Talkspace vs BetterHelp: Our Honest Comparison

BetterHelp vs Talkspace snapshot

We surveyed hundreds of real BetterHelp and Talkspace users and had members of our staff test each platform for a month each. Both Talkspace and BetterHelp made our list of picks for Best Online Therapy Platforms and Best Online Couples Therapy Platforms. Talkspace also made our list of Best Online Therapy Platforms that Take Insurance and Best Online Psychiatrist Platforms.

While both platforms returned impressive results for user satisfaction and quality of care, there are some notable differences between the two. Here’s an overview of how the two platforms compare:

Pricing and value comparison

• With insurance: Talkspace accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare Part B for online therapy. The average insurance co-pay is $15-30 per session. BetterHelp does not yet accept insurance, although it plans to in the near future.
• Out-of-pocket: Talkspace offers three tiers for out-of-pocket pricing for online therapy: $69 per week for messaging-only therapy; $99 per week for one live session + messaging; $109 per week for one live session + messaging + access to live workshops. BetterHelp offers a monthly subscription for online therapy which ranges from $65 to $100 per week ($260 to $400 per month), depending on your location, preferences, and therapist availability. This includes access to all extra features such as group therapy sessions and classes.
• Extra live sessions: On Talkspace, these can be purchased for $65 each. On BetterHelp, they cost an extra fee of around $20 each.
• Financial aid and discounts: Talkspace doesn’t offer financial aid. Financial aid is available on BetterHelp, and can reduce your monthly cost by 10 to 40 percent.
• What other users think: 82 percent of users we surveyed rated the cost of therapy on Talkspace as good or very good value for the level of care they received. 74 percent of users we surveyed rated the cost of therapy on BetterHelp as good or very good value for the level of care they received.
• Our take: When weighing up the cost of BetterHelp vs Talkspace, we found the platforms evenly matched in many respects. If you’re paying out-of-pocket, BetterHelp may have the edge in value for money, especially if you’re eligible for financial aid. If you’re looking to use insurance to pay for online therapy, Talkspace will be your better choice.

Platform and user experience

• Sign-up process: Our testers found both platforms quick and easy to sign up for, and the users we surveyed reported that sign-up takes 10 to 20 minutes for most people (77 percent) on both BetteHelp and Talkspace.
• Therapist matching: Our testers, 86 percent of BetterHelp users, and 83 percent of Talkspace users were satisfied or very satisfied with the first therapist they were matched with.
• Appointment wait time: 90 percent of users on both platforms had their first appointment within six days of signing up.
• Ease of navigation: Our testers found little to choose between the platforms for navigation. One tester had an issue getting his insurance approved on Talkspace that the platform was unable to resolve.
• Technical issues: 32 percent of BetterHelp users and 34 percent of Talkspace users experienced technical glitches.
• Our take: Again, the two platforms are very well matched for overall user experience. Our testers appreciated the many filters for choosing a therapist on BetterHelp as well as the range of extra features included with a subscription, including live group therapy sessions, worksheets, and classes.

Our BetterHelp and Talkspace session experiences

Our in-house testers spent at least four weeks testing all aspects of the BetterHelp and Talkspace platforms.

BetterHelp

Two members of our staff independently tested BetterHelp for individual therapy, while a HelpGuide reader and his partner tested BetterHelp couples therapy via its sister site, Regain.

As the platform with the largest network of online therapists, BetterHelp offered our testers lots of choices for their therapist matches. They were able to select a provider by age, gender, and background, with choices such as Christian-based, non-religious, therapist of color, or LGBTQ+. They were also able to select a therapist who specializes in specific conditions, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, sleeping problems, grief and loss, and relationship or career issues. With so many filters and more than 30,000 therapists on the platform, it’s no surprise that our two testers who signed up for individual therapy were both happy with the therapists they were matched with. “Prior to this, I was skeptical that I’d be a good fit for telehealth therapy,” said one. “Now I feel much more comfortable with it.”

Our in-house testers of couples counseling were equally impressed with their provider. They appreciated the empathetic support and the direct guidance offered during their sessions. Like our testers using Talkspace couples counseling, though, they felt restricted by the short, 30-minute sessions offered in couples counseling. “Thirty minutes just didn’t feel like enough time to fully unpack everything, especially with two people trying to be heard,” said one of our testers. Individual therapy sessions on BetterHelp last for 45 minutes and we’d like to see that replicated on Regain for couples sessions.

Being automatically matched with a therapist may not be ideal for everyone. If you opt to switch therapists, the platform allows you to browse a list of providers who match your preferences. Our testers found the process for switching to be very straightforward and were offered a list of 10 therapists to choose from. While only 22 percent of the BetterHelp users we surveyed felt the need to switch therapists, over 77 percent of them felt the process was easy or very easy.

As withTalkspace, when our testers emailed their therapists between sessions, they received prompt responses during business hours.

Talkspace

Our staff testers used Talkspace for individual therapy, couples therapy, and psychiatry.

Our staff member testing individual therapy was very pleased with his initial match, describing the therapist as “understanding and empathetic” and the sessions as “helpful and productive.” From the first session on, his therapist offered some useful insights and some new CBT techniques he hadn’t considered before. Each session lasted for 60 minutes, longer than BetterHelp’sa 45-minute appointments, and the sessions felt quite loose and casual rather than structured and formal.

Our in-house tester had a similarly positive experience with online psychiatry on Talkspace. He considered his psychiatric provider easy to talk to and “reassuringly thorough” in her assessment. She felt his symptoms may have an underlying physical cause, so recommended he have blood work done before their return appointment. “I appreciated how cautious my provider was about prescribing medication unnecessarily,” he said.

Another HelpGuide member of staff and his partner tested couples therapy on Talkspace. While the couple thought their therapist was an excellent listener and made them both feel heard, they did have some reservations about the length of the couples counseling sessions. Both individual therapy and initial psychiatry sessions on Talkspace are scheduled for one hour. Couples sessions, though, are only 30 minutes long. As with our BetterHelp testers, our staff member and his partner didn’t feel 30 minutes was long enough to be useful. “I am not convinced the 30-minute session framework is well thought through,” our tester reported.

All of our testers received quick responses from their providers when messaging between sessions. They also agreed that changing providers on the platform was very straightforward. One of our testers had some issues getting his insurance approved for psychiatry, while another experienced some frustrations with his provider over rescheduling sessions. Our psychiatry tester also felt that the out-of-pocket cost of psychiatric care on Talkspace—$299 for an initial appointment and then $175 for each follow-up session—was higher than many competing platforms. This is a service that’s easier to recommend if you’re using insurance. Talkspace accepts plans from major providers such as Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Optum, Regence, TRICARE, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, with an average copay of $15-30 per psychiatry or therapy session.

What our survey respondents say

We surveyed both Talkspace and BetterHelp users with 100 respondents for each. We gathered many data points which are summarized below.

Overall satisfaction

• 88 percent of Talkspace and BetterHelp users scored their overall satisfaction at very satisfied or satisfied.

Sign up

• 77 percent of Talkspace and BetterHelp users completed sign-up in under 20 minutes

Value for money

• Talkspace: 75 percent of respondents rated the value of the service at excellent or good.
• BetterHelp: 74 percent of respondents rated the value for cost at either good or excellent.

Therapist quality

• Talkspace: 85 percent of users were happy with the therapist they were matched with first and they rated active listening as the quality they valued the most (74%).
• BetterHelp: 86 percent of users were happy with the therapist they were first matched with and they also rated active listening as the quality they valued the most (69%).

Psychiatrist quality

• Talkspace: 86 percent of users were satisfied or very satisfied with the medication management and psychiatric care they received from Talkspace.
• BetterHelp: Does not offer psychiatry.

Platform experience

• Talkspace: 90 percent responded that the platform was somewhat or very easy to navigate.
• BetterHelp: 88 percent responded that the platform was somewhat or very easy to navigate.

Likely to recommend

• Talkspace: 89 percent of respondents said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend the platform to a friend or loved one.
• BetterHelp: 83 percent of respondents said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend the platform to a friend or loved one.

Who should use Talkspace vs BetterHelp?

Talkspace offers both online therapy and online psychiatry services. It also accepts insurance plans from major providers and allows you to check your insurance coverage without first having to create an account. While its out-of-pocket pricing for therapy is competitive with other platforms like BetterHelp, the cost of psychiatry on Talkspace can be expensive if you’re not covered by insurance. We think Talkspace is most suitable for those using insurance to pay for therapy and psychiatry.

BetterHelp has a huge network of therapists, delivers high levels of care, and includes lots of extra features to supplement your therapy experience. However, it doesn’t accept insurance yet and doesn’t offer psychiatric care. We think BetteHelp is most suitable for those paying out of pocket for therapy and looking for a large selection of therapists and short appointment wait times.

Last updated or reviewed on November 25, 2025