Talkspace and BetterHelp are the two best-known subscription-based online therapy platforms and offer very similar services to all 50 US states. Talkspace focuses more on working with insurance groups and payers, whereas BetterHelp doesn’t accept insurance and exclusively uses cash pay for its therapy services. We’ve used both Talkspace and BetterHelp extensively and have found some notable differences to help you decide which platform is best for you.
Compare Talkspace Vs. BetterHelp
| Services Offered | Individual therapy, teen therapy, couples therapy, psychiatry (medication management) | Individual therapy, teen therapy, couples therapy |
| Cost | $276 – $436 monthly | $260 - $360 monthly |
| Geographic Availability | USA & International | USA & International |
| Insurance Accepted? |  |  |
| Session Options | Video, phone, live messaging | Video, phone, live messaging |
| Offers Medications? |  |  |
| Offers Financial Aid? |  |  |
| Get Started |
| Services Offered | |
| Individual therapy, teen therapy, couples therapy, psychiatry (medication management) | Individual therapy, teen therapy, couples therapy |
| Cost | |
| $276 – $436 monthly | $260 - $360 monthly |
| Geographic Availability | |
| USA & International | USA & International |
| Insurance Accepted? | |
 |  |
| Session Options | |
| Video, phone, live messaging | Video, phone, live messaging |
| Offers Medications? | |
 |  |
| Offers Financial Aid? | |
 |  |
| Get Started | |
When to Choose Talkspace or BetterHelp
Talkspace accepts a wide range of insurance plans, including Medicare. This usually makes it the most affordable option for those with mental health insurance benefits.
If you don’t have insurance, BetterHelp is likely more affordable, as its cash-pay rates are a little better than Talkspace.
Talkspace is a better option if you’re also looking for medication management since BetterHelp doesn’t prescribe medications at all.
Talkspace Vs. BetterHelp: What Are the Differences?
When you’re looking at the differences between Talkspace and BetterHelp, it’s easy to see that both platforms have a lot in common. In fact, both platforms were included on our list of the best online therapy services. As a rule of thumb, Talkspace is better for those who have insurance or are looking for medication management; whereas BetterHelp is better for those who don’t have insurance or simply prefer cash-pay.
- Price:$276 – $436 monthly
- Insurance Accepted? Yes
- Age Limitations: 13+
Why We Chose It
When we tried Talkspace, we found that it works with more insurance plans than any other online therapy platform we’ve seen. Since BetterHelp doesn’t accept insurance at all, Talkspace is the best choice for those with insurance.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Many major health insurance plans are accepted
- Also offers, couples, teen, and medication services
- Accepts Medicare
Cons - Not much control over initial therapist choice
- Therapist-matching process can take a few days
Cost
Talkspace therapy costs start at $276 – 436 monthly ($69 – $109 weekly), with exact pricing depending on where you live, therapist availability, and which subscription package you choose. Talkspace accepts select insurance plans, which could make the cost more affordable. You can also use your FSA or HSA to pay for therapy with Talkspace.
Talkspace offers three online therapy subscriptions:
- Messaging Therapy: The cost for this plan starts at $276 monthly, is advertised at $69 weekly, and includes access to a dedicated chatroom where you can send text, audio, or video messages to your therapist anytime. Therapists will respond to messages at least once daily, Monday- Friday.
- Video + Messaging Therapy: The cost for this plan starts at $396 monthly, is advertised at $99 weekly, and gives access to the Messaging plan, as well as four, 45-minute video sessions with your therapist every month.
- Video + Messaging + Workshops: The cost for this plan starts at $436 monthly, is advertised at $109 weekly, and includes everything from the Messaging Only and Live Therapy plans as well as access to live Zoom workshops with licensed providers on various mental health topics.
Talkspace Psychiatry costs $299 for an initial medication evaluation session and $175 for follow-up appointments. All psychiatric costs are in addition to the cost of the therapy subscriptions with Talkspace. They do not offer any bundles for therapy and psychiatry services at this time.
Exact costs for both are dependent on your location and therapist availability, and the specific cost isn’t determined until you sign up.
Overview
What is Talkspace?
Talkspace offers therapy services to people 13 years and older in the US and Canada, with psychiatric care available to those 18 years and older in the US. Therapy on Talkspace costs $276 – 436 monthly ($69 – $109 weekly), depending on your location and which plan you choose. Online psychiatry costs $299 for an initial appointment and follow-ups cost $175. Talkspace accepts many insurance plans, which could make your out-of-pocket expenses significantly less.
How to Sign Up for Talkspace
To get started with Talkspace, visit the Talkspace website. After you sign up, you will enter a private chatroom and begin texting with a matching agent. All matching agents are licensed mental health providers and based upon your answers to the assessments they administer, they will match you with three therapists that you can then choose from. Afterward, you will be able to select which subscription plan you want.
To learn more about this process, you can read our in-depth Talkspace review.
Talkspace Extra Features
Talkspace also offers group webinars, which they call Workshops. All of the workshops are on various mental health topics, and you attend through a Zoom meeting. A great perk to these is the option of having your camera off during the webinar. Workshop leaders may ask that you have a pencil/pen and paper to answer some prompts throughout. Each writing prompt was timed and took between two to four minutes, which was a nice way to stay engaged with the topic.
Talkspace also offers psychiatry services and medication management as a stand-alone service, which BetterHelp does not offer. You can connect with a licensed psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner, who can diagnose and prescribe medication. Medications can be shipped and delivered, or you can pick them up at a pharmacy.
In Our Experience
“I think Talkspace is worth it for most people, as long as they are using an in-network insurance plan. Cash-pay rates with Talkspace are fairly high, so it’s better to go with insurance as the payment method. Overall, Talkspace is an excellent resource for online therapy. It offers a wide selection of therapists and is one of the most accessible platforms out there for individual therapy for adults and teens, couples therapy, and psychiatry. Notably, Talkspace is one of the few online therapy providers that accepts Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, making it very valuable for people with those plans.” — Matthew Church, MS
- Price: $260 – $360 monthly
- Insurance Accepted? No
- Age Limitations: 18+
Why We Chose It
While BetterHelp doesn’t accept insurance, it’s one of the fastest and most affordable options for paying for online therapy entirely out-of-pocket.
Pros & Cons
Pros - 30k+ licensed therapists to choose from
- Offers financial aid
- Same-day appointments often available
Cons - Does not accept any insurance
- Limited choice over your first therapist
Cost
BetterHelp costs start at $260 – $360 monthly (advertised at $65 – $90 weekly), with the ultimate cost depending on your location and therapist availability. BetterHelp does not accept insurance but will accept FSA or HSA funds to pay for therapy.
A few key facts about BetterHelp costs:
- BetterHelp does not accept insurance
- BetterHelp’s standard price is $260 – $360 monthly
- Financial aid is available for people in times of financial hardship, potentially lowering the price by 10% – 40%
- You can use FSA or HSA to pay for BetterHelp
- BetterHelp will provide a superbill for out-of-network insurance reimbursement
- Your first month with BetterHelp is due upfront
- A maintenance plan is available for $200 monthly and includes one monthly therapy session, plus unlimited messaging
- You can purchase plans week-to-week at a rate of $110 weekly — this includes one therapy session and unlimited messaging for that week
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. BetterHelp also offers a way of making therapy more accessible and affordable through its BetterHelp financial assistance program.
Overview
What is BetterHelp?
BetterHelp offers therapy services to people 18 years and older across the US and internationally. With BetterHelp, you can attend weekly video, phone, or live texting sessions, plus have access to texting with your therapist between live sessions. BetterHelp costs $260 – $360 monthly (advertised as $65 – $90 weekly), making it an affordable out-of-pocket therapy option.
How To Sign Up for BetterHelp
To get started with BetterHelp, please visit the BetterHelp website. You will be asked a series of questions before being able to sign up. These questions help them match you with the right therapist. Once you complete the questions, you will be able to create an account and pay for your subscription plan.
To learn more about this sign-up process, you can read our comprehensive BetterHelp review.
BetterHelp Extra Features
BetterHelp has a few extra features including a journal, group webinars, a goal-setting tool, and worksheets.
The journal section in the BetterHelp app gives you a writing prompt suggestion, with options to see more. There are several journal prompts to choose from in categories like depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and general suggestions. An interesting thing about these journals is you can choose to share them with your therapist or keep them private.
Group webinars with BetterHelp cover 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. BetterHelp subscriptions include one group webinar per week.
BetterHelp also includes a handful of other tools such as worksheets that can be assigned by your therapist, as well as as a goal-setting tool that can be helpful for guiding the therapy process.
In Our Experience
“When I was testing BetterHelp, it struck me as an ideal platform for someone who is looking for a fast and convenient way to get started in therapy and see if it’s right for them. BetterHelp is best suited for people looking for a little bit of help managing stress, burnout, or adjusting to life changes. It’s also a great resource for anyone who doesn’t have viable mental health options covered by insurance, as it’s one of the most affordable cash-pay options out there. Landing on a good therapist fit can be a challenge and might take some trial and error, but if you stick with it, there should be plenty of therapists on BetterHelp that can help you with what you’re going through.” — Matthew Church, MS
20% Discount on BetterHelp
BetterHelp is offering Choosing Therapy readers a 20% discount on the first month of their subscription. If you’re ready to sign up with BetterHelp, click here to automatically apply the discount code “choosingtherapy”. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing.
Talkspace & BetterHelp: Who Might Need an Alternative?
Talkspace and BetterHelp are great options for those seeking online therapy, but there are some people who will need an alternative. Those looking for in-depth psychiatric care, in-person services, comprehensive ADHD care, or substance abuse care should look to these recommended alternatives.
Get Full Psychiatric Care with These Alternatives
BetterHelp doesn’t offer medication management at all, and Talkspace does, but the cash-pay prices are high if you aren’t using insurance. Brightside Health, on the other hand, has some of the most affordable cash-pay prices we’ve seen for medications. Talkiatry is another alternative that offers highly personalized psychiatric care. Both were featured on our list of the best online psychiatry platforms.
Learn more about these platforms in our full Brightside Health review and our review of Talkiatry.
Get In-Person Therapy with These Alternatives
Neither BetterHelp nor Talkspace offer in-person therapy. Thriveworks is a great alternative that offers in-person treatment in select cities. Meanwhile, Grow Therapy is a therapy directory that has providers who offer both online and in-person services.
To read more about these platforms, visit our full review of Thriveworks and our Grow Therapy review.
Get Help with ADHD with These Alternatives
Both BetterHelp and Talkspace can help treat the symptoms of ADHD, but if you’re looking for in-depth diagnostics and treatment, there are better options available. Talkiatry is one of our favorite providers that offers ADHD care with its comprehensive approach. Circle Medical is another good option that offers comprehensive ADHD care.
Learn more in our full review of Talkiatry and our Circle Medical review.
Get Help for Substance Abuse and Alcohol Use with These Alternatives
Talkspace and BetterHelp can help with a wide range of mental health symptoms but they cannot provide substance use disorder treatment. A great alternative for those seeking at-home treatment would be a platform like WorkIt Health. Not only can you receive personalized treatment with WorkIt Health for your substance use issues, you can also receive therapy for any other co-occurring mental health symptoms you are experiencing. Another good option for alcohol use treatment is Sunnyside, which provides a set of tools for improving your relationship with alcohol.
To read all about these programs, check out our WorkIt Health review and our review of Sunnyside.
Talkspace - Online Therapy With or Without Insurance
Your therapist can help you process thoughts and feelings, understand motivations, and develop coping skills. Covered by most major insurance plans. Talkspace also accepts Medicare in some states. The average copay is $15, but many people pay $0. Try Talkspace
Talkspace Vs. BetterHelp: Which Is Better?
BetterHelp is better and more affordable with cash-pay, but Talkspace is far better if you’re using your insurance. Both platforms are user-friendly, and you’re able to quickly match with a therapist. BetterHelp is a more affordable out-of-pocket option than Talkspace, but if you’re able to use insurance with Talkspace, it will likely end up being considerably more affordable. BetterHelp only offers individual therapy for adults and teens, whereas Talkspace offers couples, teens, and psychiatry with medication management.
Talkspace - Online Therapy With or Without Insurance
Your therapist can help you process thoughts and feelings, understand motivations, and develop coping skills. Covered by most major insurance plans. Talkspace also accepts Medicare in some states. The average copay is $15, but many people pay $0. Try Talkspace
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Online Therapy Right For?
Online therapy is a great option for people with busy schedules. It provides the opportunity to connect with a licensed provider on your own time. Both Talkspace and BetterHelp have apps that provide the convenience of attending therapy sessions even while you’re away from home.
Online therapy can also be a great alternative for those who live in areas where in-person therapy is unavailable, or for those who are otherwise unable to attend therapy physically. You’re able to conveniently connect with a licensed provider in your state from the comfort of your own home and don’t have to worry about driving hours to attend appointments.
What Credentials Do Talkspace & BetterHelp Therapists Hold?
All of the therapists and counselors on Talkspace and BetterHelp are licensed and accredited in the states they live in. Each of BetterHelp’s therapists has at least three years and 1,000 hours of hands-on experience. Talkspace’s therapists must have over 3,000 hours of experience and undergo additional training in specific therapeutic modalities.
Do BetterHelp & Talkspace Accept Insurance?
Yes, Talkspace accepts insurance for therapy, but BetterHelp does not accept insurance. Talkspace accepts plans from providers like Cigna, Magellan Health, and more. Talkspace also partners with many employers, employee assistance programs (EAP), and educational organizations to make therapy available and affordable.
Can BetterHelp & Talkspace Prescribe Medication?
BetterHelp cannot prescribe medication and does not have any psychiatric providers available. Talkspace can prescribe medication for anxiety or medication for depression that are classified as non-controlled substances. Examples of these medications would be sertraline (Zoloft), Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), and Prozac (fluoxetine). Psychiatric providers with Talkspace are generally psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
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Author: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Reformatted article to new visual format, added “When to Choose Talkspace or BetterHelp” section, updated pricing plans for BetterHelp, reviewed and revised entire article for factual accuracy, clarity, and enhanced readability.
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated new images and logos, updated language about Talkspace accepting Medicare clients, updated intro paragraph, updated pricing for Talkspace psychiatry, added links for BetterHelp financial aid program.
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated costs for BetterHelp throughout; updated all images.
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (No change)
Primary Changes: Updated cost language throughout for BetterHelp; Adjusted language surrounding texting with a therapist
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA (No change)
Medical Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD (New medical reviewer)
Primary Changes: Updated all costs, offerings, and images; sections moved for reading clarity
Author: Caitlin Bell, MA
Medical Reviewer: Naveed Saleh MD, MS
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Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Online Therapy
BetterHelp – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. Take a free online assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you. Free Assessment
Online Psychiatry
Hims / Hers If you’re living with anxiety or depression, finding the right medication match may make all the difference. Connect with a licensed healthcare provider in just 12 – 48 hours. Explore FDA-approved treatment options and get free shipping, if prescribed. No insurance required. Get Started
Medication + Therapy
Brightside Health – Together, medication and therapy can help you feel like yourself, faster. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. United Healthcare, Anthem, Cigna, and Aetna accepted. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door. Free Assessment
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Best Online Therapy Services
There are a number of factors to consider when trying to determine which online therapy platform is going to be the best fit for you. It’s important to be mindful of what each platform costs, the services they provide you with, their providers’ training and level of expertise, and several other important criteria.
Best Online Psychiatry Services
Online psychiatry, sometimes called telepsychiatry, platforms offer medication management by phone, video, or secure messaging for a variety of mental health conditions. In some cases, online psychiatry may be more affordable than seeing an in-person provider. Mental health treatment has expanded to include many online psychiatry and therapy services. With so many choices, it can feel overwhelming to find the one that is right for you.
