About
Reviews and comparisons of online therapy platforms, tested firsthand
VirtualTherapyApps is a guide to online therapy platforms: honest reviews, side-by-side comparisons and resources to help you find mental health support that fits your needs and your budget.
What we do
We have tested 16 platforms firsthand, more than 200 hours of it, and turned that into a review of each service, head-to-head comparisons such as BetterHelp versus Talkspace, and a Best Of list of our picks for different needs. Every review is medically reviewed before it is published.
- Platform reviews: BetterHelp, Talkspace, Cerebral, NOCD and more
- Head-to-head comparisons
- Guides by condition
- Insurance guides
- Free and low-cost options
Find therapy for your needs
The right platform depends on what you are dealing with and how you will pay. The conditions section groups platforms by what they handle well, from grief and trauma to family and group therapy, and the insurance section explains which platforms take insurance and how coverage works. Because licensing rules differ, we also keep a state-by-state guide to which platforms operate where, and a guide to free and low-cost options for people paying out of pocket. Comparisons cover what actually differs between services: the size of the therapist network, weekly pricing, whether insurance is accepted and whether psychiatry is offered.
Why trust our reviews?
We test each platform ourselves rather than summarizing its marketing pages, and we say what a service is best for rather than calling one platform best for everyone. The methodology page and the medical review board page, both linked from the footer, explain how reviews are researched, checked and updated. The blog covers the wider questions too: how to choose an online therapist, online versus in-person therapy, online psychiatry and medication management, and what different therapy approaches involve.
Support, if you need it now
VirtualTherapyApps is an information resource, not a therapy provider, and nothing here is clinical advice. If you need support right now, text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line, available 24/7; the same line appears at the top of the home page.
How the site is funded, and how to reach us
As our footer says, we may earn a commission when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. That is what keeps the site free to read, and it does not decide which platforms we review or how they are rated. Questions, corrections and suggestions for platforms to test can be sent through the contact page.