Online-Therapy.com and BetterHelp are two of the best-known online therapy services in the US. Both connect you with a therapist for sessions by video, phone, or text plus unlimited messaging — but they’re built differently. Online-Therapy.com centers everything on a structured CBT program; BetterHelp focuses on a very large therapist network and a mobile app. Here’s how they compare on price, features, insurance, and who each one suits.
OUR PICK
Bottom line
- Choose Online-Therapy.com if you want structured CBT with worksheets and feedback, a lower-cost messaging-only option, and a couples plan in the same account
- Choose BetterHelp if you want a mobile app, a very large pool of therapists, or your insurer is one of its in-network partners
- Both: licensed therapists, messaging, switch therapists anytime, cancel anytime
Sponsored link · 20% off your first month with code THERAPY20
Side-by-side comparison
| Online-Therapy.com | BetterHelp | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-pay price | $48/week first month, then $60–$120/week | $70–$100/week |
| Billing | Monthly | Every 4 weeks |
| Live sessions | 45 min; 1/week (Standard) or 2/week (Premium) | Weekly live session (30–45 min) |
| Messaging-only plan | Yes (Basic) | No |
| Structured CBT program | Yes — 8 sections, 25 worksheets | Journal prompts, group sessions, habit tracker |
| Therapists | Licensed/registered, CBT-trained | PhD/PsyD, LMFT, LCSW or LPC; 3+ years’ experience |
| Insurance | No direct billing; HSA/FSA | Limited in-network coverage; HSA/FSA |
| Psychiatry / medication | No | Separate psychiatry service (insurance-based) |
| Couples therapy | Yes, same account ($96–$120/week) | Via sister site Regain |
| Mobile app | No (mobile-friendly site) | Yes (iOS and Android) |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Discount | 20% off first month (THERAPY20) | Varies |
Ready to talk to a licensed therapist?
Online-Therapy.com pairs you with a licensed therapist, weekly live sessions by video, voice or text (Standard plan and up), and a step-by-step CBT program. Use code THERAPY20 for 20% off your first month.
Get started with Online-Therapy.com →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
Price: which is cheaper?
Online-Therapy.com has the lower entry price: its Basic plan (messaging plus the CBT program, no live sessions) costs $48 a week for the first month and $60 after that. If you want a weekly live session, its Standard plan is $72 a week for the first month, then $90. BetterHelp says its therapy costs $70 to $100 per week, billed every four weeks, depending on factors like your location and therapist availability.
So for a weekly session, the two land in a similar range after the first month. Online-Therapy.com is cheaper if you’re happy starting with messaging and the program, and in the first month thanks to the 20% discount. See our Online-Therapy.com pricing breakdown.
Approach: structured CBT vs. flexible talk therapy
This is the biggest real difference. Every Online-Therapy.com plan includes an eight-section cognitive behavioral therapy program with worksheets that your therapist reviews and answers Monday to Friday. If you like having homework, a clear path, and practical tools for anxiety, worry, or low mood, that structure is a genuine advantage — CBT is one of the most studied talk therapies, and guided online CBT has performed on par with face-to-face CBT in a meta-analysis of randomized trials.
BetterHelp is more open-ended: your therapist chooses the approach, and the platform adds tools like journal prompts, group sessions, and a habit tracker. That can suit people who mostly want to talk things through, or whose concerns don’t fit a CBT program.
Insurance and medication
Neither service is built around insurance the way Talkspace is. Online-Therapy.com doesn’t bill insurers but accepts HSA/FSA cards and gives itemized receipts for out-of-network claims. BetterHelp says it has joined select insurance carriers for in-network coverage, but independent reviewers describe that coverage as limited, so check whether your plan qualifies. For medication, Online-Therapy.com doesn’t offer psychiatry; BetterHelp runs a separate psychiatry service that works with certain insurers.
You don’t have to handle anxiety alone.
Online-Therapy.com connects you with a licensed therapist and a structured CBT program you can follow from home. Use code THERAPY20 for 20% off your first month.
See how it works for anxiety →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
Therapists and matching
Both services match you automatically after a questionnaire and let you switch therapists if the fit isn’t right. BetterHelp states that its therapists are psychologists, LMFTs, LCSWs, or LPCs with at least three years and 1,000 hours of experience. Online-Therapy.com says its therapists hold licenses, certifications, or registrations with recognized professional bodies and are all trained in CBT. Whichever you choose, you can check your therapist’s license once matched.
App and convenience
BetterHelp has iOS and Android apps. Online-Therapy.com doesn’t have an app; it runs in your phone’s browser, which works but feels less polished. Online-Therapy.com therapists reply Monday to Friday.
Which should you choose?
- You want practical tools for anxiety, stress, or low mood → Online-Therapy.com
- You want the lowest-cost way to start → Online-Therapy.com Basic
- You want therapy for you and a partner in one place → Online-Therapy.com Couples
- You want an app and a huge therapist pool → BetterHelp
- You want insurance to pay → check BetterHelp’s in-network list, or look at Talkspace (see Online-Therapy.com vs Talkspace)
- You need medication → a psychiatrist or your doctor, possibly alongside therapy
Frequently asked questions
Is Online-Therapy.com better than BetterHelp?
Neither is better for everyone. Online-Therapy.com is the better fit if you want structured CBT and a lower-cost messaging option; BetterHelp suits people who want an app and more therapist choice.
Which is cheaper, Online-Therapy.com or BetterHelp?
Online-Therapy.com starts lower ($48/week first month on Basic). For weekly live sessions, both are in a similar range after the first month.
Do they accept insurance?
Online-Therapy.com doesn’t bill insurance directly (HSA/FSA accepted). BetterHelp has limited in-network coverage with select insurers.
Ready to talk to a licensed therapist?
Online-Therapy.com pairs you with a licensed therapist, weekly live sessions by video, voice or text (Standard plan and up), and a step-by-step CBT program. Use code THERAPY20 for 20% off your first month.
Get started with Online-Therapy.com →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
Sources
- Online-Therapy.com: Pricing
- Online-Therapy.com FAQ: What is the cost for online therapy?
- Online-Therapy.com FAQ: Does Online-Therapy.com accept insurance?
- Online-Therapy.com FAQ: Who will my therapist be?
- Online-Therapy.com FAQ: Do you have an app?
- BetterHelp: How much does BetterHelp cost?
- BetterHelp: Is BetterHelp covered by insurance?
- BetterHelp: Psychiatry
- Andersson G. et al. (2014). Guided Internet-based vs. face-to-face CBT: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry.