Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Comparing Costs & Features

In our review of online therapy platforms, we compared many of the top online therapy sites, including Talkspace and BetterHelp. Both are among the largest online therapy platforms available, each with several thousand licensed counselors and multiple therapy options. In this review, we compare Talkspace with BetterHelp and break down the pros and cons of each platform to help you decide which is a better option based on your therapy needs and goals.

Pros

• Accepts insurance
• As-needed appointments with psychiatry providers who can prescribe medication
• Offers therapy plans for teens and couples as well as individuals

Cons

• Not covered by Medicare or Medicaid
• Therapy providers cannot diagnose mental health conditions
• Some medications can’t be prescribed through the psychiatry plan

Talkspace is one of the largest online therapy platforms available. It offers multiple forms of counseling from licensed counselors, therapists, and psychologists for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as grief, trauma, and substance use. All Talkspace plans include text, audio, and video messaging with therapists, but only certain plans include live therapy sessions. Talkspace also offers psychiatry services for patients ages 18 and older, something that BetterHelp does not offer. Teen counseling is available for patients ages 13 to 17, and couples counseling is available as well.

Pros

• Financial aid available to eligible patients
• Unlimited messaging, live chat, video, and phone calls available for all plans
• Switch therapists at any time at no cost

Cons

• Does not accept insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid
• Does not prescribe medication
• Providers cannot diagnose mental health conditions

BetterHelp is the world’s largest mental health network, with over 30,000 licensed, accredited, and board-certified therapists. BetterHelp plans include multiple ways to contact counselors, including live video, chat, and phone sessions, as well as unlimited messaging, group sessions, and digital resources to improve the therapy process. BetterHelp counseling treats multiple conditions, including depression, anxiety, grief, and eating disorders, among others.

BetterHelp prices vary depending on your location, preferences, and the availability of therapists in your state. The cost of Talkspace depends on the type of plan you choose. Talkspace accepts insurance, while BetterHelp does not. But BetterHelp offers financial aid, while Talkspace doesn’t.

Talkspace Plans and Pricing

Talkspace therapy costs range from $69 to $109 per week, depending on which plan you select. You can choose to be billed monthly, quarterly, or biannually. If you choose to be billed quarterly (every three months), your online therapy plans are discounted by 10 percent, and if you choose to be billed biannually (every six months), you will receive a 20 percent discount. You can also pay with your insurance, an option BetterHelp doesn’t have. In our reviews team’s January 2023 survey of 200 Talkspace users, 60 percent of respondents used their health insurance to help pay for Talkspace.

Here are the three main Talkspace plans for individual therapy and the monthly prices without insurance:

• Messaging Therapy $276 per month
• Video Plus Messaging Therapy $396 per month
• Video Plus Messaging Plus Workshops $436 per month

The most affordable Talkspace option is the messaging plan, which allows you to message your therapist anytime and includes guaranteed daily responses five days of the week. Next is the Video Plus Messaging plan, which includes scheduled 30-minute video calls with your Talkspace therapist each week. The most expensive plan includes messaging, video calls, and optional live workshops. Talkspace workshops are group classes held via Zoom that cover a variety of topics, such as how to manage triggers at work, for example. Workshops last 60 minutes and are scheduled on Mondays through Thursdays every week.

Teenagers ages 13 to 17 can access the three Talkspace online therapy plans, as long as they have the consent of a parent or guardian.

Talkspace also offers a couples therapy plan at $436 per month without insurance. It includes live weekly video sessions and unlimited messaging with a therapist. Talkspace notes that this type of counseling isn’t generally covered by insurance unless the decision to seek help stems from a mental health condition, such as sex addiction, schizophrenia, or mood disorders. Consult your insurance provider to verify whether it covers marriage or couples counseling.

Finally, Talkspace offers a psychiatry plan that connects you with a licensed psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner in your state who can prescribe and help manage your medication. The initial online evaluation costs $249, and each follow-up appointment costs $125.

BetterHelp Plans and Pricing

Instead of multiple plans, BetterHelp offers a single monthly subscription for online counseling. The cost for a BetterHelp subscription can range from $60 to $90 per week, or $240 to $360 per month, and varies based on where you live, your therapy preferences, and the availability of therapists who are licensed in your state.

Every BetterHelp subscription includes unlimited messaging and one live chat, phone, or video session per week, plus access to added benefits like digital worksheets and modules to support you in your therapy, and free weekly group sessions led by a therapist.

BetterHelp does not guarantee how often you’ll receive a message response from your therapist, only stating that therapists respond when they’re able to, usually within 24 hours. According to our reviews team’s April 2022 survey of 1,000 online therapy users, 50 percent of 162 BetterHelp users received responses within a day, 17 percent received responses within a few days, 25 percent received responses within a week, and 8 percent said it regularly took more than a week for their therapist to respond to their messages.

BetterHelp does not accept insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. You may qualify for financial aid under certain circumstances, such as if you are a student or veteran, have a disability, or are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You’ll be given your cost for weekly therapy sessions after completing the initial questionnaire, but you will be required to pay for four weeks upfront. So if your therapy subscription will cost $80 per week, you must pay $320 upfront before you start BetterHelp counseling.

BetterHelp Sign-Up Process

To sign up for BetterHelp, you will navigate to the site and select the “Individual” counseling option. Selecting “Couples” or “Teen” will take you to either ReGain.us or TeenCounseling.com, both of which are specialty counseling platforms operated by BetterHelp counseling.

You will then need to complete a questionnaire to provide background information on yourself and why you are seeking online therapy. This information helps BetterHelp match you with the right therapist.

There is an eight-step progress bar at the top of the page that lets you know how much of the questionnaire you have left to complete. You will be asked about your gender identity, with the first two options being “man” and “woman” and a drop-down menu underneath with a “More Options” hyperlink that includes transfeminine, transmasculine, nonbinary, and other gender identity options. You will select your exact age instead of an age range and are given multiple options for your sexual identity.

You will also be asked about your relationship status, religious or spiritual beliefs, and history with therapy. BetterHelp then asks you to fill out two checklists stating the reasons why you’re considering therapy and what you expect from your therapist. For both of these checklists, you can select as many options as you want. You will be asked about depression and anxiety symptoms, and which therapy resources you may find helpful (such as journals, habit trackers, or educational webinars). You can select as many options as you like.

Finally, you will create your private account, which includes your first name or nickname, your email, and a password. When our reviews team signed up, the confirmation email was sent to our inbox within 10 minutes.

The entire sign-up process for BetterHelp took about nine minutes. It does involve a lot of questions, but these are designed to help BetterHelp make a better selection for the right therapist for you. If you don’t think your therapist is a good fit, you can change your therapist at any time at no extra cost.

Talkspace Sign-Up Process

Compared with BetterHelp, the Talkspace sign-up process is quicker. Signing up for online therapy with Talkspace took our reviews team about three minutes, while signing up for online psychiatry took a little over two minutes.

You will start by answering a question about why you’re looking for online therapy, with options such as “I’m feeling anxious or panicky,” “I’m dealing with stress at work or school,” or “I’m feeling down or depressed.” After selecting your answer, you will rate your sleeping habits and physical health on a scale of excellent, good, fair, or poor.

You are then asked about your gender identity, which includes nonbinary, genderqueer, and transgender options, and if you have a gender preference for your provider. After entering your date of birth and the state where you live, you can select the insurance provider you want to use to pay, or you can indicate that you’re paying out of pocket. Finally, you will select your plan and create your account.

You will be matched with three therapists, and you can select the one who best meets your requirements to continue with your sessions. Like BetterHelp, if your therapist isn’t a good match, you can switch to a different one at no extra cost.

To sign up for Talkspace psychiatry, you will follow a similar process of selecting answers to certain questions. First, you will choose from a list of conditions that you are looking for help with, including depression, anxiety, or bipolar personality disorder.

After making your selection, you will be asked if you have previously been prescribed medication as part of a mental health treatment plan. Talkspace notes that it does not prescribe controlled substances. These may include anti-anxiety medications called benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), or stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall).

Talkspace will then ask about your gender identity, if you have a gender preference for your provider, and your date of birth. You will select the state where you live and your insurance provider. If you’re paying out of pocket, you can select that option as well.

After entering your email, you will have the option to select one of three plans: an initial evaluation, an evaluation with one follow-up session, or an evaluation with three follow-up sessions. Once you select your plan, you will complete your payment and set up your account.

Talkspace and BetterHelp can’t diagnose mental health conditions. At this time, BetterHelp cannot prescribe medication. Talkspace offers a psychiatry plan that can include certain prescription medications.

Can Talkspace Prescribe Medication?

Talkspace psychiatry providers can prescribe medication. If you sign up for Talkspace Psychiatry, you have the option to meet with a psychiatrist for one initial evaluation, an initial evaluation plus one follow-up, or an initial evaluation plus three follow-ups. Talkspace cannot prescribe controlled substances such as benzodiazepines or stimulants.

Can BetterHelp Prescribe Medication?

Currently, BetterHelp does not offer psychiatry services or prescription medications. Instead, BetterHelp focuses on offering different forms of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, grief therapy and counseling, and therapy for trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Whether Talkspace or BetterHelp is the right option for you will depend on your personal preferences, your specific mental health concerns, and if you take psychiatric medication as part of your treatment. While some people may believe that medication is the only way to help treat mental health issues, this isn’t necessarily the case.

In its 2021 Mood Disorder Survey Report, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (PDF) polled three audiences: those diagnosed with a mood disorder (such as bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder), caregivers of those with a mood disorder, and those with no experience with mood disorders. In total, the survey polled approximately 2,300 adults about mood disorders, including their beliefs about treatment. The survey found that 57 percent of U.S. adults incorrectly believe that medication is the only way to effectively treat a mood disorder.

According to Jordie Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Canton, Michigan, “It’s important for people to know that therapy is an effective treatment method for mood disorders.” She adds that consistent therapy can help patients acquire the tools to help better manage mood disorders and symptoms, and notes, “there are specific therapy models that are tailored for specific mood disorders. For example, dialectal behavioral therapy is a popular therapy used to treat bipolar disorder.”

BetterHelp providers include psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. BetterHelp highlights its rigorous application process on its FAQ page, claiming that only 20 percent of therapists who apply are hired to work on the platform. The full licensing information for each therapist is also available through BetterHelp, so patients can do their own research and verify their therapist for themselves.

Talkspace therapists include licensed and independent clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed mental health counselors, licensed professional counselors, and physicians and nurse practitioners with training in psychiatry. All Talkspace providers are fully licensed in the state where they practice.

Talkspace Reviews

Talkspace reviews are mostly positive on the Apple App Store, with the platform receiving a 4.7 out of 5 stars based on more than 17,000 ratings. On the Google Play Store, Talkspace has 4.4 out of 5 stars based on more than 6,000 reviews.

Talkspace is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a B rating but has an average rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars, based on over 85 reviews. On Trustpilot, Talkspace has a rating of 1.3 out of 5 stars, with more than 140 reviews. On both the BBB and Trustpilot, complaints from customers center around unresponsive therapists, difficulty with billing and insurance, and trouble reaching customer service.

BetterHelp Reviews

On the Apple App Store, the BetterHelp app is listed as the No. 1 therapy platform and has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, with over 102,000 reviews. On the Google Play Store, the app has been downloaded over 1 million times, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on over 38,000 reviews.

BetterHelp is accredited by the BBB and has a rating of A-. It has an average rating of 4.06 out of 5 stars, based on over 530 customer reviews. On Trustpilot, BetterHelp has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, with over 5,800 reviews. However, Trustpilot notes that BetterHelp may use “unsupported invitation methods,” which Trustpilot clarifies as methods of asking for reviews that Trustpilot as a company does not support as they may lead to bias.

Our Experience Testing Talkspace

Our reviews team tester had an overall positive experience with Talkspace. They were matched to a therapist who was a good fit within an hour of signing up. They didn’t encounter any technical issues when using the platform for live sessions and unlimited messaging. Canceling was straightforward, and customer service responded to their requests within a couple of business days.

Talkspace guarantees daily responses from its providers five days a week. We confirmed this and found that the average time to respond to our tester’s messages was 78 minutes. In our survey of Talkspace users, 83 percent of respondents were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their therapist’s responsiveness to their messages.

There were live workshops on various mental health topics, such as mental health in the workplace, communicating in a relationship, and parenting. These workshops had interactive prompts and Q&A sessions. Our reviews team tester found they could attend as many workshops as they’d like. Out of the Talkspace users we surveyed, 80 percent of respondents indicated that they attended one or more workshops per week.

Our Experience Testing BetterHelp

Our reviews team tester also had an overall positive experience with BetterHelp. They found it was easy to sign up and were matched to a therapist who was a good fit on the first match. They noted a positive experience with customer service when it came to billing and scheduling issues.

BetterHelp offers features like an online journal and worksheets for users. Users can share their online journal entries with their providers if they choose. Our reviews team tester was sent digital worksheets to explore their therapy goals. Talkspace does not have an online journal or worksheets for its users.

Our reviews team tester noted a wide variety of group sessions available to BetterHelp users. Group sessions were listed under categories such as “burnout,” “relationships,” and “LGBTQ+.” These sessions were 90-minute support groups led by therapists. Like Talkspace live workshops, the BetterHelp group sessions were held on Zoom. BetterHelp allows its users to attend only one group session per week.

You can read more about how we tested each brand and how they stacked up against each other in our online therapy testing summit results.

We independently investigate and recommend products and services that we believe will enrich the lives of our readers and meet their specific needs. You can read our full online therapy review methodology here. We’ve spent hundreds of hours carrying out in-depth research on the online therapy market. You can trust our review because we did the legwork for you in these specific ways:

• Engaged in ongoing independent research
• Spent over 245 hours testing eight brands, deployed surveys that included over 200 participants each, and interviewed focus groups
• Went behind the paywall for two months with eight brands to mystery shop our best online therapy choices
• Contacted brands’ customer service teams to ask questions and gauge responsiveness
• Consulted six leading psychologists and psychiatrists
• Became customers of online therapy providers ourselves
• Reviewed academic research about the efficacy of online therapy versus in-person therapy
• Read hundreds of verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as the BBB and Trustpilot

Deciding between BetterHelp or Talkspace for online therapy will ultimately come down to your personal therapy needs and goals. The cost plans on BetterHelp are generally lower, and it has financial aid options. Talkspace accepts insurance and also provides multiple options for billing. Rates for BetterHelp vary depending on which plan you choose and where you live.

If you are interested in traditional talk therapy in a monthly live video session, a BetterHelp subscription might be a better option. If your goal is to get medication management from online therapy, then Talkspace is the better choice. Talkspace can prescribe medications, and prescriptions aren’t available through BetterHelp at this time. Talkspace providers don’t prescribe some types of medications, specifically controlled substances.

If you are in crisis, waiting for an online therapy appointment may not be safe. In case of an emergency, call 911. That includes plans to harm yourself or others. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, you can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Help is available 24/7.

You can also reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357). The SAMHSA help line is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-days-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals facing mental or substance abuse disorders.