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Healthcare · head to head

Flo vs Talkspace

Flo logo

Flo

Healthcare

Period and cycle tracking app that settled with the US FTC in 2021 over sharing health data with third parties despite promising not to

From
Free
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

  • Only Flo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Flo flo Health settled with the US FTC in 2021 over allegations it shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with Facebook, Google and other third parties despite telling users the data would stay private, a fact directly relevant to how much a user should trust current privacy claims without independently checking the published policy.; 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: Flo covers Cycle and ovulation tracking, Talkspace covers Messaging therapy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flo and Talkspace actually diverge.

Attributes where Flo and Talkspace differ
AttributeFloTalkspace
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a Premium subscriptionSubscription or insurance copay
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (iOS, Android, Web), 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 Flo

  • Cycle and ovulation tracking
  • Pregnancy mode
  • Anonymous Mode
  • Symptom and mood logging
  • Expert content library
  • Community and forums

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.

Flo

  • Someone tracking cycle and ovulation who wants to weigh app convenience against the sensitivity of the data being loggednot Talkspace
  • A user in a jurisdiction with legal risk around reproductive health data who wants to check Anonymous Mode and current data sharing policy before logging pregnancy or fertility attemptsnot Talkspace
  • A buyer wanting to compare Flo directly against Clue on published data practices before choosing which app to trust with this informationnot Talkspace
  • Someone who wants pregnancy tracking content alongside cycle tracking in one app rather than switching apps mid-pregnancynot Talkspace

Talkspace

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flo

  • Flo Health settled with the US FTC in 2021 over allegations it shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with Facebook, Google and other third parties despite telling users the data would stay private, a fact directly relevant to how much a user should trust current privacy claims without independently checking the published policy.
  • Reproductive health data, including logged periods, fertility attempts and pregnancy status, has been the subject of law enforcement data requests in some jurisdictions following changes to reproductive rights law, and cloud-stored logs are a real category of exposure regardless of a vendors intentions.
  • Anonymous Mode, the privacy feature introduced after the settlement, is a setting that must be checked and understood rather than assumed, and its exact scope and default status should be verified in the current privacy policy rather than taken from marketing copy.
  • Free tier predictions rely on self-reported symptom data and general population models, so accuracy for irregular cycles or specific medical conditions is limited compared with clinical tracking.
  • The subscription auto-renews and, like most mobile subscriptions, must be cancelled through app store account settings rather than inside the app itself.

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

Flo

Free
  • Flo Premium$11.99/month
    • Free tier covers core cycle tracking, predictions and symptom logging
    • Premium adds deeper personalised insights and expert content, around $11.99 a month
    • Annual and lifetime purchase options typically offered at a lower effective rate

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 Flo if

  • You need cycle and ovulation tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want pregnancy mode.
Flo 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 Flo or Talkspace better?
Neither clearly leads. Flo starts at Free and Talkspace at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flo or Talkspace?
Flo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Flo and On request for Talkspace.
Does Flo or Talkspace run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Flo for free?
Yes. Flo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Talkspace starts at On request.
What is Flo best used for?
Flo is most often used for someone tracking cycle and ovulation who wants to weigh app convenience against the sensitivity of the data being logged, a user in a jurisdiction with legal risk around reproductive health data who wants to check anonymous mode and current data sharing policy before logging pregnancy or fertility attempts, a buyer wanting to compare flo directly against clue on published data practices before choosing which app to trust with this information, someone who wants pregnancy tracking content alongside cycle tracking in one app rather than switching apps mid-pregnancy. Of those, someone tracking cycle and ovulation who wants to weigh app convenience against the sensitivity of the data being logged and a user in a jurisdiction with legal risk around reproductive health data who wants to check anonymous mode and current data sharing policy before logging pregnancy or fertility attempts are not what Talkspace is typically brought in for.
What can Flo do that Talkspace cannot?
Flo covers Cycle and ovulation tracking, Pregnancy mode, Anonymous Mode, Symptom and mood logging. Talkspace covers Messaging therapy, Live sessions, Psychiatry, Insurance billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flo: What happened with the FTC in 2021?

The US FTC alleged Flo Health shared sensitive health data, including pregnancy and menstruation details, with third parties like Facebook and Google despite promising to keep it private. Flo settled without admitting liability, agreeing to obtain consent for future sharing and to an independent privacy review.

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.

Flo: What is Anonymous Mode?

A privacy setting Flo states disconnects entered health data from an identifiable profile. Check the current app and privacy policy for whether it is on by default or must be turned on manually, since this affects what data is linked to your identity.

Talkspace: Is psychiatry included in a therapy plan?

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

Flo: Is Flo free?

Core cycle tracking and predictions are free. Deeper personalised insights and expert content require Flo Premium.

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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