Sanvello is a mobile app originally developed to help people struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression using mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) skills. Users can listen to guided meditations, learn and practice CBT skills, connect with other users or professionals, and track their mood, thoughts, and habits through the app.
Recently, Sanvello extended free “premium” subscriptions to all users in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Is the Sanvello App?
The Sanvello app, formerly called Pacifica, was founded in 2014 by CEO Dale Beermann and developer Chris Goettel, who together had a goal of creating an app for CBT and mindfulness. Both founders were inspired by their personal experiences. Beermann used mindfulness practices to help overcome insomnia, while Goettell reduced his social anxiety with CBT. The mental health/self-help app was renamed in 2019, after being acquired by Sanvello, Inc., a branch of the insurance company United Health.3
Users of both the free and premium version of Sanvello are able to learn and practice CBT and mindfulness through various exercises and short tutorials. Sanvello also has forums to allow chatting between members struggling with a common issue, fostering a sense of community among users. Sanvello has continued to expand its offerings, and the newest feature is the ability to pay separately for individual coaching or therapy sessions through the app.
Objectively, early research on the app has been positive, suggesting that users of the app experience an improvement in mild to moderate cases of anxiety and depression2 and that the effects are lasting.5 Prior analysis on research-backed features for a mental health app identified 16 recommendations, and Sanvello’s app incorporates almost all of them,1 including the use of CBT, reminders, progress tracking, and logging of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Many of these features have also been found to improve user engagement.4
Sanvello – Thoughts
Sanvello – Community
Sanvello – Guided Journeys
The Sanvello app prompts users to set specific goals and track their progress on the app. Upon registration, users are asked to choose specific goals and journeys, which further customizes the content, videos, and skills they are recommended to complete.
Who Is the Sanvello App Right For?
Sanvello was originally designed to help people struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression, but has expanded its content to target more aspects of physical and mental health. While its core content continues to focus on mental wellness, users can also utilize the app to develop healthy lifestyle habits like regular exercise, sleep, and moderation of caffeine or alcohol. Sanvello’s content appeals to adults (and possibly older teens) who are looking to improve self-care and prioritize their mental health.
People new to mindfulness and CBT can learn the basics on Sanvello, but the app also can help those already familiar with these practices. Sanvello’s tracking features can also make it a useful tool for those trying to increase self-awareness, and is a great additional resource for those already in therapy. In fact, Sanvello offers a subscription package for therapists which extends free premium subscriptions to patients, and allows the therapist to view patient’s mood and thought logs, track homework, and even communicate with the secure messaging feature.
Who Might Want an Alternative to Sanvello?
Like any of the apps in the self-help, mental health, or wellness category, Sanvello should not be regarded as an alternative to medical or mental health treatment. This is especially true for people who are struggling with more severe mental health conditions or addictions, or those with suicidal thoughts. The app promotes research studies which have proven it to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, but the individuals in the study had mild to moderate symptoms.2
The Sanvello app was designed to help with anxiety, stress, and depression, so it may be less useful to people with more specific issues like trauma, OCD, or bipolar. While the app also supports healthy lifestyle habits like sleep and exercise, those who are primarily interested in these features may be better served by an app more firmly in the health sector, as the primary focus is on mental health.
The same is true for those only looking to establish a meditation practice, who might benefit more from an app specifically designed for meditation. Finally, the app’s contents haven’t been adapted for children and teens.
Sanvello App Subscription Costs
Normally, Sanvello has two versions of their app, a restricted version for free users and a “premium” version for paid users which allows access to all content. The company has offered premium subscriptions to everyone at no cost for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion is available to all new users, and does not require any additional steps.
Before and after the pandemic, the current listed prices for Sanvello’s upgrades and in-app purchases were:
- Premium subscription: Like many comparable apps, Sanvello’s pricing provides a discount for those who commit to a longer subscription. The cost of a premium subscription is $8.99/month or $53.99/year, and provides full access to all of the app’s features, aside from the coaching and therapy options, which are billed separately.
- Subscription for clinicians: Licensed clinicians can purchase a special subscription for $49.99/month or $500/year. This clinician subscription is unique in that it allows the therapist to offer free premium access to all current clients, including symptom tracking, the ability to review client’s data and app activity, secure client messaging, and use of the teletherapy platform.
- Sanvello Coaching: Sanvello offers “coaching” sessions provided by unlicensed professionals with a health background who go through additional training in CBT. These coaching sessions are priced separately at $50/session or $350 for a year’s worth of sessions, and includes a premium subscription.
- Sanvello Therapy: Sanvello recently began offering a therapy package in certain states. The therapy is provided by a counselor or therapist who is licensed in the user’s state, and connects them to the therapist via the app’s online video conferencing. Users are billed per session at rates set by their insurer (if in-network) or can self-pay, at a maximum cost of $105/session.
Cost-wise, Sanvello beats out major competitors in the mindfulness space, like Headspace and Calm which both have $12.99/month price tag, and also self-help apps like Happify and Shine, priced at $14.95 and $11.99 when paid monthly. The new add-ons of coaching or therapy sessions may be less of a bargain, especially in cases where Sanvello is not an in-network provider with a person’s insurance plan.
How To Get Started With the Sanvello App
Getting started with Sanvello is easy. The app can be downloaded on pretty much any Apple or Android device, and can also be accessed on a PC on the Sanvello website.
Most users will opt to use the mobile app version of Sanvello, which can be accessed by following these steps:
- Download the app on any mobile device: The Sanvello app can be found on the Google play store and also on Apple’s App store. Click on the app to download. Once download is complete, open the app on your phone or mobile device.
- Get started customizing your account: Use the “Get Started” button to begin building your account and customizing the content you will see. There are four steps in this process which include:
- Choosing a background theme: You will be able to choose a theme for the background of your app from choices like “Tropical,” “Waves,” or “Night Sky”.
- Select goals: There are eight options to choose from and users are allowed to select up to three. Choices include things like “be happier,” “practice mindfulness,” or “find hope.”
- Set reminders: Next, users are prompted to schedule recurring notifications that act as reminders to use the app. Users can select to receive reminders at random times in either the morning or evening, or to schedule them for a specific time.
- Select account type: Finally, users are asked if they are a health or mental health professional (to determine the type of account that will be created).
- Complete the registration process: After you have customized your content, the app will ask for basic information to complete the registration process. The information required to set up an account includes a chosen user name, email address, and password. Users can also opt to use facebook or their google account to login instead.
- Upgrade or complete optional tutorial: After the account has been registered, the user can choose to tour the features of the app, with an option to upgrade or see if an upgrade is covered under a specific employer or insurance plan. This can be skipped by using the X button in the top right of the screen.
- Optional check-in: The next prompt is to complete a check-in, which includes basic questions about anxiety, stress and depression. After completing the 21 screening questions, users are assigned a baseline “score” for each category, which can be used as a point of comparison for future check-in’s. This check-in can also be skipped by exiting out of the screen.
- Begin using the app: At this point, users are able to freely use the app. Those signing up in the COVID pandemic will automatically have full access to all of the app’s premium content, which includes:
- Tracking for mood, thoughts, and habits
- Check-in’s, which will continue to track depression, anxiety, and stress scores
- Skills which include guided meditations, thought reframing exercises, journaling, goal input, tracking healthy habits, and the “hope board,” which allows users to upload positive images and words of affirmation.
- Journeys, which include a series of recorded content, skills, tracking, and exercises designed to help with any of the following issues: “feeling better,” “taking control,” “building confidence,” and “mindfulness.”
- Communities, which include chat forums for users with specific issues like insomnia or anxiety, or around different topics like work stress or Black Lives Matter. Other forums are designed for specific groups like healthcare workers, and some are designated for specific purposes, like for users to post inspirational quotes.
- Scheduling a coaching or therapy session is another option available on the Sanvello app, where users can submit a request for a 1:1 or group session, which comes at an additional cost (see pricing & costs section). These services are not available in all states.
Pros & Cons of Sanvello Based on User Reviews
The Sanvello app maintains a 5 star rating, with over 3 million downloads and 25,000 reviews between the Google Play Store and Appstore. Many users of the Sanvello app are fans of the app’s versatility in helping them meet their physical and mental health goals. Users also enjoy the general look and feel of the app, reporting it is easy to navigate.
Despite its high review score, Sanvello also has some critics. Some of the criticisms of Sanvello include:
- The best content being “locked behind a paywall,” especially after the company changed from Pacifica to Sanvello
- The discontinuation of the “lifetime membership” offer, which previously allowed lifetime premium subscriptions for a one-time fee of $199
- Poor communication during and after Pacifica changed its name to Sanvello, with some users reporting not being notified
- The apps theme options, layout, and features being changed after the company was bought by Sanvello
- Lackluster guided meditations when compared to other meditation apps
- The “coaching” option for 1:1 sessions promotes a poorly defined and unregulated field of coaching, where people without proper credentials can market themselves as “health coaches,” “life coaches,” or “job coaches.”
- The “therapy” option on Sanvello remains unavailable in many states. In states where it is offered, sessions are not covered by many major insurers and the out of pocket costs can be as high as $105, which is more expensive than other telehealth providers like Betterhelp.
Perhaps the biggest pitfall of Sanvello is that it has strayed from its original roots of using CBT and mindfulness to help with depression, stress and anxiety. In recent years, Sanvello has inched into other crowded sectors with new offerings like health tracking and telehealth sessions.
With these expansions, Sanvello risks becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none,” and users could be overwhelmed or distracted from some of the original features of the app, including the thoughts exercises, guided skills tutorials, and community forums.
Sanvello vs Headspace vs Betterhelp
There are a growing number of apps entering into the “mental health” sector, many of which offer the same services as Sanvello. Two major competitors in the market are Headspace and Betterhelp. Headspace is a meditation app that features free and paid subscriptions at a slightly higher cost than Sanvello ($14.95 per month vs $8.99).
Sanvello vs Headspace
Cost aside, Headspace is more narrowly focused on mindfulness, whereas Sanvello also includes CBT. Headspace’s claim to fame is its guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, and those looking exclusively for this might be more pleased with Headspace. Those with other goals might be drawn to Sanvello because of the more diverse skills and features of the app.
Sanvello vs Betterhelp
Betterhelp is a provider of online telehealth appointments. They have emerged as a leading provider of online counseling, and connect users to a designated licensed therapist. Betterhelp is also a subscription-based service, and a monthly subscription ranges between $80 (when paying weekly) to $260 (monthly) and up to $1820 for those paying upfront for an annual subscription. Sanvello’s therapy pricing occurs per session at a rate of up to $105, and those self-paying for weekly sessions through the app would be paying much more than a Betterhelp subscriber.
Betterhelp’s subscription cost provides users with options to communicate with their therapist through online chats or messaging, or to schedule weekly phone or video sessions, while Sanvello only offers video sessions. Betterhelp is more securely established in the teletherapy sector, while Sanvello is new to the scene, and some users will find that Sanvello does not offer therapy in their state. One exception would be for those who have insurance for which Sanvello is in-network (like United Health), who might find Sanvello’s therapy much more affordable than Betterhelp (which does not accept insurance).
Final Verdict on Sanvello
Sanvello is a major player among mental health apps, and includes a variety of features that make it stand apart from other apps in this sector. Users are able to use Sanvello to track different aspects of their mental and physical health, as well to learn and practice CBT and mindfulness skills to improve their symptoms. Sanvello also offers the unique ability to use the app to connect with a community of other users, or even to coordinate care and communicate with a licensed therapist.
Costwise, Sanvello’s premium subscription seems to beat out many competitors who offer paid subscriptions with more limited offerings. For those registering during the COVID-19 pandemic, the premium version is offered for free, making it especially appealing.
Since its development in 2014, the app has been rebranded and its features have been expanded. This has resulted in a wider selection of features for premium users, but has arguably made the app more clunky. Many of the expansions (like health tracking and teletherapy) have failed to garner the same enthusiasm users have for other features that remain true to the app’s CBT and mindfulness roots.
Still, Sanvello should not be considered a substitute or alternative to professional mental health treatment. However, when used as an adjunct to treatment or as part of an ongoing self-care plan, the app can be extremely helpful to those looking to prioritize their mental health. Those trying the app during the COVID-19 pandemic have the added bonus of being able to access Sanvello’s premium content at no cost.
