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Healthcare · head to head

BetterHelp vs Nookal

BetterHelp logo

BetterHelp

Healthcare

Online therapy and counseling services

From
$50/week
Rated
-
Nookal logo

Nookal

Healthcare

Australian allied health practice management priced per practitioner with usage charges on top

From
49/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BetterHelp pricing from $50-$90 per week billed every 4 weeks with location and therapist availability variations; Nookal the features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • They diverge on capability: BetterHelp covers Video Sessions, Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BetterHelp and Nookal actually diverge.

Attributes where BetterHelp and Nookal differ
AttributeBetterHelpNookal
Starting price$50/week49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BetterHelp

  • Video Sessions
  • Phone Sessions
  • Messaging
  • Journaling
  • Worksheets
  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

Only in Nookal

  • Per practitioner pricing
  • Clinical notes
  • Online booking
  • Automated recalls
  • KPI dashboards
  • Claiming
  • Patient portal
  • AI and voice

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BetterHelp

  • Online therapy with licensed mental health professionalsnot Nookal
  • Flexible scheduling with messaging, video, phone, and live chat optionsnot Nookal
  • Access to 150+ worksheets and therapy support modulesnot Nookal
  • Weekly free group seminars with expert therapistsnot Nookal

Nookal

  • A three to ten practitioner physiotherapy clinic in Australia that wants Medicare claiming and published pricing rather than a quote processnot BetterHelp
  • A New Zealand practice that needs ACC claim submission integrated with its clinical notes and billingnot BetterHelp
  • A chiropractic group opening a second location that wants shared patient records and one reporting view across sitesnot BetterHelp
  • A UK or Irish allied health clinic that wants an Australian-style clinical workflow with GBP or EUR billingnot BetterHelp

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BetterHelp

  • Pricing from $50-$90 per week billed every 4 weeks with location and therapist availability variations
  • Not suitable for minors or those under legal guardianship
  • Cannot provide official diagnoses, fulfill court orders, or prescribe medication
  • Requires reliable internet access; not appropriate for emergency or crisis situations

Nookal

  • The features most multi-practitioner clinics need, including advanced reporting, custom forms and automated recalls, are held back to the Professional tier, so the AUD 49 entry price is not a realistic budget for anything beyond a solo practice.
  • Add-ons stack quickly: AI and voice at about USD 25 per active licence, the patient portal from USD 10 per location and secure messaging from USD 1.50 per user can push a seat close to double its list price.
  • Pricing is not a simple currency conversion, with the USD Essentials tier at 65 and Professional at 89 against AUD 49 and 59, so overseas clinics pay a meaningful premium for the same software.
  • Messaging and claiming are metered per SMS and per claim, so a clinic that leans on reminders to control no-shows finds a variable line item that grows with appointment volume and is easy to underestimate at purchase.
  • Single sign-on is quoted rather than listed and sits with the Enterprise tier, which puts basic identity governance out of reach for mid-sized groups that would otherwise stay on Professional.

Pricing, plan by plan

BetterHelp

$50/week
  • Standard$50/week
    • Messaging, live chat, phone sessions, video conferencing
    • 150+ digital worksheets
    • Access to 20+ weekly group seminars

Nookal

49/month
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Appointments, patient records and invoicing
    • Online booking
  • Professional$59/month
    • Per practitioner per month
    • Advanced reporting and KPI dashboards
    • Custom forms
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Multi-account management
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose BetterHelp if

  • You need video sessions.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want phone sessions.

Choose Nookal if

  • You need per practitioner pricing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want clinical notes.

Questions people ask

Is BetterHelp or Nookal better?
Neither clearly leads. BetterHelp starts at $50/week and Nookal at 49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BetterHelp or Nookal?
BetterHelp starts at $50/week and Nookal at 49/month.
Does BetterHelp or Nookal run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is BetterHelp best used for?
BetterHelp is most often used for online therapy with licensed mental health professionals, flexible scheduling with messaging, video, phone, and live chat options, access to 150+ worksheets and therapy support modules, weekly free group seminars with expert therapists. Of those, online therapy with licensed mental health professionals and flexible scheduling with messaging, video, phone, and live chat options are not what Nookal is typically brought in for.
What can BetterHelp do that Nookal cannot?
BetterHelp covers Video Sessions, Phone Sessions, Messaging, Journaling. Nookal covers Per practitioner pricing, Clinical notes, Online booking, Automated recalls.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BetterHelp: How much does BetterHelp cost per week?

BetterHelp costs between $50 and $90 per week, with the actual price determined by your location, therapist availability, and therapist preference. Charges are billed every 4 weeks rather than weekly despite per-week pricing.

Source
Nookal: How much does Nookal cost per practitioner?

Essentials is AUD 49 per practitioner per month and Professional is AUD 59, with published equivalents of GBP 29 and 39, EUR 65 and 89, and USD 65 and 89. Enterprise is quoted.

BetterHelp: What does BetterHelp subscription include?

BetterHelp includes access to therapy via messaging, live chat, phone sessions, and video conferencing. Subscribers receive 150+ digital worksheets and free access to 20+ weekly group seminars led by expert therapists on various mental health topics.

Source
Nookal: What is not included in the subscription?

SMS from about 7 cents per message, Medicare claims from about 10 cents, ACC claims at about 12 cents, the patient portal, secure messaging, AI and voice, and single sign-on are all charged separately.

BetterHelp: Can you cancel BetterHelp anytime?

Members can cancel their BetterHelp subscription at any time without penalties or restrictions. Cancellation is flexible with no long-term commitment required.

Source
Nookal: Is there a contract?

No lock-in contract, and the free trial does not require a credit card.

Nookal: Which countries does the claiming work in?

Medicare claiming is Australian and ACC claiming is New Zealand. Elsewhere the software works but you invoice and reconcile manually.

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