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Healthcare · head to head

Koa Health vs Medscape

Koa Health logo

Koa Health

Healthcare

Employer and health plan digital mental health, acquired by PsychPlus in June 2026

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medscape logo

Medscape

Healthcare

Medical information, education, and news for healthcare professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Medscape has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Koa Health psychPlus acquired Koa Health in June 2026, so buyers are now contracting with the technology arm of an American psychiatry provider group rather than a European digital health company, and roadmap, data residency and European product investment should all be re-examined before renewal.; Medscape medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).
  • They diverge on capability: Koa Health covers Stepped care triage, Medscape covers Medical News.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Koa Health and Medscape actually diverge.

Attributes where Koa Health and Medscape differ
AttributeKoa HealthMedscape
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: 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 Koa Health

  • Stepped care triage
  • Self guided digital modules
  • Coaching tier
  • Licensed clinical care
  • Employer and plan reporting
  • Multi country delivery
  • Clinical governance

Only in Medscape

  • Medical News
  • Drug Database
  • Medical Calculators
  • CME Courses
  • Disease Information
  • Specialty Content
  • EHR Systems
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Koa Health

  • An employer that wants something between a meditation app and a full clinical benefit, with triage deciding which members need a cliniciannot Medscape
  • A European health plan needing a digital mental health offering with clinical governance and local language deliverynot Medscape
  • A health system wanting to absorb low acuity behavioural health demand before it reaches scarce psychiatry appointmentsnot Medscape
  • A multinational standardising a stepped care pathway across several European markets under one contractnot Medscape

Medscape

  • Patient Carenot Koa Health
  • Medical Recordsnot Koa Health
  • Practice Managementnot Koa Health
  • Telehealthnot Koa Health

Where each one falls short

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

Koa Health

  • PsychPlus acquired Koa Health in June 2026, so buyers are now contracting with the technology arm of an American psychiatry provider group rather than a European digital health company, and roadmap, data residency and European product investment should all be re-examined before renewal.
  • Stepped care only produces savings when triage is accurate, and members routed to a self guided module when they believe they need a therapist commonly disengage entirely, which a utilisation report records as low engagement rather than as a triage failure.
  • Pricing is per employee or per member per month across the eligible population, so an employer with modest engagement pays for everyone in order to serve a minority.
  • Clinician availability and language coverage differ substantially by country, so a multinational contract that reads as one global standard delivers a materially different experience in secondary markets.
  • Koa competes against much larger and better funded benefits vendors in the United States, and the acquisition does not change the fact that its brand recognition with American benefits consultants is low, which affects broker driven shortlists.

Medscape

  • Medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).

Pricing, plan by plan

Koa Health

On request
  • Koa Health$undefined/year
    • Per employee per month or per member per month, quoted not published
    • Rate depends on which steps of the care ladder are included
    • Clinical tier access priced separately from digital content access

Medscape

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Medical news
    • Drug database
    • CME

Which should you pick?

Choose Koa Health if

  • You need stepped care triage.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want self guided digital modules.
Koa Health review

Choose Medscape if

  • You need medical news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug database.
Medscape review

Questions people ask

Is Koa Health or Medscape better?
Neither clearly leads. Koa Health starts at On request and Medscape at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Koa Health or Medscape?
Medscape has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Koa Health and Free for Medscape.
Does Koa Health or Medscape run on more platforms?
Koa Health runs on Web, iOS, Android. Medscape runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Medscape for free?
Yes. Medscape has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Koa Health starts at On request.
What is Koa Health best used for?
Koa Health is most often used for an employer that wants something between a meditation app and a full clinical benefit, with triage deciding which members need a clinician, a european health plan needing a digital mental health offering with clinical governance and local language delivery, a health system wanting to absorb low acuity behavioural health demand before it reaches scarce psychiatry appointments, a multinational standardising a stepped care pathway across several european markets under one contract. Of those, an employer that wants something between a meditation app and a full clinical benefit, with triage deciding which members need a clinician and a european health plan needing a digital mental health offering with clinical governance and local language delivery are not what Medscape is typically brought in for.
What can Koa Health do that Medscape cannot?
Koa Health covers Stepped care triage, Self guided digital modules, Coaching tier, Licensed clinical care. Medscape covers Medical News, Drug Database, Medical Calculators, CME Courses.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Koa Health: Is Koa Health still operating?

Yes. PsychPlus acquired it in June 2026 and the brand and platform continue. It is not a shutdown, but the ownership and clinical direction have changed.

Koa Health: Who buys Koa Health?

Employers, health plans and health systems. It is not sold direct to individuals.

Koa Health: How is it priced?

Per employee or per member per month, quoted rather than published, with the rate depending on which steps of the care ladder are in scope.

Koa Health: Does it provide access to psychiatrists?

Clinical access is included in the higher tiers, and the PsychPlus acquisition adds psychiatry provider capacity in the United States. Confirm what your specific contract covers.

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