With many new teletherapy platforms appearing in recent years, it can be daunting to choose one. To help guide you toward a provider that’s right for you, our reviews team conducted extensive research into online therapy reviews and platforms and selected the best ones for various healthcare needs, preferences, and budgets. Our reviews team’s top picks for the best online therapy websites are BetterHelp, Brightside, TalkSpace, and more mentioned in this guide.
Our Top Picks for the Best Online Therapy Platforms in 2023
Best online therapy overall: BetterHelpBest online therapy that can provide medication: BrightsideBest online therapy that takes insurance: TalkspaceMost affordable online therapy: CalmerryBest online therapy for couples: ReGainBest online cognitive behavioral therapy: Online-Therapy.comBest online therapy for the LGBTQ+ community: Pride CounselingBest online therapy for treating alcohol use disorder: MonumentBest for on-demand appointments: SesameBest online therapy for teens: Teen Counseling
Our reviews team conducted a survey of 1,000 online therapy users in April of 2022, and of the 162 BetterHelp users who responded, 80 percent reported having a mostly positive or positive experience with customer service. If you’re looking for the top-rated customer experience, consider BetterHelp. When you join BetterHelp, you’re paired with a dedicated counselor, based on your answers to introductory questions. Our reviews team verified that it can take a few hours to a few days to receive your therapist match, which is longer than other providers on this list. Every therapist is licensed and experienced, with either a master’s or doctoral degree in their field (all therapists are psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists, according to the BetterHelp website). You have weekly sessions and unlimited messaging with your counselor. Counselors set their schedules, so you may receive a response the same day or up to a few days later. If you’re someone who likes community support, BetterHelp is one of the few online platforms with free interactive group therapy sessions every week. Read our expert review of the BetterHelp online therapy platform if you need more information to help you choose. Use BetterHelp promo code “everydayhealth” for 15 percent off your first month. Brightside offers three plan options. The costs without using insurance are broken down as follows:
Medication Plan $95 per month ($45 for the initial month), plus $15 per medication or your pharmacy copay if you’re using insurance; free home deliveryTherapy Plan $299 per month ($249 for the first month); includes unlimited messaging and four monthly 30-minute video sessions with a licensed therapistMedication Plus Therapy $349 per month ($249 for the initial month), plus $15 per medication or your pharmacy copay if you’re using insurance; free home delivery for medication
Brightside providers are either licensed psychiatrists, physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or licensed therapists with a master’s degree or higher. Brightside matches you with providers based on your location and their availability. You can switch counselors at any time. The platform shows you a symptom tracker on your account dashboard so you and your care team can keep track of ongoing treatment. You can use it to track your individual progress and the impacts of any adjustments made to your plan, like medication changes or dose changes. Brightside has an F rating from the BBB, and it is not accredited. It has 1.83 out of 5 stars from six reviewers. There are four reviews on Trustpilot, with a rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars. Therapist reviews on both websites were disappointed with the lack of responsiveness from their providers. They also mentioned difficulties getting hold of customer service and billing problems. Of the 63 Brightside users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 57 percent reported their overall experience with the platform as mostly positive or positive. Learn more in our Brightside therapy review. Use Brightside promo code “EDH60” for $60 off your first month of cash plans. Talkspace online therapy is a subscription plan, meaning you pay monthly for access to your personal therapist. Every plan includes unlimited messaging with your counselor, and higher-priced plans include weekly or monthly video counseling sessions and access to live workshops. Another distinguishing perk is the ability to access an online psychiatrist for an added fee. A psychiatrist can provide mental health diagnoses and write prescriptions. While it is one of the largest teletherapy platforms, Talkspace reviews are poor on verified third-party customer review sites like BBB (1.09 out of 5 stars) and Trustpilot (1.2 out of 5 stars). Most of these complaints involve poor communication, whether on the part of the individual therapist or Talkspace customer service. Our reviews team experienced similar problems when reaching out to Talkspace with questions. It took one to three business days for us to receive responses. However, of the 178 Talkspace users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 72 percent reported their experience with customer service as mostly positive or positive. The company’s ability to accept insurance may be more important to you than unreliable customer service. As one of the only online therapy options that accepts insurance, Talkspace claims to cover more than 40 million Americans with eligible insurance plans. Use this coverage checker tool to see if Talkspace accepts your insurance. Dive deeper in our Talkspace review. Use Talkspace promo code “EVERYDAYTS” for $100 off your first month. For some, a mental health counseling service in real time is worth spending a little more, and if you’re looking to build a long-term relationship with your therapist, you may want to go with a different online provider. Calmerry does offer slightly more expensive options that include monthly ($52 per week) or weekly video therapy sessions ($68 per week). While you can change plans or cancel, you cannot pause your subscription. The downside to this is that you might be assigned to a new counselor if you cancel and rejoin at a later time. Additionally, you will find multiple complaints on the Google Play store about the Calmerry app, specifically about counselors not responding to messages every weekday like Calmerry guarantees. But the company does have positive reviews on Trustpilot, with 4 out of 5 stars and reviewers who mention helpful therapists and good customer service. Of the 25 Calmerry users who responded to our team’s online therapy survey, 56 percent reported their overall experience with the platform as mostly positive or positive. Your quality of care will depend upon your therapist, so be sure to ask to change counselors if you have any problems. All therapists are psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists, with either a master’s or doctoral degree, according to the Calmerry website. Learn more in our Calmerry review. Use Calmerry promo code “EVERYDAYHEALTH” for 40 percent off your first month. For those who may want to meet with their therapist separately from their partner, ReGain isn’t likely a good fit, since there isn’t a private message option. Your partner will see everything you write. But because you can message your counselor at any time, ReGain does work well for couples who are busy and struggle to find a time when they can both meet for a session. Just know that your therapist will only respond on their workdays, which they set, so check with your assigned therapist to know when to expect messages. You can choose optional therapy sessions when you need them. You and your partner must be together for these sessions, because the platform doesn’t support three-way video or voice calling — so ReGain is not a viable solution for long-distance couples. If either of you don’t like your counselor, you can change providers at any time. All counselors are psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists, according to the ReGain website. Unfortunately ReGain doesn’t accept insurance. That’s because couples counseling or relationship counseling, including online marriage counseling and online sex therapy, is not seen as a medical diagnosis (as opposed to counseling needed to help manage depression, for example). That said, insurers must provide equitable coverage for mental health conditions, according to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. On BBB, customers rated ReGain 3.19 out of 5 stars, and ReGain is rated 3.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Of the 37 ReGain users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 70 percent reported their overall experience as mostly positive or positive. Keep reading about this online therapy platform in our ReGain counseling review. Use ReGain promo code “everydayhealth-rg” for 15 percent off your first month. Online-Therapy.com has a subscription model and unique add-ons when you sign in to your account. The more expensive plans include either a monthly or weekly therapy session via phone, video, or chat, along with unlimited messaging with your counselor. It is worth noting that Online-Therapy.com does not operate in every state. Currently the company offers services in 28 states. Consult its Find a Therapist page to confirm whether it operates in your state. Of the 185 Online-Therapy.com users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 83 percent reported a mostly positive or positive overall experience with the platform. Online-Therapy.com is not rated on BBB or Trustpilot. When you begin the online counseling process, you answer questions about your pronouns, sexual orientation, and how you identify, to help match you with a therapist. You will receive a notification once you’ve been matched with a counselor, which can take 1 to 3 days. Once you join, you can message your online counselor at any time and schedule weekly sessions via video, chat, or phone. Every therapist determines their own schedule, so it may take a few days to receive a reply to your messages, or it might happen the same day. Pride Counseling gets 5 stars from a total of two reviewers on BBB. Trustpilot gives the platform a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, with a total of two reviews. Reviews mention helpful therapists and an easy-to-use platform. Of the 28 Pride Counseling users who responded to our team’s online therapy survey, 64 percent rated their overall experience with the platform as mostly positive or positive. Explore more features in our Pride Counseling review. Use Pride Counseling promo code “everydayhealth-pc” for 15 percent off your first month. After creating an account, you will complete a 15-question assessment in order to suggest a recommended treatment plan depending on the level of support you need. The assessment is based on the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which was developed to screen for excessive drinking and provide a framework for therapist intervention. Monument’s physician care plan is for individuals who are interested in changing their drinking habits with the help of medication and guidance from a licensed physician. This plan costs $9.99 per month plus $45 for the initial physician appointment and any follow-up appointments, which Monument recommends scheduling every 90 days. It includes unlimited chat-based messaging with your physician as well as access to therapist-moderated support groups and an anonymous 24/7 community forum. Monument also offers online therapy for alcohol use, although the platform does not have licensed therapists in all 50 states. If you choose a therapy plan, you must live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Virginia, Georgia, Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Iowa, or Washington, DC. There are two online therapy plans, which include the same benefits as the physician care plan plus weekly or biweekly therapy sessions:
Total Care (Weekly) $249/month; includes all physician appointments, weekly therapy sessions, and unlimited chat-based messaging with your physician and therapistTotal Care (Biweekly) $149/month; includes all physician appointments, therapy sessions twice a month, and unlimited chat-based messaging with your physician and therapist
Anyone can sign up for Monument’s free plan, which includes access to its therapist-moderated group sessions and 24/7 community chat. You can use a nickname to remain anonymous while being supported in a community setting. Monument accepts a variety of insurance plans. It also accepts Medicare for users in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, DC. At this time, there aren’t any third-party reviews to understand real customers’ experiences with Monument’s platform. Sesame also offers online telehealth and urgent care appointments with physicians who can treat conditions like asthma, ear infections, and sinus infections. You’ll have to indicate the type of care you’re interested in when you visit the website. For mental health care, you’ll enter your ZIP code, and the platform will provide you with a list of therapists or psychiatrists licensed in your state, as well as their appointment availability. Since mental health providers need to be licensed in each state where they operate, you may see limited availability if you live in a state with fewer professionals on this platform. Many platforms in this guide do not prescribe medications, so if you’re looking to supplement your therapy with medication, you’d need to use two different providers. Sesame gives you the option to get both from the same place. Select Sesame providers can prescribe medications for anxiety and depression, including generic versions of medications like Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa for only $5. Look for the “$5 Meds” tag when searching for a provider. Note that these providers cannot prescribe controlled substances like Xanax. Be aware that a psychiatric consultation is more expensive than a mental health consult. In Wisconsin, for example, a psychiatrist consultation through the Sesame platform costs $103, and a mental health consultation costs $43. So if you’re interested in therapy alone, be sure to choose a therapy session rather than a psychiatry consultation. The biggest downside with Sesame is that there is limited provider availability, depending on the geographic location of the person seeking therapy. For instance, people living in Colorado only have access to 20 mental health professionals (at the time of publishing), compared to 37 for New York state residents. In addition, there are seven states in which Sesame does not offer any online therapy: Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The BBB gives Sesame 2.09 out of 5 stars, and Trustpilot gives the platform 4.3 out of 5 stars. None of the reviews specifically mention therapy, however, and instead mention users’ experiences seeking medical care. Of the 33 Sesame users who responded to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 70 percent reported their overall experience as mostly positive or positive. Use Sesame promo code “BETTER50” for 50 percent off your first visit. The Teen Counseling platform was specifically designed with teenagers in mind. The therapists all specialize in common adolescent issues, such as coping skills, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, depression, bullying, anger, and eating disorders, according to the Teen Counseling website. Therapy is confidential, so your child can feel comfortable and secure. But the counselor will contact you if there’s a need for intervention. You and your teen have online access and direct contact with the therapist via messaging. The messaging rooms are private, so neither you nor your child can read each other’s conversations. Be aware that counselors set their own schedules, so it may take a few days to receive a response if you message them on a day off. Each Teen Counseling therapist has a master’s or doctoral degree in their field. Therapists are psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or licensed professional therapists, according to the Teen Counseling website. Your child has access to weekly therapy sessions in video, phone, or chat format with the monthly subscription. Teen Counseling is not rated on BBB. Trustpilot gives it a score of 3.7 with 15 reviews. Negative reviews mention therapists who don’t show up for appointments and billing issues. Positive reviews mention helpful therapists. All positive reviews on Trustpilot are from people who were invited by Teen Counseling to leave a review. Of the 29 Teen Counseling users who responded to our team’s online therapy survey, 48 percent reported a mostly positive or positive overall experience with the platform. Read our full Teen Counseling review. According to Nora Feldpausch, MD, a psychiatrist in Colorado and the medical director of Mantra Health, a digital mental health provider for university students, its unique benefits make virtual counseling a great fit for certain folks. “Telehealth is just easier to access than in-person care for many people,” says Dr. Feldpausch. She notes that many patients and caregivers are unable to take time off from work for in-person appointments, and that telehealth appointments can be of particular benefit to elderly patients or those living with disabilities. Despite the benefits of online counseling, in-person therapy may be a better fit for some circumstances and people. “Telehealth and on-the-ground care are complementary to each other,” says Feldpausch. She believes that it’s important to work with patients on a case-by-case basis to find the best solution for each person, rather than merely focusing on the cheapest option or whatever is covered by insurance. She also does not think telehealth should ever fully replace in-person care.
You want greater convenience. Online therapy works anywhere that there is an internet connection, making it convenient if you have limited mobility, don’t live near a therapist, or have a busy schedule.You don’t have insurance. In-person therapy without insurance is typically $100 to $200 per session, although if you live in a big metro area you can expect to pay more, according to Northwestern Mutual. Most online platforms are cheaper.You want to save money. Even with insurance, virtual counseling may be the most affordable option. It depends on how much your mental health copays are.You like added features. Online counseling platforms often come with perks like self-help courses, online journals, and group sessions.You prefer to write, not talk. You can find some teletherapy options where you have text sessions or simply message your therapist, which is better if you’d rather not directly talk with your counselor.You’re more comfortable opening up behind a screen. Some people find online therapy uncomfortable because it’s a vulnerable process to open up to someone through a video or text chat. But others feel more comfortable talking with a therapist from the comfort of their own home. How you seek therapy depends on your preferences and needs — but make sure you are comfortable communicating through a screen if you pursue online therapy.
You need immediate support. Remote therapists aren’t the best option if you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or another mental health emergency. If you have a mental health emergency, call 911 or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357You’re not tech-savvy. People who aren’t comfortable using video conferencing or smartphone apps may find online therapy inconvenient.You need a controlled substance medication. Psychiatrists typically can only prescribe controlled medications — like Xanax or Adderall — during an in-person visit. The only exception to the ban on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth is a health emergency, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.You prefer in-person interactions. Many people want to sit in the same room as their therapist.
The second teletherapy option is the pay-as-you-go route, which is more similar to traditional therapy in pricing. You usually work directly with a mental health professional, who sets their own prices. These sessions may cost between $70 and $300 each, and you’re charged at the time of your appointment. If you’re looking for an inexpensive option and don’t mind committing to a subscription, monthly plans will save you more money.
Consider insurance. Some companies, like Talkspace, accept insurance and may be covered under your plan. But sometimes you can find a better online therapy platform that’s more affordable out of pocket. Explore your options. Additionally, you may be able to find a local in-network therapist who does video visits, meaning you should only need to cover your copay. Ask your insurer for an explanation of your plan’s mental health benefits.Ask about discounts. Online therapy platforms may offer lower prices on your first month for students, members of the military, or teachers. BetterHelp and its extensions, including Teen Counseling, ReGain, and Pride Counseling, all offer financial assistance to those who qualify, reducing weekly online therapy costs to as little as $40 per week.Use an FSA or HSA account. You may be able to use your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to pay for virtual therapy. These are pretax accounts, so you end up saving money on your sessions.Pause your subscription. Some platforms allow you to pause your monthly subscription, so you can take a break from payments when you need to.Ask your employer about an EAP. Some employers offer an employee assistance plan (EAP), which may provide discounts on certain virtual counseling providers.
How much do you want to spend? Weekly prices start at around $40 but go up to $99 depending upon which service you use, what you want from the plan, and where you live. Select a plan with a price you’re comfortable with.Do you need immediate help? If prioritizing your mental health means you need more urgent, consistent support, an in-person therapist may be a better fit for you. Remember, if you have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.Are you hoping for a diagnosis? Few providers on this list offer mental health diagnoses. Those therapists who do often charge a price that’s more than most insurance copays.Do you need medications? Most online counselors do not prescribe medications, so you may want to speak with your primary care physician about who to see.Do you have a private space? You’ll probably want a quiet, private space for virtual therapy visits.
Cost We valued companies that provide a range of costs, with a preference for companies that offer at least one budget-friendly plan.Customer Service Exemplary customer service is crucial with a virtual service like online therapy. We contacted each company on this list via phone or e-mail to verify their responsiveness and helpfulness. We paid close attention to whether customer service teams answered promptly, cheerfully, shared their name, and worked to resolve our issue.Customer Satisfaction We recorded each company’s score on BBB and Trustpilot and read countless reviews to get a sense of overall customer satisfaction. We paid close attention to whether companies responded to complaints and negative reviews, how long it took them to respond, and whether the customer found the resolution satisfactory.Modes of Therapy We researched the modes of therapy offered and favored companies that had multiple types of therapy (such as CBT and psychoanalysis) for the user to choose from.Therapist Credentials We verified the credentials of each company’s therapists. We prioritized companies that have therapy teams that possess a variety of credentials (such as psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional therapists, and licensed mental health counselors) or have particular expertise in their field (such as couples counselors or counselors trained in CBT).Years in Operation We examined companies that have been in operation for a long period of time as well as ones that have served as disruptors in the marketplace, such as Pride Counseling, which was established in 2017 but fills a niche by offering therapy specifically to the LGBTQ+ community.System Usability and Access The online therapy system should be easy to use and intuitive. Companies should, ideally, offer multiple formats for their therapy sessions and make it easy to switch therapists or cancel subscriptions altogether.Ease of Registration Companies should have an easy registration process that puts as much control into the user’s hands as possible. That includes a streamlined registration process with, ideally, control over who your therapist is and when you can meet with them.
Engaged in ongoing independent researchMystery-shopped each of the brandsContacted brands’ customer service teams to ask questions and gauge responsivenessConsulted six leading psychologists and psychiatristsBecame customers of online therapy providers ourselvesReviewed academic research about the efficacy of online therapy versus in-person therapyRead hundreds of verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Consumer Reports
Our pick for the best online therapy is BetterHelp. Every membership includes weekly therapy sessions, unlimited counselor messaging, and group sessions. Plus, it has high customer reviews on trusted sites. Those looking for medication support may prefer Brightside, which offers psychiatry along with online therapy. If using insurance is a priority, Talkspace partners with a variety of insurance carriers and EAPs. Other platforms may be better for meeting specific needs. For instance, parents of teens will be more involved in the therapy process on Teen Counseling. Someone looking for couples therapy or therapists familiar with LGBTQ+ issues may want to consider ReGain or Pride Counseling, respectively. Individuals looking for therapy for AUD may benefit from Monument, which provides online therapy plus medication management. Sesame’s on-demand appointments, some even on the same day, may appeal to individuals who do not want to purchase a subscription for online therapy. And Calmerry’s low-cost messaging plan may be attractive to individuals who prefer written communication with their therapist. With so many different options, it’s helpful to ask yourself what matters most to you, and to read through our top picks to find one that fits.
