Talkspace vs. BetterHelp

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Costs

Both companies provide live therapy sessions in the form of live chat, audio call, or video call. BetterHelp’s sessions last 30 to 45 minutes, while Talkspace’s sessions last 45 minutes. Each company’s pricing is listed as weekly on their websites; however, users are billed monthly.

Talkspace offers a tiered subscription plan for individual and teen therapy.

• The Messaging Therapy plan, starting at $69/week, includes unlimited messaging and guaranteed therapist responses five days a week.
• The Live Therapy plan, starting at $99/week, includes four live therapy sessions a month via live chat, phone, or video call.
• The Live + Messaging Therapy plan, starting at $129/week, includes both messaging and four live sessions.

Talkspace also has a single plan for couples therapy: Couples Therapy + 4 Live Sessions, which includes unlimited messaging and four live therapy sessions per month. This plan starts at $109/week.

Meanwhile, BetterHelp offers a single plan for individual therapy; however, its pricing varies widely. The company told us its pricing average is $68 per week, but added that BetterHelp participates in surge pricing, meaning the cost of therapy services changes based on your location and how much demand for mental health care there is. When reviewing BetterHelp, our editors confirmed the inconsistencies. Our editor in Seattle was quoted $90 to $150 per week, while our New York editor was quoted $60 to $90. Officially, as of March 2024, BetterHelp advertises that its services cost $70 to $100 per week.

While Talkspace accepts insurance, BetterHelp does not, though it does provide financial aid to particular demographics, including students, veterans, and low-income households. Having the option to secure financial aid or your insurance benefits may be the determining factor as to which online therapy company is better for you.

Seventy-six percent of users we surveyed said Talkspace’s three subscription plans were affordable or very affordable. Even though BetterHelp offers only one plan, 70% of users surveyed also said BetterHelp was affordable or very affordable.

Both companies have an easy cancellation process. Since users are billed monthly, a cancellation means your plan will not renew at the next billing period. Users are required to pay for the full month, and refunds for unused sessions are not available.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Website & Account Setup 

Signing up with either company is fairly straightforward. Of the users we surveyed, 63% said the sign-up process at Talkspace was very easy while 58% said the sign-up process at BetterHelp was very easy. You can sign up for services via the websites of both providers or their corresponding mobile apps.

I signed up for both Talkspace and BetterHelp. Even though the sign-up process was more comprehensive on BetterHelp, I did not feel like Talkspace’s swift sign-up negatively affected my experience or how well I matched with my therapist.

Talkspace

Ninety-four percent of users said Talkspace’s website was easy or very easy to use. The website’s design is straightforward and simple. That being said, there are additional resources, such as an informational blog or mental health tests, on its website—although these pages are sometimes hard to find. I had to explore the website further to find these resources linked in the site’s footer rather than the navigation menu.

After arriving to the homepage, users are able to sign up immediately, with the choices “Individual,” “Couples,” “Teens,” and “Psychiatry” in different-colored boxes below the phrase “Feeling better starts with a single message.” Its quick sign-up process involves eight questions, ranging from your sleep habits and physical health to your gender identity and date of birth. The entire process took me about 10 to 15 minutes to complete on Talkspace’s website.

If you plan to use insurance benefits, you will need your Member ID accessible while signing up.

If you are seeking individual therapy, you will receive a personalized match within 48 hours. After I signed up as an individual, Talkspace took less than an hour to match me, which was impressive. Couples seeking therapy through Talkspace will receive a list of recommended therapists to choose from–though the website does not specify how long it takes to receive this list.

BetterHelp

Signing up for BetterHelp is a longer and more comprehensive process. While the website is straightforward and easy to navigate, there are more questions in BetterHelp’s sign-up process than Talkspace’s process. It took me about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, and I had to do it in one sitting because it did not save my answers. I was asked a series of questions about my gender identity, age, sexual orientation, relationship status, and religion. Then, BetterHelp asked questions about my mental health history, current physical health, financial status, employment, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The questionnaire also asked if I had problems with intimacy or with my identity. I considered the questions to be random and not well organized when I completed my sign-up.

Even though signing up is a long process, 95% of BetterHelp users said its website was easy or very easy to navigate. I found the website to be well-organized, eye-catching, and interactive.

The company states users will receive a match in 24 hours, but I received one in less than 12 hours.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Psychiatry

Out of the two, only Talkspace provides psychiatry services. These services are offered separately from talk therapy. Of the users we surveyed, 92% rated Talkspace’s medication management services as excellent or very good. Thirty-nine percent of users said they were prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and 33% said they were prescribed an atypical antidepressant.

Initial psychiatric evaluations cost $249, and each follow-up session costs $125. You can sign up for a psychiatric evaluation on Talkspace’s homepage. Those prices do not include medication, which can range from $5 to $99 for a 30-day supply of SSRIs. Psychiatrists on Talkspace are unable to prescribe controlled substances, such as Xanax or Valium. Medication prescriptions will be sent to a pharmacy near you.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Counselor Qualifications 

Therapists working for Talkspace and BetterHelp are required to be licensed in their respective states. In the company questionnaire, Talkspace shared that its employees are required to have over 3,000 clinical hours, while BetterHelp requires their therapists to have 1,500 clinical hours and a master's-level education. All therapists through BetterHelp are independent contractors.

Eighty-seven percent of BetterHelp users said their therapist’s qualifications were excellent or very good, and 89% of Talkspace users said the same. Thirty-three percent of Talkspace users and 24% of BetterHelp users said therapist qualifications and expertise were an important factor in their search for a therapist.

In terms of therapy approaches, BetterHelp and Talkspace each provide:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Somatic therapies
• Trauma-focused therapy

The majority of users from BetterHelp said they sought online mental health care for depression, anxiety, family issues, and stress. Talkspace users said they looked for online therapy for anxiety, depression, stress, and abuse, as well as grief and loss.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Mobile App 

Both companies have free mobile apps available to download on iOS and Android phones. Upon logging into either app, users can access the portal.

When you open the BetterHelp app, the first page you see is your portal. There are tabs at the bottom for “Session,” or your portal, “Journal,” “Schedule,” “Groupinars,” and “More.” In the “Journal” tab, you will find optional daily prompts to complete in addition to therapy. That being said, BetterHelp’s app is confusing to use because of its organization.

On the other hand, the app for Talkspace flows well and is simple to use. You can view most of its elements on one screen. Talkspace’s app is organized by “Rooms,” which is your portal, “Helpful tips,” which includes videos about the therapeutic process, and “Tools.” The “Tools” include a schedule of your upcoming live sessions and an area to track your symptoms and note long-term goals, as well as a variety of coping exercises.

This could be why 56% of users said Talkspace’s app was easier to use than its competitors, whereas just 31% of BetterHelp users said the same.

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Session Platforms

Talkspace and BetterHelp each provide users with portals that are accessible through their mobile apps or websites. Asynchronous text messaging with your licensed therapist is available within the portals. You are able to message your therapist at any time with both companies. Depending on your plan, you will receive guaranteed therapist responses at least five days a week.

You are also able to schedule your live therapy sessions through the portal and choose your desired session type—live chat, audio, or video call. Your therapist will then confirm the session time.

It is worth noting that Talkspace allows users to schedule four therapy sessions at one time, meaning you don’t have to wait to schedule appointments week-by-week. I appreciated the freedom to skip a week or schedule two sessions within the same week, depending on my needs. This may be why 23% of users said Talkspace had more flexible session times than its competitors.

BetterHelp schedules roughly week-to-week. After you schedule your initial session through the portal, your therapist will ask you at the end of each session when you would like to schedule next, as is often the case with in-person therapy.

I was disappointed with Talkspace’s live sessions. During live video calls, the video often lagged and the audio sounded staticky. The low quality distracted me, and I felt unable to focus on my needs during therapy sessions. The audio did not improve with live audio sessions—confirming to me that it was an issue with Talkspace’s platform.

In contrast with Talkspace, the audio and video quality during live video sessions was excellent on BetterHelp. The high level of quality extended to BetterHelp’s audio session, though I personally felt like I was on a casual phone call rather than a therapy session.

Live chats on BetterHelp and Talkspace were comparable to one another. I found it more effective when therapists utilized text messages versus audio messages during the live chat sessions. It is worth pointing out that BetterHelp has a “Live Texting” feature where users can view what the therapist is typing as they type it. This was interesting to me and pushed the flow of conversation along.

When I tried asynchronous messaging on each platform, I received concise, vague responses from the therapist at BetterHelp. My therapist at Talkspace often directed me towards live sessions when I messaged them. For example, after sending a long message with three paragraphs, I received the response, “Would you like to schedule a live video or audio call to discuss that further?”

While a variety of factors play a role in how well you connect with your therapist, such as session type, length between sessions, or typical response times, 94% of users from BetterHelp and 94% of users from Talkspace said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapist options provided by the respective companies. 

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Resources

Both Talkspace and BetterHelp provide additional resources, such as live events or blog posts. Each company’s blog provides informative articles about mental health conditions and coping strategies. BetterHelp’s blog, titled “Advice,” contains more posts than Talkspace, with a wider variety of topics, such as what to expect in therapy and information on different therapeutic approaches.

However, Talkspace includes a “Mental Health Conditions” library. These pages thoroughly describe the symptoms, causes, and treatment of 29 diagnoses. Free mental health assessments are available on its website, too. It is worth noting that the results of these tests are not an official diagnosis. There also an extensive blog with regular posts.

Talkspace also offers hour-long workshops through Zoom. Some examples are “Releasing Resentment Together,” “Celebrating a Multigenerational Workforce,” and “Making Peace with Your Body and Food.” Users must attend these workshops live as they do not offer a link to the recording after. Of the users we surveyed, 74% said Talkspace’s additional resources were excellent or very good. In fact, 20% of users said Talkspace’s resources were better than its competitors—which is one of the highest percentages of the 55 companies we reviewed.

Similarly, BetterHelp offers Groupinars, which are short webinars users can attend about a variety of topics. These live events are held within your portal on BetterHelp’s website or app. Some titles offered include “Recovering from Race-Based Traumatic Stress” and “The Gut/Brain Axis: Digesting the Connection Between Food and Mood.” If you do not catch the live event, you are able to view the recording for up to seven days after. Seventy-nine percent of users we surveyed rated BetterHelp's additional resources as excellent or very good. 

Talkspace vs. BetterHelp: Customer Experience 

Overall customer satisfaction appears high for both companies. Ninety-seven percent of Talkspace users said they were likely or very likely to recommend the company to a friend, whereas 96% of BetterHelp users said the same.

Seventy-two percent of Talkspace users and 82% of BetterHelp users rated the company’s customer service as excellent or very good. Both companies have phone numbers and contact forms for customer support easily accessible within the portal and on their websites.

It is worth pointing out, however, that one scroll through Talkspace’s social media pages reveals multiple complaints from users in their comments regarding the company’s overall customer service or lack of response from customer support.

Final Verdict

Although the one out-of-pocket subscription plan offered by BetterHelp is slightly cheaper than the comparable services at Talkspace, Talkspace is our choice for best online therapy company because it accepts insurance, offers multiple types of therapy (individual, teen and couples), and it also offers medication management. Its easy-to-use app and website create a streamlined service for users. Eighty percent of Talkspace users said Talkspace was much better, better, or a little better than its competitors, whereas 93% of BetterHelp users said the same. Plus, Talkspace is good for those wanting to use in-network insurance plans or employer-sponsored plans. However, without insurance benefits, the cost of Talkspace’s subscription plans could be too costly.

BetterHelp’s overall affordability and available financial aid options make it a good choice for users prioritizing cost and accessibility. Still, its session costs differ based on where you are located, potentially making its services more expensive than Talkspace’s. The ability to read therapist bios prior to signing up and BetterHelp’s requirements for their therapists could also be beneficial for therapy seekers looking for well-qualified therapists with plenty of experience with patients. However, the controversy around the handling of personal information cannot be ignored—considering these issues as well as its practice of surge pricing, we cannot recommend BetterHelp over Talkspace.

Methodology

To accurately review and compare the two online therapy companies, we sent questionnaires to both companies and surveyed 100 current users of each. This allowed us to directly compare services offered by gathering qualitative and quantitative data about each company and its users’ experiences.

We evaluated both companies on the following factors: website usability, the sign-up and therapist matching processes, therapist qualifications, types of therapy offered, the service's quality of care, client-therapist communication options, session length, subscription offerings, client privacy protections, average cost and value for money, whether it accepts insurance, how easy it is to change therapists, overall user satisfaction, the likelihood that clients would recommend them, and current mentions in the media.