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Healthcare · head to head

SilverCloud by Amwell vs Talkspace

SilverCloud by Amwell logo

SilverCloud by Amwell

Healthcare

Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy with a published randomised trial evidence base

From
On request
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: SilverCloud by Amwell the evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.; 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: SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes, Talkspace covers Messaging therapy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SilverCloud by Amwell and Talkspace actually diverge.

Attributes where SilverCloud by Amwell and Talkspace differ
AttributeSilverCloud by AmwellTalkspace
Pricing modelquoteSubscription or insurance copay
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 SilverCloud by Amwell

  • Guided programmes
  • Supporter review
  • Symptom measurement
  • Clinician dashboard
  • Risk detection
  • NHS talking therapies alignment
  • Multiple deployment models

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • An NHS talking therapies service needing a digital option that fits national reporting requirements and reduces waiting list pressure for step two interventionsnot Talkspace
  • A health plan wanting a digital mental health offering it can defend to a clinical governance committee with peer reviewed trial evidencenot Talkspace
  • A university counselling service facing demand it cannot staff, using guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy as a first stepnot Talkspace
  • An employer that wants an evidence based clinical intervention rather than a wellbeing content librarynot Talkspace

Talkspace

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

Where each one falls short

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

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • The evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.
  • Supporter capacity is normally the buyer responsibility rather than part of the licence, so the real cost includes trained staff time that does not appear on the software quote.
  • Digital cognitive behavioural therapy has substantial dropout across all vendors, so a service planning capacity from enrolment numbers rather than completion numbers will overstate the throughput gained.
  • It is now sold as part of the Amwell portfolio, and Amwell has restructured its product lines since acquiring SilverCloud, so buyers should ask how SilverCloud is positioned within the Amwell Converge platform and whether it can still be bought standalone.
  • Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy is a step two intervention and does not serve moderate to severe presentations, so a service that buys it without a funded escalation pathway simply relocates the queue.

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

SilverCloud by Amwell

On request
  • SilverCloud by Amwell$undefined/year
    • Priced per member per month or per completed course depending on the buyer type
    • Supporter capacity is usually provided by the buyer, not included in the licence
    • Programme library scope affects the 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 SilverCloud by Amwell if

  • You need guided programmes.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want supporter review.
SilverCloud by Amwell 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 SilverCloud by Amwell or Talkspace better?
Neither clearly leads. SilverCloud by Amwell starts at On request and Talkspace at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SilverCloud by Amwell or Talkspace?
SilverCloud by Amwell starts at On request and Talkspace at On request.
Does SilverCloud by Amwell or Talkspace run on more platforms?
SilverCloud by Amwell runs on Web, iOS, Android. Talkspace runs on iOS, Android, Web.
What is SilverCloud by Amwell best used for?
SilverCloud by Amwell is most often used for an nhs talking therapies service needing a digital option that fits national reporting requirements and reduces waiting list pressure for step two interventions, a health plan wanting a digital mental health offering it can defend to a clinical governance committee with peer reviewed trial evidence, a university counselling service facing demand it cannot staff, using guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy as a first step, an employer that wants an evidence based clinical intervention rather than a wellbeing content library. Of those, an nhs talking therapies service needing a digital option that fits national reporting requirements and reduces waiting list pressure for step two interventions and a health plan wanting a digital mental health offering it can defend to a clinical governance committee with peer reviewed trial evidence are not what Talkspace is typically brought in for.
What can SilverCloud by Amwell do that Talkspace cannot?
SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes, Supporter review, Symptom measurement, Clinician dashboard. Talkspace covers Messaging therapy, Live sessions, Psychiatry, Insurance billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is SilverCloud still available under its own name?

Yes. It is marketed as SilverCloud by Amwell and has its own product pages and NHS partnership, though contracting runs through Amwell.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: What evidence supports it?

It has been evaluated in independently led randomised controlled trials, including a National Institute of Mental Health funded study published in Nature Human Behaviour in 2026 examining prevalence of mental disorders over two years at scale.

Talkspace: Is psychiatry included in a therapy plan?

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

SilverCloud by Amwell: Do we need to provide the supporters?

In most deployments, yes. The guided model requires trained supporter time, and that staffing is usually the buyer responsibility rather than included in the licence.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is it suitable for severe presentations?

No. It is a step two style intervention for mild to moderate presentations, and it needs a funded escalation pathway for anything more severe.

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