Is free therapy a real thing?
Where does low-cost in-person therapy hide?
Our top-rated online therapy platforms
The same ranked cards from our full comparison - our top 3 picks.
betterhelp
Read ReviewThe largest online therapy platform - subscription talk therapy with weekly live sessions and messaging in between
- Match with a licensed therapist in as little as 2 days
- Insurance accepted - copays from around $23/session
- Video, phone or chat sessions, plus messaging
- Over 6.6 million people helped
The largest online therapy platform - subscription talk therapy with weekly live sessions and messaging in between
- Match with a licensed therapist in as little as 2 days
- Insurance accepted - copays from around $23/session
- Video, phone or chat sessions, plus messaging
- Over 6.6 million people helped
100% Online Sessions
Talkspace
Read ReviewOnline therapy and psychiatry that many major insurance plans cover
- Most insured members pay a $0 copay (per Talkspace)
- Therapy and psychiatry (medication management) on one platform
- App-based care with 24/7 access - sessions plus messaging
- Rated 4.4 on Trustpilot (2,370 reviews)
Online therapy and psychiatry that many major insurance plans cover
- Most insured members pay a $0 copay (per Talkspace)
- Therapy and psychiatry (medication management) on one platform
- App-based care with 24/7 access - sessions plus messaging
- Rated 4.4 on Trustpilot (2,370 reviews)
headspace
Read ReviewThe mindfulness and meditation app - now also offering online therapy that accepts insurance
- Guided meditation, sleep and stress content in one app
- Online therapy that accepts insurance - coverage check on its site
- HSA/FSA eligible; app subscription separate from therapy
- 105M+ app downloads
The mindfulness and meditation app - now also offering online therapy that accepts insurance
- Guided meditation, sleep and stress content in one app
- Online therapy that accepts insurance - coverage check on its site
- HSA/FSA eligible; app subscription separate from therapy
- 105M+ app downloads
Can online platforms be the affordable option?
Often, yes - in two different ways. If you're insured, in-network online care can drop to copay level: run the eligibility check at Talkspace (therapy and psychiatry) and betterhelp's coverage check at signup - our insurance guide explains how.
Out of pocket, betterhelp offers a financial-aid adjustment through a questionnaire, and headspace delivers real daily-practice value at app-subscription cost - not therapy, but not pretending to be. We haven't verified current prices anywhere, so compare published rates directly.
What about group therapy and peer support?
The honest bottom line
Money should narrow your options, not close them. In order: check your EAP and employer benefits, run the insurance eligibility checks at Talkspace and betterhelp, look at community and training clinics locally, ask about sliding scales, and use betterhelp's financial-aid questionnaire if you go the subscription route.
Our online therapy ranking covers the platforms honestly. And the one option that's always free, always open: 988, call or text, US - use it any time things feel unmanageable.