Cerebral and Brightside Health are subscription-based online mental health platforms for individuals 18 years and older. Cerebral earned 3.5 out of 5 stars, while Brightside earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in our full reviews. We found they offer similar services with comparable out-of-pocket costs.
Cerebral Vs. Brightside Health: How They Compare
While Cerebral and Brightside Health offer very similar subscription plans with comparable costs, there are some key differences between them. Notably, Brightside accepts more insurance plans than Cerebral and offers a unique crisis case management program that Cerebral doesn’t. Meanwhile, Cerebral has couples counseling whereas Brightside Health does not.
What Is Cerebral?
Cerebral is a subscription-based online therapy and medication platform for individuals 18 years and older throughout the United States. You can choose your own therapist and attend your virtual appointments either via video or phone call. Depending on which plan you select, costs range from $95 – $365 monthly. Cerebral accepts insurance from some major providers, which could lower your out-of-pocket costs.
Cerebral’s subscription plans are:
- Medication: $95 monthly – includes a 30-minute initial consultation, a 15-minute intake follow-up, and up to two provider check-ins per month. The cost of medication is billed separately. Unlimited messaging with your provider is included.
- Therapy: $295 monthly – includes an initial evaluation session, then weekly 45-minute sessions with a licensed therapist, and unlimited messaging.
- Medication + Therapy Plan: $365 monthly – includes everything offered in the medication and therapy plans.
- Couples Therapy: $325 monthly – includes everything offered in the therapy plan for two clients rather than one.
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, and alcohol use disorders. Cerebral will only prescribe non-controlled medication for ADHD, which means it does not offer prescriptions for stimulant medications.
What Is Brightside?
Brightside Health is a subscription-based therapy and medication platform for individuals 18 years and older with mild to severe anxiety and depression. Brightside’s online CBT providers are able to treat generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, and more. Costs range from $95 – $349, depending on the subscription you choose and they accept insurance from select major providers.
Brightside Health’s three subscription plans are:
- Medication: $95 monthly – includes an evaluation with a psychiatric provider, and ongoing support and monitoring. There is also unlimited messaging with your provider as well as self-care tools online or in the app.
- Therapy: $299 monthly – includes four weekly video therapy sessions, unlimited messaging with your therapist, and access to self-care tools. Additional sessions are available for $59 each.
- Medication + Therapy: $349 monthly – includes everything from the medication plan and the therapy plan in one bundle.
Brightside Health automatically matches you with providers based on your location and schedule. Providers are licensed in the state where they practice and have education and experience working with depression and anxiety.
Brightside Health - Life-Changing Mental Health Care
If you’re struggling with serious mental illness, finding the right medication can make a difference. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door.
Brightside’s medication management plans connect you with a licensed prescriber in your state. Much like Cerebral, they can prescribe medications for depression, anxiety, and if you have a prior diagnosis, ADHD. Brightside is not able to prescribe controlled medications. Medication visits are typically 15 minutes long and during this time, you and your provider will discuss how you are doing, talk about your care plan, and answer any questions. Brightside can ship your medication to you for an additional $15 fee per medication.
Cerebral Vs. Brightside Comparison Table
| Cerebral | Brightside Health | |
| Services Offered | Individual Therapy Couples Therapy Medication Management | Individual Therapy Medication Management |
| Cost | $95 - $365 monthly, depending on subscription plan | $95 - $349 monthly, depending on subscription plan |
| Insurance | Yes | Yes |
| Communication Options | Video Phone Texting between session | Video Phone Texting between session |
| Medications Prescribed | Yes | Yes |
Pros & Cons of Cerebral
Cerebral offers therapy and medication management to all US states and accepts some major insurance plans. However, Cerebral is only for individuals 18 years and older, and doesn’t work with as many insurance plans as Brightside.
Pros & Cons of Brightside
Brightside Health offers therapy and medication management to all US states and accepts select insurance plans. However, Brightside only sees individuals over the age of 18, and doesn’t offer couples therapy as Cerebral does.
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Brightside Vs. Cerebral: Costs
Brightside and Cerebral have very similar costs and offer very similar subscription plans. Which one is right for you may come down to what you need treatment for and if your insurance is accepted by the company.
How Much Does Brightside Cost?
Brightside Health costs $95 – $349 monthly, depending on which of the three subscription plans you choose.
Brightside Health’s three subscription plans are:
- Medication: $95 monthly – includes an evaluation with a psychiatric provider, and ongoing support and monitoring. There is also unlimited messaging with your provider as well as self-care tools online or in the app.
- Therapy: $299 monthly – includes four weekly video therapy sessions, unlimited messaging with your therapist, and access to self-care tools. Additional sessions are available for $59 each.
- Medication + Therapy: $349 monthly – includes everything from the medication plan and the therapy plan in one bundle.
Additional therapy sessions are available for $59 each and can be scheduled with your therapist.
How Much Does Cerebral Cost?
Cerebral costs $95 – $365 monthly, depending on which of the four subscription plans you choose.
Cerebral’s subscription plans are:
- Medication: $95 monthly – includes a 30-minute initial consultation, a 15-minute intake follow-up, and up to two provider check-ins per month. The cost of medication is billed separately. Unlimited messaging with your provider is included.
- Therapy: $295 monthly – includes an initial evaluation session, then weekly 45-minute sessions with a licensed therapist, and unlimited messaging.
- Medication + Therapy Plan: $365 monthly – includes everything offered in the medication and therapy plans.
- Couples Therapy: $325 monthly – includes everything offered in the therapy plan for two clients rather than one.
Cerebral Vs Brightside: How to Get Started
Cerebral and Brightside are very easy to get started with and generally take less than 10 minutes to get set up. Both platforms have easy-to-navigate websites and offer convenient apps you can download after signing up.
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 determine what you seek care for. After selecting your preferred subscription and paying 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 Brightside
To sign up for Brightside, you will first visit their website and complete a free assessment, where you will rate your symptoms of anxiety and depression. From there you will fill in some basic information about yourself, which will help match you with a provider.
After you complete the assessment, you will select a subscription plan and pay for the first month upfront. You can then schedule your first appointment around your schedule.
To learn everything you need to know about their sign-up process, you can read our comprehensive review of Brightside Health.
Brightside Health - Life-Changing Mental Health Care
If you’re struggling with serious mental illness, finding the right medication can make a difference. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door.
Brightside Vs Cerebral: Extra Features
Brightside and Cerebral both offer extra features that can enhance your therapeutic experience, like self-care tools and symptom tracking.
Brightside Health Extra Features
All of Brightside Health’s monthly subscription plans give you access to their self-care program. This program can be accessed through their website after you log in. It focuses on skill-building and includes lessons on “Practicing Gratitude,” “Thinking Flexibly,” and “Ready, Set, Goal.” You will also be able to track your symptoms and share them with your therapist.
Brightside also offers Crisis Care built on the concepts of Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework. We will go into more detail about this program below as we examine how it differs from Cerebral’s crisis care management program.
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 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.
Brightside Crisis Care Vs. Cerebral Crisis Care
Brightside’s crisis care is geared toward those who are actively suicidal, have recently attempted suicide, or for those needing follow-up care after a hospitalization. The program is built on the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework.
If you are a current client with Brightside, your current provider can enroll you in the program if they deem you eligible. The program is only available in select states at this time and you can visit the Brightside website to find out if you are eligible.
Cerebral’s crisis care also helps those who have expressed active suicidal ideation or have just come out of a crisis event. Cerebral will assign specialized complex case managers to these patients and provide more detailed care and linkage to resources.
Case managers will also engage in symptom monitoring, skills training, education, and include facilitating referrals and coordinating care with local resources. This service is available in all US states.
Cerebral Vs Brightside: Who Might Need An Alternative
Cerebral and Brightside are great platforms for individuals over 18 years of age and those seeking medication management for mental health diagnoses like anxiety and depression. However, kids and teens, those seeking substance use disorder treatment, and those needing in-patient services will need to seek out alternatives.
Kids & Teens
For parents wishing to find an online therapy platform for their children under 18 years of age, we highly recommend Bend Health. Bend Health is a nationwide platform built with kids, teens, and their families in mind. They offer several therapy subscriptions and can even perform neuropsychological testing.
To learn more about what they offer, you can visit the Bend Health website.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
While Cerebral does offer alcohol treatment in most states, it is not a platform built around the concept of recovering from substance use issues. If you are looking for a platform that can help with a range of substance use disorders, we recommend WorkIt Health. WorkIt Health can help those struggling with alcohol, opioid, and stimulant addictions as well as any co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression.
To learn all about what they offer and how much their personalized programs cost, you can read our in-depth review of WorkIt Health.
In-Person & In-Patient Services
Brightside and Cerebral do offer services for those with active suicide ideation, but they cannot provide in-person care or in-patient hospitalization services. If you need immediate help with your mental health symptoms you can text “HOME” to 741741, or call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.
Thriveworks is an online mental health platform that also offers in-person care. Learn more in our full review of Thriveworks.
Brightside Health - Life-Changing Mental Health Care
If you’re struggling with serious mental illness, finding the right medication can make a difference. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door.
Brightside Vs Cerebral: Final Verdict
Overall, Brightside and Cerebral are evenly matched in terms of subscription plans and out-of-pocket costs. They even offer similar extra features and have crisis care programs in place for those who need extra support. While there is not a clear winner in terms of which is best, which platform works best for you will depend.
Brightside accepts a few more insurance plans than Cerebral does, so that could be a deciding factor if you plan on using your mental health insurance benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Online Therapy & Psychiatry Right For?
Online therapy and online psychiatry are generally a good fit for those who have mild to moderate mental health symptoms. Online services are also a great choice for those who like the convenience of attending sessions and appointments in their own home.
What Credentials Do Cerebral & Brightside Providers Hold?
Brightside Health’s medication providers include physicians, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Brightside Health’s therapists include psychologists and master’s-level therapists. Cerebral therapists hold master’s or doctoral degrees in counseling, social work, or psychology. Cerebral’s medication providers are generally psychiatric nurse practitioners but may include MDs for more severe cases.
Do Brightside & Cerebral Accept Insurance?
Yes, both Brightside and Cerebral accept insurance from major providers.
Can Cerebral & Brightside Prescribe Medication?
Yes, both Cerebral and Brightside can prescribe non-controlled medications.
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: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated Cerebral costs and pricing plans. Reviewed, fact-checked, and revised the entire article for accuracy and readability.
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD
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