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HR · head to head

Employment Hero vs Talkspace for Business

Employment Hero logo

Employment Hero

HR

Australian HR, payroll and recruitment platform for employment management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Talkspace for Business logo

Talkspace for Business

HR

Employer and payer channel for Talkspace therapy, sold as an in-network benefit rather than a session block

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Employment Hero has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Employment Hero hR plans require minimum of 10 users; Talkspace for Business access depends on the member insurance plan, so a workforce split across several carriers gets inconsistent coverage and the benefits team fields complaints it cannot resolve.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Employment Hero and Talkspace for Business actually diverge.

Attributes where Employment Hero and Talkspace for Business differ
AttributeEmployment HeroTalkspace for Business
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Employment Hero

Nothing recorded that Talkspace for Business does not also cover.

Only in Talkspace for Business

  • Messaging and live therapy
  • Psychiatry
  • In-network insurance billing
  • Fifty state licensure
  • Teen and youth programmes
  • Medicare coverage
  • Employer reporting
  • Broker and consultant channel

What people use each for

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

Employment Hero

  • HR and payroll management for small to medium businessesnot Talkspace for Business
  • Recruitment and candidate screening using AI video interviewsnot Talkspace for Business
  • Leave management and compliancenot Talkspace for Business

Talkspace for Business

  • An employer whose workforce already has behavioural health coverage and wants engagement and access improved rather than to buy a second paid benefitnot Employment Hero
  • A school district commissioning adolescent therapy access across a city rather than staffing counsellors at every schoolnot Employment Hero
  • A health plan expanding behavioural health network adequacy without recruiting providers directlynot Employment Hero
  • An employer with a geographically dispersed workforce where local therapist availability, not funding, is the binding constraintnot Employment Hero

Where each one falls short

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

Employment Hero

  • HR plans require minimum of 10 users
  • Custom pricing required for HR Elite and Employment Unlimited tiers
  • Currency is AUD only, may require currency conversion for non-AU customers

Talkspace for Business

  • Access depends on the member insurance plan, so a workforce split across several carriers gets inconsistent coverage and the benefits team fields complaints it cannot resolve.
  • The clinical model grew from asynchronous messaging, which suits some presentations poorly, and buyers expecting a conventional weekly video therapy relationship should confirm what their population will actually get.
  • Published research is extensive but largely vendor-affiliated and focused on engagement and symptom scores rather than independent comparative effectiveness against alternative benefits.
  • Because much of the cost sits with the health plan, the employer has weaker leverage over provider supply and wait times than under a directly purchased session block.
  • Coverage is United States centric, so a multinational employer cannot use this as a global mental health benefit and will need a second vendor for other regions.

Pricing, plan by plan

Employment Hero

Free
  • Free Tier (Recruitment)Free
    • Candidate scoring and ranking
    • 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time)
  • HR Essentials$10/month
    • Leave management
    • Employee records
    • Document management
  • HR Engage$14/month
    • All HR Essentials features
    • Recruitment
    • Performance management
  • Pro 50 (Recruitment)$199/month
    • 50 AI video interviews (24/7)
    • Full ATS pipeline
    • Candidate scoring

Talkspace for Business

On request
  • Talkspace for Business$undefined/year
    • Delivered in network and reimbursed by the health plan where coverage applies
    • Employer or public body contracts for access, engagement and reporting
    • Sponsored session blocks available where insurance coverage does not apply

Which should you pick?

Choose Employment Hero if

  • You want to start without paying.
Employment Hero review

Choose Talkspace for Business if

  • You need messaging and live therapy.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want psychiatry.
Talkspace for Business review

Questions people ask

Is Employment Hero or Talkspace for Business better?
Neither clearly leads. Employment Hero starts at Free and Talkspace for Business at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Employment Hero or Talkspace for Business?
Employment Hero has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Employment Hero and On request for Talkspace for Business.
Does Employment Hero or Talkspace for Business run on more platforms?
Employment Hero runs on Web. Talkspace for Business runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Employment Hero for free?
Yes. Employment Hero has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Talkspace for Business starts at On request.
What is Employment Hero best used for?
Employment Hero is most often used for hr and payroll management for small to medium businesses, recruitment and candidate screening using ai video interviews, leave management and compliance. Of those, hr and payroll management for small to medium businesses and recruitment and candidate screening using ai video interviews are not what Talkspace for Business is typically brought in for.
What can Employment Hero do that Talkspace for Business cannot?
Talkspace for Business covers Messaging and live therapy, Psychiatry, In-network insurance billing, Fifty state licensure.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Employment Hero: How much does Employment Hero cost per employee?

HR plans cost from $10 per employee per month for HR Essentials, $14 per month for HR Engage. Add-ons like managed payroll cost $20 per employee per month. All prices are in AUD with a minimum of 10 users per company.

Source
Talkspace for Business: Who pays for the therapy?

Frequently the health plan, because Talkspace is in network with major insurers and Medicare. Employers may also buy sponsored session blocks where coverage does not apply.

Employment Hero: Is there a free trial or free version of Employment Hero?

Yes, the Recruitment module offers a free tier with candidate scoring and 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time). HR plans do not include a free tier but start at $10 per employee monthly.

Source
Talkspace for Business: Is this a separate product from consumer Talkspace?

It is the same clinical network and platform sold through an organisational channel with contracting, eligibility and reporting layered on top.

Employment Hero: What is the minimum commitment for Employment Hero?

HR plans require a minimum of 10 users. The initial HR contract is billed based on the greater of the minimum commitment or actual billable employees. Add-ons have minimum monthly costs, such as $20 for Chat and $40 for Rostering.

Source
Talkspace for Business: Does it include psychiatry?

Yes, prescribing care and medication management are available within the same provider network.

Employment Hero: Does Employment Hero include add-on fees beyond the base plan?

Yes, add-ons include Chat ($2 per employee/month, minimum $20), Rostering ($4 per employee/month, minimum $40), Managed Payroll ($20 per employee/month, minimum $400), and other services with separate pricing.

Source
Talkspace for Business: Can we use it outside the United States?

No. Provider licensure and insurance coverage are United States based, so multinational employers need a separate vendor elsewhere.

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