accept insurance, do not provide medication management, and only offer one subscription option.
BetterHelp Vs. Cerebral: Costs
Costs between Cerebral and BetterHelp are quite different and depending on which company you choose, will depend on which subscription you choose or your location.
How Much Does BetterHelp Cost?
BetterHelp costs start at $240 – $360 monthly (advertised at $60 – $90 weekly), with the ultimate cost depending on your location and therapist availability.
BetterHelp’s therapy subscription includes:
- One live, 30 or 45-minute weekly video, phone, or text session.
- Ability to text with your therapist at any time (responses can be expected at least once daily).
- An in-app journal that you can keep discreet or share with your therapist.
- Group webinars to attend on topics like anxiety, stress, depression, and more.
Those who have been a previous BetterHelp client may be offered a “maintenance plan” which costs $200 monthly (advertised at $50 weekly). This plan includes text, video, and audio messages with your therapist plus one live session. Additional live sessions can be purchased for $80 each.
A great perk to BetterHelp is that after you pay for your first month, you can access your client settings and explore more options to pay. You can choose to pay monthly or weekly in the app or on the website.
How Much Does Cerebral Cost?
Cerebral costs $99 – $325 monthly depending on your subscription plan. If Cerebral is in-network with your insurance company, the plans will cost $30 monthly in addition to any co-pays for your visits and medication. Medication subscriptions include the cost of shipping fees but do not include the cost of medications, which start at $10.
The three main subscription plans are:
- Medication + Care Management Plan: For $99 monthly, you will receive an evaluation, a diagnosis, and a prescription (if needed) by a medical prescriber. Medication will be mailed to you on a monthly basis and you can text your care team in between appointments if needed. You will also have access to all of the self-care tools like worksheets, meditations, a journal, and learning modules.
- Therapy Plan: For $259 monthly, you will attend weekly video or phone sessions with a licensed therapist of your choice. You can text your care team anytime with questions as well as view your symptom scores. You will also have access to all of the self-care tools like worksheets, meditations, a journal, and learning modules.
- Medication + Therapy Plan: For $325 monthly, you will have access to everything from the medication plan and the therapy plan.
Cerebral Vs BetterHelp: How to Get Started
Getting started with Cerebral and BetterHelp is quick and easy, with the process taking less than ten minutes.
How to Sign Up for Cerebral
To sign up with Cerebral, you will first visit their website and complete an initial assessment. This assessment will further help you figure out what you are seeking care for. After you select which subscription you think best suits your needs and pay for your first month, you will then select your therapist or medication manager.
If you choose to enroll in a medication plan, you will be prompted to answer additional symptom questions, verify your identity with a government ID, and then choose a prescriber and a date and time to meet them.
After completing the sign-up process you can schedule your first therapy session or your first medication management appointment.
To learn even more about their sign-up process, please read our in-depth review of Cerebral.
How to Sign Up for BetterHelp
To sign up with BetterHelp, first visit their website and select “Get Started.” You will then complete a short assessment of your symptoms and create your new account. Prior to being initially matched with a therapist, you will need to input your payment information and pay for your first month.
After you pay, you will be able to read about the therapist you were matched with and select “Schedule” in the app. You will be able to choose a date and time to meet with your new therapist that is convenient for you. If for whatever reason you feel your therapist is not a great match, you will be able to self-select a new therapist from a list provided by BetterHelp.
To learn even more about their sign-up process, please read our in-depth review of BetterHelp.
BetterHelp Vs Cerebral: Extra Features
BetterHelp and Cerebral both offer extra features that can enhance your therapeutic experience.
BetterHelp Extra Features
There are two extra features of BetterHelp, the “Journal,” and “Groupinars.”
The “Journal” section gives you a journal prompt suggestion, with options to shuffle or see all. There are quite a few journal prompts to choose from in categories like depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and general suggestions. Once you select a prompt you like, you will title your journal and then begin your entry. An interesting thing about these journals is you can choose to share with your therapist or keep them discreet.
You also do not have to use the journal prompts and treat this as a free writing journal.
“Groupinars” are webinars you can attend through the app. These are on various mental health topics from relationships and trauma, to anxiety and skill building. Each topic provides you with a group session name, date, time, and a description of what each group session will cover. If you click on “more information” then you can register for your first group session.
Cerebral Extra Features
Cerebral offers self-care tools in their app under a tab called “Learn.” You will have some assigned work to complete, but you can also explore what else there is in the “Discover” section. Here you will find learning modules on topics like “What Is Anxiety?”, “What is CBT?”, and “Goal Setting”. There are also grounding techniques, a journaling tab, and two cognitive behavioral therapy worksheets to complete. You can even listen to a meditation, a visualization exercise, or a progressive muscle relaxation exercise.
Cerebral also offers crisis management services including a dedicated crisis team to help clients who develop active suicidal thoughts. A free case management program is included for clients who develop ongoing suicidal thoughts to ensure adequate social support and linkage to community resources.
Cerebral Vs BetterHelp: Who Might Need An Alternative
While Cerebral and BetterHelp can help individuals over 18 with their mild to moderate mental health symptoms, these platforms will not be ideal for those with more severe symptoms or those under 18 years old.
Severe Mental Health Crisis
If you are experiencing thoughts of hurting yourself or others, you should contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 988, or present to your local emergency room.Your local community may also offer crisis warm lines and you can always text “HOME” to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.
Under 18 Years Old
Cerebral and BetterHelp are only available to those 18 years and older. While BetterHelp does have a teen therapy option, called Teen Counseling, it is only available to teens 13 years and older. For kids and teens younger than 13, a great online therapy and medication management option is Brightline Mental Health. Brightline can provide therapy to kids as young as six and can also refer their therapy patients in-house for psychiatric care.
To learn more about Brightline Mental Health and how it could benefit your young children, please read our detailed review of Brightline.
Those Who Prefer Face-To-Face Care
Online therapy and psychiatry can come off as cold and disconnecting for some people. This is understandable and for those who would prefer to see a provider face-to-face, we recommend exploring an online therapist directory. Directories can help you find someone close to your location and there are filters available to find particular specialties.
BetterHelp Vs Cerebral: Final Verdict
At first glance, it would seem that there is very little difference between BetterHelp and Cerebral. However, Cerebral offers much more in terms of mental health care than BetterHelp does, they accept insurance and can provide medication management. While BetterHelp has a much larger therapist pool and is available internationally, it does not provide medication management and it does not accept insurance.
In terms of therapy subscriptions, these two companies are tied for who is best. But if we take into consideration that Cerebral offers a subscription that combines therapy and medication management, that would make it a more attractive option. Oftentimes, people with moderate mental health symptoms will feel better if they combine therapy and medication.
Cerebral Vs BetterHelp Vs Talkspace
Cerebral, BetterHelp, and Talkspace are some of the biggest names in the online mental healthcare world at this time. All three platforms offer therapy to individuals over the age of 18 across all 50 US states. However, Cerebral and Talkspace both offer medication management and accept insurance, whereas BetterHelp does not.
Cerebral and Talkspace both offer out-of-pocket costs for medication management. An initial evaluation with Talkspace is $249 and follow-up appointments cost $125. Cerebral, on the other hand, charges a monthly subscription fee with shipping for medication included. Both Talkspace and Cerebral accept insurance, which could lower the out-of-pocket costs and may make them quite comparable in price. However, if you are only seeking medication management, Cerebral’s Medication + Care Management Plan is only $99 monthly making it a really great option that offers more relative value than BetterHelp or Talkspace.
To learn more about how their online platform works, you can read our in-depth review of Talkspace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Online Therapy & Psychiatry Right For?
Online therapy and online psychiatry are great for people who are new to both and have mild to moderate mental health symptoms. Utilizing these services online can save you money and time. Having the convenience of attending sessions and appointments from the comfort of your own home can easily outweigh any qualms you may have.
What Credentials Do Cerebral & BetterHelp Therapists/Providers Hold?
Cerebral therapists hold master’s or doctoral degrees in counseling, social work, or psychology. All therapists and counselors on BetterHelp are licensed and accredited psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, or professional therapists.
Do BetterHelp & Cerebral Accept Insurance?
Yes, Cerebral accepts insurance from several major insurance companies. BetterHelp does not accept insurance at this time.
Can Cerebral & BetterHelp Prescribe Medication?
Yes, Cerebral can prescribe medications but BetterHelp does not prescribe medications.
