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Healthcare · head to head

BetterHelp vs Talkspace

BetterHelp logo

BetterHelp

Healthcare

Online therapy and counseling services

From
$50/week
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Talkspace logo

Talkspace

Healthcare

Consumer online therapy and psychiatry app billed by subscription or insurance copay

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Talkspace without insurance, self-pay plans can run into the hundreds of dollars a month, materially more than many people expect from an app-based service.
  • They diverge on capability: BetterHelp covers Video Sessions, Talkspace covers Messaging therapy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BetterHelp and Talkspace actually diverge.

Attributes where BetterHelp and Talkspace differ
AttributeBetterHelpTalkspace
Starting price$50/weekOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionSubscription or insurance copay
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Talkspace

  • Messaging therapy
  • Live sessions
  • Psychiatry
  • Insurance billing
  • Therapist matching and switching
  • Teen therapy

What people use each for

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

BetterHelp

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

Talkspace

  • Someone wanting to start therapy without waiting weeks for an in-person appointmentnot BetterHelp
  • A person whose insurance is in-network with Talkspace, getting therapy at a standard copaynot BetterHelp
  • Someone who prefers asynchronous messaging therapy over scheduled live sessionsnot BetterHelp
  • A patient needing psychiatric medication management alongside or instead of talk therapynot 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

Talkspace

  • Without insurance, self-pay plans can run into the hundreds of dollars a month, materially more than many people expect from an app-based service.
  • Psychiatry is billed as a separate service from therapy, so a user wanting both medication management and talk therapy pays two distinct charges.
  • Message-based therapy is not equivalent to weekly live sessions for every clinical need, and some conditions are better served by in-person or live-only care.
  • Therapist continuity is not guaranteed; a matched provider can leave the platform, requiring the user to rematch and rebuild rapport with someone new.
  • Cancelling a subscription plan requires navigating Talkspace's account settings or support, and complaints about difficulty cancelling or unexpected renewal charges have been documented by users.

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

Talkspace

On request
  • Messaging Therapy (self-pay)$undefined/week
    • Roughly 69 USD a week billed monthly, messaging only
    • Live session add-ons cost extra
  • Messaging Plus Sessions (self-pay)$undefined/week
    • Roughly 99 to 129 USD a week billed monthly, includes live sessions
  • Insurance plan$undefined/session
    • Cost set by the user's own insurance plan, not Talkspace, when in-network
  • Psychiatry$undefined/visit
    • Initial evaluation priced separately, commonly a few hundred dollars
    • Lower cost follow-up visits

Which should you pick?

Choose BetterHelp if

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

Choose Talkspace if

  • You need messaging therapy.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want live sessions.
Talkspace review

Questions people ask

Is BetterHelp or Talkspace better?
Neither clearly leads. BetterHelp starts at $50/week and Talkspace at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BetterHelp or Talkspace?
BetterHelp starts at $50/week and Talkspace at On request.
Does BetterHelp or Talkspace run on more platforms?
BetterHelp runs on Web, iOS, Android. Talkspace runs on iOS, Android, Web.
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 Talkspace is typically brought in for.
What can BetterHelp do that Talkspace cannot?
BetterHelp covers Video Sessions, Phone Sessions, Messaging, Journaling. Talkspace covers Messaging therapy, Live sessions, Psychiatry, Insurance billing.

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
Talkspace: Does insurance make Talkspace cheaper?

Yes, if in-network with your plan, you generally pay your plan's standard copay rather than Talkspace's self-pay list price.

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
Talkspace: Is psychiatry included in a therapy plan?

No, psychiatry for medication management is billed separately from therapy subscription plans.

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
Talkspace: Can I choose my own therapist?

You are matched initially based on an intake questionnaire, but you can request a different therapist if the match is not a good fit.

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